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William's Reviews > The Tower of Nero
The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo, #5)
by
by
"Call on me. I will be there for you."
Umm ... BRB. I'm not crying, ur crying!! Still not processing that this might be the last book in the Camp Half Blood/Camp Jupiter universe with this cast of characters I have grown up with ;_;
If you follow me on goodreads, you probably already know by now that I have ZERO chill when it comes to Rick Riordan books and for good reason. Because Rick Riordan has done it AGAIN.
Rick Riordan every time he writes a new book
So sorry not sorry if this review has zero chill :)
I never expected the Trials of Apollo to happen but I am so glad it did. Rick Riordan has somehow done the impossible of injecting new and vibrant energy into the hallowed pantheon of Percy Jackson while revving up the engines of nostalgia (cue FEELS ATTACKS) and paying respect to the original and sequel series. He both honors and expands a big, diverse cast of characters - where the reader somehow ends up rooting for all of them.
For example, HELLO APOLLO. I am a huge sucker for good character development and I got it in spades with him. It was so satisfying to see his arc over the five books that I actually felt PROUD of him lmao by the end.
How does Rick Riordan do it??! Only he can make me invested in the growth and fate of an immortal Olympian God and his hilarious Shakespearean prophecy arrow (I will never forget you Arrow of Dodona).
Like seriously, Rick Riordan is the king of humor, references, and easter eggs. There were so many times throughout this book and this series where I smiled or guffawed and burst out laughing. While this series is aimed at children and teens, there were a multitude of references that would have flown over middle/high school William's head that now 24-year old William understands and appreciates.
But Rick Riordan is no one-hit wonder. He's also a king educator. He has taught me more about mythology than any textbook, movie, film, wikipedia, etc. ever has, and he does it while making me laugh! The talent!
Another area where Rick Riordan is king? He is the king of meaningful and inclusive representation from race, disability, gender, sexuality, mental health and effortlessly spinning them into the lore. Introducing trauma and navigating its aftermath including disability through a character who experienced severe injuries?? Specifically showcasing disabled demigods participating fully and richly in camp life with no big fanfare?? Using Dionysus, God of madness, as a way to talk about mental health?? GENIUS. Like, no joke, I gained a deeper understanding of these issues because Riordan makes it so normal and accessible.
Not only that, he addresses topics of abuse and cycles of harm in a way that SHOOK me (in a good way) with gravity and accessibility. Case in point: Meg, a character who I wasn't sure about when she was first introduced, but who I have really come to really appreciate. (brb sobbing happy tears at how her arc ends)
Finally, Rick Riordan is also the king (yup, still going) in tying in powerful messages that any person, but especially young people, can appreciate and learn from.
“When he’d told me to remember being human, he’d meant building on pain and tragedy, overcoming it, learning from it […] To be human is to move forward, to adapt, to believe in your ability to make things better. That is the only way to make the pain and sacrifice mean something.�
“And yet, along with humility, I’d learned something else: getting humiliated is only the beginning, not the end. Sometimes you need a second shot, and a third, and a fourth.�
CONCLUSION: WE STAN RICK RIORDAN. HE IS A KING.
I am so thankful and excited that these books exist because I know that my past middle/high school self would have gotten so much out of these books. And I am so thankful to Riordan for helping spark my love of reading back in 5th grade when I first picked up the first Percy Jackson book over 13 years ago (umm what!!).
GAH! I deeply adore and have a special place in my heart for all the characters, and rest easy knowing that the heroes we lost are enjoying Elysium. ;_; Cheers to an amazing author who inspired a decade+ full of joy and feels attacks.
"You'll come back?" she asked.
"Always," I promised. "The sun always comes back."
Umm ... BRB. I'm not crying, ur crying!! Still not processing that this might be the last book in the Camp Half Blood/Camp Jupiter universe with this cast of characters I have grown up with ;_;
If you follow me on goodreads, you probably already know by now that I have ZERO chill when it comes to Rick Riordan books and for good reason. Because Rick Riordan has done it AGAIN.
Rick Riordan every time he writes a new book
So sorry not sorry if this review has zero chill :)
I never expected the Trials of Apollo to happen but I am so glad it did. Rick Riordan has somehow done the impossible of injecting new and vibrant energy into the hallowed pantheon of Percy Jackson while revving up the engines of nostalgia (cue FEELS ATTACKS) and paying respect to the original and sequel series. He both honors and expands a big, diverse cast of characters - where the reader somehow ends up rooting for all of them.
For example, HELLO APOLLO. I am a huge sucker for good character development and I got it in spades with him. It was so satisfying to see his arc over the five books that I actually felt PROUD of him lmao by the end.
How does Rick Riordan do it??! Only he can make me invested in the growth and fate of an immortal Olympian God and his hilarious Shakespearean prophecy arrow (I will never forget you Arrow of Dodona).
Like seriously, Rick Riordan is the king of humor, references, and easter eggs. There were so many times throughout this book and this series where I smiled or guffawed and burst out laughing. While this series is aimed at children and teens, there were a multitude of references that would have flown over middle/high school William's head that now 24-year old William understands and appreciates.
But Rick Riordan is no one-hit wonder. He's also a king educator. He has taught me more about mythology than any textbook, movie, film, wikipedia, etc. ever has, and he does it while making me laugh! The talent!
Another area where Rick Riordan is king? He is the king of meaningful and inclusive representation from race, disability, gender, sexuality, mental health and effortlessly spinning them into the lore. Introducing trauma and navigating its aftermath including disability through a character who experienced severe injuries?? Specifically showcasing disabled demigods participating fully and richly in camp life with no big fanfare?? Using Dionysus, God of madness, as a way to talk about mental health?? GENIUS. Like, no joke, I gained a deeper understanding of these issues because Riordan makes it so normal and accessible.
Not only that, he addresses topics of abuse and cycles of harm in a way that SHOOK me (in a good way) with gravity and accessibility. Case in point: Meg, a character who I wasn't sure about when she was first introduced, but who I have really come to really appreciate. (brb sobbing happy tears at how her arc ends)
Finally, Rick Riordan is also the king (yup, still going) in tying in powerful messages that any person, but especially young people, can appreciate and learn from.
“When he’d told me to remember being human, he’d meant building on pain and tragedy, overcoming it, learning from it […] To be human is to move forward, to adapt, to believe in your ability to make things better. That is the only way to make the pain and sacrifice mean something.�
“And yet, along with humility, I’d learned something else: getting humiliated is only the beginning, not the end. Sometimes you need a second shot, and a third, and a fourth.�
CONCLUSION: WE STAN RICK RIORDAN. HE IS A KING.
I am so thankful and excited that these books exist because I know that my past middle/high school self would have gotten so much out of these books. And I am so thankful to Riordan for helping spark my love of reading back in 5th grade when I first picked up the first Percy Jackson book over 13 years ago (umm what!!).
GAH! I deeply adore and have a special place in my heart for all the characters, and rest easy knowing that the heroes we lost are enjoying Elysium. ;_; Cheers to an amazing author who inspired a decade+ full of joy and feels attacks.
"You'll come back?" she asked.
"Always," I promised. "The sun always comes back."
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