Book Review: The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena
Star Rating (out of five): 4
Genre: Fantasy

Summary:

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she’s about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo’s fantastical creation doesn’t appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that’s only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth’s biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he’s now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader—but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

Review:

This book is the third in the Heroes of Olympus series.

In this novel I noticed something that a friend had pointed out to me before I'd read this book. Riordan tended to give the chapter plot twist right smack dab in the middle of the chapter, as opposed to the end, where most authors like to stick their plot twists. From an opinion point of view, I found that this rather discouraged the urge to keep reading, because I didn't get that sitting-on-pins-and-needles feeling like I normally do when the plot twist is at the end.

Rick had a bad habit in this book to make his characters either a.) start to explain something that has been bugging them in the past and then be interrupted by either an monster or some other random thing, and/or b.) start to explain something and then decide, oh no, I'm just going to shove that thought from my mind and not think about it. I think that once or twice is okay, but more than that and with different characters starts to get a bit much.

Riordan didn't have quite as much humor as he usually did. Sure, there was a fair amount of bubble wrap splints and goddesses cracking open fortune cookies and replacing the fortunes with horrible things like saying the person would die a slow painful death. But he didn't have it evident in every chapter, I felt. Now, that's not to say that there weren't scenes that were hilarious. I personally loved the scene with Leo, the nymphs, and Narcissus. Go Team Leo!

The cover looks pretty snazzy, I must say. That scene takes up one chapter in the book. I felt like the author could've added a bit more with the spirits that possess whatever they choose, but he didn't feel the same way. Sad.

The author used enough words to paint the picture of what was happening in the book, without it being a remake of Tolkien's or Paolini's work. He was able to make some of the characters feel more real to me than others, and he was also able to show a different side to one or two of them as well.

Would I recommend this? Sure, if you've read all of the others in this series.

That is all.