Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

This is a Buddy Read for The Son of Neptune
by Rick Riordan starting April 26, 2018.

I'm diving in today. I'll be kind of slow again, as I'll be splitting my time between this and the Burn for Me read.

I'm on ch 5, and already engaged. :) (view spoiler)[Percy!!! Also, mention of "war games" has my immediate attention. (hide spoiler)]

I'm gonna start this after I've finished the book I'm currently reading! Or maybe start even before that. I'll see

Sweet :)

Through Ch 25 (view spoiler)[ I'm definitely liking this more than the first book. It seems to have a stronger direction. I like the creative adaptation for a younger audience, like when Octavia eviscerated stuffed animals to read omens for the future instead of real sacrifice. And the guy with a Koolaid drinking problem lmao. The only thing that was kind of stupid (to me) was the scene with the grain beings. (hide spoiler)]

I'm starting this now. I meant to start this on time but I thought I'd read this and Persuasion simultaneously and ended up devouring the latter in two days to the exclusion of all else... oops

Hailee wrote: "I'm starting this now. I meant to start this on time but I thought I'd read this and Persuasion simultaneously and ended up devouring the latter in two days to the exclusion of all else... oops"

haha I do love those unplanned binges. It means it was good! :D

No worries, I think I'm going to slow down a bit on this and start Burn for Me tonight.

One thought though Ch 29 (view spoiler)[ omg, the stuff about the underworld is soooo interesting! I keep picturing a setting like Disney's Hercules though haha (hide spoiler)]

ch 30 (view spoiler)[ hahahaha omg Amazons running Amazon headquarters in Seattle. That is so funny to me. XD (hide spoiler)]

I've just read the first chapter but I'm pleased that (view spoiler)[we haven't had to go through all the initial confusion of where/what he is like we did with Jason. It would have been a bit tedious the second time around (hide spoiler)]

Hailee wrote: "I've just read the first chapter but I'm pleased that [spoilers removed]"

That's a great point. Maybe that's another reason why I'm liking this one a lot more.

Ch 34 (view spoiler)[ this is the first chapter where I got a clear sense of how many moving parts are going to play into the arc of the series. Like when Mars mentioned the seven that the earth goddess things she can control, frank excluded from that. I now feel really invested in seeing where this goes! (hide spoiler)]

Urgh I accidentally left my copy at work so I can't read it tonight. Thank god I'm not the kind of reader that sticks to one book at a time!!

I'm just at the point when they've announced poisitions for (view spoiler)[war games so now I'll have wait till tomorrow to find out how that plays out. (hide spoiler)]

Oh well I'm cat sitting for a couple of hours tomorrow so hopefully I'll find time to read then.

Hailee wrote: "I'm just at the point when they've announced poisitions for [spoilers removed]

Oh well I'm cat sitting for a couple of hours tomorrow so hopefully I'll find time to read then."

Oooh I hate that! Even when you have other books going lol. Reading a book while cat siting sounds like a great afternoon. :)

I finished the book and look forward to your thoughts as you go. Overall I liked this one a lot better. :)

Finally getting to this!

I'm already reminded why I like Percy so much.

Sweet! :)

I've just finished chapter 16.

This one seems to be taking me a bit longer to read even though I am enjoying it. Hopefully I'll read a bit faster now that (view spoiler)[the quest is finally underway. (hide spoiler)]

Also was it just me or was the fact that (view spoiler)[Mars is Frank's father slightly obvious. I guessed it as soon as it was mentioned that Frank's father admired his mum because she was a soldier. (hide spoiler)]

Sarah wrote: "Finally getting to this!

I'm already reminded why I like Percy so much."

I know, Percy is so lovely. I don't know how long its going to take, it might not even be in this book but I can't wait for (view spoiler)[Percy and Annabeth's reunion (hide spoiler)] (you can read this spoiler as long as you have read 'The Lost Hero'.

Hailee wrote: "I've just finished chapter 16.

This one seems to be taking me a bit longer to read even though I am enjoying it. Hopefully I'll read a bit faster now that [spoilers removed]

Also was it just me ..."

It should have been obvious, but I didn't put two and two together. Although I'm not the most knowledgeable when it comes to mythology (I've learned a lot from this series, actually). So good catch!

Not going to lie, I would totally choose Camp Jupiter & New Rome over Camp Half-Blood. The Romans clearly thought it all through as opposed to the Greeks.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Hailee wrote: "I've just finished chapter 16.

This one seems to be taking me a bit longer to read even though I am enjoying it. Hopefully I'll read a bit faster now that [spoilers removed]

Also ..."

Haha thanks. I did cover a lot of Greek/Roman myth stuff at university and that did actually stick in my brain so maybe that's why.

I just opened your chapter 25 spoiler and (view spoiler)[I remember imagining it the exact same way whenever Percy visited the underworld in the first series!! 🤣 (hide spoiler)]

Sarah wrote: "Not going to lie, I would totally choose Camp Jupiter & New Rome over Camp Half-Blood. The Romans clearly thought it all through as opposed to the Greeks."

I was thinking the exact opposite the other day the Roman's seem so much more barbaric that I would choose Greek everytime. Guess we would be enemies lol.

Do you have a preference Niki?

Definitely Greek based on the types of activities they have there. ;P I'm competitive, but the war games would be too intense for me!

Hailee wrote: "Niki Hawkes wrote: "Hailee wrote: "I've just finished chapter 16.

This one seems to be taking me a bit longer to read even though I am enjoying it. Hopefully I'll read a bit faster now that [spoi..."

Haha oh good!! I'm not alone xD

Hailee wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Not going to lie, I would totally choose Camp Jupiter & New Rome over Camp Half-Blood. The Romans clearly thought it all through as opposed to the Greeks."

I was thinking the exact o..."

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Definitely Greek based on the types of activities they have there. ;P I'm competitive, but the war games would be too intense for me!"


Hahaha.

Well, I am part Italian so maybe its that part of my genetics making the decision :)

While I do like some things bout the Greek way in this series better, I like that the Romans thought through all stages of life and have things for people beyond the teen years. Its like the Greeks planned for short term, but the Romans planned for long term.

That's awesome - I was really only thinking short term, like which would make the best summer vacation. This is why you'll have a good retirement and I'll work til im 80. ;) great points.

Niki Hawkes wrote: "That's awesome - I was really only thinking short term, like which would make the best summer vacation. This is why you'll have a good retirement and I'll work til im 80. ;) great points."

Understandable! Yeah, if only focused on summer vacations, then Camp Halfblood all the way!

But for life, Camp Jupiter and New Rome please :)

I am one of those people who intends to plan the heck out of things so I can retire as soon as is humanly possible. I like plans. Not that they always work out.....

Actually that is true while I much prefer the idea of camp life on the Greek side of things the Roman's definately take the edge on later life planning.

Before I read this I hadn't really thought about what Greek demigods do after camp. The average ones I mean, not the ones destined to live heroic but ultimately short lives like Achilles for example...

Started this yesterday. What a busy week! I'll be posting my thoughts in a while

Through chapter 6. (view spoiler)[ Hazel seems to have a complicated past. There is so much mystery about her! (hide spoiler)]

Just finished this. This book definitely finished strong and I'm itching to get to The Mark of Athena.

I am worried about (view spoiler)[Annabeth's role in the series now though. I wondered throughout this book if she would be the 7th person in the prophecy but now it doesn't sound like she is going to be very helpful to the situation 😭😥 (hide spoiler)]

Maria wrote: "Through chapter 6. [spoilers removed]"

Right? I think she's one of my new favorites.

Hailee wrote: "Just finished this. This book definitely finished strong and I'm itching to get to The Mark of Athena.

I am worried about [spoilers removed]"

Me too.

Reading chapter 9. (view spoiler)[ Vitellius' story of when he was claimed is ridiculous. Mr. Underpants! Oh my God (hide spoiler)]

Ok. He's smarter than he lets on (view spoiler)[ but how did he get to know so much about Frank and his ancestery? (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16 (view spoiler)[ it must be so hard for Percy to to be here, and then agree to go on a Roman quest while he knows in his heart that this isn't where he belongs (hide spoiler)]

On chapter 31. (view spoiler)[ I'm having a blast reading about the Amazons. How they attacked Percy and Frank so quickly was incredible! So impressive. Cool factory (hide spoiler)]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Through Ch 25 [spoilers removed]"

Yeah. That was pretty weird. And...unecessarily silly

Niki Hawkes wrote: "ch 30 [spoilers removed]"

And so cool! Definitely a strong conspiracy theory. Reminds me of Dan Brown's books...

Started this today and am at the end of chapter 4.
I desperately need someone to fill me in on something that happened in the percy jackson series: (view spoiler)[what happened to nico and didn't his sister die or something? I remember basically nothing about him, except that he has sort of dark powers and chose not to stay at camp. (hide spoiler)]

Angela wrote: "Started this today and am at the end of chapter 4.
I desperately need someone to fill me in on something that happened in the percy jackson series: [spoilers removed]"

Sorry didn't see this before (view spoiler)[yes his sister Bianca died and Nico blamed Percy for it but by the end of the series Nico did come to realise it wasn't Percy's fault and now he is a bit of a wanderer. He spends a lot of time helping his father in the Underworld I think. (hide spoiler)]

This page might help if you need more info http://riordan.wikia.com/wiki/Nico_di... Just be careful not to read past the Heroes of Olympus section if you want to avoid spoiler for this series.

Thanks hailee!
I read a bit farther last night and some of the stuff is mentioned in passing in the next chapter.

Again, I'm not really that into it, just like with the first book... I do like hazel, and I've only read a few pages in frank's perspective so far, so it's too soon to tell.
It's curious to see the differences (view spoiler)[between the two camps - camp half-blood definitely seems more easy-going than camp jupiter.
I find the role of the fauns/satyrs at camp jupiter a bit weird, why make them beggars instead of giving them a place in camp? Maybe that's intended to underline the harshness of the camp, i don't know. (hide spoiler)]

Chapter 16

Just came across the name of their (view spoiler)[boat - pax! I recently read and loved red rising by pierce brown and obviously this reminded me of pax au telemanus :) (hide spoiler)]

I'm up to chapter 29 and... i don't really have a lot to say about the story. I'm definitely enjoying it more than the previous book and i like hazel and frank a lot better than the first three protagonists.
I'm curious when and how (view spoiler)[all of our characters are going to meet each other and how the two camps are going to arrive at an agreement. it will also be interesting to see the moment when jason and percy recover their memories! (hide spoiler)]

(I'll open all your spoilers once I've finished reading)

Chapter 31
(view spoiler)[i find this whole amazon thing really weird.... (hide spoiler)]

Niki Hawkes wrote: "Through Ch 25 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[haha, i agree about the grain spirits, those didn't really make sense to me. (hide spoiler)]

I definitely enjoyed this one more than the previous book too. Both of the new perspectives were much more fun to read than the previous ones we got.
I already started the third book, but will be making my way through it very slowly... Not sure if I'll catch up in time for the final book in the series, but I'll definitely continue commenting on the threads as i continue reading :)