Blake Reviews The House of Hades

Author: Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Release Date: 8 October 2013
Format: Nook
Series: The Heroes of Olympus #4
Source: Borroweed

At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

They have no choice. If the demigods don’t succeed, Gaea’s armies will never die. They have no time. In about a month, the Romans will march on Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher than ever in this adventure that dives into the depths of Tartarus.

Warning: Possible spoilers if you have not read the other books in this series*

You have no idea how long I have waited for this book to be released. Rick Riordan usually has a nice little conclusion that ties of the end of the Percy Jackson books, but not last time. He never fully completes a story, but the books themselves have a nice ending that allows you to wait patiently for the next one to be released. There was a massive cliffhanger at the end of the last book that left my heart in pieces and my stomach in knots. You can't do that to me! I've become really invested in these characters and their lives. I cannot tell you how many times I have reread the PJ series, so the previous ending killed me.

Thankfully, HoH picks up right where the The Mark of Athena left off. I was able to dive back into the story without any issues, or stressing about what was about to happen. The stressing came later. Riordan is always able to keep me on my toes with these books. The gods are tricky, and Gaea is just plain evil. You never know what they are going to do next. Plus, these books are so complex. A prophecy can be issued in the first book, but you won't fully grasp its meaning, or how it effects the characters, until much later. Riordan's brain must be crazy amazing to keep up with all of those details. He makes everything come together so flawlessly throughout the books.

Also, there is something specific that happens in this book that blew my mind. It's not something you usually see within a middle grade book. I'm curious to see how this newest development will be received by the rest of the world, and the PJ fans.

If this is a series that you have never bothered reading, you don't know what you're missing out on. In the beginning of this series, the characters are just kids and friends. As the books progress, relationships form and develop. You get to grow with them. I love it. I love this series.

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Edit: Will update later

Deidra Reviews Spell Bound

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Release Date: March 13, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion Books
Pages: 327
Source: Bought
Series:  Hex Hall #3

Summary: Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

My Favorite Lines:

“Whoa, I'm your girlfriend now?" Archer shrugged. "We've tried to kill each other, fought ghouls, and kissed a lot. I'm pretty sure we're married in some cultures.”

“You know, 'help me, Sophie Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope” (Gotta love a good Star Wars reference)

“Archer, Jenna, and I weren’t exactly clutching each other and sobbing, but we were pretty shaken as we formed a little huddle.  “Okay,” I finally said.  “Can we all agree that this is maybe the most screwed-up situation we’ve ever found ourselves in?”  “Agreed,” they said in unison.  “Awesome.”  I gave a little nod.  “And do either of you have any idea what we should do about it?”  “Well, we can’t use magic,” Archer said.  “And if we try to leave, we get eaten by Monster Fog,” Jenna added.  “Right.   So no plans at all, then?”  Jenna frowned.   “Other than rocking in the fetal position for a while?”  “Yeah, I was thinking about taking one of those showers where you huddle in the corner fully clothed and cry,” Archer offered.  I couldn’t help but snort with laughter.  “Great.  So we’ll all go have our mental breakdowns, and then we’ll somehow get ourselves out of this mess.” 

Why I Loved It:  I'm going to do everything in my power to keep myself reigned in and keep this review short.  That is hard for me to do with Ms. Hawkins's books.  For me, I thought this was a great conclusion for the Hex Hall books.  I have to limit what I say so I don't give things away.

The book picks up around where Demonglass left off.  Sophie had left to go find her mother.  Cal had told her that her mother was with the Brannick's *a group of monster hunters* so that's where the story picks up.  She finds that she doesn't know where her father, Cal, Archer, or Jenna are.  It was a bit of a pickle.  Plus, she is a demon looking for her mother with a group that tends to hunt demons.  It had all the makings for a horrible situation.  Waiting for Sophie though is a very interesting discovery.  It definitely threw me for a loop.

The characters, as always, are incredible.  Sophie's sarcasm and snark are irresistible for me as a reader.  I just want more and more.  I thought this was one of the funniest of the books.  It also was action-packed, full of twists and turns, and kept me on my toes.  The love triangle between Cal and Archer was really hard for me because I really loved both of them.  Sophie does make her choice though.

There was something really sad that happens in the end though.  Really sad.  The last few pages did help me get closure on the series.  All in all, the book is an awesome conclusion to an awesome series.     

Low Points:  While the book was action-packed, at times it just felt too rushed.  There was a particular scene at the end of the book that was this huge action scene and a huge part of the plot.  It took up only about five pages.  That's just crazy.  I also did not like how the love triangle was solved in the ending.  I felt incredibly bad for the one not picked.  

High Points:  The humor, of course.  Sophie is such a kick-butt character, and she is loyal and willing to get herself into all kinds of problems.  Jenna and her friendship with Sophie is one of the best bff-relationships ever.   

Who Should Read It:  Readers who still haven't finished the Hex Hall series should jump on that.

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