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The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, Book 4) | January 8, 2014

by Rick Riordan (Disney-Hyperion, October 2013)

When it comes to making stories, Rick Riordan is a master craftsman. In The House of Hades, the fourth and penultimate book in the Heroes of Olympus series, he weaves together a complex story with alternating points of view among all seven main characters in — get ready for Roman numerals — LXXVIII epic chapters.

 

Spoiler alert: The previous book ended with a literal cliff-hanger, as Percy and Annabeth fell down a pit into the depths of the Underworld. Now “Percabeth” (as they are affectionately referred to by fans) struggle to do the impossible: survive Tartarus long enough to locate the Doors of Death, figure out how to close them, and somehow escape back to the mortal world. Meanwhile, the other five crew members of the Argo II — Leo, Jason, Piper, Hazel, and Frank — are led by the mysterious Nico to his father’s underground temple, the House of Hades. They fight their way towards the only chance to rescue their friends — andnd this is all just part of their quest to save the world.

 

Innumerable monsters, titans, giants, gods, and other mortal dangers seek to destroy them, and the young heroes must navigate many difficult decisions along the way. While the demigods continue to hone their unique individual powers, they also learn how to unite and work together as Greek and Roman. This results in some totally awesome battles, surprising revelations, and enormous growth as these friends mature and come into their own. It’s also necessary if they are going to survive the final book.

 

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