Greek Stuff

Recently, i starved myself specially to buy my very few last collection of the Percy Jackson series, THE MARK OF ATHENA and THE LOST HERO. I purchased THE SON OF NEPTUNE earlier beforehand, and regarless to say, it did not dissapoint. Rick Riordan has done his research well.



Amazing, how a writer like him can insert the facts in the plot and blend it so well with his writing style. it's no secret that he's a bit um, illogical in the way he writes, i mean Percy and his friends hardly make it out of a battle alive thanks to their great sword waving or knife stabbing skills. it usually turns out that Percy calls upon his great dad Poseidon with that warcry SUBMERGE ME IN WATER, DAD! or some random God they just made an offering to that got his attention he decided to offer last minute help. (Dionysus?) every single damn time. I put most of it down to luck, mostly.

But while Riordan actively lacks in describing combat details, he sure is good in twisting a plot. I mean, Percy is distantly related to a Cyclops. Oh, wow! though it might be more dramatic if Tyson turned out to be some ruthless, uncontrollable fire-spitting monster than one that crushes his half-brother to pieces and cries when he's alone. Yeah. Then theres the whole Greek Roman hostility thing. Bringing two leaders from two different camps to work together. Why not? Sounds like a brilliant story to me.

Only thing was, when the chosen seven started their journey in THE MARK OF ATHENA aboard Leo's ship, The Argo II, i could sense that the development of the characters was missing, especially Jason. We've been with Percy our entire journey reading his quests. We know how he and Annabeth ended up together. But, Jason? not much is described about his personality in detail apart that he's a son of Jupiter. Leo and Piper stands out right from the beginning.

Leo, your typical outcasted, annoying dumb freak that never takes anything seriously with his lame jokes. Piper, daughter of a movie star. First thought that comes to mind, pampered, haughty, seductive type. But hardly.
Piper is beautiful in a way that makes people see deeper into her, appriciating the person she is inside, and not just the shell. In the book, she admits she doesn't like using her Charmspeak, which is why she only uses it when absolutely necccesarry (unlike Drew.) and of course she can't live without her beloved boyfriend Jason. Being the daughter of Aphrodite and all, love is essential to her life. They describe him as 'Jason being the star of the show'.

But i hardly read him in any action, apart from when he summons small storms here and then. which is a pity, because i did want to know more about his character in depth. Nothing is also said about his life in Camp Jupiter, which makes it hard for me to associate him with Hazel as close friends, typically because ive never seen them both in action before. You have to create that bond between your characters for your readers to understand before you throw them into something surprising.

Now that's the thing about Rick Riordan. On every page you turn, suspense and surprise is built. Ah, the things i could relate. But there's just too many. For me, if Riordan could add a little bit more seriousness into the plot, everything would be inkling perfect. and oh, give us a flashback into Jason's old life, hmm. I want a chance to like this character. xD