Oct 10

Oct 10 The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo, #5)

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

Click above to buy this book from my Bookshop.org shop, which supports independent bookstores (not Amazon). You can also find it via your favorite indie bookstore here.

Note: Trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

At last, the breathtaking, action-packed finale of the #1 bestselling Trials of Apollo series is here! Will the Greek god Apollo, cast down to earth in the pathetic moral form of a teenager named Lester Papadopoulos, finally regain his place on Mount Olympus? Lester's demigod friends at Camp Jupiter just helped him survive attacks from bloodthirsty ghouls, an evil Roman king and his army of the undead, and the lethal emperors Caligula and Commodus. Now the former god and his demigod master Meg must follow a prophecy uncovered by Ella the harpy. Lester's final challenge will be at the Tower of Nero, back in New York. Will Meg have a last showdown with her father? Will this helpless form of Apollo have to face his arch nemesis, Python? Who will be on hand at Camp Half-Blood to assist? These questions and more will be answered in this book that all demigods are eagerly awaiting.

TL;DR Review

The Tower of Nero was such a fun, resonant, beautiful conclusion to The Trials of Apollo and wrap on the Percy Jackson universe at large. I can’t believe it’s over! But my heart is happy.

For you if: You’re looking for a wholesome but deep and meaningful squeeze of the heart.

Full Review

“I was tempted to promise we’d do this more often if we survived, but I’d learned that promises are precious. If you’re not absolutely sure you can keep them, you should never make them, much like chocolate chip cookies.”

Y’all. WHAT A RIDE. This is book 15 of 15 in the Percy Jackson universe, the conclusion of Rick Riordan’s third middle-grade quintet set in this world. And…I’m not crying, you’re crying! OK yeah no, I’m definitely crying.

The Trials of Apollo quintet is about (you guessed it), the god Apollo. At the start of the series, he was cursed/punished by Zeus and sent to live as a mortal teenager with acne named Lester Papadopoulos. He must earn back his immortality and over the course of the five books, works alongside demigod Meg McCaffrey to free the world’s oracles from the control of evil historical Roman emperors under the guise of an evil modern-day corporation called Triumvirate Holdings.

These books are just so good. I want every kid to read them and experience the inclusivity, sensitivity, representation, and giant-hearted life lessons they include. Uncle Rick’s cast of characters is intentional and beautiful. He addresses some really tough stuff in a way that feels real, but through humor and relatability. His balance of jokes and heart is perfect.

And the ending of this one was BEAUTIFUL and so good and so right and ugh I have no coherent words because books like these are what school libraries were built for and I just love them so much. Everyone should read them. They’ll warm your heart and give you hope and make you a blubbering pile of mush like me.