Hello Salty Goodness • The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #2
Previous Book: The Lost Hero
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: October 4, 2011
Source/Format: Bought || Hardcover

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wishes she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

The Son of Neptune is the much-awaited sequel to The Lost Hero. I know I've been waiting for it since I heard the preview last May! So, you can imagine just how excited I was to run over to my favorite Barnes & Noble and get my copy on the day it came out.

As always, Rick Riordan manages to completely astound me with his cleverly written stories. He's got an uncanny knack for weaving elements of mythology with real life, as well as bringing into existence characters that I truly end up caring for. The Son of Neptune is a brilliant second book for The Heroes of Olympus series, working well as a standalone story, while leaving enough room for the next book (or two or three) in the series.

With The Son of Neptune, I was already aware that Percy would be our main protagonist once again, and that he would, of course, remember nothing of his old life and friends from Camp Half Blood. I've always admired Percy's character (since the Percy Jackson days), and it was kind of fun watching him grow a little more as he encounters new friends, foes and even locations in this new life Riordan writes for him.

I loved getting to know the two new characters though, Hazel and Frank. Both characters are flawed, riddled with their own insecurities, secrets and longings. But they both also possess amazing (and quite stunning) abilities that come into play quite often during the course of their quest. It's quite heartwarming to get to know them, watch them mature and experience their crazy (and it really was a crazy one!) quest with them.

Apart from them, there are a great many interesting secondary characters - Reyna, Hylla, Arion and Ella being among my favorites. And, best of all, some of our beloved friends from the Percy Jackson series (and The Lost Hero) return in this book as well, if only as minor players.

Not only that, but we go on the most amazing journey and see some cool new locations - the Roman camp that Jason refers to in the first book of the series and the state of Alaska, which is an interesting bit of the book.

Again with the crazy twists and turns - The Son of Neptune has a whole slew of them! I seriously could not stop my mouth from falling open when I read certain bits or put things together in my head. Plus, as a bonus, a lot of moments had me laughing out loud too! I still consider Riordan brilliant at cobbling his story into a cohesive whole and I can't wait to see where he takes us next with this series.