Rick Riordan

‘Daughter of the Deep’ by Rick Riordan is thrilling and hugely entertaining

/ Pamela Kramer
Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan

In an exciting leap that is just as thrilling as any twist Percy Jackson might encounter, Rick Riordan brings us a slightly different kind of adventure with “Daughter of the Deep,” his book about a group of students in a maritime academy who end up on the run for their lives and dive straight into an adventure that is based on Jules Verne’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.” We first meet Ana Dakkar when she and her brother go for a swim in the ocean on which their special private school sits. We quickly learn that their parents died in an accident two years previously, and Ana and Dev are close. Dev is several years older than Ana, and at the end of their swim he gives her an early birthday present as she is leaving with the freshman class for a final weekend of trials.

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‘The Tyrant’s Tomb’ by Rick Riordan is the 4th book in ‘The Trials of Apollo’ series

/ Pamela Kramer / Leave a comment

tyrants tomb.jpg

In “The Tyrant’s Tomb,” master of middle grade fantasy Rick Riordan continues “The Trials of Apollo” series, the story of Apollo, brought low to earth by his father for a transgression, and made into a very human figure.

As Lester Papadopoulos, acne-ridden and with a waist that is far less than Apollo’s trim figure, Apollo must deal with injury, lack of magic, and insolence. Not to mention mortality. He has come far since the first book in the series on his journey to save the world from a triad of evil Roman emperors, but there’s still a long, dangerous road to travel on this quest.

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Don’t Miss ‘The Storm Runner’ by J. C. Cervantes; the First Book in a New ‘Rick Riordan Presents’ Series

/ Pamela Kramer / Leave a comment

storm runner

J. C. Cervantes is the talented author who has written the first book in a trilogy about Mayan gods and the kid who is the child of one of them. It’s Rick Riordan’s “Lightning Thief” taken south to Mexico (and New Mexico). In “The Storm Runner,” Zane Obispo, who limps because one leg is shorter than the other, discovers that he is godborn, the child of one of the Mayan gods. In fact, that explains his leg because as one character tells him, humans and the gods don’t mix perfectly.

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‘The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle’ is book 1 in new Rick Riordan series

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

trail of apollo

Rating: 5 stars

“The Hidden Oracle” is the first book in the new Rick Riordan series, “The Trials of Apollo.” It takes place (mostly) at Camp Half-Blood, a camp familiar to Riordan fans of “The Lightning Thief” and his other fantasy series. But this book has a very different narrator, and it makes this book — and probably the whole series — darned clever.

Instead of having the narrator be a teenager who happens to be a demigod (half mortal and half god), the narrator is none other than Apollo, one of the most famous of all Greek gods. After displeasing Zeus, he has been changed into a mortal. Far from his godly appearance, Apollo is devastated to discover that his new incarnation, complete with the very Greek name Lester Papadopoulos, is of a flabby, acne-ridden teen.

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‘Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer’ by Rick Riordan

/ Pamela Kramer

mchase

Rating: 4 1/2 stars

“Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer” by Rick Riordan will not disappoint his many fans. The creator of “Percy Jackson and the Olympiads” and many other very popular children’s series brings a new set of myths to life. This time, instead of Greek gods, Magnus Chase is a descendant of a Norse god, Frey. His untimely death (he’s dead before page 50) leads him to Valhalla.

Riordan irreverently creates a Valhalla which is called Hotel Valhalla, complete with room service and a game room. Riordan also creates a wonderful group of characters who help Magnus. As a perfect device for our time and political climate, Magnus’s Valkyrie, who takes him to Valhalla, is Muslim. Her hijab is magic, and she wears it like a scarf just as often as she covers her hair. She is not religious, but it’s clear that her grandparents are.

The other two sidekicks are a dwarf and an elf. Blitz and Hearth, dwarf and elf, have been watching over Magnus for the two years since his mother died protecting him from wolves. Her dying warning was for him to hide and under no circumstances go to his uncle for help. So Magnus has been homeless, dirty, and hungry a lot in the past two years.

Magnus realizes that his uncle is trying to find him, and when he sees his uncle, he’s told that it’s his sixteenth birthday (it’s easy to lose track of time when you are homeless), and he needs to retrieve an artifact left to him by this father. The artifact is the Sword of Summer, and it’s at the bottom of the Charles River. Right after retrieving the magic sword, Magnus is attacked and killed by an entity called Surt, who is destined to have the sword.

While the action fills the book — almost on every page — Riordan’s trademark humor also peppers the pages. His chapters have clever titles like “Come to the Darkside. We Have Pop-Tarts” and “My Funeral Director Dresses Me Funny” and “My Sword Almost Ends Up on Ebay.” The humor is not limited to the chapter titles, and even the bloodiest and grimmest of scenes are also good for a chuckle.

There is magic galore, sacrifice, gallantry and good deeds, and lots and lots of adventure. While the book ends the first adventure perfectly, it’s very apparent — and exciting — to think about the future adventures of Magnus, the character whom readers will think fondly of for the next year. Until the next adventure is available.

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by Disney-Hyperion, the publisher, for review purposes.