“One cursed demigod. Two new heroes. A quest to unleash the god of death… ‘I’m the god of Rome. I protect the legions. I don’t want war without end. You will serve me.’ ‘Not likely,’ Percy said. ‘I order a quest!’ the god announced. ‘You will go north and find Thanatos in the land beyond the gods. You will free him and thwart the plans of the giants.’
What is the book about?
Percy Jackson has awoken and remembers nothing about his past; he barely even remembers his own name. He was sent in the direction of Camp Jupiter, the Roman camp for demigods, and finally, after days on the run, he has arrived. The camp welcomed him unhappily, only choosing to let him live because of what a man assassinating teddy bears had told him, and the only people who truly seemed nice where Hazel and Frank, two demigods with problems of their own. After a Roman version of capture the flag, a god revealed himself and declared a quest, a quest to free the god of death. Percy and the two new heroes, Hazel and Frank, embarked on their new journey across America to the land beyond the gods, where they would find Death and much more dangerous creatures. But, in case that wasn’t enough, the demigods are all facing issues of their own: a curse, a piece of wood and a terrible case of amnesia. The heroes must face the truth and admit their secrets and their past, and above all free the god of death and kill an almost immortal giant, before an army attacks Camp Jupiter and kills them all…
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
The second I had finished The Lost Hero I was already longing to have the second book in my hands, ready for another adventure. With Percy missing during the entire first book, I was anxious to find out what had happened to him and how his own quest with half-bloods from the opposite side was going. Once I finished reading the blurb, I was even more desperate to grab the book and I had lots of questions just waiting to be answered. I really wanted to know who the two new heroes would be and finally get all the Seven together for the quest to defeat the giants. I was very interested in finding out what the Roman camp was liked and understand more about the Roman gods. As soon as I started to read I was already in love with the book and literally on the edge of my seat waiting to understand what had happened to Percy. The start was very interesting and kept me reading on because of all the half-answered questions and the new ones popping up every second. I was anxious to read on and discover what would happen on this mysterious new quest…
Who was your favourite character and why?
My favourite character was very difficult to choose this time because both the new heroes were amazing in their own unique ways. Hazel was amazing and a bit younger than the other heroes but just as brave. She had suffered a lot and knew the meaning of death. She carried a lot on her shoulders but still managed to keep a calm look on her face to help Frank and Percy not panic every single time they were attacked by monsters. She was a really incredible character and I really admired her courage but, I think that if I had to pick a favourite, it would probably be Frank. This is because of how he was willing, like really willing, to sacrifice his life for his friends, to put his duty before everything, including his life. I know that this is a quality that you see in a lot of demigod heroes but none of them have ever come as close to death as Frank. He literally had his life in his hands and was willing to watch it burn just to save his friends. He had thought of himself as the weak link in the group because he never thought of himself as a warrior, but he proved himself and showed everyone (especially himself) that he was not a screw up. He was very sweet and always looked out for his friends and never hesitated when he had to march into battle, even though he always doubted himself. He was by far the most heroic male half-blood that I have met and I don’t understand why Percy and Jason seem to get all the glory when there are heroes like Frank.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
My favourite part was probably when Hazel and Frank shared one of Hazel’s blackouts. My favourite parts in the book were probably all of Hazel’s trips to the past and the ending, but, above all, it was this one particular flashback. I always enjoy flashbacks and usually enjoy any book that has them because I love getting to see the past and getting small clues that will then lead to the big picture. I really liked Hazel’s flashbacks because they gave me a chance to get to know the old her and see how she had changed, as well as discover what happened to her and why she was there. My favourite blackout was the one that Hazel and Frank shared because they were able to truly trust each other with their lives (for Frank this meant literally) and it really solidified their relationship. This was also the last flashback which showed that Hazel had escaped her past and was now fully grounded to her second life. I really enjoyed reading this part and finally learn the whole truth about Hazel.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall the book was really amazing and I loved reading it. The whole book was perfect and I don’t think that there is anything that I want to change about it, but there is one thing that I found rather strange and a bit annoying. The Son of Neptune was written from 3 perspectives: Hazel, Frank and Percy, but that isn’t what bugged me. The thing that was a bit weird was that the first book, The Lost Hero, had been written from 3 completely different points of view: Piper, Leo and Jason. I found it very weird that 2 books in the same series had 3 new view and it also annoyed me a little because I would have liked to have heard from Piper, Leo and Jason, who I had gotten attached to after reading the first book. I wouldn’t want the book to change but I did think it was a bit strange to have a whole new quest separate from the previous one and have the other characters barely even mentioned. However I did really liked the book and one thing that made me really enjoy reading it was because of the flashbacks. I love flashbacks because I love seeing into people’s past and getting to see the younger and more innocent versions of themselves. It is also a great way to see into characters heads and get to see what their lives were like before the book began. If it was my choice, I would watch my characters grow up from young children and see them become the heroes they are in present time and then I would watch as they grew into adults and found happiness, but that would be one long book or book series. The flashbacks in the book really made the book so much better and made me love it even more. One other thing that I really loved about the book was the little clues and riddles the characters got along the way. I love when the characters in the book have to piece together a puzzle because I enjoy finding out alongside them (or before them) and the shock that comes with it, when the characters discover that it wasn’t at all what they had thought. The book was filled with riddles and new challenges and some have not yet been pieced together. I really enjoyed reading the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series and I can’t wait to see what comes next.
Which book did you like better, the first or the second?
This is always a difficult choice because I love basically every book in amazing series like this one, but this choice was even harder because of the characters. The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune were both amazing books, but they each had 3 different main characters leading the quest, and they were all equally amazing. Looking at book whole books, I cannot decide which one is my favourite because I prefer them for very different reasons. If I were to look at the plots of the books, I would choose The Son of Neptune as my favourite book because of how much closer the characters were getting to seeing Romans and Greeks united. I also really loved the flashback addition to the book and I really enjoyed the quest to free the god of death, who is to blame for every person that dies and is taken away from their family. I also loved the little clues and all the new secrets discovered. However, if I were to look at the characters of the books, I would choose The Lost Hero as the better book in the series because I loved those characters and their personalities a lot more. Piper, Leo and Jason were all so different but they made a strong friendship and were willing to give their lives for each other. Percy, Frank and Hazel also did this but I think they had a lot more in common and I had also already met Percy and I knew a lot about his previous life so there were only 2 mysterious new characters instead of 3 like in the first book. I really loved both books and I just cannot decide between them, but maybe the third book will bring some surprises.
Would you recommend this book?
I absolutely recommend reading this book if you have previously read the first book in the series (The Lost Hero) and the Percy Jackson series, because it will explain a lot. I think the best age to read the book is 12 or older, but if you have read similar book and enjoy Greek (and Roman) mythology and action and adventure, then this is the book for you.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A book filled with adventures and secrets in both past and present, and a cursed mission to free Death.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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