galacticvampire's Reviews (366)

My overall take for the series is one I called from the very first book: it should have been a trilogy. The story has, admittedly, it's incredible and heartwarming moments; but they happen among repetitiveness and recycling that could've been avoided if everything was more condensed.
The points I enjoyed the most weren't really explored as deep as I would have liked, and as much as I can understand a children's book not wanting to hammer heavily about abuse I feel it would've been an important message to that audience.

I do like that it was at least touched on, that the Olympians aren't only neglectful parents to demigods but outright toxic to each other; in contrast to Meg's own form of suffering and manipulation. Apollo's growth and self-realization scenes were very well executed, making me able to disregard the pacing issues and just enjoy the moment.
The hopeful tone at the end, as sweet as it was, left a bittersweet feeling behind: Apollo has learned, but with his Godhood reinstated he feels distant from everything we've come to know.

After the previous book I'd expect we would at least keep the more urgent pace, considering the imminent attack on the Roman Camp and what not. But it doesn't.
The first half of the book is a drag. It feels like a repetition of the exact same formula we've seen in the other three so far, but here it makes even less sense because the little silly social misteps are not even close to something to be worrying about, and yet! There's also a new character, Lavinia, with whom we waste a considerable amount of page time for no reason. She doesn't improve Apollo's journey whatsoever, nor teaches him any lesson. She's just there.
The second half is considerably more interesting, but I have to take note on how much grimmer this instalment is. Even Apollo's self deprecating jokes lean way more towards self deprecating than to jokes. Is important that we are finally seeing consequences, and I enjoy a darker tone, but this might've been a bit of a killjoy.
Overall, this book seems a lot like a filler. The few important plot points could've easily been integrated in other parts and the series made into a faster-paced trilogy.

The first half of this book was... Not it. Took me forever to get by and just sounded like more and more of the same. I was ready to proclaim it the worst one yet.
but. BUT.
Surprisingly.
My exact problem with the previous one is what saved The Burning Maze: the special guests. As someone who neither loved nor hated Jason and Piper, I was so amazed by how well the two of them worked in this story. It really felt like developmental both for the characters and the plot, and not simply a marketing device aiming for nostalgia.

I say this specially because I went in knowing about The Spoiler and I was so sure it was only for shock value that the emotional impact was actually unexpected. Jason's resignation and Piper's denial emphasize that this series really is darker than the other ones. Not everyone makes it. And Rick is not vague about it.

I'm also really glad to see the impact this is having on Apollo. I reiterate how much I appreciate this protagonist and gloomier, nihilistic view of the Percy Jackson world. One does not survive four millennia with a mortal heart. He's finally changing and I hope we don't see this character development go just to create conflict on the next book.

Not yet halfway through this 5-book-series, I'm growing more and more certain that it would've been better as a trilogy. While the plot moved faster than the previous book, a good chunk of it is spent in characters we already met.
Sure it's cool to see how these beloved characters are doing, in fact, it's what makes the world feel so alive: it really seems like people are living their lives outside the main plot. But differently from The Hidden Oracle, where these characters appeared here and there to chime in, in The Dark Prophecy they take a protagonism that should be the new cast's.
The best scenes in the book are the dinamics between Apollo (who's charisma rivals Percy for my favoritism) and Meg or Emmie, and the ingenious decision to bring the villain as one of his former lovers. When the narrative actually focuses on it's own set of characters, I enjoyed it immensely. They are interesting and funny and I wanted to know more. I did not need to read about Calypso and Leo bickering for pages and pages when this story is not about them. Take them out and it doesn't change much.
This is clearly a direction the series unfortunately is taking and, because I really enjoy the actual story being told, I wish Rick Riordan trusted it to stand on it's on instead of relying on nostalgia, because it is strong enough to do it.

If Percy Jackson was the perfect hero-protagonist for middle schoolers, Apollo is perfect for the young adults that are somewhat stuck in the no-longer-teenager-not-yet-adult dichotomy. He is self-centered and immature while being dramatic and completely fed up with everything in life in a such hilarious level that is impossible to not find it endearing. And along with the little Meg (that really emphasizes the shift on the target audience: she's the age Percy and Annabeth were in The Lightning Thief, but here she's portrayed more like a kid in comparison to the other 16/17ish characters), they create the perfect formula for both the slightly grown up fans that have been reading Riordan's work since the beginning and the younger, new, readers.
My main complaint about this first instalment is that it felt too much like a first instalment. If not for Apollo's charisma and overall affection for the well-known world, I think I might've gotten bored with the story. It seems to me that The Hidden Oracle's plot is easily the equivalent of the first 30% of Lighting Thief: it is a fun build up, but is, nevertheless, just a build up. And then it ends. It doesn't sit well with me that the first book's whole purpose is just to set up the scene for the next ones.
Hopefully, the next volumes in the series will not suffer from this, nor become responsible for tying all the unfinished plotlines from Heroes of Olympus.
Apollo is the sun god, he deserves to shine on his own.

With so much to wrap up and link to the previous trilogy weighting on the tension crescendo of the narrative, I'd say I was cautiously optimistic about this book.
But while, yes, it is a heavy book to fit all the necessary points, I feel that the execution was perfectly balanced between tension, emotion, adventure, and the unique humor of the Chiss.
This is an incredibly satisfactory conclusion for the prequel story of Thrawn, and leaves enough open threads for the audience to hope that future projects come back to tie them. (and they should better bring back Timothy Zahn for that, either it being on upcoming novels or the apparent inclusion of Thrawn in the Ahsoka show)

As much as I would've liked if Thrawn had his own pov in these books, seeing the story from the perspective of characters that -for the most part- aren't found of him at all but reluctantly admit his geniuses is delightful.
The second book has a more structured plot after setting the scene in the first, and we finally can see what story this trilogy is going to tell and the ties with the previous Thrawn books.
Uniquely, all the parallel stories entertained me and added a sense of puzzle as you watch the ploy unfold from multiple layers.
Unfortunately, this happened with a step back from characters I liked quite a lot from the first book, such as Che'ri and Ar'lani, whom I hope gain their protagonism back on the last installment.

I love Thrawn, I love learning more about him and the Chiss, and I loved  seeing this younger version of him. Here, less experienced and amid his own people, Thrawn is more relaxed and easy-going than in his imperial years. It's great to finally see him making mistakes and stumbling in his plans, as well as his progression from wanting to aid other races as much as he can to eventually the relentless grand admiral we already met!

That being said, the book doesn't have as much of a plot other than an exposition of the Ascendacy and Thrawn's origin history. Is certainly interesting for his fans (hi), and the Chiss culture made me curious for more, but overall not an thrilling narrative by itself.

There's something very compelling about a murder mystery that tells the reader from the prologue the whos and hows; and then proceeds to try and convince that maybe, sometimes, murder is kinda ok.
None of the characters are likeable. They're pretentious, condescending and self-centered; and, whilst the narrator is clearly thorn between somewhat regret and resignation, not for one moment you're supposed to sympathize with their actions.
Within well-crafted and beautifully woven prose, The Secret History explores the awful morality of somewhat rich scholars with a superiority complex through naive and awestruck eyes, to the point that for half of the book I didn't even realize how manipulated our narrator was.
Enchanted by the concept of such picturesque narrative, one slowly realizes that the story could only meet it's end in unavoidable tragedy.

This book is absolutely soulless. A trillion plot points are shoved together just for the sake of it- which could just be avoided with a standalone and cutting the stalling from the first one.
I'm keeping it with 1,75 because ar least there are things happening, which was my major complaint from the first one. (It manages to make me like it better, actually, solely from the poor comparison)