Book Review of; "Mark Of Athena", from the series, "Heroes Of Olympus":

I rate this book: 4/5

Rick Riordan has finally united the Great Seven; Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Piper McLean, Leo Valdez, Frank Zhang and Havel Levesque. They have been united, alright, but at a cost: now the Roman Camp, that should have been friends with them, are against them, and are now hunting them down. Alongside that, they have to complete one phase of the quest - to fight the Earth Goddess, Gaea, and close the Doors of Death - that might make or break their very existence.

To make matters more tough, Annabeth has a grueling quest that breathes down her neck, sending chills of dread through her; and the failure to accomplish it will have its own consequences. Packed with action to the brim, this book is one amazing ride, with all the gaps I felt in the story being filled easily.

This book was by far my favorite in the whole series. For me, the two last ones were really vague, where I could not really pin-point any real plot. Holding on to those books were hard, but once I got a hold of this, I've finally learned to love it. The satirical element that Rick Riordan possesses has never ceased to amaze me; the way he addresses in the satirical form never makes the story lose its thrill, and yet it leaves me breathless with laughter. Maybe it's because of this satire, that the real youth in all his characters can be seen; individually, all the characters have grave weights on their shoulders, and it would ruin them. But Riordan's satire has given us - and the character - some comic relief. Putting it shortly: he cut all the characters some deserving slack.

The way the author describes those sword-fighting scenes, with monsters charging and bellowing around them, the demigods' grip on their swords tight and then they jump and slash and stab - you know what I'm talking about. Riordan describes these action-packed scenes so well, that they move like a movie in my brain; I can tell exactly where Percy stood, with Jason's grave expressions as he stands next to him, and it's honestly so enjoyable. It's one of the many elements that make me attracted to a certain book in a flash. I feel no trouble imagining the Great Seven in my mind as they fight monsters (hopefully over-throwing Gaea's forces as they do so.)

Talking about deeper things, like characters and stuff, I enjoy all their perceptions. They are all so unique, and yet they are all so amazing together. They were meant to be for each other; the Great Seven is perfect the way it is. For Percy and Annabeth, there is no trouble in perceiving them, because they have been introduced in their previous series i.e. Percy Jackson. But I'm surprised to find myself easily connected to all the new characters as well; I instantly fell in love with Leo Valdez. His jokes are really witty and extremely funny, and yet he has that serious side in him that always breaks my heart. But what's amazing is how much he cares for his friends; we see that in both the beginning of this story and the ending. I felt the same attraction for both Hazel and Frank; two amazingly down-to-Earth people who are perfect for each other (Frank being the clumsier one, but we love him still.)

But what was a little annoying for me was how hard it took me to finally grasp the characters of Jason and Piper. Although they had cute moments together, and they had their moments of character development, there was not much I could hold on to and love. It was not until the middle-chapters, where Jason and Piper meet Hercules, do I feel and understand Piper and Jason. It took a long time for me to understand them. They were almost like blank pages, with not much to decipher.

All in all, I love this book. I had little moments where the story would not move on for me, or where I felt like throwing the book. But I guess 'everything has it's ups and downs', as most put it. However, I did enjoy the victorious moments, the sad thoughts that broke me from the inside, and the funny parts that made my cheeks hurt from smiling too much. It was a good ride. I hope the upcoming book, "The House of Hades", will be a gripper.

Thank you for reading this!