OLYMPIAN WEEK- Rick Riordan Blog Tour

As a fan of Mr. Riordan when I was asked to host part of the blogtour I initially thought I was reading Greek.  Me? MFB? With actual words from Mr. R himself on our blog.  Yeah, I could live with that.

Moonrise over Cape Sounion in Greece - Temple to Poseidon

Today MFB and I are paying homage to the great god of the sea himself, Poseidon, part of a Homeric poem from Illiad -

Hail, Poseidon, Holder of the Earth, dark-haired lord! 

O blessed one, be kindly in heart and help those who voyage in ships!

The blog tour is the run up to the release of Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune, in which lovely Percy Jackson makes a guest appearance.

Percy, son of Poseidon – god of the sea – is just waking from a very deep sleep when he comes face-to-face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die! But this is only the beginning of his fresh woes as he finds himself at a camp for half-bloods – which curiously doesn’t ring any bells with him. There’s only one person he remembers from his past… Annabeth.


It seems that Percy Jackson’s questing days are far from over. He and fellow demigods Frank and Hazel face the most important quest of all – the Prophecy of Seven. If they fail, it’s not just their camp at risk. Percy’s old life, the gods and the entire world might be destroyed.



Gaah! I can't wait. In the meantime, here's the fantastic blog post Rick has written exclusively for MFB:

The Character I'd Most Like To Be

I get a lot of questions from young readers, but this one is a perennial favorite – Which of my own characters would I most like to be?

Writing about Greek gods, I certainly have a lot to choose from. I suppose I could choose Apollo, the ultra-cool god of poetry, although in my world he does have a tendency to spout bad haiku. I’m also partial to Poseidon – no surprise, since I made Percy Jackson his son. I like Poseidon’s laid-back attitude, and I certainly wouldn’t mind hanging out in the Caribbean, but I do think it would get lonely at the bottom of the sea.

What about my demigod heroes? Percy is an obvious choice, but while I do share Percy’s sense of humor and feel very close to him after writing five books in his voice, I don’t think I’d want to change places with him. Percy is much braver than I could ever be, and honestly you couldn’t pay me enough to go through high school again. In a real fight with monsters, I would not be in the front lines like Percy and Annabeth. I would be more like Grover, hiding behind a bush and whimpering, “Don’t kill me!”

Would I be Grover? Hmm, I like cheese enchiladas just fine, but I don’t think the tin cans would agree with my digestive track. The goat legs would also be challenging, as down here in Texas they would very quickly get me labeled ‘El Diablo.’

Pierce Brosnan as Chiron in the Percy Jackson movie

After much thought, I’ve decided I most relate to Chiron, the immortal trainer of heroes. And no, not just because Pierce Brosnan has that role in the movie. Like me, Chiron is first and foremost a teacher. His job is to train heroes, not to be the hero himself. I would be comfortable in that role. In my years in the classroom, I always enjoyed helping students discover their talents, and maybe find skills they didn’t even know they had. Making someone who is a reluctant reader into a lover of books may not seem as exciting as teaching a demigod to fight hydras, but in my perspective, it’s just as important!

Chiron has a sensible, easy-going attitude. He is also there, always dependable. He’s a person I’d like to be, although I will admit, it would get a little old being a horse from the waist down. Staircases would be murder. Elevators? Forget it. And taking my wife out to dinner at a romantic restaurant would be difficult, unless the restaurant had a stable. On the bright side, I’d never have to worry about parking again, and I’d get great mileage. A little hay and water, and I’m good to go.

So yes, I’ll stick with Chiron as my character of choice. Who’s your favorite character? Who would you like to be, either from one of my series or another book?

***

Calliope the Muse

Personally, I would love to be...I don't know.  I toyed with the idea of Athena, but she's super serious and I'm not sure I will ever be able to do her justice.  I've sourced this on Twitter as I couldn't make up my mind.  But I think Calliope, who was a muse.  I like that idea.

Check out the last day of the Heroes of Olympus blog tour over at Ultimate Book Guide.

To coincide with publication of THE SON OF NEPTUNE, Puffin Books is launching the HUNT FOR A HALF-BLOOD HERO competition in schools throughout the UK. Entrants will put themselves forward to be Percy’s comrade is a new and terrifying quest. First prize is Texas-based Rick Riordan streamed live exclusively into the winning school’s assembly, plus a trip for the winning class to their local Sea Life Centre. Visit www.percyjackson.co.uk for entry details.

Rick Riordan

So, a few moments ago, I was handed this giant envelope by my receptionist here at work.  My heart did this stuttering little thing it always does when I get handed an envelope or box that is decidedly book-shaped.

I opened up the envelope and within was this BIG book.  And I thought: what can it be, my precious?  (Yes, I do in fact speak like this, ask anyone!)

And lo!  It was the newest Rick Riordan: HEROES OF OLYMPUS: The Lost Hero.
I am excited.  I don't do a lot of random shout-outs for books that come into the reach of my grubby paws, but this one, I'm happy to chortle about.

Firstly, I really do like the Percy Jackson books.  Very accessible stories, steeped in mythology, that lured many reluctant readers into Percy's world and hopefully made reades from them.  Secondly, Rick Riordan's writing may not be Booker material but by heavens, he's a bloody good storyspinner and his stories are very entertaining.

Yes, admittedly, I didn't enjoy Red Pyramid that much but to be honest, I think I expected it to be similar to Percy and it's not.  In my opinion it was aimed at a much younger age group and didn't feel the love for the mythology as much as I fell for the Greek mythology.  Which is odd, because I am big on Egyptian mythology, more so than Greek.  Whichever way it falls - in this one instance, I was disappointed.  But rumour tells me that Heroes of Olympus is going to earn back my love.

Stay tuned for a review.

Oh, and these are some piccies I took, to show the actual size and coolness of the book. Also - the spine reflects / shows the mechanical dragon from the front of the book.  I think I'm just a little in love.  Can you tell?

The pretty! 

The thickness!

 Close up of that dragon!

The spine!

Also, on Saturday, 6th November, he (Rick The Myth Maker Riordan) will be at Bluewater.  And so will I.  I am going to stand in the queue (and probably be the oldest person there!) to get my unsigned books signed. And then I will go home and melt and write about my geekyness and show you pictures of the signing, right here on MFB.  Stick around. 

The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles) by Rick Riordan

Synopsis:

Carter and Sadie have nothing in common but their parents: their father Dr. Julius Kane, a brilliant Egyptologist, and their mother, a famed archaeologist who died under mysterious circumstances when they were young. The siblings barely know each other, but one night, their father brings them together at the British Museum, promising a ‘research experiment’ that will set things right for their family. His plans go horribly wrong. An explosion unleashes an ancient evil – the Egyptian god Set who banishes Dr. Kane to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives. Now orphaned, Carter and Sadie must embark on a dangerous quest – from Cairo to Paris to the American Southwest, to save their father and stop Set from destroying everything they care about . . .

Rick Riordan is a complete hero in my book. I love his actioners for boys (and girls) and think he is a very imaginative and creative writer. The Percy Jackson books really swept me away and I really liked the movie too - the look and feel of it was pretty epic. Also, the soundtrack rocked.

But I digress. My heart sank a bit when I read that he was doing books based on Egyptian mythology. It is SO done and most of it is done so badly, it's not even worth reading. But of course, this is Rick Riordan and I really should have known better.

It took me ages and ages to get into The Red Pyramid because of my own stubborness but once I overcame it, it went quickly and relatively smoothly.

When Carter and Sadie meet up after being apart for ages, it is clear that they don't know and don't really like each other. Carter had the opportunity to travel with his dad to various places all over the world whilst Sadie was forced to stay with her grandparents in London. The siblings see the other as having the more exciting or cool life: Sadie is jealous and resents Carter from escaping school and tedious routine, for getting to go on digs and adventures. Carter sees Sadie and is jealous of her time with the grandparents, of the stability she has had, of her education and her friends. Their animosity to each other raises trust issues when all they really should do is run, hope for the best, and have faith in each other.

It would have made for interesting dynamics had Sadie and Carter been stronger characters. It really pains me to say it, but I didn't like either of them, very much at all. Oh, I had empathy for them because of the scrapes they got into after their father's research went south, but I couldn't bring myself to think of them outside of the novel. It is an odd situation but I feel that if I am going to invest time in hanging around with a group of people for an extended period of time, I want to have a vested interest in them and like them. However, having put that across, I am now wondering that if I re-read it, and I focus on the story and their adventures more, I would be less bothered by Sadie and Carter?

The story is told in alternating chapters, between Carter and Sadie. In some instances the chapters crossed over a bit but that was no big problem for me, as it gave a slightly different perspective of events taking place. However, having said that, Carter and Sadie's voices were so similar at some points that it didn't matter whose chapter I was reading, and that made me feel a bit low about the whole experience.

The action and settings are wonderfully over the top, as are their helpers and hinderers along the way. You can tell that the author slowed down some parts to give his characters and readers a chance to catch up with matters, before he goes ahead and sling-shots them into another predicament or action set-piece. The story is very visual, relying on the reader's imagination and growing knowledge of Egyptian mythlology so that you can picture the images and glyphs etc.

I read this book last month, in June and it's taken me ages to get my words in order to write the review. I am very conflicted about The Red Pyramid. It is good storytelling but readers should know that it isn't Percy Jackson. It is still enjoyable but it there is a lot of backstory and history and younger readers may be put off by it. On the other hand, it may encourage readers to grab some mythology books and read up about the various gods and goddesses of Egypt. It really is a marmite book, I think. Probably the second one I've ever come across in the five years I've been reviewing. Some readers will love it, some readers will be pretty ambivalent about it.

Having said that, I am now thinking that the second book in the series will be where everything will kick off full blast. This has definitely been the scene setting, the character introduction, the backstory and the origin story all rolled into one. So perhaps this is the start of something grander and more epic than PJ? Who knows! Only time and book 2 will tell.

Published by Puffin, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan is out now.

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

Teaser:

Honestly, blowing up another school was the last thing I wanted to do. As the son of a Greek god, I've had my share of near-death disaster. This summer, I didn't choose to battle the cheerleading squad, but when two hissing she-devils with fangs are heading straight for you, what's a half-blood meant to do?

This is the fourth book in the Percy Jackson adventures and it is a no-holds barred fun read - no matter your age.

Percy has moved on from being the newbie at Camp Half Blood - he has had several adventures since and has developed into an interesting capable character and is very close to his two friends he made his first summer, Grover (the satyr) and Annabeth, one of the daughters of Athena.

Percy manages to escape being eaten by the cheerleaders at the school (they were actually emposai, servants of the goddess Hecate), with the help of Rachel Elizabeth Dare who, although she is a mortal, can see through the Mist - the Mist is a type of glamour supernatural creatures cast about themselves to appear normal to humans and the ordinary world.

Percy meets with Annabeth outside the school and they run off to the safety of Camp Half Blood where Annabeth is given her first quest - she has to lead a quest into the Labyrinth to find Daedalus's workshop. Grover is given one more week in his own seeker quest - to find the great god Pan. Together with Percy's half-brother, Tyson, the friends set off into the depths of the Labyrinth, not knowing what my become of them. Some people have disappeared into it completely, never to return, others have returned crazed and insane.

In each book, the stakes are raised higher and higher. In this novel it is the safety of Camp Half Blood that is at stake - an ex-camper, Luke, has betrayed them and has joined forces with Cronos, the Titan, to demolish the camp and by doing so, clear the way to move on Mount Olympus itself to kill Zeus and his clan - to bring chaos to the world.

The friends battle countless enemies, mythical creatures of times gone by, along with human adversaries, keen to cash in on the chaos created by Luke and his advancing army, so there is action and adventure to be had and some pretty dire situations which only quick thinking gets them out of.

If you're a fan of mythology, action adventure and quest novels the Percy Jackson books are definitely a good read. Battle of the Labyrinth is the fourth in this series but I would like to hasten to add: it can be read as a stand-alone. And having said that...it may quite easily tempt you to buy the first three too.

The writing is strong and uncomplicated - the characters are well developed, having become comfortable in each other's company and the pace is a steady march to battle.

There is an excellent Percy Jackson website which can be found here, complete with links to extracts of the books and a newsletter to subscribe to.

Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth is out in March 09, published by Puffin.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief – Rick Riordan

Synopsis:

The gods of Olympus are alive in the 21st Century. They still fall in love with mortals and have children who might become great heroes, but most of these children meet horrible fates at the hands of monsters by the age of twelve. Only a few learn the truth of their identity and make it to Half Blood Hill, a Long Island summer camp dedicated to training young demigods. Such is the revelation that launches young Percy Jackson on a quest to help his real father, Poseidon, avert a war among the gods. With the help of Grover the satyr and Annabeth the daughter of Athena, Percy must journey across the United States to catch a thief who has stolen the original weapon of mass destruction - Zeus’ master bolt. Along the way, they face a host of mythological enemies determined to stop them. Most of all, Percy must come to terms with a father he has never known, and an Oracle that has warned him of betrayal by a friend.

I relished reading this and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. I knew some of the story, from having picked the books up previously in various shops and reading about them online and I was therefore absolutely thrilled when Puffin Books decided to send me the first three in the series to read.

Rick Riordan writes with supreme ease from the first person perspective as Percy. Percy is your average kid who tries to make it through the normal school day without getting into trouble, but it’s hard to do when your teachers try and do you serious damage. He manages to survive an attack by his maths teacher but something weird is going on...no one else seems to recall her ever teaching at his school! Things get a bit weird from there onwards.

I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s style of writing. It is humorous and witty and quite tongue in cheek. Percy never becomes a chore to read and his friends, Annabeth and Grover have been established for future books. I’ve not read any of the other covers of the series as yet, so I’m going in blind, but I hope they make a come-back, purely because there is a lot of good stories to tell.

I enjoyed the light touch the author had when it came to explaining who the deities were and why they were alive and well and occupying the Empire State Buidling’s topmost floor. It is a well researched book giving you an interesting ride through classical mythology along the way, without it impacting on the pace of the book. My favorite does have to be Mr. D, who runs the Half Blood Hill training school. Dumbledore can move over – Mr. D rocks. Literally.

It is interesting to watch Percy struggle to accept his status as a demi-god and to see how he deals with the quest they decide to send him on. I found it interesting to see how he coped with the various stages of the quest, some of it truly hilarious, and found his solutions to some of the problems that came his way as very clever – almost A-Team / MacGuyver clever.

The writing is tight and clear and as I mentioned earlier, I am hoping that Percy’s friends make a come-back because every hero needs sidekicks who mirror them in order to show their strengths and impart wisdom. I particularly appreciated the end of the novel, where Percy turns a tricky situation over to someone else, leaving them to decide the “out”. Naturally the repercussion is something he will no doubt have to answer for later on, but I thought it was a deft way to show the Percy’s growth as hero.

A fun read, littered with enough mythological creatures to satisfy Angela Carter herself.