The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune is the second book in The Heroes of Olympus series written by Rick Riordan. It is set to be released on October 4th, 2011, a week earlier than planned. Taking place around two months after the start of The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune is told using alternate third person points-of-view of Percy Jackson and to-be-named main characters.

Development
In an interview by Scholastic with Rick Riordan for The Lost Hero, Riordan is questioned about the whereabouts of Percy Jackson. The author hints that the answer would be revealed as Jason's quest progressed. By the end of the book, he says that readers would have a good idea where the second book is going. It has led to speculation that the book would explore the events surrounding Percy and his involvement with the Roman Camp Half-Blood. On May 26, 2011, Riordan released both the cover art and the first chapter of the book confirming such speculation and can be read here. Another excerpt that was read on a webcasted event that aired on May 26, 2011 can be found here.

The cover has Percy on drift ice with a glacier in the background. Percy is holding a Roman eagle standard, like those that the legions carried. Riordan told of how he had to describe to John Rocco, the artist, of what the book was about, because the cover had to be done before Rick had finished writing it. After he had finished his description to Rocco, Rocco stayed up all night and he created the cover.

According to Rick Riordan's blog, revisions of the third draft were completed on April 2, 2011. Riordan then tweets on May 15, 2011, the manuscript is completely finished, revised and edited. All that was left was publishing, formatting, etc. undefined

Synopsis
Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, has woken from a very deep sleep and come face to face with two snake-haired ladies who refuse to die.

But they’re the least of his problems. Because Percy finds himself at a camp for half-bloods, which doesn’t ring any bells for him. There’s just one name he remembers from his past. Annabeth.

Only one thing is certain – Percy’s questing days aren’t over. He and fellow demigods Frank and Hazel must face the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven. If they fail, it’s not just their camp at risk. Percy’s old life, the gods, and the entire world might be destroyed. . .1

Plot
Percy Jackson is near San Francisco running away from Medusa's sisters, Euryale and Stheno, the gorgons who are mad at him for killing their sister. They have been chasing him for three days but every time he kills them, they reform in about two hours (at most) and sniff him out again. They however are unable to kill him as Percy still has the Curse of Achilles. With his senses tingling like crazy, Percy stops at a side of a cliff overlooking a highway. Lupa the wolf, had previously told him to trust his senses when he woke up at the Wolf House with his sword Riptide about two months ago. He could also remember a girl named Annabeth and that she has some connection to San Francisco.

The gorgons then manage to catch up with Percy, who is caught by the dilemma of jumping from the cliff or attacking them. They try a sneak attack, but Stheno messes up the plan by offering Percy poison snacks ("Cheese 'n' Wieners) she carries on a metal tray. Euryale soon jumps out of the bushes and yells at Stheno for messing up. They once again blame Percy for killing their sister, something he has no memory of. While the two sisters argue with each other, Percy slashes Euryale and before she could reform, grabs the metal tray from a confused Stheno and uses it to slide down the mountain and escape.

Upon his escape, he thinks about going to the ocean as he would be at his strongest there. However, upon seeing the Roman guards at the door, he felt that it was not his territory. He is caught off-guard by an old lady named June who tells him that he is right and the door is the entrance to the Roman Camp Half-Blood. June gives him a choice. He could leave her defenseless to the Gorgons and escape into the ocean where he could live to an old age or instead, he could carry her "across the highway, through the tunnel, across the river" and to the camp. If he chose the latter, Percy would slowly regain his memories, lose the mark of Achilles, and have the chance to save the Gods, the world and his friends. He chooses this alternative and carries June to camp.