REVIEW: THE MARK OF ATHENA BY RICK RIORDAN.

Title: The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus #3)

Author: Rick Riordan

Edition: Paperback

Published: October 2, 2012

Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Pages: 574

Source: Bought from Powerbooks

Category: Middle Grade, Adventure, Mythology

Trailer: not applicable.

Synopsis:
Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.
And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?
Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.
Narrated by four different demigods, The Mark of Athena is an unforgettable journey across land and sea to Rome, where important discoveries, surprising sacrifices, and unspeakable horrors await. Climb aboard the Argo II, if you dare.

Mark of Athena is phenomenal!

I had this book sitting on my shelf since October of last year and now I'm actually trying to reason out with myself WHY it took me SO long to read it. I'm just simply at war with myself because none of my so called excuses is best enough to justify my very wrong move. I deserve to be thrown away in Tartarus. I think.

The union of seven demigods is planned by Hera to prevent Gaea from awakening. The Mark of Athena should only be taken and conquered by Annabeth alone. Jason, Leo and Piper go to Camp Jupiter to merge powers, have peace talks and get Percy but Leo, possessed by an Eiodolon, attacks the camp and starts a war between the camps. Hazel, Frank and Percy escape and and together with the other demigods, they have to face quests that may get them killed and will test their powers. They only have six days to save Nico and stop Rome from getting wiped out then they have to find out what the prophecies will lead them to.

Wow. How can I make justice to such adventurous read? Riordan gave me another fantastic novel! I loved every single thing about it! The world building he made here is another masterpiece! The way he described the locations in the US to the locations in Rome is scenic and add the very useful Argo II! And how can I forget that ever epic ending? After going through so much finding Jason and Percy with wiped out memories, here they are, facing another difficult one to find and save Percy and Annabeth even before stopping Gaea! I just wanted to scream and pull my hair after I've read it! It's that good!

The characters are magnificently presented. Each power, each quest and each development shows so much improvement and thrill! No one is left behind and each demigod surely had their own spotlight all throughout the novel. Riordan highlighted each demigod's strength and weakness that answers why they are the most powerful demigods existed. Annabeth, Percy (hilarious), Leo (super hilarious!), Hazel, Frank, Jason and Piper sure did make a good team and one couldn't continue without the other!

Riordan never fails to amaze me. His writing is just right to the core and his adventures always leave me catching my breath. Mark of Athena surely gave me all the goosebumps and mini heart attacks. The world building is getting better and better and the characters positively progresses every chapter! This third book to his Heroes of Olympus series is definitely the best yet among the books and I couldn't wait to read House of Hades!

VERDICT:

"Hercules, huh? Percy frowned. "That guy was like the Starbucks of Ancient Greece. Everywhere you turn--there he is." - Percy

BLOG TOUR (03): THE PECULIAR BY STEFAN BACHMANN.

I am super excited to write my review of Stefan Bachmann's debut novel, The Peculiar! It is a middle grade read he wrote when he was sixteen and today is my stop for the Philippine Blog Tour hosted by National Book Store, Harper Collins and Pinoy Blog Tour! Thank you so much for having me!

Here's a little something from Stefan! So cute!

Title: The Peculiar
Author: Stefan Bachmann
Series: The Peculiar #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: September 18, 2012 by Greenwillow Books
Source: Bought from Powerbooks
Pages: 376
Genre: Middle grade, Steampunk, Fantasy

Synopsis:
Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged.

In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.

First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, The Peculiar is Stefan Bachmann's riveting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

PURCHASE THE BOOK HERE:

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When HarperCollins announced that there will be a blog tour for The Peculiar, without hesitations, I signed up. I love middle grade reads. From Harry Potter to Heroes of Olympus series, I have never been disappointed. And I am curious enough as to what this young author would give.

Batholomew is a Peculiar. He's a changeling, a half-human, half-fay. Together with her little sister Hettie, they hide from the outside world because they are afraid to be killed. In Bath, once a beautiful town, Peculiars and Fay for that matter are all treated in a very cruel way. Humans surrounded them with iron, they made them slaves, their magics were suppressed, they almost don't eat and they will never go back home, to their world. But Batholomew saw a lady in plum took his only friendly neighbor in amidst of changelings' murders. Curious as he is, he stepped into the circle where the lady stood and he was magically transported to another place and has been marked "Child Number 10".

The world Bachmann created in The Peculiar somehow reflects what we see nowadays. Poverty and politics were among the few things I've caught from the novel which depicts exactly what happens in real life. I loved how Bachmann used these issues in a completely different way that made its statement in the novel. Bath is a very dark place yet he was able to explain thoroughly its history and made his story work in it perfectly.

Some of the reviews I've read said that the pace is a little slow and I actually agree with those. It took a while before the pace started to go into works and I had an issue with that. But the slow build-up wouldn't affect how I felt about the story and the characters. I strongly felt attached to Hettie, Batholomew and Arthur Jelliby and I wish I could just grab the second book to continue their adventure. It is indeed categorized as Middle Grade but one could also put it in Young Adult for most of its content can be easily marked as the latter. I really really enjoyed reading it.

The Peculiar is a magical novel one cannot simply put down. The darkness enclosed to it is just enough to look forward to the sequel. Its world is cruel but fresh that will make your imagination work triple time and I recommend it to everyone. Adult, Young Adult and kids will enjoy it because the kid in me did!

Here are the other blog tour stops:

Amaterasu Reads (1/13/2013)

Oops! I Read a Book Again! (1/14/2013)

The Soul Sisters (1/15/2013)

Teen Readers Diary (1/16/2013)

Blackplume (1/17/2013)

- MY STOP -

from Michelle Shouts Random (1/19/2013)

Fragments of Life (1/20-21/2013)

Mr. Bookwonder (1/22 and 24/2013)

Defiantly Defiant (1/23 and 25/2013)

Book Whales (1/26-27/2013)

We Fancy Books (1/28/2013)

Selkie Reads Stories (1/29/2013)

Pinoy Book Tours in collaboration with Harper Collins and National Bookstore, we have copies up for grabs! Just follow the rules and earn points!

For International readers, here's a RaffleCopter for you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

and for PH readers, here's one for you as well!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOODLUCK!!

Again, I would like to thank Christine from HarperCollins, Pinoy Book Tours, National Book Store and Stefan Bachmann for such outstanding tour!

REVIEW: THE SERPENT'S SHADOW BY RICK RIORDAN.

Title: The Serpent's Shadow
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Kane Chronicles #3
Edition: Paperback
Publication: May 1st 2012 by Hyperion Books
Source: Bought from FullyBooked
Pages: 406
Genre: Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade

Summary:

He's b-a-a-ack! Despite their best efforts, Carter and Sadie Kane can't seem to keep Apophis, the chaos snake, down. Now Apophis is threatening to plunge the world into eternal darkness, and the Kanes are faced with the impossible task of having to destroy him once and for all. Unfortunately, the magicians of the House of Life are on the brink of civil war, the gods are divided, and the young initiates of Brooklyn House stand almost alone against the forces of chaos. The Kanes' only hope is an ancient spell that might turn the serpent's own shadow into a weapon, but the magic has been lost for a millennia. To find the answer they need, the Kanes must rely on the murderous ghost of a powerful magician who might be able to lead them to the serpent's shadow . . . or might lead them to their deaths in the depths of the underworld. Nothing less than the mortal world is at stake when the Kane family fulfills its destiny in this thrilling conclusion to the Kane Chronicles.

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This is the final book in Rick Riordan's Egyptian Mythology Trilogy, Kane Chronicles. I had this for quite some time now and I honestly forgotten about this copy because I've read The Red Pyramid and The Throne of Fire last May. I was planning on re-reading the first two books first but I just didn't have time so I jumped right to this one. Lucky, I did fully remember what occurred during the first two books.

The last installment basically happened six months after The Throne of Fire. Sadie and Carter still need to find a way to stop Apophis from swallowing the sun and prevent Doom's Day that along the way, they discover ancient secrets about the gods and also about themselves.

This review wouldn't be that long because this probably is the only Riordan book I marked four stars. I loved the adventure, sub-adventures, the mythological aspect, world building and the characters. Riordan always makes sure that his books would encapsulate facts and fantasy in such an educational and fun way that captures reader's hearts. Sadie and Carter's development as characters is just brilliant. Saving the world as teens might probably be too much for them but they managed to let go of selfishness that made them that courageous and heroic. The only thing I actually didn't like about this one is the fact that there were just too many puzzles the twins have to solve first before they could finally face Apophis. I understand the "need" of those mini-adventures to fully give an amazing story but too much of it didn't really work for me.

The Serpent's Shadow is the perfect ending to this series. It is truly nerve-wracking adventure that would make you jump off of your seat! There is just no other perfect ending to this than what Riordan provided and I wouldn't ask for anything else!

Thank you for this awesome Egyptian adventure, Uncle Rick!

"For what it’s worth: trust your feelings. I can’t promise that you’ll never get hurt again, but I can promise you the risk is worth it."

REVIEW: THE ALCHEMYST BY MICHAEL SCOTT.

Title: The Alchemyst
Author: Michael Scott
Series: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: May 22, 2007 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 375 pages
Source: Bought from National Book Store
Category: Adventure, Mythology, Fantasy, Middle Grade

Synopsis:

He holds the secret that can end the world.

The truth: Nicholas Flamel was born in Paris on September 28, 1330. Nearly 700 years later, he is acknowledged as the greatest Alchemyst of his day. It is said that he discovered the secret of eternal life.

The records show that he died in 1418.

But his tomb is empty.

The legend: Nicholas Flamel lives. But only because he has been making the elixir of life for centuries. The secret of eternal life is hidden within the book he protects—the Book of Abraham the Mage. It's the most powerful book that has ever existed. In the wrong hands, it will destroy the world. That's exactly what Dr. John Dee plans to do when he steals it. Humankind won't know what's happening until it's too late. And if the prophecy is right, Sophie and Josh Newman are the only ones with the power to save the world as we know it.

Sometimes legends are true.

And Sophie and Josh Newman are about to find themselves in the middle of the greatest legend of all time.

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Whenever I visit book stores, I always get a glimpse of this book. I remember grabbing one, staring at the cover then reading the summary but I always put it back and go to another shelf. I've been ignoring this for years until one day, I decided to grab a copy and now I regret not giving attention to it for the longest time.

The story is just basically about fifteen year old twins Sophie and Josh Newman. Sophie works at Perenelle Flemings' coffee shop and Josh works at Perenelle's husband, Nick Fleming's book store across the street. One afternoon, mysterious John Dee attacked the bookstore in search of the Book of Abraham the Mage. It contains codex on how to make the Elder Race rule the world once more then the twins witnessed something that would change their lives forever - magic.

This book is one of those which attempts to retell mythology and history with a light fantasy approach and have perfected it. After books such Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, I never thought that there is something as great as this one out there. The world building is something you could easily picture and the characters are definitely relatable. You wouldn't have a hard time reading this one because of the delightful way it was written.

Sophie and Josh obviously are young characters which is why most of their intake about each situation is tolerable. I didn't have issues with these cute characters but they aren't my favorites. It goes down to Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Flamel. They are just phenomenal. I liked how these couple grow on each chapter and how the story deepens each time. From being an alchemyst to meeting legendary characters are just mind blowing. Just after I Googled Great Fire of London and Great Famine of Ireland, I couldn't help but be amazed by Michael Scott. It is not always that I get to be completely dazed with authors after J.K Rowling, Rick Riordan and Dan Brown. You'd feel through his characters how hard he really researched about history and I think that's one of the strengths of the book aside from its alluring cover. The only thing I find ridiculously funny in the story is how can someone, who have lived over 600 years, doesn't know how to drive? The least you could find time for is to learn how to drive? But putting the book down as been a struggle because I wanted to finish it immediately. What's the worse part is not having its sequel books right away.

I just couldn't express how happy I am that this one exceeded my expectations. Its a light and fun read with an extra-ordinary adventure that would make you want for more!

"At the heart of every legend there is a grain of truth."

"But what science cannot understand, it dismisses."

"Magic is really only the utilization of the entire spectrum of the senses. Humans have cut themselves off from their senses. Now they see only a tiny portion of the visible spectrum, hear only the loudest of sounds, their sense of smell is shockingly poor and they can only distinguish the sweetest and sourest of tastes."

REVIEW: THE SON OF NEPTUNE BY RICK RIORDAN.

Title: The Son of Neptune
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Heroes of Olympus #2
Edition: Paperback
Publication: October 4th 2011 by Disney-Hyperion Book
Source: Bought
Pages: 521
Genre: Fantasy (Mythology), Romance

Synopsis:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall. 
An oath to keep with a final breath, 
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem - when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for and evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery - although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely - enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

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Again, just like some of the books I purchased last year, this one has been sitting on my shelf for quite sometime now. I remember rushing over to the nearest book store as soon as it was released and the feeling of accomplishment was just surreal. Unfortunately, due to work and other things I got myself busy about, it was left untouched up until the other day.

This sequel to The Lost Hero has the same concept only this time, it was Percy, Hazel and Frank battling several giants and gods to free the god of Death Thanatos who has been chained by giant Alcyoneus in Alaska. He has to be freed in order to close the Door of Death so monsters and others who went back from the dead would not regenerate and die permanently. Percy's so as Jason's memories were wiped clean and they were switched from their respective camps to unite Roman and Greek demi/gods to stop Gaea from awaking and destroying the world.

I liked how strong the flow of consistency of this book from its previous book. I really think this could stand on its own. Though the story focused on Roman (book one Greek), I have never felt lost along the pages because the author made sure that every little detail is well explained. There has been an additional lift from some of the character's sense of humor that prevented me from getting bored plus how the characters managed to find their own strength with just a little help from their parents which are gods. Percy as we all know has always been strategic with battles, his memory loss didn't stop him from being loyal to his new found friends and his longings made him stronger everyday. The way Hazel accepted her fate after several years of being trapped with guilt made her character emotionally tough and mature. But my favorite character was Frank. Seeing him grow one chapter at a time made the whole story packed with excitement and awe. He's shown pessimism though inside he has low self-esteem. At first I thought he was another whiny character but when he allowed himself to grasp the prophecy, him being centurion and the fact that his life lies on a piece of firewood made me look at him as one of the best characters ever made. His love for his family, respect and trust for his friends and his humility made him stronger. He took his time to learn his family's power and was even willing to sacrifice his life to free Thanatos.

I also appreciated that there's a map in this book. It made me visualize Camp Jupiter easily and I wish there would be one for Rome/Greece added in the upcoming books. There's just one single flaw I noticed during the trio's travel to Alcyoneus's lair in the mountains. Despite the time pressure they're under, the trio still had the luxury to sit, dine and take a bath which I think could've have been improved. But the rest was phenomenal.

This October, Mark of Athena will be released and I am honestly happy that this series would be around five books. I badly want to see how Hazel, Leo and Frank would turn out!

"Life is only precious because it ends, kid."

REVIEW: THE LOST HERO BY RICK RIORDAN.

Title: The Lost Hero
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Heroes of Olympus #1
Edition: Paperback
Publication: October 12th 2010 by Disney-Hyperion Books
Source: Bought
Pages: 557 pages
Genre: Mythology, Romance, Middle Grade

Synopsis:

Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids”, as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea — except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

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An eternity after, I was able to finish this book. I've had this sitting on my shelf (among others) for more than a year now. I guess I wasn't really ready yet for another adventure book after the The Kane Chronicles books 1 and 2 I've finished during the summer of last year. They were just awesome! And I couldn't be any happier that I've read this one (though too late) just after I've detached myself from such a powerful story.

Jason Grace was a typical boy who all of a sudden woke up in a bus not remembering who he was or anything at all. Leo claimed he was his best friend Piper's his girlfriend. They were sent to summer camp where their coach, a satyr named Gleeson, fought and saved them from storm spirits. A great prophecy will test their loyalty, love and friendship. Their quest started when the trio had to save Olympus from being destroyed by freeing Queen Hera from being held prison by Enceladus so they could stop Porphyrion from rising and Mother Gaea from fully awakening.

Greek and Roman mythology was explained very well on the story even the minor details such as slight difference in forms or names. Its as if you're reading a history book but on a totally different attitude. Just like the The Kane Chronicles, the author put so much in this through research and you would definitely see how much he's passionate about mythology! I only had issues understanding the first several chapters maybe because I honestly haven't read the The Percy Jackson series yet that am not sure if it was a good idea because Percy seemed to be one of the major characters of this series. There was so much going on, they had to fight gods before reaching the one they're really supposed to destroy, how they travel from one state to the other that I got lost along the way. Like a maze inside a maze. After sometime, I was able to get back on track and understood that everything made sense at the end.

Jason showed bravery not only in dealing with the gods/monsters he fought but the way he handled himself despite his memory loss. He did trust his friends and showed that he could also be trusted. Leo and Piper on the other hand not only showed intelligence and beauty but love, courage and faith. Festus was my favorite part and though Gleeson was initially just a boastful character, he did redeem himself by merely volunteering as a protector for Tristan.

As I turn page one of the second book, I honestly don't know what to expect. I may have had slight issues with this but the way it made me addicted to the roller-coaster quest was just worth the time I invested! Let's go see what happens next, shall we?

"You must forge your own path for it to mean anything."