I won’t lie — giving one of Rick Riordan’s books anything less than four stars feels so strange, almost like a betrayal to my younger self. But if I’m really being honest, 18-year-old me didn’t love The Tyrant’s Tomb the way 10-year-old me likely would’ve. While undeniably entertaining and full of Riordan’s classic combination of humor, mythology, and pop culture references, this fourth installment felt like a filler novel. Something written carefully, but ultimately just a bridge between books three and five.

Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it. Apollo’s character growth was very evident throughout the novel, as he realized the numerous errors he made as a god and tried to reform his mortal self. Some beloved Heroes of Olympus characters returned to play a large part in this new battle against new antagonists. Seeing Hazel, Frank, and Reyna again was nostalgic and wonderful, and I especially enjoyed that Reyna was a focal point of the latest prophecy. She deserves all of the attention and good things. (AND A GIRLFRIEND. Her sexuality hasn’t been specified as far as I know, but I said what I said.)

I also appreciated the return of Tyson and Ella. I’d completely forgotten that they lived in New Rome, the town-like section of Camp Jupiter. Tyson was one of my favorite characters in the original series — although, if we’re being honest, I called everyone my favorite character back then — and it made me so happy to see him again, even as a side character.

For all of the easygoing humor and snark in his books, Riordan is quite good at incorporating heavier topics into his stories. This one in particular discusses abuse, bullying, and trauma, and debunks the idea that a person needs someone else’s love to heal. It also focuses on found family. I admire writers that can balance heavy and light so well, and he definitely can.

As for the plot itself, in some way I just can’t pinpoint, it fell flat for me. When the final chapters came and the big battle along with them, it was excitement, intensity, and then...disappointment. I don’t think I’ve ever used “disappointment” to describe my feelings toward Riordan’s work, and accurate though it may be, it honestly is weird to type.

Not only did he significantly narrow the antagonistic scope for the final installment, he wrote a heartbreaking twist that didn’t actually last. A few chapters later the twist was miraculously undone, in at least one way everything was okay, and the explanation didn’t even make sense to me. I can’t be specific without including spoilers, but to be frank, it felt like a cop-out. If you’re going to break my heart, COMMIT TO IT. And this applies to everything I read, not just Riordan’s books in particular.

This isn’t related to the story itself, but I want to put out there that the audiobook narrator was great. He did different voices for various characters and — mostly — succeeded in not being cringeworthy.

I think that’s everything. I did enjoy The Tyrant’s Tomb, but I couldn’t help looking at it with a more critical eye now that I’m a few years older. I do plan to read the final installment at some point upon release, for the sake of nostalgia and my own curiosity. Riordan hasn’t written a bad finale yet, and hopefully he doesn’t start now.

Lastly, a desperate plea for NONE OF MY FAVS TO DIE. Will it make a difference? No, but I’m putting it out in the universe anyway.

Representation:
• Apollo is bisexual.
• Reyna is Puerto Rican.
• Frank is Chinese.
• Hazel is black.
• Lavinia (a new side character) is Jewish and a lesbian.

CW: discussions of abuse, trauma, violence, war, death