A few opening notes: I'm not a Rick Riordan completist. I've read a few of the Percy Jackson books, the 1st Magnus Chase book, and the 1st Kane Chronicles book, and I've really enjoyed them, but haven't finished any of the series, just because...there are so many of them, and so much to read!

But I picked this one up because I'd heard good things, and also it's marked BOOK ONE of a new series. But it seems like it's building pretty heavily on the events of the Percy Jackson series and also the Roman gods one? Most kids picking this up are probably RR superfans who have already read all of those, but just a heads-up. I still enjoyed the book and I got enough out of it, but it was referring back to events that I had not read about PRETTY FREQUENTLY for an ostensible series opener.

ANYWAY that said, I still followed the plot and really enjoyed this. I think it's awesome that Apollo is casually, openly bisexual and there are happy queer teens in this book (and I guess elsewhere in the series?) I also thought it had a pretty complex approach to children who have grown up with abuse (even/especially if your parent is a god), without being all Child Called It about it. Also it's funny!

FOUR FOR YOU, RICK RIORDAN. YOU GO, RICK RIORDAN.