The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2)
Author: Rick Riordan
Published: 2017
My Rating: 
Go west. Capture Apollo before he can find the next Oracle.
Apollo is new to the whole hero-quest-business. Usually his demigod master, Meg McCaffey does all of the fighting, but she’s missing, which totally isn’t his fault. Really it’s not. It’s her stepfather, Nero’s, who just so happens to be an old enemy of Apollo’s. With Meg gone, Apollo relies on a couple of other, erm, friends to help him with the Oracles.
For some reason, Apollo and crew land in Indianapolis and just when they think there’s nothing happening—seriously, it’s flat land for miles and there was nobody around—a roman emperor that’s working with Nero makes himself known. Already having gone through so much, Apollo has to stop him before they can even get to the next Oracle and before he destroys them.
Just like the first one, The Hidden Oracle (review here), there was so much humor and fun. I don’t know why, but Apollo’s suffering really gives me a little joy. He is getting to see just how dangerous it can get on the ground floor instead of just watching from a bird’s eye view. He’s experiencing so many emotions; it’s like seeing a newborn baby bird get shoved out of its nest, except he fell on his face instead of taking flight. More so, I really REALLY loved seeing the realizations that Apollo was coming to in regards to his demigod friends and other aquaintances. They aren’t just meager ants to him anymore. More didn’t just pop up after a few were destroyed. The continued growth of humanity in the ex-god hit a soft spot with me.
I don’t have much to say about the style and tone because Riordan does splendid in keeping both up from the previous book. That’s the best praise I’ve got. I had no qualms. Though, I felt like the level of funny went up a notch. Let’s just say the Kool-Aid man had a brief cameo.
We more or less stayed put compared to the previous book. While in the first book Apollo and Meg were running all over the place, though it centered around Camp Half-Blood, this one stayed put in the city of Indianapolis. It was still great to see it up close. There wasn’t any one time that I felt like the story was dragging along because of this. If there was a tid-bit to explore it was explored and well-detailed. So while it was all one spot, the scenes through the chapters were all perfectly fitting. I really liked that.
There were more returning characters!!! I’m more excited by the young women I got to see…read…see—you get it. Calypso and Thalia Grace take on more than just the recurring role in this book. And I don’t usually pick favorites, but I was beyond ecstatic that Thalia got a moment here. I love her! A daughter of Zeus turned hunter. Her interaction with Apollo back in Titan’s Curse is one that set me down the path of Thalia/Apollo. I really hope to see more interaction between the two of them in the future. It’s crazy. I know that. But damn it, don’t you know by now that I’m crazy? No? Well…Onward!
“Apollo’s hot,” said Thalia.
“He’s the sun god,” said Percy.
“That’s not what I meant,” replied Thalia.
(Thalia to Percy, Titan’s Curse)
heh…Just leaving this here…heh
There were also new characters! The group got to meet two women that used to be hunters but now reside in a special waystation-Hemithea and Josephine. Now these are only two of the new characters because it would be quite rude of me to not let you meet some of these folk for yourself. These two are freaking amazing. Nothing keeps them down or stands in their way. They are truly admirable and certainly phenomenal women that have such a powerful story about how they left behind their lives as hunters. Just like every woman that joins this series they’re no damsels. They’re heroes.
If you couldn’t tell from all of the babble, this was just as enjoyable as The Hidden Oracle was. I’m rooting for Apollo to get his head straight and rise to challenge of being mortal. To see him save the day as such is very impressive and shows great strength. Bring on the next book!
Wait…it’s not out yet? AWWWWW, MAAAAN!
Quotables:
“I volunteer for death!” (Apollo, p. 22)
Okay, I have to say, this made me burst out laughing, imagining the gag reel version of Hunger Games’s Katniss Everdeen.
“I often speak without the benefit of forethought. Usually it works out. Sometimes it leads to improvisational masterpieces, like the Renaissance of the Beat movement. I had to hope this would be one of those times.” (Apollo, p. 23)
“HITTEST ME WITH THY BEST SHOT” (Dodona arrow, p. 110)
I love that a magic arrow knows Pat Benatar. A gold star for the magic arrow!
“Nets can be traps. But they can also be safety nets. You just have to know when to jump in.” (Jo to Apollo, p.187)
“What was that? Buy one prophecy, get three free?” (Leo, p. 379)
The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3) comes out May 1st, 2018 and I can’t wait to read it.
More to come soon…
-K.
P.S. Song today? Starships by Nicki Minaj.
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The Scarlet Reader 
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