Nov 4

Nov 4 The Tyrant's Tomb (The Trials of Apollo, #4)

*** Description is spoiler for The Trials of Apollo books 1–3***

It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo's aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

Author: Rick Riordan | Publisher: Disney Hyperion

Goodreads | IndieBound (buy local!) | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 4.5 / 5

“Dude, this isn't cool
Dude just tried to eat my dude
That's my dead dude, dude”

I recommend Rick Riordan’s books to anyone who likes to guffaw, loves witty pop-culture-meets-greek-mythology humor, and wants a good ol’ tug on the heartstrings. Because that’s what he delivers, every single time.

Short review for this one since it’s book four of five. It picks up right where book three left off (BEWARE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 3): Apollo and Meg are returning Jason’s body to Camp Jupiter, which has just undergone serious battle against the emperors’ fleet. They arrive to find the capers ragged and exhausted, but determined as ever.

I thought the tribute to Jason by the campers was beautiful, and I was glad that we had more time to mourn him. Book three ended so abruptly that I was nervous about it, but in fact, this entire book continued to pay tribute to Jason over and over and over. Apollo, of course, continued to find his humanity, Meg continued to grow into her own, the adventure was hilarious and thrilling, and I can’t wait to read book five and see how this all wraps up.

Ultimately, this one was just as heartwarming and clever as the others. Reading it was a joyful break from a lot of the heavier fiction I usually read, but still pulled hard on my emotions. The best of both worlds.