Thursday 14 September 2017

Book Review - The Dark Prophecy

Title: The Dark Prophecy
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: The Trials of Apollo (Book 2)
Publisher: Puffin
Release Date: 2 May 2017
ISBN-13: 978-0141363950

Synopsis
The god Apollo, cast down to earth and trapped in the form of a gawky teenage boy as punishment, must set off on the second of his harrowing (and hilarious) trials.
 He and his companions seek the ancient oracles - restoring them is the only way for Apollo to reclaim his place on Mount Olympus - but this is easier said than done.
 Somewhere in the American Midwest is a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again . . . if it doesn't kill him or drive him insane first. Standing in Apollo's way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate - a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame.
 To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of a now-mortal goddess, a bronze dragon, and some familiar demigod faces from Camp Half-Blood. With them by his side, can Apollo face down the greatest challenge of his four thousand years of existence?
 


My Review
I have been a fan of the Percy Jackson world for years and always look out for the next installment. I wasn't blown away by book 1 (The Hidden Oracle) but I enjoyed it and thought it had good premise so I was looking forward to seeing where Apollo would end up next.
Apollo is supposed to be egotistical and rather irritating but I found he started to grate on me a bit, I wanted to tell him to be quiet and focus on those around him for once. If he wasn't so cocky things would get done a lot quicker. He also tells a lot of bad jokes and stories that i don't find funny, they just annoyed me. However, there were parts of the book that I really enjoyed, I loved the secret hideout and those inside, a whole hidden society - though limited and low on numbers, the characters all had different and interesting personalities. The inclusion of the Griffins was awesome, i found myself wanting to pet one and maybe fly one if it would let me. 
I enjoyed learning more about Meg's background, it was nice for the focus to shift to her and it does make you feel for her, she is a strong character and I would like to see more of her. I also enjoyed that the focus shifted away from Apollo and onto Leo and Calypso, they make a great couple and in a way I love that their relationship isn't easy, they have arguments and spats and don't always want to be with each other yet they seem to be able to work things out. It makes it more realistic. 
There were a lot of exciting moments in the book that have you turning the pages quickly, and overall the book is enjoyable, but I do wish Apolllo would grow up a bit or maybe take more of a back seat - however as the series is the 'trails of Apollo' I doubt that will happen, but at least he will always have his friends there to save his skin. 
I will definitely keep reading the series out of curiosity but it doesn't match up to the original Percy Jackson's

My Rating
   

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