samtherat17's Reviews (162)

So finally, we arrive at the end of the great PJO re-read. And well, what better way to end it off than with The Last Olympian--my favourite Riordanverse book! Let's start off with how this book is paced. Man, this is just a rollercoaster ride from start to finish with enough epic battles, funny quips, and emotional moments to keep you engaged the whole time.
Also; Percy, Annabeth, Nico,

Luke, Silena,

Clarisse--what I find crazy is that how each of these characters (and others!) have their own amazing moments throughout the book. And of course, we have to talk about the ending. What a marvelous way to bring things full circle. So yeah, if you haven't figured it out yet, I absolutely adore this book. Maybe some of my love for it is due to the nostalgia of having read it as a kid, but the book is still really excellent. The best in the PJO series for me, and like I said--my favourite Rick Riordan book overall.

That ending was really something. Luke really did come around at the end--what a powerful scene. Percy rejecting immortality in favour of choosing to tell the gods to claim their children is also such a well-written character moment. And of course, I have to mention the Percabeth kiss at the end. It was just really satisfying and heartwarming as a reader.

To be honest, I don't have much to say about this that I haven't said about the other PJO books. This is just a fast-paced, tense, thrill-ride with some funny moments thrown in here and there. The execution of the Greek myth elements (especially the labyrinth!) is excellent as usual. I am a bit iffy about the 'love triangle' though. Overall I'd say that this book isn't as great as something like The Lightning Thief or The Last Olympian, but it's still amazing.

Wow. I didn't remember The Titan's Curse being this good the first time I read it but I was really surprised by how excellent this was.
While I didn't dislike Sea of Monsters, I did feel like the stakes in that book were a bit low. However, that is definitely not the case here as this book has way higher stakes with the

capture of Annabeth

and the series keeps becoming more mature--which I love. I thought the quest in this book was excellent throughout, with constant jokes (and monsters) keeping you entertained. I also thought the climax was really amazing. And of course, the final twist. Of course, on a reread it doesn't hit the same as it did before, but I remember being absolutely mind-blown the first time I read it. 
So yup, all-in-all, The Titan's Curse was unexpectedly great! Can't wait to continue with the PJO re-read journey!

One of the most unusual things about the first two books was how there would be sometimes be pretty big time jumps in between chapters. Well, Fonda Lee really dials that up to 11 in this book. All jokes aside though, how this book covers a 20-year time period is very unique and is executed really well. It certainly makes the title of 'Jade Legacy' fitting.

The characters are the heart and soul of this trilogy and Fonda Lee knows it. The character development of Hilo, Shae, and others over the years is truly excellent to read. I've grown really attached to these characters, to the point that when any action scene happened, I was just thinking "please don't die, please don't die!!"

Also, the characters' perceptions of various things (including each other) change over time is perhaps one of the most fascinating aspects of this book/series. It's not easy to write something taking place over so many years, while keeping it interesting and tense, but again, it's just executed so well and elevates this book to another level.

On a side note, while the 'newer generation' characters don't have the most screen time, they are all unique in their own way and interesting to read about whenever their chapters come about. Also, Anden is a real MVP in this book -- I just love him.

After the characters, I'd say that the world is the most important part of the Green Bone Saga, and it is really expanded upon and we explore many more areas other than just Janloon and Port Massy. Just like the character development, the evolution of the world over the years is also a delight to see. And while I've already repeated this many times in my Jade City and War reviews, the world is just so damn immersive. 

And of course, the emotional beats of this story. While I can't say too much here due to spoilers, the ending will hit you right in the feels. It's a bittersweet conclusion--sad in some ways but hopeful and triumphant overall. After putting down the book, I mulled over the ending for a long time and realised just how much I had grown to love this world and its characters. It's not every day that a book makes me feel that.

Would I say that there are any flaws in this book? Well, it could have been shortened, and some of the stuff here doesn't feel too necessary, but I don't think that the book has any major flaws.

Overall, a spectacular conclusion to the Green Bone Saga. Probably my favourite read so far into 2024. Fonda Lee used a bold technique for this book, but it paid off massively. I would say that this series has definitely become one of my all-time favourites--perhaps even my favourite fantasy trilogy!

Hilo, man. His death scene was just so powerful--I would have cried if I wasn't sitting in a public space. What an absolute legend of a character. Also, Bero driving Anden to the Twice Lucky--talk about things coming full circle.

A very meh collection of the stories. I don't know if this is a fault of the translation, but some of the stories were really short and went by really quick (not in a good way). They should have been extended a bit. If you want to read Byomkesh Bakshi, I would recommend any of the other two short story collections: Picture Imperfect or The Menagerie. Definitely not this one.

After re-reading The Lightning Thief to prepare for the Disney+ show, I realised just how nostalgic I was for this series and decided to re-read the rest of it. So of course, The Sea of Monsters was next.

I have to say I did enjoy the book for the most part, but it was a bit too fast-paced and felt rushed. The first 100 pages or so are good, but the book would have been better if that part had been trimmed down and the quest part (which was really great) made longer.

Other than that, obviously the Greek mythology, characters (Tyson!), action and humour were all excellent, but that's basically a given for a Percy Jackson book. Also, there are so many iconic moments here: the wedding dress, the guinea pigs -- I can go on and on. And of course, that ending twist-whoa! I mean, I was re-reading the book and I knew what was going to happen, but on a first read it would have been absolutely crazy.

So overall, a pretty good book and sequel, but not a perfect one. It's probably one of my least favourites in the series, but it's not a bad book at all.

This book took everything great about Jade City and expanded upon it. There's more expansive worldbuilding, as the book takes us to other areas instead of just Kekon--it's really fascinating to see the other areas and Fonda Lee is great at making the world feel real. The series continues to be mainly character-focused and the arcs were great, just like the first book. The one thing I did note was that the political/clan intrigue is more prominent in this book, and while I loved it, it might be a detractor for some. While the book is mostly slower-paced, when the action scenes happen, they are absolute page-turners (especially the ending). So yup, an excellent sequel/middle book. If it seems like I don't have much to say in this review, it's because most of the points in my Jade City review also carry over here and I don't want to just repeat the same things over and over.

The part with Anden/Wen/Rohn at the end was so crazy. Especially when Wen "died" and came back to life--my emotions were all over the place!

I never thought I would be reading a fantasy mafia story, but here we are. In all seriousness though, the setting here is really unique and well-realised. Fonda Lee's writing perfectly encapsulates the brutal, but also beautiful world. Almost everyone compares this series with the Godfather and it's not hard to see why. The clan system is really cool and unlike anything in the fantasy genre. The themes of honour, family and loyalty are also really remisnicent of the Godfather.

However the main focus of this book are definitely the characters who are all really well-written and nuanced. The Kaul family and their dynamics are really intriguing. The plot is still a major part of the book, but it really only comes into play in the second half. The first half which focuses more on the characters and the worldbuilding was really excellent. I never thought reading about the day-to-day lives of some characters would be so enthralling—but it was.

The plot really speeds up about halfway into the book, and Fonda Lee writes some great action scenes with a mix of martial arts and magic. The magic system, primarily based on Jade, is actually a more minor element in this book, but in the few moments that it gets to shine, it's really fascinating.

So yeah, a great start to this series with a unique setting and magic system and compelling characters. Can't wait to read the next two books—I've heard that the series only gets better and better!

Wow. What a spectacular ending to this trilogy. I don't think I've ever seen such amazing character work in a series. Glokta, Logen, Jezal, Bayaz...all of these characters are so layered, unique, and memorable. The choice of Abercrombie to make the characters the forefront of the trilogy rather than the plot wouldn't have paid off if they weren't just written so damn well. At the end of the book, when the characters reflected on the events of the trilogy, it made me realize how they had been developed so masterfully by Abercrombie. A lot of them, especially Glokta and Logen, are probably all-time favourites for me.

The book just takes so many twists and turns and most of the revelations, especially at the end of the book really caught me by surprise. Don't get me wrong, I thought the first three quarters of the book were really great, but the last 200 or so pages were what elevated this from being great to being amazing. Abercrombie describes the chaos of a battle really well through multiple PoVs. While the final battle was really great, possibly my favourite part of the book was the part after the climax. Another highlight was the duel in the middle of the book-what an epic scene.

I think possibly the most divisive part of the trilogy is its ending, but I absolutely loved it. While many of the characters' fates are left ambiguous, and there isn't really a happy ending for any of them, it all seems in-character for them, if that makes any sense. You don't see this kind of ending a lot in fantasy, which is perhaps why it still has me marvelling at the genius of it from time to time.

I mean, if you haven't already guessed from this review, I really enjoyed this trilogy, and especially this book. I can't wait to read the other books in this universe!

Logen's ending...just wow. Talk about things coming full circle-it was really sad to see how he couldn't change even though he tried so hard. Glokta also  cemented himself as one of my favourite characters with his arc in this book. From getting your life ruined in your prime to becoming the Arch Lector and having a caring wife? What an absolute rollercoaster of a journey. Also, West's ending. 😭😭 

This book built on the foundations laid by the first one really well. This was heavily character-focused, just like the first one, but I think what made this book better was that there was more of the main characters interacting with each other. 

All of the PoVs were great. I didn't like Ferro at all in the first book, but she was much better in this book. While the Northern chapters were just ok in the first half of the book, I really liked them in the second half.

The worldbuilding was brilliant as well. What better way is there to explore the world than when your characters are going on a journey to the edge of the world? In all seriousness though, all the locations Abercrombie describes are really unique and vivid, and this world continues to grow more intriguing, especially when some lore tidbits are dropped here and there.

This book was a great sequel and just took everything great about the first book and made it even better. A great example of how to write a penultimate book which doesn't just feel like setup for the conclusion.

Probably my biggest concern would be the lack of a really big overarching plot or threat, especially as the final book is up next, but from what I've read and seen, the third book is generally loved, so I'm not that worried.