The Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus

    In October, fans of the “Heroes of Olympus” series flocked to bookstores far and wide to get their hands on the fifth and final installment of the saga: “The Blood of Olympus.” Controversy leading up to the anticipated release of Rick Riordan’s successful series was comparable to the buzz that “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” received when published seven years prior. Following his usual formula, Riordan delivers a story packed with thrilling adventure, wit, and just a touch of romance—prompting any action-adventure book junkie to turn the page and delve into the mythical world of Greek and Roman gods.
    Through the viewpoints of five main characters—Jason, Piper, Leo, Reyna, and Nico—the reader is taken on a journey with the demigods, who are half-mortal and half-god,  to defeat the earth mother, Gaea, who raised her all-powerful giants with hopes that they would wake her before the Feast of Spes. Unfortunately, there’s a problem: she needs the demigods’ blood—the blood of Olympus.
   To further solidify their doom, the demigods have reoccurring visions of a gruesome battle that occurred at Camp Half-Blood; additionally, the almighty gods are of no help, for they are still suffering from a multiple personality disorder  between their Greek and Roman sides. The demigods’ only hope is to divide and conquer, with Reyna and Nico heading West, escorting a secret weapon in the form of a statue, while Jason, Piper, and Leo sail east aboard a trusty ship.
    The disputing Greek and Roman demigod camps will have to come to a compromise and join in the battle to halt the awakening of Gaea, or else their world will crumble before their very eyes. If the demigods fail to complete this mission, the prophecy “to storm or fire the world must fall, an oath to keep with a final breath” will become inevitable.
    As a dedicated fan since the publication of the first book of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” a companion series, I was able to grow and evolve with the expanding ensemble of characters. The finale resembled the ending of an era for me, and I thought Riordan gave the reader a perfectly bittersweet ending to a series that they had invested so much time into. Through hardships and tribulation galore, it’s a relief to set down the book knowing that the characters and series alike had a justified ending.