2018:
Reading a new Rick Riordan book feels like coming back to that vacation house you rent every year. It's like home.

In The Burning Maze, we follow Apollo/Lester, Meg and Grover who descend into a part of the labyrinth that causes the fires in Southern California. They join forces with Piper and Jason and try to find the third oracle.

Like every Rick Riordan book, you can expect puns and a lot of humour. However, this book also gave me a surprising amount of FEELINGS.

Apollo did warn us in the first chapter ugh... we never listen do we?

2021

It's been a while since I have cried this much over a book. My heart hurts over Jason's death. I have listened to the audiobook before but almost remembered nothing except the possibility that Jason might die and he did. The book is rightfully dedicated to the Muse of Tragedy because I have cried multiple times while reading this one. This third book fits well with the other third books in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles: The Titan's Curse and The Mark of Athena.

It was great to be reunited with Grover, Piper and Jason. I love them as characters and it was great to see them interact with each other and with Apollo and Meg. I love that part of the Labyrinth was back as the setting of the book. And the Sibyl was such an interesting Oracle! I love how she basically has to use puzzles as her prophecies.

But mostly, I have been gutted by the fight on the 50 yachts. How Jason sacrificed himself. The second time he got stabbed made me gasp. And at the end, when Leo meets them just when Apollo and Meg are saying goodbye to Piper as they are to leave to Camp Jupiter to meet Reyna, but also to give Jason a proper burial. I don't know what was worse, Leo finding out or the sacrifice scene of Jason.

Amazing writing by Riordan. He has never shied away from death (except maybe in The Blood of Olympus) but this has me afraid of what is to come in book 4 & 5. It is coming to be so sad when our friends at Camp Jupiter learn Jason's fate. However, Apollo really learnt and grew so much because of these experiences. I really hope Jason's death is not in vain. Demigods live a dangerous life most don't get old but you always hope that the heroes you follow in the books will make it out alive.

Really recommend if you want to be gutted and feel something.