Rick Riordan (www.rickriordan.com) is the author of the # 1 New York Times best-selling The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero; The Heroes of Olympus, Book Two: The Son of Neptune; The Heroes of Olympus Book Three: The Mark of Athena; the #1 New York Times best-selling The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid; The Kane Chronicles, Book Two: The Throne of Fire; The Kane Chronicles, Book Three: The Serpent's Shadow; as well as the five books in the #1 New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. His previous novels for adults include the hugely popular Tres Navarre series, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons.
After waging two separate quests (The Lost Hero, 2010; The Son of
Neptune, 2011), the Greek and Roman demigods of Riordan's Heroes of
Olympus quintet join forces. With his now-trademark zero-to-60
acceleration, the author engineers a ghostly possession to set
Greeks and Romans at odds and initiates the Prophecy of the Seven,
hurtling Annabeth, Percy, Piper, Leo, Hazel, Frank and Jason into a
pell-mell flight on the magical trireme Argo II. They seek the
titular Mark of Athena, which they hope will provide the key to
defeating the vengeful Earth mother, Gaea, or at least some of her
giant offspring. As the trireme crosses the country, the pace drags
while the demigods sort out relationships and work to figure out
both cryptic prophecy and nightmare visions. With sweethearts
Annabeth and Percy once again united, much of the tension that
powered earlier books is gone. Once the Argo II leaves the United
States, though, the pace picks up, and the comically instructive
set pieces Riordan's so good at emerge. A Luddite god rails against
what he calls the "b-book," which displaced the far superior scroll
technology; Annabeth gets a crash course in the cult of Mithros far
below the streets of Rome. Here, Riordan's infectious love for his
subject matter really comes through, even as he takes some real
risks with his characters. A literal cliffhanger leaves eager
readers hanging; next stop: Greece-and Tartarus. (glossary)
(Fantasy. 10-14) Kirkus"
Terrifying dreams and enigmatic prophecies mean danger for seven
teen demigods, but also good times for fans of The Heroes of
Olympus series. This third volume thrusts Percy, Jason, Annabeth,
Hazel, Leo, Frank, and Piper into action once again. Representing
both Greek and Roman camps, the seven companions undertake a
mission to prevent the imminent destruction of Rome, the awakening
of Gaea, and the end of the world. Meanwhile, they help Annabeth in
her quest to recover the ancient statue of Athena stolen from the
Parthenon. Along the way, they encounter Nemesis in Utah, Bacchus
in Kansas, Phorcys in Atlanta, Aphrodite in Charleston, and
Hercules at the Strait of Gibraltar. Throughout the novel, the
juxtaposition of humor and terror makes both aspects of the writing
more vivid. The demigods use their wits and their weapons
skillfully in a string of encounters, and their insecurities make
the characters all the more appealing. With a true storyteller's
sense of pacing, Riordan creates another compelling adventure,
right down to the cliff-hanger at the end. Stay tuned for volume
four. - Carolyn Phelan Booklist Online"
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