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mengzhenreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
A very cute conclusion to a very cute serious. Lots of suffering and this didn't hit as hard as other series have in the past, but it's still a good serious. The final battle with Python was fire and even if the ending was very neat and tidy, those hints at three more potential books were very sneaky indeed. Good stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Death
Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Death of parent
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
5.0
In true Rick Riordan fashion, the action picks up right at the beginning of this book and doesn't really let up until the end. Riordan doesn't wait until the very end of the book for the final epic battle; instead, you get a bunch of battles leading up to the battle with the Big Bad. As a series structure, and for middle grade readers, it actually works really well, I think. Definitely makes you want to just keep reading instead of putting the book down, anyway.
What I appreciated specifically about this particular series is that Riordan really shows character growth with Meg and Apollo. You can see their arcs throughout the entire series, and their development and changes are well done. There are also some fantastic explorations of mental health, both in this book and in past books in the series, and the emotions someone might go through dealing with an abusive parent.
All in all, a great ending to a very entertaining series. Just in time for the new book to come out next week!
What I appreciated specifically about this particular series is that Riordan really shows character growth with Meg and Apollo. You can see their arcs throughout the entire series, and their development and changes are well done. There are also some fantastic explorations of mental health, both in this book and in past books in the series, and the emotions someone might go through dealing with an abusive parent.
All in all, a great ending to a very entertaining series. Just in time for the new book to come out next week!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Grief
jasmineslibraryy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
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
5.0
the ending was even more beautiful than i was anticipating. apollo/lester's development through the series HOLY SHIT it's like you can't recognize the man anymore. i love that he went and visited everyone, it was such a nice way to wrap up the series. i loved seeing everyone again!
will & nico <3 can't wait to read the sun and the star.
overall, while it takes immense patience to get through book 1&2, i'm so happy with how this series turned out.
will & nico <3 can't wait to read the sun and the star.
overall, while it takes immense patience to get through book 1&2, i'm so happy with how this series turned out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Child abuse, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and War
the_embodiment_of_chaos's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Child abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, and Gore
Minor: Death of parent
anjasshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Blood, and Child abuse
mollymoo1234's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I have no words 😶 but I can say one thing , amazing
Enjoy xxx
Enjoy xxx
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Blood, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
hales_1243's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Confinement
Minor: Gun violence
building_a_bookdom's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Child abuse
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
osehernand's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
"You'll come back?" she asked.
"Always," I promised. "The sun always comes back."
¿Es predecible? Un poco, sí.
¿Lo disfruté? Por su puesto.
¿Es lo mejor que he leído de Rick? En lo absoluto.
Se siente no sólo como el final del viaje de Apolo, también como el final de una era... aunque probablemente esté exagerando un poco.
Sí me gustó pero no puedo evitar el pensamiento de que falta algo. Ver el crecimiento de Meg y Lester-Apolo y acompañarlos durante todo el proceso fue algo bonito y admirable, en especial el desarrollo emocional de Apolo, quien en un inicio era sumamente superficial; conforme avanza la saga, se vuelve más humano y entiende la importancia de todas las formas de vida, además del peso de todos los errores cometidos a lo largo de su existencia.
Mi partes favoritas fueron las interacciones entre Nico y Will, ellos son todo lo que está bien en esta vida.
When he'd told me to remember being human, he'd meant building on pain and tragedy, overcoming it, learning from it. That was something gods never did. We just complained.
To be human is to move forward, to adapt, to believe in your ability to make things better. That is the only way to make the pain and sacrifice mean something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, and Physical abuse
createandchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
The development that has been sown throughout The Trials of Apollo has finally come to its head in the final installment, The Tower of Nero.
The book itself is heart wrenching, the narrative displaying how Apollo has changed from where he started back in The Hidden Oracle and how he's putting all he's learned to use. Combined with the rest of the series, it's an ending that is heart wrenching and makes you want to cry with what all the characters have been through. It's a story of redemption, grief, trying to be better, and ultimately? At the core of it all, there was a story of escaping and beginning to heal from abuse.
The way Rick Riordan wrote Apollo and Meg finally break free from their abusers hold on them was heartbreaking, with it all beginning with Apollo recognizing the abuse Nero was inflicting on Meg back in The Hidden Oracle with what he dealt with under the hands of Zeus, a realization that has festered and expanded until it culminates into two powerful paragraphs/sentences in the last book.
"The Beast is dead." Meg tapped the side of her head. "I killed it..."
"As soon as I thought this, I realized how foolish it was. Zeus didn't work that way. He would not save me any more than Nero had saved Meg. I had to let go of that fantasy. I had to save myself."
The moments when they fight back against and/or came to the realization about their abuser is heartbreaking but it is also gratifying. They're free, they can heal, or in Apollo's case, with the newfound realizations about himself and how toxic and abusive the environment is among the Olympians, he's chosen to distance himself and to spend time with those who actually care about and love him.
He's spent more time and bonded with his children than he ever did before his trials and he's not going to let all that time go. He's moved on from his past, taking off his laurel wreath and contemplating the creation of the hyacinths, stating that he'd been responsible for Daphne transforming just to escape him and wondering if he created the hyacinths to commemorate Hyacinthus or to wallow in his grief and guilt. Hell, Apollo even misses the scars he gained over his journey because to they've become symbols of his humanity, they started to represent the hope that maybe he won't forget what it's like to be human. Apollo regained his own immortality and godhood for the purpose of keeping his promises, to come back, to remember being human, and to be better.
The Trials of Apollo has been a hell of a ride, but it was a ride worth taking.
The book itself is heart wrenching, the narrative displaying how Apollo has changed from where he started back in The Hidden Oracle and how he's putting all he's learned to use. Combined with the rest of the series, it's an ending that is heart wrenching and makes you want to cry with what all the characters have been through. It's a story of redemption, grief, trying to be better, and ultimately? At the core of it all, there was a story of escaping and beginning to heal from abuse.
"The Beast is dead." Meg tapped the side of her head. "I killed it..."
"As soon as I thought this, I realized how foolish it was. Zeus didn't work that way. He would not save me any more than Nero had saved Meg. I had to let go of that fantasy. I had to save myself."
The moments when they fight back against and/or came to the realization about their abuser is heartbreaking but it is also gratifying. They're free, they can heal, or in Apollo's case, with the newfound realizations about himself and how toxic and abusive the environment is among the Olympians, he's chosen to distance himself and to spend time with those who actually care about and love him.
He's spent more time and bonded with his children than he ever did before his trials and he's not going to let all that time go. He's moved on from his past, taking off his laurel wreath and contemplating the creation of the hyacinths, stating that he'd been responsible for Daphne transforming just to escape him and wondering if he created the hyacinths to commemorate Hyacinthus or to wallow in his grief and guilt. Hell, Apollo even misses the scars he gained over his journey because to they've become symbols of his humanity, they started to represent the hope that maybe he won't forget what it's like to be human. Apollo regained his own immortality and godhood for the purpose of keeping his promises, to come back, to remember being human, and to be better.
The Trials of Apollo has been a hell of a ride, but it was a ride worth taking.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Death, and Grief