"The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

There are many, many books that I’ve looked forward to reading this year, but none so much as this one. For this reason, it gets its own standalone post! For other posts containing books by Rick Riordan, click here and here and here and here. Smiley face! :-)

WARNING: If you have not read The Heroes of Olympus series, there may be spoilers.

The House of Hades (Oct. 8, 2013) by Rick Riordan.

Things are not going well. Not that they ever do for a demigod, but things are extra bad right now. Those flying aboard the Argo II can’t catch a break. From mountain gods hurling mountain boulders to a carnivorous sea turtle, life is definitely not smooth-sailing. Cupid makes an appearance, but this Roman god of love is no St. Valentine’s guy with wings shooting cute love arrows. Hazel Levesque is at a crossroads. All the ways look bleak. She can take the statue to Camp Half-Blood and hopefully stop Camp Jupiter from attacking or she can continue to Epirus and the House of Hades to close the Doors of Death from the mortal side and battle someone she will lose to unless she learns to control Mist.

            Leo Valdez is a mechanical whiz, but it’ll be a challenge finding a way to fight anti-fire with fire. Frank Zhang is busy feeling like the LVP – Least Valuable Player – and is determined to be worthy of the quest they’re all on. Jason Grace is on the fence. Now that he’s spent time in both camps, is he more Roman or Greek? He’ll have to decide at some point; lives will depend on it. Piper McLean may disagree with Frank’s idea that he’s the LVP, as she struggles with her own level of worthiness. She’ll have to prove to herself that she’s as adept as her comrades, lest they find themselves permanently stuck in a cold situation. After all, blueberry muffins shot out of a magic cornucopia can only distract for so long! Nico di Angelo has a secret that’s been eating away at him and has caused him no end of bitterness, hurt and even hatred. Cupid is surely not on his list of favorite gods.

            Can things get any worse for Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase? Even death might be a step up from their current location. They’re in Tartarus. They’re exhausting themselves trying to survive and reach the Doors of Death, as they must be closed so that the monsters can’t keep returning to the surface by way of elevator music. Percy’s friend, Bob, comes to their aid, but Percy hasn’t been the friend he should’ve been, and that may cost him much-needed help. Annabeth is grappling with the difficulty of forming strategic plans in a place so dangerous and desolate. How do you fight a being? Tartarus isn’t just a place; he’s the essence of the abyss and husband to Gaea, the Earth Mother. How do you fight the earth, the ground that you walk on, live on, sleep on?

            I had high expectations for this book, and I was not disappointed. Riordan writes with his signature sarcasm and wit. Riordan’s mythology-based books are full of action and adventure, and I love that. “The House of Hades” is busy and intense, not in a scare-your-pants-off way, but in a high-octane, full-throttle, action-and-adventure-to-the-max way.  It is a great read for so many reasons. A few: (1) It is entertaining literature for both guys and gals; (2) You can brush up on your mythology knowledge, learn it yourself or use it as a teaching tool in the classroom; (3) It is just an overall riveting read. Give Riordan’s books a try if you haven’t already! Oh, and do be careful of the ground you walk on. Gaea is stirring …