User blog comment:SayuriDarling/The Blood of Olympus Official Discussion/@comment-1820614-20141112033720/@comment-1820614-20141116050748

It is a problem whenever you have two characters where one is far, far more powerful than the other and a problem arises that concerns the powerful character. You have to somehow dumb down, occupy, or somehow remove said powerful character that could solve the plot with ease. Mythologically, the gods are sort of aloof beings with the fates of heroes not being a real concern since nothing in Greek myth can really threaten the Olympians. Whenever a threat did arise Zeus and the other Olympians were quick to take action.

Riordan's books had the gods be close, easily-accessible figures with threats or matters that were a direct and immediate concern for the gods where it would be in their best interests to take direct involvements.. You had to come up with reasons for why the heroes were needed which was usually handwaved by saying the Fates forbid it or the god did not want to risk the other gods finding out. Sadly, in cases where neither of those worked it requires Zeus being a prideful idiot beyond belief and greater than any other version of Zeus there is save the film Immortals.  It wasn't so bad in the first series where Zeus was busy with Typhon and did take action when presented with irrefutable evidence. It is worse in the second series where the capture of both Hera and Thanatos meant something was going on, but Zeus/Jupiter still refused to take action.