Percy Jackson has been a demigod all his life, but didn’t find out until two years ago when he was sent on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt. Along the way, he befriended Grover Underwood, a satyr, and Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. While at Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demi-gods and such, he discovers who he is; the son of Poseidon. Together, they retrieve the stolen lightning bolt and return it to Zeus before a war broke out between the gods. With a new reputation as one of the first demi-gods to return from a quest, Percy Jackson becomes the talk of Camp Half-Blood and all of Olympus. When all seemed well, however, he was betrayed by the son of Hermes, Luke, who had posed as his friend. It turns out he was the one who had stolen the Lightning Bolt from Zeus.
The following year, now 13 years old, Percy and his friend Annabeth and his half-brother, Tyson, who’s also a cyclops, set out on a quest to save their friend Grover from the cyclops Polyphemus and retrieve the Golden Fleece to save their camp from being destroyed by monsters and titans. When they return with the fleece, they place it on the tree that holds the Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, spirit, and to their surprise she awakens from the tree. Luke, who betrayed Percy and the camp in the first book, is a major block to the hero’s quests. He works for Kronos, who was broken into pieces by Zeus and stored in the underworld, in order to defeat the gods and Olympus.
In the third book, Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse, a now 14-year-old Percy, Annabeth, and a now-human Thalia rush to his friend Grover’s rescue after receiving an urgent distress call. It turns out Grover had discovered two powerful half-bloods, Bianca and Nico di Anglo, whose parentage was unknown. During their rescue mission, they meet the Hunters of Artemis. All was going well until they discovered they had fallen for one of Kronos’s traps; Annabeth and Artemis were kidnapped by the Titans. Percy, Grover, Thalia, Zoe (a hunter) and Bianca (who had just become a hunter) set out on a dangerous quest to save Annabeth and Artemis from the grasp of the titans. After a long journey and many devastations, Percy and his friends managed to save Annabeth and Artemis before it was too late. After returning back to camp without Bianca (who had sacrificed herself during the quest), Nico (her brother) is devastated and blames Percy. After having a breakdown and running away, it’s discovered that Nico and Bianca are the children of Hades.
Rick Riordan did many things well with this book, especially the plot and character choice. It was just the right amount of tension and looseness/humor. When things seem to get too tense or things have been tense for too long, Rick Riordan has his main character lighten the mood by cracking a few jokes, which never fails to lighten the mood. The characters Rick incorporates into his books bring the story to life, with distinct personalities that are indirectly described through their looks and actions. Some really interesting characters were introduced in the third book, such as Thalia Grace and Nico di Angelo, who both become significant characters in the series. This book will keep readers on the edge of their seat, without a single dull moment. This action packed series never disappoints; every new book I finish, I find myself more and more excited to see what happens next.
I give Percy Jackson and The Titan’s Curse a 10/10. It was successful in many areas, from the author’s use of indirect characterization to the action packed plot and hilarious main character. This book, along with the rest of the series, has captured millions of young readers across the globe and pulled them into a world of Greek Mythology with a modern twist. It definitely captured my attention, and it’s a thrilling read that I would recommend to anyone, be it a kid or an adult.
