The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #5) by Rick Riordan on May 5th 2009
Pages: 381
Goodreads
All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.
In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.
4 Nuts
Of all the books in the Percy Jackson series (at least this first set), LAST OLYMPIAN is my favorite. It’s probably also arguably the best as well. After 4 books of build up and hard work Riordan has completed the first series in this world. But really it is only the beginning.
This book starts off not where the last books leaves off but a significant amount of time later. The war is in full force, Percy is still in mid-love triangle with Annabeth and a mortal, and the world is going to shit. You know, the usual. The difference in this book is that the stakes have never been higher in this series, and Riordan has no problem using character death to get that point across.
LAST OLMYPIAN has probably one of my favorite plot devices in it, the way in which Percy makes himself the bringer of the prophecy. I’m being purposefully vague as not to spoil it but this bit of writing is one of my favorites in the entire series. It’s a fabulous use of the mythology and also of character to make a suspenseful but action packed ending.
I will say that some of the filler stuff in this book I don’t care for. I can do without the love triangle junk, as everyone just wants Percabeth anyway. I’m not all that interested in the mortal girl, though she has a plot of her own to follow. Even that I could do without as its not what I’m focused on and she was introduced so late in the series. I’d rather have more Thalia instead.
I love the ending of this book so much. It makes some of the less interesting parts of the series totally worth it, as the pay off is done so well. Riordan does an excellent job of delivering a good ending without tying up all the ends so he can continue into a later series. These books are short and their endings have always been pretty good, but this one is the best.
Mostly though, this series is backstory for what I’m really interested in, that being the Heroes of Olympus series. While I like the Percy Jackson series, they function more as a prequel for the much more sprawling and better written sequel set. For younger readers Percy Jackson is perfect and kids can grow with the character as they read. The books grow with them in both quality and content. By the time they hit Heroes of Olympus they are ready for the darker content.
I recommend this book for middle grade readers and fans of mythology, especially if you want to go on to read Heroes of Olympus. It really is necessary.
Which is your favorite Percy Jackson book? Do you prefer …and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus? Share your thoughts in the comments.
From my shelf to yours,
Erin
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