Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters - Rick Riordan

This is the second book in the Percy Jackson series. Another well-written book; there is a huge flaw in this one, to which we will come later. First a few words about the book's story.

During the school year, Percy finds a new friend: Tyson. But Tyson is not any mortal child; Tyson is also a son of gods, but of the monstruous persuasion. Tyson is a Cyclops, and half-brother to Percy. But enough, about Tyson; back to our story. Percy arrives to Camp Half-Blood and finds Thalia's tree has been poisoned, and Chiron sacked because all suspicions fell on him. Camp Half-Blood is in danger; with the poisoning of the tree and the land, its magical protections are failing, and monsters attack the camp all the time.

The only thing that can save the tree, and restore the land, is the Golden Fleece. But where is it located? And what does the Golden Fleece have to do with Grover? Percy is going on another adventure, to find the Golden Fleece, rescue Grover, restore Camp Half-Blood and find out who poisoned Thalia's tree. This adventure will take him right in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle, or as the half-bloods and gods and assorted monsters call it, the Sea of Monsters. A number of mythological monsters will parade from the pages of the book; we will follow Percy into an ancient Greek adventure, set into modern times.

Now, however, as someone who has been raised in Greece, and always loved the Ancient Greek mythology, I must point out one particular flaw in this children's book: when Annabeth explains about the Golden Fleece, she says that the Golden Ram had carried Cadmus and his sister Europa, who fell while carried. But this is wrong, as the ram carried the brother and sister Phrixus and Helle; it was the girl Helle that fell in the sea from the ram, and the part of the sea where Helle fell and drowned in the strait, named Hellespont in her honour, according to mythology. Cadmus in fact, was the brother of Europa and father of Ino. Ino was the jealous stepmother of Phrixus and Helle, and why the two children had to flee carried by the Golden Ram. Europa is the woman abducted by Zeus in bull form, and the woman from which Europe got its name.

The rest of the book, as far as I could tell, did not have any more mistakes, as far as Greek mythology goes. Of course, I am not an expert, and there might be something that escaped me.

Generally, however, the book is enjoyable, and can be read by children and adults alike. What I like in this particular series of books, is the fact that the books may spark interest in Greek mythology, and gently guide children to read more about, not just mythology, but ancient civilizations as well. From the shores of the Nile to Mount Olympus and beyond, there is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom to be found and cherished.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan

This article is about the book and not the movie. I have yet to see the movie, so I cannot compare the two.

Percy (Perseus) Jackson is a 12year old with learning difficulties, and has been expelled from a number of schools up to now. Percy however, is not just another child; he is the son of one of the most powerful gods of the Greek pantheon: Poseidon, lord of the seas.

Someone has stolen the master bolt from Zeus and the helmet of Hades. The gods are blaming each other and they are on the brink of war. Zeus thinks that Poseidon is responsible, Poseidon thinks that Hades is responsible, and Hades again, blames Poseidon. Percy is in the middle of it all, because both Hades and Zeus think that he was the means by which Poseidon stole the items. Percy, along with Annabeth, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr, will travel to the depths of the the Underworld to find out the truth.

The book is aimed at children aged 11-15, but also to older children, those of us who have refused to grow old, who have kept a part of our childish wonder and awe, and love a good story. The story is similar to many other stories: a 12year old with problems, finds out that he is not just a child, but has some powers, and that he is destined for bigger things. The backplot that will tie all books together is apparent from the first book, as is the usual case.

Written in first person, but sometimes I got the feeling that it was not the 12year old Percy that was writing, but an older Percy, that is remembering his adventures and writing them down for whatever reason. I thought that some parts needed a bit of revision, but all in all it was good writing.

The plot was good, and as a book, it kept my interest. It has action, good and accurate descriptions, the characters are likeable and believable, especially since they are based on Greek Mythology. It is obvious that Riordan knows Greek Mythology, and respects it throughout the book. By respect, I mean that he does not alter myths and legends, and when he talks about events from mythology, his information is accurate. And this is one of the things I liked about the book.

I must say that I was a bit biased about the book, when I bought it. Because a lot of shows and books, have mistreated Ancient Greek Mythology, which is a small passion of mine. But I also like to read anything, whether fact or fiction, about mythology. I was wrong about my bias in this case, and I enjoyed reading it.

I love stories of ancient gods and legendary heroes; they are often very beautiful. And this was a good book for children, and as a big child I enjoyed it. So, next time I find myself in a bookstore, I will probably look for the second installment.