"The Burning Maze" by Rick Riordan

Apollo. Lester.

A book blog post just for you.

Not a mockery.

The Burning Maze (May 1, 2018) by Rick Riordan.

Ah, what is that wafting on the unnatural breeze? The stench of hatred, frustration and hunger? The feel of a scorching temper? Of the essence of someone literally burning for revenge? Well, fie, what Greek/Roman god cares for such things? Certainly not Apollo! Er, actually, yes, Apollo. Apollo very much does care in his very mortal, current form as Lester Papadopoulos. But the monsters of the world do not care a whit. He’s going to identify the third undead-wannabe-deity, needs to rescue one of his oracles and will fight umpteen creatures all bent on his exceedingly painful destruction. So, you know, simply another quest in the lives of demigods and their friends. Apollo fights alongside Meg McCaffrey and Grover Underwood (conveniently summoned from a tomato patch), and they meet up with Piper McLean and Jason Grace, the latter whom, strangely, has been waiting for them. Coach Hedge, Mellie and Baby Chuck are around, as are many new dryad friends. Oh, yes, the Arrow of Dodona doth maketh appearances, and his ability to dodge and weave hearts beeth amazing. Dost thou not findeth the Arrow of Dodona exceedingly impressive? …

            Sorry, lost myself a bit there. Where was I? The characters meet some Big Ears. They are not friendly, but Crest is okay. Watch out, though. He hisses.

            There is a hard death in this story, and the reader in me who has long ago planted herself in this mythological universe created by Riordan is struggling with it. It’s not what I’d consider the hardest death of the characters we’ve all come to know, but I’m certainly not pleased with it. I also missed that Percy Jackson didn’t make any appearances with his snarky personality.

            Aside from that, I am happy to add this third story in The Trials of Apollo series to my bookshelf. And not just any bookshelf, but my bedroom bookshelf. I laughed (a lot), cried (a little) and growled (sometimes). All the bits you love and expect are there, such as cheeky comebacks, witty banter and nonstop, rollicking adventure within a mythological/real-world landscape. Likewise, all the bits you don’t love, yet still expect, are there, such as a terrible foe, violence-bent monsters and traps that lead to the protagonists’ supposed doom. If you’ve read this tale, maketh yourself known in the comments. I mean, make. Make yourself known in the comments. But please, no vile or villainous language.