Title: The Hidden OracleAuthor: Rick Riordan
First Published: May 3rd 2016
Series: The Trials of Apollo #1
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology
Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook
Pages: 376
My Copy: Physical copy
My Rating: 9/10
Goodreads Summary
How do you punish an immortal?
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
By making him human.
After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.
But Apollo has many enemies - gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.
I was so happy when I found out that Rick Riordan was still continuing his Greek mythology! Two long series on Percy Jackson really hooks you in. You just don't want it to end. I was a bit unsure since there were some mixed reviews on Sword of Summer, but I think Rick rocks the Greek area of mythology.
Apollo is a really funny narrator. Since he was an (ex)god, he is pretty arrogant and self-absorbed, but that is easy to get over. He mirrors Percy's narration in some areas, since they are both sarcastic and humorous at the same time. The humour flowed easily, and I was sucked in immediately on the first sentence.
Did I mention all the chapters now have names again? I loved the chapter names, especially in PJO, but they were all missing in HoO. Now they are back! I think chapter names are lacking these days in books, but they are really helpful! Especially in this book, where the names are haikus. I repeat: haikus. 99% guaranteed laughs.
I really loved the recurring characters in this one. It really brings back a sense of familiarity, especially for the long-time readers. These days, whenever there are spinoffs, there is a lack of old characters. It's good in some ways, but I really like a reappearance of an old character or two. Speaking of reappearance, *spoiler alert* LEO IS BACK! Okay, I did see that one coming. Rick isn't that cruel to kill of one of the most well-liked characters in the HoO series (right?) I admit, it did feel a bit rushed, but it does tie in with the following book, so that's alright. *Spoiler over*
I really enjoyed this book (like all of Rick Riordan's books). I think mythology is his strongest genre, but he is the best in Greek/Roman mythology. Reading this book was like seeing an old friend again, so I highly encourage anyone who read PJO/HoO or any of Riordan's works to read this book right now!
My Chosen Quote
“Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back.”
YES, this book was amazing!!! The Sword of Summer was still good, but it honestly has nothing in comparison to this book. Greek mythology definitely is Riordan's strong point. I absolutely loved how we got to see so many old faces, like Leo and Nico! And you're completely right about those chapter titles--the haikus were fantastic and hilarious! What's not to love about them? I absolutely can't wait for the next book!
ReplyDeleteSame! I adored the haikus; they were so funny! Can't wait for the next book!
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