Customer Reviews
unfaltering brilliance - more please! - By: A. Craig, 15 May 2008 
This is the series that is the obvious front-runner to succeed Harry Potter. Percy Jackson, the teenaged son of a single mother has been adorable ever since he vaporised his Math teacher & discovered his dyslexia & ADHD were symptoms of being a demi-god. As the son of one of the big three Greek gods (Poseidon) now that Olympus has moved to America, he must survive until he's sixteen, & save the world. So far, he's done it twice. However, the twins Percy finds at another school haven't a clue about their powers, & when he, his best friend Grover the satyr & his almost-girlfriend Annabeth (daughter of Athene) rescue them from monsters it's just the start of another hugely enjoyable quest.
The wit & zest with which Riordan plays with both Greek myth & modern America is completely delightful. I loved Apollo arriving in his golden sports car, the enthusiastic Pegasus Blackjack & the statues that come to life to defend Percy just when he's hopelessly trapped by a skeletal army. They will make completely wonderful films, not least because Percy & his relationships are getting deeper & richer with each book. His Titan half-brother Tyson began as a seemingly slow-witted embarrassment but is touchingly sweet & loyal, & makes Percy a fantastic shield which springs out of a watch, much like Percy's magic sword Riptide which springs from a pen, is one half but so is Percy's loving mother. The emotional intelligence is very real. My kids love these books, & are bombarded by friends for them as soon as a new one appears.
Beware of Greeks siring kids - By: Amanda Richards, 19 May 2007 If you've been following this fascinating series, you'll already know that it is based on Greek mythology, with a touch of artistic license & a ton of humor. Apparently, the big three of Olympus (Poseidon, Zeus & Hades) had reluctantly agreed to stop popping over to earth & siring offspring with the local mortals, in order to nullify a prophecy that foretells certain disaster when said offspring reach the age of sixteen. However, gods will be gods, & as we pick up the story from The Sea of Monsters), we have two potentiallly dangerous demi-gods running around, namely Percy Jackson, star of the series & son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, & Thalia, who formerly had roots on Half-Blood Hill, & is the daughter of Zeus, Lord of the Sky. This is not to say that some of the other gods weren't busy as well, & the majority of the supporting cast is made up of children of the other residents of Olympus.
This third book of the planned five book series starts with a rescue mission to save two newly-discovered demi-gods from a monster attack, & during the battle, a daughter of Athena is taken, despite the timely arrival of Artemis, Goddess of the Hunt & her hunters. While Artemis sets off alone to hunt another monster that is destined to cause the downfalll of Olympus, the rest are sent to Camp Half-Blood for their safety. While there, The Oracle (whose description makes her sound like Norman Bates' mummy) delivers a prophecy that leads to the rest of the action that packs book three from cover to cover.
To cut the story short, a team of five is chosen to set off in search of Artemis, but there is a last minute unplanned substitution, who has another quest or two to fulfill along the way. The route takes them through Manhattan & across the country to San Francisco, where our hero experiences what it's like to carry the weight of the sky on his shoulders.
Cool monsters, skeletal warriors & bad guys abound, as well as gods behaving badly & making bad haiku, but the most upsetting thing about this book is that after reading the ending, it will be a very agonizing & excruciatingly painful wait for books four & five. This is one of those series where you just gotta get them alll.
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