The Crown of Ptolemy Quotes

“As for Sadie, she didn’t appear interested in strategy. She leaped from puddle to puddle in her combat boots. She hummed to herself, twirled like a little kid and occasionally pulled random things out of her backpack: wax animal figurines, some string, a piece of chalk, a bright yellow bag of candy.

She reminded me of someone …

Then it occurred to me. She looked like a younger version of Annabeth, but her fidgeting and hyperness reminded me of … well, me. If Annabeth and I ever had a daughter, she might be a lot like Sadie.

Whoa.

It’s not like I’d never dreamed about kids before. I mean, you date someone for over a year, the idea is going to be in the back of your mind somewhere, right? But still – I’m barely seventeen. I’m not ready to think too seriously about stuff like that. Also, I’m a demigod. On a day-to-day basis, I’m busy just trying to stay alive.

Yet, looking at Sadie, I could imagine that someday maybe I’d have a little girl who looked like Annabeth and acted like me – a cute little hellion of a demigod, stomping through puddles and flattening monsters with magic camels.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Annabeth jogged towards us, giving me one of those annoyed expressions like, If you get yourself killed, I’m going to murder you.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I tried to look confused, which is one of my most convincing expressions.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I kissed her, because 1) when you’re a demigod going into battle, every kiss might be your last, and 2) I like kissing her.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Setne’s dangerous,’ Annabeth said. ‘We can’t just go charging in. We need a plan.’

‘She’s right,’ Carter said.

‘I kind of like charging in,’ I said. ‘Speed is of the essence, right?’

‘Thank you,’ Sadie muttered.

‘Being smart is also of the essence,’ Annabeth said.

‘Exactly,’ Carter said. ‘We have to figure out how to attack.’

Sadie rolled her eyes at me. ‘Just as I feared. These two together … they’ll overthink us to death.’

I felt the same way, but Annabeth was getting that annoyed stormy look in her eyes and, since I date Annabeth, I figured I’d better suggest a compromise.

‘How about we plan while we walk?’ I said. ‘We can charge south, like, really slowly.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?’ Wadjet roared. ‘YOU DARE TAKE A SELFIE WITH THE COBRA GODDESS?”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Charge!’ Sadie barrelled into the clearing, her staff in one hand and her Greek scroll in the other.

I glanced at Annabeth. ‘Your new friend is awesome.’

Then I followed Sadie.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Percy, explaining things to you is like lecturing a gerbil.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Mine is a khopesh ,’ Carter said. ‘The original Egyptian version. What you’re holding is a kopis – a Greek design adapted from the Egyptian original. It’s the kind of sword Ptolemy’s warriors would’ve used.’

I looked at Sadie. ‘Is he trying to confuse me?’

‘No,’ she said brightly. ‘He’s confusing without trying.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“She kissed me, and I decided that I was glad too. A kiss in the sunset and the promise of a good bacon cheeseburger – with that kind of payoff, who needs immortality?”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Giant-chicken mode,’ I remembered.

‘Dude, my avatar is a falcon-headed warrior .’

‘I still think you could get a sponsorship deal with KFC. Make some big bucks.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“My host needs a certain level of simplicity," the goddess continued. "Percy Jackson is perfect. He is powerful, yet his mind is not overly crowded with plans and ideas."

"Wow," I said. "Really feeling the love here.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Her face had an imperious, timeless quality that I’d learned to recognize. It meant I’m a goddess; deal with it.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Now…I live and breathe weirdness. It goes with the territory when you’re a demigod. But there are still moments when I do a mental double take: like when I’m flying upward inside a giant glowing vulture, flapping my arms to control make-believe wings, holding an almost-immortal magician in my talons…all so I can steal his hat.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Annabeth has my number,’ Sadie said. ‘Which, honestly, brother, is a much easier solution than writing invisible hieroglyphs on your friend’s hand. What were you thinking?”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Looking at her was disorientating. The ‘Percy’ part of me saw my usual awesome girlfriend. The ‘Nekhbet’ part of me saw a young woman surrounded by a powerful ultraviolet aura – the mark of a Greek demigod. The sight filled me with disdain and fear. (For the record: I have my own healthy fear of Annabeth. She has kicked my butt on more than one occasion. But disdain? Not so much. That was all Nekhbet.)”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Knock it off, you two.’ Annabeth handed her scroll to Sadie. ‘Carter, let’s trade. I’ll try your khopesh ; you try my Yankees cap.’

She tossed him the hat.

‘I’m usually more of a basketball guy, but …’ Carter put on the cap and disappeared. ‘Wow, okay. I’m invisible, aren’t I?’

Sadie applauded. ‘You’ve never looked better, brother dear.’

‘Very funny.’

‘If you can sneak up on Setne,’ Annabeth suggested, ‘you might be able to take him by surprise, get the crown away from him.’

‘But you told us Setne saw right through your invisibility,’ Carter said.

‘That was me ,’ Annabeth said, ‘a Greek using a Greek magic item. For you, maybe it’ll work better – or differently, at least.’

‘Carter, give it a shot,’ I said. ‘The only thing better than a giant chicken man is a giant invisible chicken man.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I mean … we’d just passed our one-year dating anniversary. I figured I was a sort of long-term investment for her. She hoped I would pay dividends eventually; if I died now, she would’ve put up with all my annoying qualities for nothing.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Do you know how to mix our powers?’ I asked.

Carter’s shoes squished in the mud. ‘Well … not exactly.’

‘Oh, please,’ Sadie said. ‘That’s easy. Carter, give your wand to Percy.’

‘Why?’

‘Just do it, brother dear. Annabeth, do you remember when we fought Serapis?’

‘Right!’ Annabeth’s eyes lit up. ‘I grabbed Sadie’s wand and it turned into a Celestial bronze dagger, just like my old one. It was able to destroy Serapis’s staff. Maybe we can create another Greek weapon from an Egyptian wand. Good idea, Sadie.’

‘Cheers. You see, I don’t need to spend hours planning and researching to be brilliant. Now, Carter, if you please.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I don’t think he’ll go that far.’ Carter rose to his feet and scanned the horizon. ‘Our headquarters are in Brooklyn. And I’m guessing Manhattan is like Greek god central? A long time ago, our Uncle Amos hinted at that.’

‘Well, yeah,’ I said. ‘Mount Olympus hovers over the Empire State Building, so –’

‘Mount Olympus –’ Sadie blinked – ‘hovers over the … Of course it does. Why not?”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I’d have to play this smart … which was not my usual style.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Ridiculous!" The goddess sneered. "Your mind is too wily, girl-too stubborn and intelligent. I couldn't steer you as easily."
"Steer me?" I protested. "Hey lady, I'm not a Toyota.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“My mouth went dry. I imagined Annabeth invoking hieroglyphs at Camp Half-Blood, blowing up chariots on the racetrack, hurling giant blue fists during capture the flag. ‘So my girlfriend is a magician now, like, permanently? Because she was scary enough before.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Setne stopped chanting when he saw me.

‘Awesome!’ He grinned. ‘You brought the vulture with you. Thanks!’

Not the reaction I’d been hoping for. I keep waiting for the day when the bad guy sees me and screams, I give up! But it hasn’t happened yet.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Across the field, Carter’s voice yelled: ‘STAHP!’

I guess stahp is actually a word in Ancient Egyptian. Who knew?”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“For once you’re right, brother dear,’ Sadie said. ‘As much as I’d love to be a literal goddess, I suppose I’ll have to remain a figurative one.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“That’s – that’s not fair,’ Sadie said, her voice trembling. ‘Tempting me with destruction.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“Annabeth rubbed the clay beads on her necklace, the way she does when she’s thinking. She looked beautiful. But I digress.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I try to avoid teaming up with goddesses who eat roadkill. It's one of my personal boundaries.”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy

“I’m not sure why Setne didn’t just magic himself away. I suppose even a powerful magician can succumb to panic. When you’re free-falling, you forget to think rationally: Gee, I have spells and stuff. Instead your animal brain takes over and you think: OH MY GOD THIS KID IS HOLDING ON TO ME AND I’M TRAPPED AND FALLING AND I’M GOING TO DIE!”
― Rick Riordan, The Crown of Ptolemy