This post is a smidgen different than most of my Book Review posts. Recently, I finished reading Book 4 in the Heroes of Olympus series,
The House of Hades, by Rick Riordan. I was about to do a book review for it when I realized that I have failed to do book reviews for any of Rick's books.
Shame, shame. Yes, I do feel terrible about this. Why? Because Rick is one of my favorite authors! Let me explain why I love his books, and him, so much.
It is mind-blowing how one person is able to create a world so intricate as Percy Jackson's world of demigods, and continue creating this world for nine, going on ten, books. In my opinion, these series are second only to J.K. Rowling's,
Harry Potter, (in this particular genre, anyhow). Then you add in the sister-series of the Kane Chronicles, which total to three books (and hopefully more coming... Rick?).
Next, you must take into account his writing style. His style is so incredibly perfect for my brain.
Thank you very much, Rick! The majority of his characters are extremely A.D.H.D., which he depicts perfectly in his writing style. I am A.D.D., and reading books that are packed with action and have characters that have similar thought processes as I do, is incredible entertaining. He keeps you on your toes and makes it almost impossible to put the books down!
Along with the entertainment and humor factors, his books are also jam packed with wise advice! For example:
- "If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself." -The Lightening Theif
- "Does truth have moral?" -The Sea of Monsters
- "There is always a way out for those clever enough to find it." -The Titan's Curse
- "Getting something and having the wits to use it... those are two different things." -The Battle of the Labyrinth
- "With great power... comes great need to take a nap. Wake me up later." -The Last Olympian
- "Survive first. Figure out crayon drawing of destiny later." -The Lost Hero
- "Life is only precious because it ends, kid." -The Son of Neptune
- "Sometimes wisdom came from strange places, even from giant teenage goldfish." -The Mark of Athena
- "Love is no game! It is no flowery softness! It is hard work-It demands everything from you- especially truth. Only then does it yield results." -The House of Hades
- "Fairness does not mean everyone gets the same. Fairness means everyone gets what they need." -The Red Pyramid
- "Sometimes, it takes us a while to appreciate something new, something that might change us for the better." -The Throne of Fire
- "Dealing with any man means dealing with multiple personalities." -The Serpent's Shadow
Of course, you have to also account for Rick's personality. Unfortunately, I have not met him in person. However, from everything I have heard, he does not bore. His personality is also represented, quite well I might add, by his dedication page in
The House of Hades. It reads:
Yes, that is the actually dedication page of The House of Hades. Let's be honest, how many authors do you know that have done something like this? Not too many. It made me giddy when I read it! Not the, oh-my-gosh-I-have-such-a-huge-crush-on-him giddy, just so stupidly happy that he would address the readers about his seriously heart-wrenching cliff-hanger in The Mark of Athena, Book 3 of The Heroes of Olympus series. His comedic personality is weaved into his writing so well that I often find myself laughing out loud when I read (sometimes in very quiet places... embarrassing? nah).
I don't want to take up too much of your time, so I will end with this: read Rick Riordan's books! Do it. Now, preferably. You will not regret it.
NOTE: My recommendation is to read the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series first, then The Heroes of Olympus, then The Kane Chronicles.
As always, enjoy!
JR
