A Tale of Two Quests: A Review of Rick Riordan's The House of Hades
4 stars
Rick Riordan's The House of Hades, the fourth installment in the Heroes of Olympus series, plunges readers into a thrilling, dual-narrative adventure that is quite literally out of this world—or, perhaps more accurately, under it. We find Percy and Annabeth navigating the perilous and frankly terrifying landscape of Tartarus, a journey that tests their strength, sanity, and relationship in ways that make previous quests look like a walk in Elysian Fields. Their story is a masterclass in suspense and survival, and you'll be holding your breath as they face unimaginable horrors and make some rather hellish choices. Also, Bob. Bob is amazing.
Meanwhile, topside, Jason, Leo, Frank, Piper, Hazel, and Nico are on their own desperate race against time. Their mission: find the House of Hades and the Doors of Death to, you know, save their friends and prevent Gaea from fully waking and generally ruining everything. This earthly (and …
Rick Riordan's The House of Hades, the fourth installment in the Heroes of Olympus series, plunges readers into a thrilling, dual-narrative adventure that is quite literally out of this world—or, perhaps more accurately, under it. We find Percy and Annabeth navigating the perilous and frankly terrifying landscape of Tartarus, a journey that tests their strength, sanity, and relationship in ways that make previous quests look like a walk in Elysian Fields. Their story is a masterclass in suspense and survival, and you'll be holding your breath as they face unimaginable horrors and make some rather hellish choices. Also, Bob. Bob is amazing.
Meanwhile, topside, Jason, Leo, Frank, Piper, Hazel, and Nico are on their own desperate race against time. Their mission: find the House of Hades and the Doors of Death to, you know, save their friends and prevent Gaea from fully waking and generally ruining everything. This earthly (and sometimes airy, thanks to a certain bronze dragon) quest is packed with its own set of formidable foes and heart-stopping moments. It's a real pressure cooker situation as they try to unite two camps that have more history than a library, all while trying not to get squashed by giants or sidetracked by an assortment of mythological menaces.
While The House of Hades is a truly enjoyable romp through Riordan's mythological playground, with some characters really coming into their own (Nico, Hazel, Frank, and Leo, I'm looking at you!), I did find myself noticing certain patterns emerge. Perhaps it's the peril of "binge-reading" a series, but the formula, while undeniably effective and entertaining, became more apparent. My advice? Savor these adventures. While the urge to immediately dive into the next book is strong (and understandable!), taking a little breather between installments might allow each story to shine even brighter on its own. This book is a fantastic, action-packed ride, and the character development is particularly strong, but a little space might make the heart grow fonder for the overarching saga.
–This review was partially drafted by A.I. (Gemini) with a fairly lengthy prompt containing my opinions and the notes I took while reading. Much of the review is rewording of the prompt I entered and my notes. –
