readingwithkaitlyn's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Body shaming, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Fatphobia
foxo_cube's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The stakes continue to get higher! Things get a bit more complicated!
Riordan is a rare author of YA fiction that manages to encapsulate pretty well the awkwardness of being a teenager. That the characters have unhuman powers and encounter monsters frequently doesn't make them less, well, human. The little bits of romantic interest that are coming up as everyone's getting older are frustrated and uncoordinated, and that's certainly how I remember it being around that age.
I've become very fond of Rachel - I hope she comes back in the last book, too. She's so straightforward. I was happy to see Tyson play a big role again, too - and he became friends with Grover! The two best boys getting over their mutual fear of each other made me very happy.
Nico was kind of annoying for a lot of the book, unfortunately. I don't think that's a problem of the writing so much as it was him being a sulky kid, and I can't really blame him for that.
I do wish the titular Battle of the Labyrinth had been a little bit more intense. The smaller fight scenes are typically pretty dynamic, so the big battle felt a little lacklustre.
I mentioned before that I was disappointed that Luke didn't die in The Titan's Curse. Now, though, I am pretty intrigued as to the direction his story is going.
Riordan is a rare author of YA fiction that manages to encapsulate pretty well the awkwardness of being a teenager. That the characters have unhuman powers and encounter monsters frequently doesn't make them less, well, human. The little bits of romantic interest that are coming up as everyone's getting older are frustrated and uncoordinated, and that's certainly how I remember it being around that age.
I've become very fond of Rachel - I hope she comes back in the last book, too. She's so straightforward. I was happy to see Tyson play a big role again, too - and he became friends with Grover! The two best boys getting over their mutual fear of each other made me very happy.
Nico was kind of annoying for a lot of the book, unfortunately. I don't think that's a problem of the writing so much as it was him being a sulky kid, and I can't really blame him for that.
Spoiler
Still, his journey led him to realise on his own terms how to move on from his sister's death, and good for him. I'm interested to see how his character develops!I do wish the titular Battle of the Labyrinth had been a little bit more intense. The smaller fight scenes are typically pretty dynamic, so the big battle felt a little lacklustre.
Spoiler
Mrs. O'Leary and Daedelus coming through at the end, though!!! Hell yeah! I love Mrs. O'Leary. Certified good girl. Grover just straight-up channelling Pan was good, too.I mentioned before that I was disappointed that Luke didn't die in The Titan's Curse. Now, though, I am pretty intrigued as to the direction his story is going.
Spoiler
Becoming a vessel for Kronos seems pretty obvious now, but it really hadn't crossed my mind he was anything but a useful bridge between Kronos and a large gathering of demi-gods. It seems like there's a bit of Luke left in there, and I'm hoping what that might entail will more than make up for his previous plot armour.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, and War
Minor: Mental illness
evieolive's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
All I could think about was how Rachel's initials spelled 'red'
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Mental illness, and Violence
Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, and Injury/injury detail
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