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!

Way Down We Go (The House of Hades – A Book Review)

The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)

Author: Rick Riordan

Published: 2013

On Goodreads

My Rating:

Rated H for heart-wrenching moments of near-death, unexpected truths, and going to hell and back, literally.

 

Hazel stands at a crossroads.

Annabeth and Percy are overwhelmed.

After losing Percy and Annabeth, the remaining crew of the Argo II could go home to stop the war that’s brewing between Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter or go to the Doors of Death where the two demigods will be waiting on the other side to close the doors between the mortal world and the underworld. Whichever they choose, time isn’t a virtue. Gaea, mother earth and of giants, is close to awakening and destroying the world.

Meanwhile, Annabeth and Percy, in Tartarus, discover old enemies and a brand-new meaning of pain as they journey to the Doors of Death to close them. Some enemies turn into friends and there are some enemies they never expected to cross paths with.

 

The Heroes of Olympus series is one of the series on my New Year’s resolution and this is book 4 of 5.

Catch up on previous reviews of the series:

Goodreads

Goodreads

Goodreads

The Lost Hero review

The Son of Neptune review

The Mark of Athena review

 

This book was non-stop action and anxiousness and I loved it! Compelling adventure and so many heartfelt moments that made the story even more loveable. Dark times and temptations come for each character, leaving them faced with decisions that truly change everything. I was shocked that’s for sure.

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The character development is unbelievable and astounding! The return of familiar characters, like Nico De Angelo and Calypso, was also welcoming. Seeing them again also brought to the surface that a few things have come to bite Percy Jackson in the butt. I felt for these characters, but also praise Riordan for showing that even the most heroic and caring people can fall on the wayside and be subject to misgivings, even if it’s unintentional, and that’s really important. Nobody is perfect, but that doesn’t take away from the kind of person you are.

The subject of love is quite a biggie as well, during this book. There’s even a harrowing encounter with Cupid, and as with every god they’ve encountered it was dangerous and life-altering. (I’m actually loving all the different gods they encounter. It gives a lot of kudos to gods people don’t typically think about.) While Percy, Annabeth, and a few others find themselves locked in it, others struggle, like Leo and Nico. While one suffers from being the odd man out the other struggles with feeling betrayed by someone they thought they cared deeply about. The touching moments met the heartbreaking ones, really showing that navigating emotions isn’t easy no matter what age you are.

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The setting of the book splits in two, though the journeys lead to the same place. Percy and Annabeth brave Tartarus while Hazel, Frank, Piper, Jason, and Leo are topside, working to get to them. There’s such a stark difference with each POV of the book and each of the places the characters travel to and it’s so important. All of this keeps the book from feeling dry and drawn out. Utterly breathtaking waters and monsters, and completely enamoring places that’ll shake you up and leave your heart overwhelmed.

 

Overall

True love and loyalty is always a theme in the Percy Jackson series, but this book reminded me of how harrowing a hero can be and sometimes how unrewarding and rewarding it can feel. That promises aren’t easy to keep. That even when it’s hard, you must be strong in the face of adversity. I repeat myself by saying Riordan is phenomenal and that you should read his books, but if it hasn’t sunken in yet, maybe it will this time. LOL.

 

Quotables:

“The past is close to the surface in this place. In ancient times, two great Roman roads met here, News was exchanged. Markets were held. Friends met, and enemies fought. Entire armies had to choose a direction. Crossroads are always places of decisions.” (Hecate to Hazel, p. 22)

“Monsters are the zits on the skin of Tartarus…” (Annabeth, p. 161)

“The dead see what they believe they will see. So do the living. That is the secret.” (Pluto, p. 190)

“Love is on every side. And no one’s side. Don’t ask what Love can do for you.” (Cupid, p. 286)

 

More to come soon…                                                                                                

  -K.

 

P.S. Song today? Way Down We Go by Kaleo.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? Let’s chat in the comments 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!

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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?

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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!

 

 

The Seasonal Booklist

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Hello, fellow book hoarders,

I don’t know about you, but where I am, we moved into autumn pretty fast and then into winter even faster. It’s snowed already. And yes, I’m one of those people that doesn’t enjoy snow or the cold. Just as much as there are people who are done with summer as soon as it begins there are also people out there who are done with winter before it even begins, even if the population of that group is just me. LOL.

The fast changes in the seasons here made me think of this booklist. Below are four books, each representing a season, from my opinion of course, and a bonus to represent change. Now, I do consider this a list, not a tag because I have a Thanksgiving feast tag planned this month, but if you want to use this as a tag go for it.

 

Spring:

Dumplin’

Author: Julie Murphy

Goodreads

Goodreads       Barnes & Noble          Amazon

 

Summer:

The Summer I Turned Pretty

Author: Jenny Han

Goodreads       Barnes & Noble          Amazon

 

Autumn:

Gone With the Wind

Author: Margaret Mitchell

Goodreads

Goodreads       Barnes & Noble          Amazon

 

Winter:

Lovely, Dark and Deep

Author: Amy McNamara

Goodreads

 

Goodreads       Barnes & Noble          Amazon

 

Bonus:

And here’s a book that brings I believe expresses and shows great change much like the seasons do or are, in their own right, life-changing.

We All Looked Up

Author: Tommy Wallach

Simon and Schuster

Goodreads       Barnes & Noble          Amazon

Which book has changed your life? I know, there are so many! It was hard for me to choose one. No choice is ever wrong. It can be whatever one has inspired in any way.

 

More to come soon…

  -K.

 

Find Me:

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Thoughts? A book recommendation? Let’s chat in the comments below!