Jayson’s Reviews > The Tower of Nero > Status Update
Jayson
is on page 106 of 416
Notes:
(1) Apollo refers to Meg as Nero's stepdaughter. Hmph!
- Well, Riordan using correct terminology didn't last long, only 40 pages.
(2) Chiron isn't at Camp Half-Blood, he's at a "joint task force" meeting with a cat and a severed head.
- This is clearly Bast from "The Kane Chronicles" and Mimir from "Magnus Chase." I know because I'm currently re-reading the former and just finished the latter's companion book.
— Sep 19, 2023 04:25AM
(1) Apollo refers to Meg as Nero's stepdaughter. Hmph!
- Well, Riordan using correct terminology didn't last long, only 40 pages.
(2) Chiron isn't at Camp Half-Blood, he's at a "joint task force" meeting with a cat and a severed head.
- This is clearly Bast from "The Kane Chronicles" and Mimir from "Magnus Chase." I know because I'm currently re-reading the former and just finished the latter's companion book.
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Jayson’s Previous Updates
Jayson
is on page 397 of 416
Notes:
(1) This ends with about 50 pages of tidying up and visits.
- Not that I'm complaining, it raised my opinion of the book.
(2) In the same way that the end of "The Blood of Olympus" hinted at this series, this hints at three books.
- A Greco-Roman/Egyptian/Norse crossover team-up.
- A Will and Nico book ("The Sun and the Star").
- A Percy/Annabeth/Grover road-trip book, quite possibly "The Chalice of the Gods."
— Sep 25, 2023 04:15AM
(1) This ends with about 50 pages of tidying up and visits.
- Not that I'm complaining, it raised my opinion of the book.
(2) In the same way that the end of "The Blood of Olympus" hinted at this series, this hints at three books.
- A Greco-Roman/Egyptian/Norse crossover team-up.
- A Will and Nico book ("The Sun and the Star").
- A Percy/Annabeth/Grover road-trip book, quite possibly "The Chalice of the Gods."
Jayson
is on page 352 of 416
Notes:
(1) I'm somewhat underwhelmed by how the whole Nero plot concluded.
- Essentially, Apollo doesn't defeat Nero by smarts or strength or doggedness, but by luck.
- It's literally a deus ex machina.
(2) By contrast, the fight against Python (the less focused-on final boss) was quite well done.
- Riordan's battles are always much better when it's as close to 1-on-1 as possible, and not a cacophony of chaos.
— Sep 24, 2023 08:00PM
(1) I'm somewhat underwhelmed by how the whole Nero plot concluded.
- Essentially, Apollo doesn't defeat Nero by smarts or strength or doggedness, but by luck.
- It's literally a deus ex machina.
(2) By contrast, the fight against Python (the less focused-on final boss) was quite well done.
- Riordan's battles are always much better when it's as close to 1-on-1 as possible, and not a cacophony of chaos.
Jayson
is on page 302 of 416
Notes:
(1) Apollo smells Nico's hair and kisses him on the head.
- If we're headed for a father-son love triangle, I'm out of here!
(2) I finally figured it out! For whatever reason, Riordan only uses the "step" prefix to refer to Nero. For all the kids, he uses "foster."
- Unfortunately, consistent as it is, that makes no sense.
(3) Seemingly, fasces act like horcruxes.
- So long as they're in tact, Nero cannot die.
— Sep 23, 2023 06:55AM
(1) Apollo smells Nico's hair and kisses him on the head.
- If we're headed for a father-son love triangle, I'm out of here!
(2) I finally figured it out! For whatever reason, Riordan only uses the "step" prefix to refer to Nero. For all the kids, he uses "foster."
- Unfortunately, consistent as it is, that makes no sense.
(3) Seemingly, fasces act like horcruxes.
- So long as they're in tact, Nero cannot die.
Jayson
is on page 252 of 416
Notes:
(1) Nero is referred to as Meg's stepfather... then 6 pages later Meg's called Nero's foster daughter.
- Which is it? Because this has got to be some sort of joke at this point!
(2) Riordan channels his inner George R.R. Martin with a shock amputation.
- Hopefully interminable food lists won't be next.
(3) I doubt Riordan even knows what dreams are.
- His version of dreams are all more like astral projections.
— Sep 22, 2023 07:35AM
(1) Nero is referred to as Meg's stepfather... then 6 pages later Meg's called Nero's foster daughter.
- Which is it? Because this has got to be some sort of joke at this point!
(2) Riordan channels his inner George R.R. Martin with a shock amputation.
- Hopefully interminable food lists won't be next.
(3) I doubt Riordan even knows what dreams are.
- His version of dreams are all more like astral projections.
Jayson
is on page 198 of 416
Notes:
(1) Rachel has issues with Python invading her mind.
- Sounds like she could use occlumency lessons.
(2) Apollo describes Rachel's affection to him as "sisterly," which is the same thing he said about Meg.
- Interesting, as Rachel and Meg treat Apollo quite differently.
(3) The troglodytes make skink soup, which I can only presume is called Cullen Skink.
- That's a Scottish soup joke, in case you're wondering.
— Sep 21, 2023 06:00AM
(1) Rachel has issues with Python invading her mind.
- Sounds like she could use occlumency lessons.
(2) Apollo describes Rachel's affection to him as "sisterly," which is the same thing he said about Meg.
- Interesting, as Rachel and Meg treat Apollo quite differently.
(3) The troglodytes make skink soup, which I can only presume is called Cullen Skink.
- That's a Scottish soup joke, in case you're wondering.
Jayson
is on page 154 of 416
Notes:
(1) These kids must have photographic memories or something. They hear four or five lines of poetry during a crisis and can recite it later on verbatim.
- I'd have a notepad and pen ready at all times.
- Since demigods are dyslexic and ADHD, you'd think memorization would be among their learning disabilities.
(2) I totally ship Apollo and Rachel, they're perfect for each other.
- Though he is kind of her boss.
— Sep 20, 2023 02:45AM
(1) These kids must have photographic memories or something. They hear four or five lines of poetry during a crisis and can recite it later on verbatim.
- I'd have a notepad and pen ready at all times.
- Since demigods are dyslexic and ADHD, you'd think memorization would be among their learning disabilities.
(2) I totally ship Apollo and Rachel, they're perfect for each other.
- Though he is kind of her boss.
Jayson
is on page 54 of 416
Notes:
(1) Apollo refers to Nero as Meg's foster father.
- Finally! It only took Riordan five books to figure out foster parents and step-parents aren't the same thing! It was driving me nuts!
(2) Meg is given a smock dress to wear.
- I didn't have a clue what that was, I had to google it.
- Riordan must really be up on his ladies' fashion. Last book it was sweater wraps and long-sleeve tees, here it's smock dresses.
— Sep 18, 2023 05:25AM
(1) Apollo refers to Nero as Meg's foster father.
- Finally! It only took Riordan five books to figure out foster parents and step-parents aren't the same thing! It was driving me nuts!
(2) Meg is given a smock dress to wear.
- I didn't have a clue what that was, I had to google it.
- Riordan must really be up on his ladies' fashion. Last book it was sweater wraps and long-sleeve tees, here it's smock dresses.
Jayson
is starting
Notes:
(1) I went ahead and read the glossary first. It's something I like to do to get familiar with terms so I'm not flipping back and forth to define words while reading.
- I'm not inclined to flip to the back when I'm reading because it's not guaranteed a word's even in the glossary, and I don't want to risk wasting my time.
(2) I predict Annabeth will show up. She's the only significant character who hasn't yet.
— Sep 17, 2023 11:50PM
(1) I went ahead and read the glossary first. It's something I like to do to get familiar with terms so I'm not flipping back and forth to define words while reading.
- I'm not inclined to flip to the back when I'm reading because it's not guaranteed a word's even in the glossary, and I don't want to risk wasting my time.
(2) I predict Annabeth will show up. She's the only significant character who hasn't yet.
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Jenny
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Sep 19, 2023 02:44PM
I think he's been saying step father because Meg's dad has died and can't get custody back (obviously), at least that's my interpretation. Strange that he switches to foster though.
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Jenny wrote: "I think he's been saying step father because Meg's dad has died and can't get custody back (obviously), at least that's my interpretation. Strange that he switches to foster though."Yeah, very strange indeed. I wonder whether he'll continue to change his mind about it or if it's going to be stepfather for the rest of the book.
In terms of legal custody, I wouldn't think Nero would have it either. For one thing, he's been dead/semi-divine for a couple thousand years and, more to the point, it's revealed shortly after this that (view spoiler).
I wouldn't be surprised if, somehow, he had paper work saying he was Meg's uncle or something, and a will from her father saying it was him. Very true about Lu as well, she is legal guardian, though Nero seams to be the only older male Meg had positive interactions with after her dad died, positive being very loosely used here...
Which brings up another question- did Nero kidnap Meg, and then when she wouldn't cooperate kill her dad? It was obviously a punishment, but how did she wind up with him in the first place?
Jenny wrote: "I wouldn't be surprised if, somehow, he had paper work saying he was Meg's uncle or something, and a will from her father saying it was him. Very true about Lu as well, she is legal guardian, thou..."
Well, he's Roman, so I figure he participates in the usual Roman tradition of enslaving wives and children of defeated foes. In the modern age, where slavery's almost universally outlawed, adoption and "foster parentage" would be the next closest thing. Meg was certainly mentally enslaved during the first book, enough to betray Apollo.
So, that would be my answer. The dad dies, and so what do you do with the kid? Raise her as your own, as a Roman, and have another loyal soldier/minion in the Roman army. Her being a demigod would make her extra-valuable, assuming Nero could tell she was. Being semi-divine, I presume he would.
Oh, that makes sense. He catches up with them, dad tells Meg run and then Nero finds her after and shows her what "the beast" did.
Jenny wrote: "Oh, that makes sense. He catches up with them, dad tells Meg run and then Nero finds her after and shows her what "the beast" did."Quite possibly. I don't remember if we ever got details about the death, only the aftermath. Maybe we will later in this book 🤷♂�
Perhaps. I just remember Nero bringing Meg to the steps where her dads body was and saying this is what happens when you disobey me and anger the beast, so I took it as he had Meg before it all happened
Jenny wrote: "Perhaps. I just remember Nero bringing Meg to the steps where her dads body was and saying this is what happens when you disobey me and anger the beast, so I took it as he had Meg before it all hap..."Makes sense. He'd have to have known her at least a bit before it happened. I mean, there's have to be some trust there, unless he simply brainwashed her. 🤷♂�
It's all a tad confusing when you think about how it would have happened
Jenny wrote: "It's all a tad confusing when you think about how it would have happened"Exactly, hopefully at least some of it gets untangled later on. We're out of books to hope for answers from :)
Jenny wrote: "Yes, unfortunately!"Well, he's starting to write books again, not just presenting other authors, so there's always the chance of clearing up any unfinished business :)
