This was not my favorite of the series, but given this is one of my favorite series, that is not really saying anything bad about it. 

 

 

The introduction of Artemis and the mythology surrounding her was fascinating. She's always been one of my favorite goddesses, and it was nice to see her make an appearance and to have her virgin mythology handled in a way that made sense. 

 

Bianca, Nico, and Zoe are great new characters, though some are certainly more likable than others. In the end, though, they all grew on me quite a bit. I was not expecting how Nico and Bianca's story played out, and it was intriguing to see it go that direction. 

 

Having Annabeth out of the picture and in danger was upsetting, but a great drive for a quest. I really love Annabeth (and I think Percy is starting to realize he does, too...) Talia did not really replace her in the same way, but she is a pretty awesome character in her own right--very much larger-than-life (appropriate for the daughter of Zeus) and a bit difficult, but great fun to have around.

 

This is about the point where the series takes a turn for the darker, with the introduction of darker characters and mythology, as well as some death. It's not a bad turn, and it is handled extremely well, but be aware that this is dark in places. It's still extremely funny, and there are certainly the light-hearted moments that are such a major (and enjoyable) part of this series.

 

I enjoyed the ending, though I can guess it was probably divisive in the fandom at one point. I felt it was very appropriate for the character.

 

This whole series is seriously amazing and wonderful and I feel like everyone should read it. 

 

 

Percy can pretty much always be counted on to defy orders. 

 

Spoilers for the first book in the series will follow.

 

This is an excellent continuation to the series I have kind of fallen in love with.

 

Sending everyone out on an adventure was a great way for them to all bond, and for the new characters to really come into their own. I thought I was going to miss Camp Halfblood, but we got just enough of it for me to be ready to set off when the plot demanded. 

 

Tyson is wonderful. I liked the way he and Percy's relationship was handled, and how realistic it seemed (well, as realistic as it can seem, given, you know, everything about this series) as well as just his character in general. I was not really expecting him and he turned out to be a pleasant surprise and a nice addition to the cast.

 

On some level, he takes the place of Grover for this book, who is kind of busy handling things elsewhere. I did miss Grover, though I appreciated the glimpses of him and his own problems that we got throughout, as well as the "classical" feel of his problem, which was somehow both a reference to an old story and also hilarious.

 

Tracking down the golden fleece was, of course, not an easy task, and there were quite a few adventures along the way that are better read than described. Watching the crop of demigods have to rely on each other even when they would really rather not was interesting, and Percy starts to learn a bit more about his father and his powers.

 

This is probably the last bright and cheerful (mostly) adventure the group gets before things starting taking a darker turn, and it was a lot of fun to travel around with them. 

 

The point is valid, but the execution of it is dreadful. 

It's like she's saying the same thing over and over. Once again she says the same thing. The next sentence is also the same thing. Once more she says the same thing. 

A good editor could have gotten this from 500 pages to 200 comfortably without removing any of her points.