The Son of Neptune (Heroes of Olympus Book 2) - Is It a Must Buy?
Some say that the second book of a series is usually not as exciting as the first one, but this is not the case with The Son of Neptune, the second book from the Heroes of Olympus series. The plot thickens, even though some mysteries from the first novel are revealed. Percy comes back and this makes the story even more intriguing. Riordan has done a great job with the characters again and the narrative is brilliant.
Percy Jackson's adventure continues in full motion in The Son of Neptune. The Roman camp is a really interesting place to be from the perspective of Percy and the reader. The Romany lifestyle and the way, in which Roman society was organized, are presented masterfully. You literally enter a completely new world with new gods, mystical creatures and heroes. It never gets boring in Riordan's stories. It is not surprising that my ten year old loved this book even though he has never been interested in history at school.
In The Son of Neptune, the author solves one mystery at the time and gives a bunch of hints about the meaning of the prophecy introduced in the first book of the series, The Lost Hero. At the same time, new and more tangled mysteries are introduced. This makes every dedicated fan impatient to buy the third book from the series which will be released in fall 2012.
The fact that the author does not let the reader take a break from the novel is worth appreciating. The page-turning plot is packed with adventures, thrilling situations, mystery and mystique. Of course, there is always a pinch of laughter. The end result is a fantastic book worth reading.
New characters like Frank Zhang, the son of Mars, are introduced in The Son of Neptune. We certainly need more heroes to help Percy restore the peace in the world of the gods. Even though the new characters are not as thoroughly and emotionally presented as the ones in previous books, Riordan keeps the diversity in the group of main heroes. I am sure that both children and adult readers find many traits of their personality in the heroes. The thoughts, emotions and actions of the characters are so close to us that we feel as if we are in the story, even though it is a combination of history, myth and fantasy.
One thing that sets The Son of Neptune and The Lost Hero, the first book from the Heroes of Olympus series, apart from the Percy Jackson novels is that there is not only one first person narrative. Riordan tells the story from the perspective of three different characters, Percy, Hazel and Frank. This is certainly a more mature writing style that both youngsters and adult readers will appreciate.
This may not be the best book I've ever read, but it is better than I expected. It has depth and an intriguing plot. It is extremely well written offering adventure, laughter and lots of fun. Some hard-core fans may say that the new characters are not as good as Percy, but this is a matter of opinion. It is true that they are not presented in great depth, but they give a much wider perspective of the world in general and not only the world of the gods. I would not classify this novel as a lead up book, as it sets the scene for even more and more exciting adventures, even though it could benefit from more thrilling episodes.
The Son of Neptune is definitely worthwhile read. It is fun and you can learn new things about history and mythology. In conclusion to my review, I can say that you will not get disappointed if you buy and read this book.
