Teamwork Makes the Prophecy Work (The Blood of Olympus – A Book Review)

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published: 2014

On Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated H for Heroism in the darkest and bleakest moments and unconditional love and friendship.

 

Nico had warned them.

Jason’s ghost is his mother.

Reyna fears the ghosts of her ancestors.

Leo fears that his plan won’t work.

Piper must learn to give herself over to fear.

The seven demigods of the prophecy to stop Gaea from rising come face to face with some of their worst fears and must find ways to confront and get past them in order to help Romans and Greek unite and to be able to defeat the goddess of the earth. Nico Di Angelo helps Reyna and Coach Hedge get to Camp Half-Blood with the statue, but the travel is wearing on him. If he shadow-travels too much he’ll become nothing more than a ghost. Annabeth and Piper face great fear and must lean into it if they hope to do their part in this prophecy. Battle is on the horizon and sacrifices will be made to save the world.

 

The Heroes of Olympus series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 5 of 5.

 

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads

The Lost Hero review

The Son of Neptune review

The Mark of Athena review

The House of Hades review

First off, I’m sorry my lovely bookworms. It has been a little bit since I’ve put up a review. The holiday season is making work super crazy. I’m ridiculously glad Black Friday is over. Working that was exhausting. I’m still trying to catch up on sleep, but I have a review for you! WOO!

So, I totally got incredibly weepy throughout this book! Such a great ending and openings left at the end. Gah, the end! Beautiful and tragic, yet not! So many emotions! For those who have read this series, you get it! You traveled on all of these adventures with these demigods, watched them grow and develop and your heart drops just a bit at the end, knowing the journey is over. From a couple of cyclops to angry Romans to Hercules to Hecate and so much more. This was such an incredible book and a great ending, though not an ending, too.

I do have a bit of a bone to pick and it is spoiler-y. Piper captured a horn from the god of the Tiber and I found it to be sad because the other one had been stolen already. She manipulated him and his feeling to get it and it was pretty sucky. I do wish she would’ve returned it to him in some way. She was forced to trick him and I think it would’ve done so much good to return it to him. The parts surrounding Piper and the horn just broke my heart a tad.

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There was so much acceptance, realizations, and teamwork. In the end, while the seven demigods worked together to defeat Gaea, everyone united to fight an epic battle. I loved that it wasn’t ever just about one single person but about everybody because it affected everybody and each person had a part to play. Even the gods came swinging in and it’s always pretty cool when they can get past their high horses to help out the kids they don’t ever see.

 

Overall

A fantastic conclusion to the epic Percy Jackson universe, yet also opening to more stories to come. I definitely need to reread the Apollo trials now. LOL. They’re going to be so much more different than before.

 

Quotables:

“Fear can’t be reasoned with. Neither can hate. They’re like love. They’re almost identical emotions…” (Piper, p. 206)

“A Roman does not wait for death. She seeks it out, and meets it on her own terms.” (Reyna, p. 373)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? The Afterman by Coheed and Cambria.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Midnight Tease

Hello, book delinquents!

Tis the season to be merry, cheery, and joyful! Also, —in my case—very cold. LOL. I do enjoy the Christmas season. With epic Christmas movies like Black Christmas, Gremlins, and
Krampus, and then epic Christmas decorating. I have to be honest, I’m not big on Christmas songs, though I do have a couple favorites. I love making Christmas treats though! It’s something mum and I do and I love spending time with her. I believe Rice Crispy treats are on the list this year along with fudge and gingerbread.

Aside from Christmas cheer, I do have quite a bit to read up on this month. I’m excited to be moving forward with my TBR. While there are a few that are on my list from the last two months, there are some new ones as well. So, not to keep you waiting, here we go, the last Midnight Tease of the year!

If you’re up this late then you’re a night owl like me. Since you’re up and probably munching on a midnight burrito (which sounds delicious) here’s what’s coming up this month!

 

Coming Soon…

 

OverDrive

The X-Files: Ground Zero

Author: Kevin J. Anderson

Okay, guys, I don’t know if I told you this, but I’m a MASSIVE X-Files fan. It goes on my list next to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teen Wolf, The Walking Dead, and Planet Earth. From the theme song to the epic storytelling of the unexplained, it’s a home for me. I love believing in the things that science can’t explain because sometimes it’s like that. So, I’m quite excited to read this one.

 

Goodreads

The Host

Author: Stephanie Meyer

How many times have I put this on my TBR this year? LOL. I’m so determined to at least get started on it.

 

Jennifer Estep

Widow’s Web

Author: Jennifer Estep

This is a part of a mass-market series. There’s some paranormal juju dealing with assassins that have some powers related to the arachnid family. While I get creepy shudders about it, I’m also super intrigued.

 

Currently…

 

Goodreads

Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower #6)

Author: Stephen King

 

Goodreads

Goodreads

Zom-B: Baby & Gladiator

Author: Darren Shan

 

Up For Review…

 

The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)

Author: Rick Riordan

 

Amazon

Abandon

Author: Meg Cabot

 

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? What’s your favorite Christmas movie. Mine is definitely Gremlins. Let’s chat in the comments below!

Sundown Rundown – November 2019

Hey there, book-lovers.

It’s the end of November and that means it’s time to look back on what I’ve read this month. There have been some doozies for sure, and by that, I mean some big reads. So, I didn’t get as many done as I’d hoped, but I did get to some of the ones I really wanted to. A pro and a con!

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, Christmas is well on its way. Before we can get to December, here’s a chance to see what I’ve read this month and catch up on the reviews you might’ve missed.

 

Barnes and Noble

Wolves of Calla

Author: Stephen King

Roland and his ka face off against vile creatures known as the wolves to try and help a town from losing their children once again, but they have problems closer to home they must solve as well.

 

Goodreads

The Mark of Athena

Author: Rick Riordan

It’s not easy to try and make peace with an old enemy, like the Romans or Greeks, when you’re trying to stop the goddess of earth from arising and destroying the world.

 

Goodreads

Wicked Saints

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Dark, culty magic swirls around a girl believed to be the one that can end a brutal war.

 

Amazon

Stargazing at Noon

Author: Amanda Torroni

Lost in the universe of stars, space, and love and heartache.

 

The House of Hades

Author: Rick Riordan

Officially and truly friends, at last, demigods of both the Greek and Romans gods must work together to close the doors of the Underworld to keep monsters from leaving the dark depths.

 

Favorite Book: Stargazing at Noon was unbelievable gorgeous, picturesque, and stunning. Descriptive and breathtaking words. Just swept me away and I’m all right with that.

Least Favorite Book: Wolves of Calla was good, but it felt extremely drawn out. Sometimes a story takes patience, but I wasn’t feeling it this time. I still look forward to the next book in the series.

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? What book did you enjoy reading the most in November? Let’s chat in the comment below!

A Dark New World (Wicked Saints – A Book Review)

Wicked Saints (Something Dark and Holy #1)

Author: Emily A. Duncan

Published: 2019

On Goodreads

Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated X because you won’t trust a single one of these people with your life unless you want to doom the world or yourself.

 

A girl named Nadya, who hears the whispers of the gods inside her head.

A prince surrounded by desperate suitors and deadly assassins.

A monster hidden behind pale, tortured eyes—and a smile that cuts like a knife.

Nadya has grown up in the monastery for most of her life, revering the gods, and she is the only known cleric that is able to communicate with all of them and not just the one she is bound to. After the monastery is attacked, she runs into a band of unexpected allies that seek to end the brutal war between Kalyazin and Tranavia, a god-fearing land and a godless one. With the high prince on their trail, it may seem tricky. But, the high prince is also trying to escape the suitors and assassins around him. A prophecy of dark magic and heresy that has been long known is put in motion and two countries may be in worse danger than this war never-ending.

 

I guess the perfect place to start with any review is stating right off the bat if you enjoyed or disliked a book, or at least that typically how I like to get started. To be honest, I’m not sure which direction I lean. Complex. That’s it. There was a lot of hype (mostly my own) about this book and it was even on the NYT bestsellers list for a while. This is one I’m going to want to reread later on. While the cover is completely mystifying and is really what attracted me—following the mini-blurb on the jacket inside the book—I really find that this story, this journey really stands next to those like LOTR (J. R. R. Tolkien), Mortal Engines (Phillip Reeve), and The Magicians (Lev Grossman). There is so much attention to not only detail but emotions.

War, religion, faith, and love are the strongest themes I came across while reading. The characters were always questioning everything as well as themselves, except for Rashid and Parijahan of course. Those two knew to the very point of their hearts what they wanted without a single drop of doubt. I truly loved those characters. Great for relief in intense moments and were proof that—in this book anyhow—there are people you can trust at face value because they’re upfront with everything with nothing to hide. Can’t guarantee anybody else in this book. LOL. Not even the main characters: Nadya, Serefin, and Malachiasz.

This story was pretty dark. It had me questioning every page. I certainly didn’t trust any of the characters. Serefin is obviously an alcoholic which really bothered the heck out of me. Nearly every time his POV came up he was waking up with a nasty hangover. Each of these characters really struggled, and I get that they live in war-torn countries, but damn, they are messed the eff up. It was making me go crazy.

The cult-y touch with the blood magic versus what the gods of this world provide was epic though. That had me impressed. That, and the histories offered at the beginning of each chapter. So much depth!

Giphy

 

Overall

I truly wish I had more excitement. There’s so much to talk about, but I don’t have any enthusiasm in me about it, which is a bummer. I think it’s just because so much was loaded into it that I was having a bit of trouble keeping up and catching on. Duncan really delved into her creation of a world whole-heartedly and it’s amazing. This isn’t a dislike review. Those are much more different. This is definitely a recommend for those who love fantasy and magic. Certainly, worth a shot.

 

Quotables:

“The was magic, it was power, it was mankind stepping out of the shadows and finding out the world had been kept in the dark by these gods.” (p. 50)

“Blood was not to be spilled for the sake of power. Magic was a divine appointment from the gods.” (p. 113)

“A boy made king of monsters for a kingdom of the damned.” (p. 346)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? When the Darkness Comes by Grace Fulmer.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

A Busy Demigod is a Stressed Demigod (The Mark of Athena – A Book Review)

The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published: 2012

On Goodreads

Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated S for stressful situations that teens should ultimately be reserved for college finals not battles against giants that may kill them.

 

Annabeth is terrified.

In the midst of a great battle to become and the life of a dear friend on the line, Annabeth is given a mission that all Athena children are given by the goddess of wisdom: find the mark of Athena. Meanwhile, the meeting with Camp Jupiter was a failure and after not seeing Percy for months—thanks to Hera—she hoped it would go better. But now, The Romans march on Camp Half-Blood after an attack on their camp was made. With so much pressure on top of the prophecy of seven, she also worries that Percy might have changed and grown attached to the Roman ways. Does he even need her anymore? Of course, that’s crazy, but with so much riding on their shoulders, will they even make it to their destination on the flying ship, the Argo II and complete their quest? Each demigod is feeling the pressure and they won’t make it without teamwork and faith in each other.

 

The Heroes of Olympus series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 3 of 5.

Catch up on previous reviews of the series:

Goodreads

Goodreads

The Lost Hero review

The Son of Neptune review

 

This addition to Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series was jam-packed. So much was going on and emotions were high. Filled with both hope and doubt and so many overlapping emotions, this adventure was over the top and I loved it! From saving a dear friend to trying to stop the outbreak of war to keep an earth goddess from rising and taking over the world, these demigods have their hands full. But, I can definitely say that it isn’t a bad thing. It’s not overwhelming nor all over the place. Each chapter is something new in this quest and always exciting.

The seven of the prophecy that states the rise and fall of Gaea are finally together. I’ve been excited about this since book 1. Coming from different places with different points of view, of course, this new alliance is going to be shaky at first, but I could tell all of them were going to find their footing. Getting every high and low of that journey was beautiful and real. Just magnificent development all the way around. I couldn’t stop rooting for these heroes.

I’m still in love with how Riordan brings Greek and Roman mythology and the real world, from its landscape to pop culture, together. I’m continually impressed and in an utter state of awe. What a way to get people interested in mythos and storytelling. The roman coliseum comes to life like nothing else in this book! So lush and adventurous and fun.

 

A Habit…

I get this habit sometimes, and I know I’m not the only one. When reading a series that I can’t put down, get sucked into, emotionally invested in, all of those gooey bits that really grab me and don’t let go, I’m always hoping for a TV show. And it’s happened again. With so many great books that people love to turn into moving pictures, why not this one? Why are we stuck in the land of reboots right now when amazing authors bring forth such prospective pieces of work that would be utterly gorgeous on TV?

Giphy

Actually, something I’ve been thinking about a lot as I’m getting sucked into the PJ universe more and more is, though the movies weren’t successful, (even though the graphics and representation of the mythos to real-world were epic,) why hasn’t a TV show been thought about? There is so much material that I can already envision at least 5-6 seasons. The PJ universe has three separate storylines and who knows if there’ll be more. So much happens and the development and growth are incredibly phenomenal. This would be an amazing show for The CW or Netflix.

 

Overall

This book, while it faces the same pacing as previous installments, feels like it moves faster. I felt like a sponge, absorbing everything and also being the one immersed, almost as if implanted into the story itself. I have to be dissuaded from this series. It’s truly ageless and I definitely recommend it.

 

Quotables:

“Many of the best traps are simple.” (Annabeth to Frank, p. 224)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? Idle Worship by Paramore.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

 

 

Forgive Me, Father, For I Have a Battle to Prepare For… (Wolves of Calla – A Book Review)

Wolves of Calla (The Dark Tower #5)

Author: Stephen King

Published: 2003

On Goodreads

Barnes and Noble

My Rating: 

Rated D for the overwhelming darkness that finds a way to swallow a Gunslinger whole AKA a demonic baby.

 

Ka had come to Calla Bryn Sturgis. Ka like a wind.

Roland of Gilead and his ka-tet come to the town of Calla Bryn Sturgis while on their journey to the tower. Not only do they meet a man who’s crossed over into Roland’s world years ago, but also discover the Thunderclap; a darkness that is killing the town. The wolves of Thunderclap come and take the town’s children only to return them later on as only shadows of themselves, their innocence and childhood stripped away. While it wasn’t their plan, Roland and his friends stay to help the town prepare to protect and fight as the wolves get ready to come again. However, they discover there is more than just the wolves that they have to worry about. A dark evil is growing within one of their own, Susannah Dean, and they must figure out how to help her before it’s too late.

 

The Dark Tower series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 5 of 7 (technically 8, but I’m not including The Wind Through the Keyhole, though I will be reading it.)

 

Loaded with every nail-biting detail of a great fight, King truly delivers in each book of this series. I was blown away. I’ve yet to be disappointed. Roland comes to another stop in his journey toward the Tower. In a small, dusty town, children are taken every couple of decades. Honestly, it reminds me of a familiar horrifying clown. *shudder* I do NOT do clowns, guys. But, it seems the situation is close, except that when the kids are returned they are mere shells. While Roland would’ve kept going on his way a pull draws him in and he and his crew: Jake, Oy the billy-bumbler, Eddie and Susannah do what they can to help this town in despair.

Throughout the entire book, with vivid imagery, energy, and powerful emotion, was a journey that you got to experience the beginning, middle, and end. There were no shortcuts to be had. A complete journey within a journey. An inception if there ever was one. Of course, there have been a few of those during this series. LOL.

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One of the most interesting parts of the whole series is the way Roland contemplates if this part of his journey brings him closer to the Tower or pushes him farther away from it. His mental state is dark and depressed. In each book so far, he’s been sure that he’s only getting farther away. Yet, as he and his ka-tet journey it’s unclear where they are in regards to it. It seems like they could follow the beam that leads them to it and never reach the place. It’s just the way this universe is built. It’s endless and many different worlds could be traveled and the Tower would never be reached. Then again, getting to the Tower can be achieved much like solving a puzzle. Find the right pieces. Put them in the right places in the right order, and poof, you’re there. So complex and fantastically brain-blasting.

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As always, his world-building is stunning and dusty. I keep envisioning a dystopian wild west where the world had come and long gone. LOL. Like an apocalypse has swept through and been long over, leaving just this in its wake. And the characters of this small town gave way to that very enclosed, no outsiders allowed feel. They couldn’t help but reach out to Roland, giving Gunslingers and even stronger meaning of legendary. The addition of Father Callahan was very interesting. I must be honest, I haven’t read Salem’s Lot but it’s definitely been pushed up my list. I get super excited when crossovers happen and this was no different. Such a great addition and created a balance among the group.

 

Overall

The intensity around this battle and the darkness growing within Susannah really created a sense of anxiety. The kind you get when something dreadful grows closer and closer. Yet, the bonds created between Roland and crew between the townspeople and the emotions derived from the relationships really dug into me deep in this addition to the Dark Tower series. This brought back to the tragedy and loss of Wizard and Glass, but rather in a past sense, this was the present for the crew. The emotions felt heavier as the circumstances felt higher. So much left me hanging at the end and I can’t imagine what’s coming next. Then again, it’s been like that since book one. King is a master at storytelling, being of great complex thought that can spin you in a circle, and leaving you hanging in a dark chasm of wonder and curiosity about what may come next. And per usual, I’m left wanting to talk theories, possibilities, and the magic of this world.

 

Quotables:

“There’s a saying in Gilead: Let evil wait for the day on which it must fall.” (Roland to Eddie, p. 210)

“If we can help, we’ll help. But we won’t do it alone, folks. Hear me, I beg. Hear rem very well. You better be ready to stand up for what you want. You better be ready to fight for the things you’d keep.” (Eddie, p. 283)

“Wandering’s the most addictive drug there is, I think, and every hidden road leads on to a dozen more.” (Roland, p. 402)

“May your first day in hell last ten thousand years.” (Roland, p. 425)

“My quest—the quest of my ka-tet—is the Dark Tower, Pere. It’s not saving this world we’re about, or even the universe but all universes. All of existence.” (Roland to Callahan, p. 625)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? Sky is Falling by Lifehouse.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!

Demigod Family Histories (The Son of Neptune – A Book Review)

The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published: 2011

On Goodreads

Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated F for powerful friendships and bonds that make even the gods jealous.

 

Percy is confused.

Hazel is supposed to be dead.

Frank is a klutz.

Percy Jackson has lost his memories, but somehow, he’s made it to Camp Jupiter, the camp of roman demigods where Juno sets him on a quest to save the gods and the world. Thanatos, the god of death has been captured. As a result, nobody is dying. He and his two knew demigod friends, Hazel and Frank, with detailed histories, set out on a quest to set Thanatos free and meet up with those of Camp Half-Blood.

While Percy works to recover his memories of his friends and family, Hazel is struggling with her past that could be responsible for the end of the world and Frank is trying to bring honor to his family because of past transgressions that destroyed the camp. But, the two harbor family secrets and they worry it may derail everything.

If they survive this quest, Percy then must figure out how he’s going to help unite Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter without war erupting. Otherwise, everyone and everything is doomed.

 

The Heroes of Olympus series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 2 of 5.

Goodreads

The Lost Hero review

 

The return of old characters, as well as the introduction to new ones, were blended together so beautifully and totally welcome. Riordan did something magnificent here. I truly love the way he keeps Percy Jackson and others involved with his new storyline. He doesn’t let them be forgotten. He piled on the detail and emotion. Oh man, was their emotion! Each character had so much to handle on top of this quest. Percy struggled with his memory loss. Knowing everything he’d lost was heartbreaking too! Annabeth, Grover, Tyson and so much more. Hazel having lost so much and determined to protect what she has now and Frank’s life hanging on the edge of a piece of tinder while he’s on the precipice of great power had me attaching to them so quickly. And now, seeing where Jason Grace, who was introduced in The Lost Hero, came from, my heart ached for him too!

Vogue

While the book takes place after book one and not during, the story follows almost the same direction as it with Percy trying to regain his memories. Seeing the other side of the gods and even the other side of other creatures, such as satyrs/fauns and cyclops and harpies was really intriguing. It’s an opportunity to realize that monsters aren’t always monsters and not everybody is the same even though they’re grouped together. Even his world has expanded and evolved. All of this has kept him fresh

This book really took things to a higher level than ever before. While we know that characters die, they usually find a way back. However, there was a much closer look at death and the heroes and others its effected. It was such an important theme that provided growth for these characters. They’re not little kids anymore.

Imgur

 

Overall

In the exciting and invigorating way that Riordan does it, I was hooked and on the edge of my seat with this installment. He doesn’t ever go too far, but he does keep his characters realistic. I really admire that. The dialogue is fun and kept me on my toes. Riordan is a fantastic writer of the fantasy/mythos genre and I have so much appreciation for his work.

 

Quotables:

“I don’t even know where I come from…but I’ve got a feeling this isn’t the first time I’ve been an underdog.” (Percy, p. 101)

“Pluto’s cool. It’s not his fault he runs the Underworld. He just got bad luck when the gods were dividing up the world, you know? Jupiter got the sky, Neptune got the sea, and Pluto got the shaft.” (Frank, p. 111)

“Life is only precious because it ends, kid. Take it from a god. You mortals don’t know how lucky you are.” (Mars to Frank, p. 363)

“I am frequently mistaken for the god of love. Death has more in common with Love than you might imagine. But I am Death. I assure you.” (Thanatos, p. 445)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? Bright by Echosmith

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments below!