THE HOUSE OF HADES

Although successful in obtaining the Athena Parthenos, the Seven have yet to face another challenge as the remaining demigods onboard Argo II journey to the House of Hades to seal the Doors of Death and to rescue Percy and Annabeth from the pits of Tartarus. But time is running out for the Greek and Roman demigods as war looms over their separate camps and the Earth Mother has chosen the Feast of Hope as her time to rise and crush Olympus.

Master storyteller Rick Riordan weaves the fourth instalment of The Heroes of Olympus as brave and as thrilling as it could get. As the series draws to a close, Riordan pushes his readers on the edge with different challenges for these young demigods as the Prophecy of Seven comes to a full circle. The stakes are higher than before, and the Seven must make choices for themselves and for their fellow demigods. Rick Riordan hands over perspectives and trials to each character, giving them an equal chance to shine and take the spotlight. We are given full screens to watch each character’s growth, and as they do so, we learn to hold them dearer to our hearts. Riordan writes in different voices and adds a dash of sarcasm, fear and wit to make them come alive.

  Although far from reality, the House of Hades explores various human themes---themes such as togetherness, camaraderie, young love, and a hint of sexuality---and uses them to capture the hearts of its readers. The plot thickens as the story progresses, and there are right amounts of tension and relief in each chapter.

The House of Hades lives up to the previous books set in Riordan’s demigod collection. Though it follows the same plot pattern as the previous stories, Riordan never fails to introduce new allies and villains and return some old characters we have learned to love. Overall, this book is a perfect ten that would have readers wanting to tap Cronos on the shoulder so they could get their hands on the series’ epic conclusion.