The House of Hades

Incredible is not strong enough of a word to describe how I feel about this book. It was difficult for me to put it down - which is true of all of the Percy Jackson/Heroes of Olympus books I've read thus far, but even more true with this installment. Riordan continues to seamlessly integrate rich stories of mythology with the lives and adventures of the demigods. But this one is where I felt so many of the characters came into their own. There are great personal challenges for several of The Seven (and others) and so much growth and character development. As the penultimate book of the series, I thought Riordan did a great job of presenting this epic part of their adventure whilst also setting up what is likely to be an even more epic show more final battle.

Do I really have to wait until October to find out how it all ends?? show less

Annabeth and Percy are in Tartarus, somehow supposed to make their way all the way to The Doors of Death in time to help their friends. It isn't until they run into Bob the Giant that they actually have a chance; the large but gentle giant helps them through monster-packed areas. But they soon realise it'll take more than pure strength to get all the way to the doors.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew is still on Argo II where they try to process their grief while also finding the moral side of the doors before it's too late. The Roman camp will soon be marching towards Camp Half-Blood just as Gaia and her forces will soon wake. And as usual, for demigods... travel isn't the easiest thing in the world.

I really missed this world. So, so, show more so much. I missed these characters, coming back to them was such a delight. They've all come so far and I love how much development there was in this book; especially when it comes to friendships. They're all finding their places in the group for real, which is sad I guess considering there's only one book in the series left.

But the most important development is Nico's. He's really struggling, and this book discusses his problems in ways the others haven't. His homosexuality is revealed, something that he is obviously ashamed and terrified for. It really hurts to see him in such despair. Being gay is okay, kid. I'm eager to get my hands on the fifth book so I can see where the story takes him. I want him to be happy. But I guess I also want to make sure Gaia doesn't, like, conquer the world and slaughter all demigods and mortals and well, everyone but her army. That'd be bad.

My only question is... why is Riordan so intent on being sexist? The boys being so scared of not being masculine to the point where Percy won't cry in front of his girlfriend or even admit that he's scared. You're in a relationship, dude! Like, what the fuck? Even if she was your friend, this would be an okay thing, but like... how are you supposed to have a healthy, honest relationship if you consider that not being man enough? I'm fed up with all these blunt but off-hand comments. Especially since Riordan himself claims representation is important. Why doesn't that include good representation for both girls and boys when it comes to gender roles? show less

This was a fantastic book! Every character had a LOT of development and grew a great deal during the course of this book, and every change was true and realistic. It felt like growth, not something picked out of the air.

I enjoyed the parts with Jason, Hazel, Leo, Piper, Frank and Nico more than the parts with Percy and Annabeth. The Tartarus scenes were well written but felt to me very much like Sam and Frodo trekking through Mordor, and admit it, trekking just isn't that exciting.

As for Nico - I've heard people say that it destroyed his character and that they don't like him as a character anymore. This is ridiculous and bigoted. Nico is my favorite character in the series and has been since he was introduced. I think it makes a great show more deal of sense, and I am thrilled that Riordan took the step that even JK Rowling wouldn't by putting an explicitly gay character in a children's series. I loved that bit of devlopment, and to me it's just a little bit more explanation of why Nico is how he is. show less

Summary: On their quest to stop Gaea from rising and destroying all the Olympian gods – and demigods, Greek and Roman alike – our group of heroes has encountered some setbacks. They’ve rescued the statue that is the only hope of stopping the discord between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, but in the process, Percy and Annabeth have fallen into Tartarus – the underworld pit, teeming with rivers made of fire, poisonous vapors, and plenty of monsters – most of whom have a grudge against demigods in general, and Percy in particular. They need to make their ways to the Doors of Death, not only so they can escape, but also to stop Gaia’s forces from immediately reincarnating once they’ve been slain. The rest of the heroes – show more Hazel, Nico, Leo, Frank, and Piper – are racing across the Mediterranean in their flying warship to reach the Doors of Death in the mortal world… but it’s not exactly smooth sailing for them, either.

Review: Rick Riordan’s books are just so much fun. They are clever and they are exciting and they are fast paced and they are funny, and the involve all sorts of mythological trivia used in cool ways in service of the story, which of course I just love. The House of Hades lives up to its predecessors, without question. As much as I like all of the other heroes, I think I'll always have a lingering soft spot for Percy, and we get to spend plenty of chapters with him and Annabeth. Riordan's vision of Tartarus is supremely imaginative and vivid and very, very creepy, and watching Percy and Annabeth make their way across was half action-adventure, half survival story. The heroes on the surface got plenty of good screen time too, and some familiar faces crop back up in interesting ways. One of the things I liked the most about this story was the character development. Riordan's shown himself before to be very good at juggling POVs, and it's masterfully done here - not only do we get an interesting (and very touching look) at Percy and Annabeth's relationship, but Frank, Leo, Hazel, and Nico all make some major strides, character-wise, things that I wasn't necessarily expecting but wound up being extremely cool (Piper: not so much development, at least in this book). If this series is meant to be five books, like the Percy Jackson series was, Riordan's got a fair amount of ground to cover in that last book, but I have no doubt he'll be able to pull it off, and I will absolutely be along for the ride! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: This book would make absolutely zero sense as a standalone, but this series, or Riordan's books as a whole, are a damn good time, and one that I always eagerly anticipate the next release. Good for fans of mythology, adventure, and a dash or three of zany silliness. show less

One of the most curious characters of the series, Nico di Angelo, becomes a focus in this book. He's an interesting character who develops in a way that suits Riordan's patterns but may frustrate some readers. I won't spoil it, of course, but I found myself both appreciative of the move but also a little irritated at the habitual tokenism Riordan continues to display. Even so, Nico at least is a character who has been developing from the beginning, so he gets a fuller treatment here and it is well-deserved.

The demigod gang has been split, so this volume is all about bringing them back together. It also introduces some random side characters -- a gassy polecat, a former-enemy-giant-turned-friend called Bob, a ghostly saber-toothed show more kitten named Small Bob, among others. At times, it's hard to remember the vast numbers of side characters the series has accumulated and how they all relate and what their back stories are, but in their individual moments they typically add a great deal of charm and fun, which is needed now as our heroes are in the darkest of places. Literally and metaphorically, it's very dark in here.

At this point in the series, one feels a little exhausted at the classical pattern of another followed by yet another island/quest/god/reward, but it is a classic after all, so Riordan sticks with what he knows. If one is exhausted by the overly-repetitive plot structure, though, one may be entertained by the imaginative descriptions of the settings previously unseen (and, once seen, hard to forget even if you want to) and the even more monsters. Though, in truth, even Riordan seems to be running out of monsters, so most are familiar faces here. If you've enjoyed the series up to this point, you are likely comfortable with these patterns. In truth, whilst reading I was pleasantly caught up in them myself. The series as a whole continues to be fun, as long as you don't think about it too hard. I found this book to be one of the most intense of the series, so keep in mind that, for younger readers, this might inspire some nightmares. show less

Solid and engaging installment in Riordan's Greek/Roman mythology series. There's still a bit of teenage angst, but the demigods are so busy fighting and problem-solving that they don't have much time for self-pity. And although Tartarus scenes are scary, even the darkest bits are leavened with humor. Riordan's also done a good job making the main characters unique individuals who still form a cohesive group. This fourth book sets up things nicely for "The Blood of Olympus", without resorting to the figurative and literal cliffhanger that ends "The Mark of Athena".

Rating: 4.5 stars

This book took me so long to finish I am actually ashamed! But I tried to read it while in the middle of a reading slump... not my brightest idea.

Anyways, on to the review

I have loved every single Rick Riordan book I have read so far and this one was no exception.

The characters' growth was so impressive, and everyone kept evolving and learning to be better than before.
I loved how each character embraced his/her flaws and worked on using them to his/her favor, and how they all helped each other to get through things, not just battles.
I'm definitely loving the friendships on board of the Argo II

Despite the terror Percy and Annabeth went through in Tartarus, the two characters that broke my heart the most in this book show more were actually Leo and Nico.
Poor Leo, always doubting himself, thinking he wasn't good enough finally someone who valued and loved him (Okay Calypso wasn't who I would've picked for him but still!) but he had to leave her.
And Nico! my precious little cinnamon roll! I felt so bad for him! He was the outcast, everyone was creeped out by him because he was a child of Hades, no one ever really reached out for him and the poor thing had to learn how to live on his own, but he also had to fall for someone who couldn't love him back, and since he wasn't for the same time he was living in, accepting himself was even harder!
I felt bad for him everything Percy and Annabeth even looked at each other.

Now don't get me wrong I love them, and I ship them so hard! But still.

Bob the Titan was the little ray of sunshine in the dark moments of this book! and I loved that so freaking much! I think he was my favorite character in this book.

All in all, another beautiful addition to a great series, I can't wait to know how would Rick Riordan finish it. show less