[BWF] The Titan’s Curse, by Rick Riordan (a lower class of 3 stars)

[KateNZ]

Percy, Annabeth and Thalia go to help Grover recruit two young half-bloods from a military school - only to run into a seriously unpleasant monster on one hand and the Hunters of Artemis on the other. Worse still, Annabeth disappears. Convinced she is not dead, Percy hitches a ride on the next quest, so he can go and rescue her. Could it be a trap? Of course not.

This one is a bit ragged around the edges - I suspect there may be some short stories that fill in the blanks around things, but it makes the novel a little disjointed especially at the start. The Camp Half-Blood scenes are pretty weak and it’s less funny overall. It’s also starting to feel very repetitive (though there is some interesting commentary on that near the end). A friend needs saving. Percy hares off without thinking, preparing or actually COMMUNICATING WITH ANYONE. There’s a cross-country trip with a new set of mythological monsters thrown in and a significant deadline. A battle. A set up for the next one with a mini-cliffhanger. Par for the course.

There are some really interesting elements though that are keeping me reading. Some forceful new characters. Temptations of power. Loyalties to friends and family. A more mature sense of courage. Not to mention the impending prophecy. It’s all feeling a little darker and more ‘real’. Which is a good move.

Team: Sassy Sisters. Extra for R. Tagged x 7.