The Mark of Athena

The Mark of Athena

Nothing like total failure to generate ideas.

   The Mark of Athena is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. The Heroes of Olympus series continues the Percy Jackson series also by Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson series is about Greek mythology but mostly about demigods and quests. Demigods are the children of Greek gods and goddesses with mortals. The Heroes of Olympus continues the series which involve Greek and Roman demigods, Greek gods and goddesses with their Roman counterparts. Unlike the Percy Jackson series which follows the story of Percy Jackson, The Heroes of Olympus is about seven demigods that is part of a Great Prophecy.

   So, the Mark of Athena is third book. What I love about these books is that it is full of adventure. Every chapter is filled with it. As a book lover, I am taken to a place where the gods and goddesses exist. The demographic for the book is the teenagers. It is a coming of age book; the characters are teenagers so the book depicts teenage romance, angst, friendship etc. As a book made for the teenage demographic, a lot can be learned from it. I just turned 20 and you may say I’m still a teenage or even a kid at heart. I love these kinds of fantasy books. I can only imagine what it would do to some people younger than me who really love books.

   “It’s got to be a gift… a sacrifice.” This line from the book has deeper meaning than it may seem. This “sacrifice” that was mentioned must be an act of selflessness. Selflessness is rarely seen in people these days. I rarely do acts of selflessness. But for this book to depict acts of selflessness, I commend Rick Riordan for writing a book with such themes. It may inspire people to act so, sometimes.

   I love mythology, especially Greek and Roman. At first I was reluctant to buy these books. I bought the first book of the Percy Jackson series, The Lightning Thief, and did not read it immediately. But when I started reading the book, I couldn’t stop. I kept reading, and reading, until I finished the first book. I finished it in like 2 days. So I went and bought the next books. The only published books then was the first 4 books. From then on, I became a fan of Rick Riordan and his books. The ending of The Mark of Athena left me hanging. I can't wait for the next book.

   Ciao!