User blog comment:SayuriDarling/Full first chapter of The Mark of Athena/@comment-3146930-20120601104150

I'm not a huge fan of the cover. It isn't bad or anything, but I feel like there is something missing from it, even if I don't know what. Anyway, on to the Darkcloud1111 Analysis!

Analysis
So from the first chapter we are given one key piece of information. Not only do we know that the Romans don't like the Greeks (which we know), but they also don't like Athena/Minerva, saying that the Romans had a place for her. This seems rather odd as Athena/Minerva is a goddess of battle strategy and was worshipped in Rome from what I understand. This would also mean that Annabeth would be double hated my the Romans, as she is a Greek, but also a child of Athena.

We also have Jason and Percy fighting (it looks like fighting anyway) on the front cover with some lightning effects in the background. From the looks of it, our old friend Blackjack and Tempest are back as Percy and Jason ride them into battle respectively, Percy with water and Jason with storm clouds. This is just a hunch, but I feel it is foreshadowing a fight between the two. Jason is a son of Jupiter (Zeus) and has been called the leader of the seven by Juno (Hera), while Percy has been said that he would hold them together and inspire loyalty. Here is the main problem, not only does Percy not like to take orders from people (as shown in the CTF match in The Titan's Curse), but to the Romans, Neptune (Poseidon) doesn't get much love, meaning Jason may subconsciously look down on Percy. The fight between the two could simply be Percy showing that he isn't a push over.

Now onto the owl eyes looking at the two. I think it is pretty obvious that Athena/Minerva is watching the group and possibly coming up with plans of her own. I mean she gave Annabeth some kind of present and the disappeared, possibly even from Olympus as Annabeth said that even praying to her was impossible. We also have the Romans who also seem to dislike her if Terminus is any indication. She is also watching Percy and Jason fight, possibly because she planned it. Athena is all about measuring the odds and if she feels that combining the camps is a bad idea, I don't think she would let anyone stop her, not even the other gods. Also, Percy is as far away from Annabeth as possible (lol). I know this has been mentioned, but Wisdom's daughter could be Athena acting on her own separate from the other gods.

This is all I have so far until an official synopsis comes out, one explaining the plot of the book