It is amazing how each book in the Percy Jackson series just keeps getting better and better!  This one completely blew me away, I love it so much! I read it in exactly 24 hours, and could not stop reading for one minute.  
The writing, the characters, the plot twists, the settings- all wonderful!  I cant' wait to get my hands on the next books!

Update 2025 Reread: I really love how strong Annabeth is in this story. She has to face her worst fears all alone, but she gathers her courage even in the midst of horrible circumstances. I find her storyline to be so inspiring. Through most of the series we see all these characters encouraging each other and working together through tough times, but Annabeth had to do it all alone. She has this well of strength inside her that she didn't even know she possessed. Such a beautiful character!

Percy and Jason are both feeling the pressures of leadership, feeling like they have to protect everyone, and everyone is looking to them for all the answers. They both feel really inadequate, but when they learn to work together, they discover that they make a great team. Leadership can be very isolating, but once they shoulder that burden together it becomes lighter. Their character development in this book is phenomenal. 

Leo just breaks my heart every time. His inner struggle hits me even harder this second time reading the series because I know the dark times that are coming up for him in the next books. I cried and cried through his scenes because he is such a darling character, and he is so strong and lonely, and he covers up his inner pain with jokes and laughter. Such a brilliant complex character!

This book ends on a literal cliffhanger, so make sure you have the next book in the series ready to go!

To see details of the minor violence in this book, you can check it out on the Screen It First website! https://screenitfirst.com/book/the-mark-of-athena-heroes-of-olympus-3-1765