I didn’t know what to expect. I knew someone in the book had to die because of the prophecy, but I wasn’t expecting that. After finishing the fifth and last installment of the Heroes Of Olympus series I was oddly content. I thought that “The Blood of Olympus” would leave me in tears because one of my favorite characters died or that I would be pissed off at Rick Riordan for destroying the entire series, but instead I was happy with how the characters ended up. Riordan cleverly wrapped up this fantasy novel with a satisfyingly open ending, instead of his usual cliffhanger.

The characters of the book were highly developed and faced problems that people face today. For example Nico Di Angelo, a character who had recently been forced to “come out of the closet” in the previous book came to terms with being gay openly in this book. This is relatable to readers who have faced similar issues and encourage them to be comfortable with themselves. All of the characters have some problem that they have learned to deal with.

The book was 502 pages of anticipation. The prophecy was the source of my anxiety and fears while reading this book.

“Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,

To storm or fire the world must fall.

An oath to keep with a final breath,

And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.” With that prophecy clouding my mind, I continued to mentally ask one question: “Who’s gonna die?” When I found out who died I cried, until I hit page 497. When I saw the chapter heading I was muttering “Holy plot twist of all plot twists.” If it wasn’t 4:28 in the morning I would have been screaming those words and the book would be somewhere outside, but it was 4:28 a.m. and I was the only person awake. Two minutes later I put down the book, tears gone, in a trance like state imagining what would happen next.

Overall I would give this book five stars. It was well written and relatable to many readers. Rick Riordan has created an unforgettable bunch of characters in his Heroes of Olympus series. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially if you have read “Warrior Heir” by Cinda Williams Chima. For more information on The Blood Of Olympus go on his website.

by ONA IGBINEDION