The Tyrant's Tomb

Spoiler Alert! Warning! This page contains spoilers for The Tyrant's Tomb.

This article is about the book. For the actual tomb, see Tarquin’s Tomb.

The Tyrant's Tomb
Attribution
Author	Rick Riordan
Publication Information
Publisher	Hyperion Books (US, CA) Penguin Books (UK, AU, NZ)
Release date	September 24th, 2019 (US, CA, UK) October 1st, 2019 (AU, NZ)
Pages	423
Chronology
Preceded by	The Burning Maze
Followed by	The Tower of Nero

The Tyrant's Tomb is the fourth book in The Trials of Apollo series. It was released on September 24th, 2019.

Synopsis

Disney-Hyperion

In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo's aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.

Penguin Books (UK)

You will get to the Tiber alive. You will start to Jive.

I am Apollo
I will remember

The former God Apollo, cast out by his father, Zeus, is having a pretty rough time of it.

Well, for one thing, he's called Lester. But being an awkward mortal teenager is the least of his worries.

Though he and his friends (some of them) have emerged from the Burning Maze, rescued the Oracle and lived to fight another day, they can't escape the tragedy that has befallen them or the terrible trials still to face.

So, with heavy heart, Apollo (OK, Lester) and Meg have a triumvirate still to defeat, oracles to rescue, and prophecies to decipher, so that the world may be saved, and Lester may ascend into the heavens to become Apollo once again.

But, right now, Caligula is sailing to San Francisco to deal with Camp Jupiter personally, and they have to get their first. Or risk its destruction...

Development

In an interview, Rick Riordan stated that the book will have Camp Jupiter, Hazel Levesque, Frank Zhang, and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. Editor Stephanie Lurie has confirmed that the Arrow of Dodona will appear in the book. On March 7th, the cover and first two chapters of the book were released. On May 16th, Rick Riordan revealed that he finished writing the book on April 1st. However, due to the preparation, printing, promotion, and distribution of the book, it won't be released until September 24th.

The Barnes & Noble edition of the book was announced to contain exclusive content such as a full poster of one of the scenes in the book as well as diary entries by a female Camp Jupiter "probatio" who investigates an ancient Roman mystery. ReadRiordan released a video of Rick Riordan previewing the book. He revealed that Camp Jupiter was having a big "shake up" in the power structure.

Plot

Landing in San Francisco and Airborne Attacks

Hours after flying out of Santa Monica, Apollo and Meg McCaffrey arrive at the Oakland Airport near San Francisco and watch as the coffin containing Jason Grace, who was killed by Caligula, is loaded into a hearse. Apollo is driving and Meg calls shotgun, the Bay Area brought back some good memories of the former god but it was also where Mount Othrys of the titans was once located. Meg liked this place, it wasn't like the Burning Maze, but despite its collapse, the Julia Drusilla Yachts of the Triumvirate Holdings are currently sailing towards Camp Jupiter. The two were almost at the entrance near Caldecott Tunnel when suddenly an ugly humanoid creature lands on the hearse and rips the roof off, Apollo swerves into a canyon.

Don, the faun.

Meg used her chlorokinesis to make them land safely and trap the monster in a eucalypti branch cage. Below were some picnickers, one with armor and another with goat legs. The ghoul breaks free, Apollo prepares to shoot an arrow but suddenly recognizes it. "Vulture Diaper" is a eurynomos, a corpse-eating creature that's supposed to be in the Underworld. However, it states that Hades gives him old dead, his master, who's not Caligula, gives him fresh dead. The eurynomos says the "king's" army will rise again and the "food" will join them on the blood moon, Apollo remembers that a eurynomos can turn mortals into vrykolakas (zombies) or even worse, Skeleton Warriors. Apollo keeps shooting Celestial Bronze arrows at it, although they seem to hurt it, none of the arrows kill it. Suddenly, a Roman girl with fauns and dryads arrive and she fires an Imperial Gold projectile out of a manubalista at the eurynomos killing it. She introduces herself as Lavinia and will take Apollo and Meg to Camp Jupiter. One faun named Don tried to leave like the other nature spirits but Lavinia prevented him. Meg briefly talked to Lavinia about a dryad named Poison Oak. It is revealed that Lavinia snuck out of patrol for the picnic.

The four carried Jason's coffin to a secret and closer entrance near Lake Temescal. But it's small, so Lavinia went on ahead, the men carried the coffin, and Meg stayed in the back with Jason's projects. When they stopped Lavinia revealed that centurion let her sneak away due to "turning a blind eye." Don smelled something funny coming, it was Hazel Levesque but also two more eurynomoi. It was hard to fight in close quarters, but Hazel says she fought them when Caligula attacked. Apollo tried to sing a song but got scratched in the belly. Hazel managed to kill one with her spatha, but the other told her that more will come soon, only to be skewered by quartz when he said they were stronger underground. When she got her sword back, she revealed that she had a dream of Jason's death and they carry him back to camp.

Arriving at Camp Jupiter and Ominous Dreams

Soon they all arrived at Camp Jupiter, it didn't look as bad as what Leo Valdez had said. Everyone watched as they carried the coffin to Via Praetoria, judging from the camp's sparseness and that some were in casts, Apollo estimated that about half the legion was lost. They are greeted by Frank Zhang and Reyna Ramírez-Arellano. Upon seeing the daughter of Bellona, Apollo remembered a warning Venus gave him, telling him to stay away from someone named Reyna, he realized the two Reynas are the same person. When the praetors asked about the coffin, Apollo sang a song about his time as a mortal, their quest to secure the oracles, and Jason Grace's sacrifice. By the end of the song, the camp was in tears and Reyna and Frank announced a state funeral and that Jason's plans for Temple Hill will be completed by the weekend. They allowed Apollo and Meg to stay as guests, soon after Apollo passed out.

Apollo dreamed of the Julia Drusilla yachts sailing north with Caligula and Commodus talking on the lead ship. They plan to reach Camp Jupiter by the blood moon and have a "plan b" if the assault fails. The dream shifts to a skeleton in an underground chamber that had the same eyes that the Eurynomoi had. He then wakes up in a room above Bombilo’s coffee shop and Meg informed him he was out for a day and a half. He sees that work has started on Temple Hill and that Jason’s funeral is that night. Frank flew into the window as a raven, he said that Meg told him about the prophecy from Herophile.

Apollo and Frank head to New Rome while Meg helps Lavinia feed the unicorns. On the way, Frank explained the battle to Apollo. He describes that they were swarmed by hundreds of the undead. Several of their forces were missing and they feared they would be facing them in battle. The freshwater of the Little Tiber was the only thing that stopped them and that things would have been worse if Leo had not arrived and given them a twenty-four hours notice. They ran into Terminus who teased Apollo’s mortal form as payback for centuries of mocking the boundary god. After learning from the license Zeus gave him that his birthday is April eighth, he realized it's the date of the second wave of the attack. As they walk through the city, he saw that the residents on high alert after the attack. They reached a bookshop and are greeted by Tyson.

A New Prophecy, A Hero's Funeral, and A Surprise Visitor

They see a cat named Aristophanes as they enter, Tyson explained that the owner of the bookstore died in the attack. They entered the back room, which had been converted into a tattoo parlor. They see Ella by a bed with hot needles, both of them recognize Apollo on sight. Upon seeing the super heated needle in the makeshift tattoo parlor, Apollo made sense of a line of the dark prophecy, "The words that memory wrought are set in fire." He asked Ella if she knew anything about an attack in the next four days to which she mentioned a tomb and death. She elaborated by looking at the index on Tyson’s thigh and reciting a line of the books "A Wildcat near the spinning lights. The tomb of Tarquin with horses bright. To open the doors, two-fifty-four." She did not elaborate on the topic and instead talked about Frank's Stick, prompting Frank and Apollo to leave.

They reach evening muster and Jason’s funeral. Due to the fact that there's no augur or Pontifex Maximus being present, Apollo performed the funeral rites himself. The precision headed to the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, where a funeral pyre is set up. Along the way he realized a connection between Tarquin and the Sibylline Books. Just as they give Jason his "last meal", Lupa and her wolves arrive requesting to speak with Apollo alone.

Inside the temple, she urges him to be strong for the sake of the legion. She mentions that if he finds Tarquin’s tomb and defeats him, then he can call on divine help and start to regain his godhood. Just as Apollo is about to thank her she vanishes. He exits to tell Frank and Reyna the shortened version of the encounter and joins Meg for dinner. After the last of the embers in the funeral pyre dies out, they head back to camp. He tries to explain his plan to Meg, but she forbids him from saying anything.

Sibylline Dreams and Senate Meeting

Apollo dreamed of the Oracle of Cumae meeting with Tarquin in the old Roman senate-house, pressuring him to buy the six remaining volumes of the original nine Sibylline Books, he reluctantly agreed after she burned three more. Meg woke him up and gave him a toga to wear in the senate meeting. They arrive and sit with Lavinia, who asked him about her mother, Terpsichore, the muse of dance and what is going on between him and Reyna. Soon after that, Reyna called him to speak.

Lavinia Asimov

During his speech, he explained the threat of Commodus and Caligula arriving on the blood moon, the unknown weapons they have, and Tarquin's army of the undead. He explained his plan to find the tomb and use the opportunity as a turning point. Ella recites the prophecy and, after a moment of confused silence, Lavinia explained that it is under a merry-go-round in Tilden Park on Wildcat drive. The senate chose to send Apollo, Meg, Hazel, and Lavinia (a fourth due to Apollo being tied to Meg), and approve the members.

The four had sandwiches at the bell tower of New Rome University, talking about the upcoming quest and complaining about various things. After a while, they decided to meet in the Field of Mars at sundown and go about there time separately until Sunday. Back in Bombilo’s spare room, Apollo laid in his cot and fell asleep. He dreamed of the day he gave the Sibyl her semi-immortality, given her an unknown number of millennia of life, against her will and in a fit of rage, denied her eternal youth so that she can never die even if her body crumbles to dust after she rejects his love. He woke up feeling guilty for his curse, gathers his equipment and meets the others in the Field of Mars.

Heading to the Tomb and Fighting the Skeleton King’s Forces

Apollo arrived at the Field early and talks with the Arrow of Dodona, he expressed his concerns and the Arrow said it will think about it. Just then, Frank and Hannibal arrive and they speak about the quest in question as well as the son of Mars’ curse. Frank said he has learned to live with it while Apollo hoped he is not reckless. Just Meg, Hazel and Lavinia arrived and the four set out.

Hazel Levesque, who helped in entering the tyrant's tomb

As they hike to Tilden Park, Apollo talked with Hazel about the battle. She explained how Frank used his shapeshifting to turn the battle in their favor, but she saw it as reckless, Apollo told her everything he can about Tarquin. They reached the merry-go-round and Hazel and Meg sensed something evil underground, they go to a slab and, after thinking the combination over, realized that 254 (in another format) is 500 BCE, the closest to the last Roman king’s estimated year of death. Hazel wrote C-C-L-I-V, the date in Roman numerals, on the tile and it opens.

The four entered the tomb and made their way to the king, Hazel distracting the guards as they made their way to the throne room. When they arrived, they see fresh zombies of former legionnaires who died in the attack, Lavinia recognizing Bobby. A Eurynomos named Caelius arrived and explained they will attack during the emperor's strike. Tarquin then faces the four, calling them out. Meg unexpectedly charged at Tarquin as the others are forced to follow her lead. They took out his forces easily but more join them. Tarquin unleashed the poison in Apollo’s system, causing him great agony and slowly killing him. However, Hazel collapsed a wall behind Tarquin and the pain stops. They escaped and Meg creates a ladder out of tree roots to get above the ground. The girls helped Apollo get to the surface but sensed more incoming enemies. Lavinia goes to hold them off and points the others back to camp.

As they made their way back to camp, Apollo thought of the places he stayed at during his quest, feeling they were the closest to a home he has ever been. On the way back, he passes out and dreams of Python at Delphi, saying he caused all the death he encountered and will continue to cause death. He wakes up in the stables to find Meg along with Buster, a unicorn, and Pranjal, a son of Asclepius and the camp’s head healer. Pranjal said that he has stabilized the wound for the time being, but he cannot cure it due to Apollo being a former god. Meg then took Apollo to freshen up and eat before meeting with Frank and Reyna. The praetors revealed that in order to call the gods for help, they needed to sacrifice a god. Apollo thought this was him until they mention a god of silence, he is both relieved and confused as he does not know a silence god in either the Greek or Roman pantheons. The praetors recited the steps and once it is completed, they can summon one god to help them via what Apollo thinks is an Iris Message and has a theory that the soundless god is either willingly or forced to black out communications by Triumvirate Holdings and believe he is at either Sutro Tower or Mount Sutro. Reyna suggested they hold a senate meeting but Frank felt it is part of the Tarquin quest and uses emergency powers to send her, Apollo and Meg on the quest. They planned to head out the following day and have Apollo help out with the war games.

Dreams of Destruction, Training for the Battle, and Second Thoughts

Frank Zhang, who will face a challenge dire

When they returned to their room, Meg cried and apologized to Apollo for charging at Tarquin, explaining that she thought she could cure him and the others if she took Tarquin out. He hugged her and calms her down. She orders him to rest while she gets dinner. He dreamed of the emperors testing out their new weapons, a cannon that fires a large amount of Greek Fire on each of the yachts. Caligula was thrilled by the results but Commodus reminded him to take Tyson and Ella alive if possible. Apollo woke up at noon, went to the Mess Hall for lunch, and sat with the fifth cohort when Lavinia calls him over. She asks him about a pair of her mother’s shoes he saw on the Julia Drusilla Yachts but he says they are not important at the moment, annoying her. Soon Dakota and Hazel arrived and he explained what he saw, they are shocked and soon after, Frank called a war game.

As he, Meg, and Hazel headed to the Field of Mars, they saw Don and Lavinia arguing about something. Hazel called out to them but they ignored her and continued to fight. Meg went to the First Cohort to prep the unicorns for battle and Hazel left him alone with the Fifth Cohort to practice archery. He landed all his arrows on bullseyes, the cohort also did okay and quickly shifted to the next activity when the time comes. On the way to the Mess Hall, Don and Lavinia snuck up on him and dragged him out of camp. They took him to People’s Park in Berkeley to tell a group of fauns and dryads, among them is Peaches, about what happened in Southern California. He explained what happened and the nature spirits become somber and think of running away. Don stayed with them while Apollo and Lavinia head back to camp. Along with way, the daughter of Terpsichore expressed her desire to leave before the battle, shocking Apollo. He returned to his room and fell asleep. He woke up the next morning steeling himself for what’s to come.

Journey to the Soundless God

He met Reyna and Meg at the gates of the camp as Frank and Hazel pull up in a red pickup truck. They got in and she took them to Sutro Tower, she explained that the Hunters of Artemis mentioned the place to the legion to keep an eye due to strange activity. As they drive the daughter of Bellona, she mentioned that she and Thalia Grace have become close by writing letters and wrote to her about Jason’s death with no response. Her tone when talking about the hunters made Apollo question how close she really is with them.

They parked at the base of the hill leading up to Sutro Tower and Meg and the automaton dogs go into the foliage with Reyna helping Apollo. She asked him why he acted strange around her, he revealed what Venus told him and suggested they start a romantic relationship. The daughter of Bellona had a laughing fit and rejected the idea. Meg and the automatons met up with them and they continued. The trio discussed the absence of security, but Reyna reassured them that there was something wrong with the place. Apollo gazed upward and saw a bird of some sort, he quickly shook the thought and got back to the quest.

They reached the broadcast station and Reyna and her dogs went to check it out. While they wait, Apollo told Meg about what he said to Reyna and that Peaches is nearby. The daughter of Demeter revealed she know about what he told the praetor and that she sensed Peaches, but she knew he had a reason for not coming to her. Reyna exited and said it is abandoned. So the three began climbing the tower with Apollo in the lead, Reyna in the center, and Meg in the back. As they climbed Meg smelt roses, they found nothing on the first platform and are attacked by a conspiracy of large ravens on the way to the second platform and continue to climb to safety.

Reyna Ramírez-Arellano, the one prophecised to open the doorway to the soundless god

As the ravens dive bomb them, Apollo told Meg and Reyna about the time ravens told him that his girlfriend Koronis was cheating on him, he had Artemis kill her and he saved the child, Asclepius, she was pregnant with. In a fit of rage, he punished the ravens, who were white at the time, by turning them black. This deeply angered the girls as they both defended themselves and aim for Apollo. He then saw a red metal crate on the second plane form. Apollo then poorly sang a Dean Martin song out of tune to get the ravens to retreat.

They reached the platform and find that the shipping container was giving off that smell of roses. Meg got closer and Apollo and Reyna can only hear every other word. Apollo walks up to the container and can hear and produce no sound. He sees Alexandria, Egypt written in Arabic. While this he knew that the god is of the Ptolemic, Egypt’s last dynasty ruled by Greek pharaohs, he asked the Arrow of Dodona for help. The arrow gave him various hints until he realized the god is Harpocrates, the Ptolemic god of silence. He went back to the girls to tell them who the god of silence is and they he vowed to vaporize Apollo. He explained how he bullied Harpocrates, who took the form of a ten-year-old boy, and the girls looked at him in shock. The daughter of Demeter noticed that the crate is hooked up to the antenna via cables, amplifying his silence inducement. They contemplated about sacrificing him to obtain godly help, but could not think of an alternative. Apollo suggested the demigods hack away at the imperial gold chains on the doors, but it would take hours. Reyna suggests she lend Apollo her power to open the door and he agreed, since Bellona's daughter is still technically opening the doorway like the prophecy said. They do so and he effortlessly ripped away the chains and they entered. As soon as he opens the door the three collapse in pain and he sees Harpocrates, who sends images of Apollo’s bully and of Commodus and Caligula laughing at him being chained up via telepathy. The three send him images of their struggles, Apollo sends the worst moments of his quest so far, Meg sends happy memories of her father and seeing his corpse, Reyna sends the gruesome images of the first wave of Caligula‘s assault. Apollo questions why the silence god hasn’t escaped and sees the Fasces, ceremonial axes used to represent a person’s status, of Commodus and Caligula in the back of the storage container. He realizes that if the girls can destroy them, they can both free Harpocrates and weaken the two emperors. He tells Meg and Reyna to destroy them.

The fasces shatter easily and Harpocrares prepares to vaporize Apollo when the girls show him memories of Apollo during the quest and singing about Jason. This surprises the silence god and Apollo notices a jar, what remains of the Oracle of Cumae, in Harpocrates lap. The disembodied oracle speaks and forgives Apollo solely for leaving the world without grudges, the same as Harpocrates. The two release their essences and the silence god fills the jar with his final breath, telling them to release it at a shrine or temple to get the help they want. The zone of silence is broke and the girls see purple streaks on Apollo’s skin. Meg then hears the ravens returning.

The Second Wave Begins

When they exited the storage container and fought off the ravens, they noticed it is sundown and see the Julia Drusilla Yachts. Meg creates a beanstalk and they slide down and passes out, Reyna and Apollo carry her to get to the truck and speed off only to get stuck in traffic. Apollo feels bad about what he did to them and Reyna reveals that is a human conscious and he is learning to feel bad for others. Reyna has Apollo pull out a scroll and contact Frank. They succeed and find him and some of the legion in the Caldecott Tunnel, preparing something before the scroll burst into flames. They hit a road block and the daughter of Bellona drives through it, Meg wakes up and they are soon under attack by a Eurynomos. Reyna attacked while Apollo and Meg drive. When she stabbed it, Apollo felt it as well and swerved off the road and plummeting to the ground below.

The next thing Apollo remembers is pushing Meg in a shopping cart in a Target parking lot while Aurum and Argentum guard an injured Reyna by the remains of the truck. Just as a woman call 911, Lavinia and a group of nature spirits arrive and convince the mortals they are emergency responders and they leave before real paramedics can arrive and take them to a wooded area. Lavinia has the nature spirits help them and puts Reyna to sleep and has fauns haul her away before the praetor can reprimand her. Lavinia explains that she has a plan to stop Triumvirate Holdings and leaves. Apollo finds the jar intact and her and Meg find a way to get to Camp Jupiter and take some public bikes.

On the way the see the enemy forces, particularly pandai and Myrmekes, on their way to the power station and Meg reveals on of Lavinia‘s secret passages, and arrive just in the middle of a battle at camp. They fight a group of Khromandae, beings covered in shaggy blond hair with gray eyes, and destroy them. They save the second cohort from a group of Cynocephali and Larry sends two of his troops, Carl and Reza, to take them to Frank. When they arrive he asks them about Reyna and they explain. Hazel arrives on Arion and and explains she is helping the firs through fourth cohorts while the fifth defends New Rome, but then receives word from Terminus that Tarquin’s zombies are attacking the city via the sewers. Hazel takes Meg and Apollo to Temple Hill to perform the ritual with Tyson and Ella.

They meet the two at the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus and Hazel and Meg go to New Rome to help and use the weaponized unicorns. Apollo thinks hard about which god to summon, and chooses to summon his sister. The three reach the Temple of Diana and perform the ritual, which was tattooed into Tyson’s left armpit. After he lights a fire and places that jar in it. It explodes and nothing happened. Ella states he read the third line wrong and, knowing there is little hope it did work, Apollo tells the two to stay as he goes to fight.

Two-on-Two Fight to the Death

Apollo ran to the entrance of the Caldecott Tunnel and finds what is left of the legion, just a dozen demigods and legacies and Hannibal, defending the entrance. Frank is fighting the enemy off as a Kodiak bear when the fighting stops and Commodus and Caligula roll in on Chariots pulled by de-winged Pegasi. They demanded they surrender but the son of Mars calls splia opima, single combat to the death, and the emperors accept. Apollo then joins the fight and both sides forces fall back. Frank tells Apollo to run when he tells him to. Caligula agrees to fight Frank while Commodus takes Apollo.

Frank's stick

The fight starts out somewhat evenly, the head into the tunnel and Frank and Caligula circle and strike at each other occasionally. Commodus strikes at Apollo but his sword gets stuck in the asphalt. He then hits Commodus with his ukulele but it does little damage and the god-emperor crushes it. In a fit of rage, Apollo’s godly strength returns and he tosses Commodus and he hits his head on the guardrail. He notices that the tunnel is packed with explosives and flammable oils and realizes Frank’s plan. As he is distracted Commodus punches him in his scratch and he collapses. He witnessed Frank turn into a swift, a small agile bird, and takes out one of Caligula's eyes. While Commodus is basking in his followers cheers, Frank tells him to hobble Commodus and Apollo sees a dagger in the emperor's boot and stabs him in the back of the knee. Caligula then slams the son of Mars against the wall and as he crashes onto the pavement, prepares to stab him in the back, but his cloak protects him. Frank tells Apollo to run as he ignites his stick, coating himself and Caligula in flames as the tunnel explodes as Apollo escapes.

The emperor’s forces are in shock of the exploitation and just stare as Apollo lays on the ground. He sensed that Caligula died in the blast, then a horribly burned Commodus crawled out of the inferno, Apollo tackles him while screaming turning him to ash. Just then Gregorix, a Germani, ordered a strike, but as the projectiles fly off as at ninety-degree angle, they crash back on the fleet destroying every ship. In a state of shock and fear, the emperor‘s forces flee. Apollo watches as mortal emergency responders confront the wreckage and he wishes to just lay down and die. However he knows what is left to the legion is in trouble and he frees the mutilated Pegasi and asks for a ride. One leaves but another took him to the valley.

Second Encounter with Tarquin

He reached New Rome to find Meg leading the unicorns into battle, outfitted with Swiss Army like weapons on their horns. She noticed something was wrong when she saw his face but left the topic alone. When they realized what Tarquin’s target is, they rush to find Hazel. They found her and Arion fending off a hoard of the undead. She defeated them and realized something happened with Frank and sent Arion to Caldecott Tunnel. They reached the bookstore to find Tarquin interrogating Aristophanes about the Sibylline Books. When he noticed the three he congratulated Apollo for killing the emperors and forced him to reveal the location of the prophecies on Tyson’s skin. He then snapped his fingers unleashed more of his hoard, only for nothing to happen, Aristophanes attacked Tarquin‘s face. Hazel fought the undead king and Meg took on the Zombies. As Apollo slowly becomes a zombie, he and the Arrow of Dodona sing Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” to try and slow the process. Just as Hazel stabs Tarquin, Diana arrives and finishes Tarquin off before healing Apollo. When he is healed, they exited the bookstore to find the hunters mingling with the last of the legion and citizens of New Rome. He saw Thalia Grace, and shared a sad expression with his sister’s lieutenant. He then saw Lavinia, who reveals she destroyed the fleet on Reyna’s orders, who hobbled over on crutches and confirms it, and has taken her mother’s shoes. Apollo and his sister talk briefly before Arion returns with Frank Zhang, who is actually alive but passes out when he dismounts.

The Aftermath

They rushed Frank to the medical tent and tend to him. They saved him and Hazel and Apollo stay at his bed side and theorize about him survive because he created his own destiny, unlike the last man whose life depended on a stick. The son of Mars woke up and Hazel hugged him. He explains that Ella told him how to kill the emperors and he went with it, freeing him of his curse. Apollo left them alone and scouted out the wounded and dead. He found Don, who stayed on the ships to make sure their sabotage worked, nearly dead. They share a brief conversation before be died and was reincarnated as a lural tree. He told the nature spirits to find a good spot to plant it.

Over the next few days what remained of the legion and citizens of New Rome cleaned up the city. A mass funeral was held for those who died. During it, Thalia spoke with Apollo and said she does not blame him for Jason Grace’s death. Reyna interrupted and she and Apollo walk to the Senate House. She explained that she has always been a leader and those around her have tried to pair her up with someone or she has tried to woo others. She said that what Venus told her upset her until Apollo proposal for a relationship made her realize how much of a fool she has been.

At the meeting, Frank congratulated the remanence of the legion and citizens of New Rome. After which Reyna announces her resignation as praetor and joined the Hunters of Artemis. Hazel is then selected by the legion to take her place and the daughter of Pluto accepts. In response to this, Hazel has Lavinia become her place as the fifth cohort’s centurion, which she accepts. Meg and Apollo are given gifts of thanks, Apollo for given his bow from when he was a god and Meg is given a pouch of ancient seeds, unfortunately they didn't have replacement combat ukulele. Meg revealed that they plan to set out in the morning and they go to the Mess Hall to celebrate their victory and Apollo’s mortal birthday.

Heading Back East

File:Ella-and-Tyson-revised-1-600x338.jpg

Ella and Tyson

In the morning, Apollo and Meg said their goodbyes to Frank, Hazel, Thalia, Reyna, Bombilo, and Lavinia before heading to the bookstore to get a prophecy from Ella. They received one that said “O son of Zeus the final challenge face/The tow’r of Nero two alone ascent/Dislodge the beast that hast usurped thy place.” Apollo is confused at how short it was until he realized that it's a terza rima, a form of poetry invented by Dante. The first and third lines rhyme but the second line rhymes with the first line of the second stanza. They realized that they will find the second stanza at their destination, the Tower of Nero back in New York City. Meg is unnerved by this but knew she must go while Apollo knew he must finally face off against Python. The two then thought of ways to get back to the east coast.

Characters

• Apollo
• Meg McCaffrey
• Reyna Ramírez-Arellano
• Hazel Levesque
• Frank Zhang
• Tyson
• Ella
• Lavinia Asimov
• Tarquin
• Caligula
• Commodus
• Lupa
• Terminus
• Bombilo
• Aristophanes
• Eurynomos
• Fauns
  • Don
  • Reginald
  • Felipe
  • Harold
• Dryads
  • Poison Oak (mentioned)
  • Lotoya
• Pandai
  • Boost
• Caelius
• Dakota
• Ida
• Larry (Legionnaire)
• Julia
• The Oracle of Cumae
• Hannibal
• Pranjal
• Unicorns
  • Buster
  • Muffin (Unicorn)
  • Whagadoodle
  • Shirley
  • Horatio
• Thomas
• Peaches
• Harpocrates
• The Oracle of Cumae
• Carl
• Reza
• Colum
• Leila
• Gregorix
• Diana
• Thalia Grace
• Terrel

Chapter List

1. There is no food here/ Meg ate all the Swedish fish/ Please get off my hearse
2. Dude, this isn't cool/ Dude just tried to eat my dude/ That's my dead dude, dude
3. I cannot chew gum/ And run with a coffin at/ The same time. Sue me.
4. Ukulele song?/ No need to remove my guts/ A simple “no” works
5. Hi, everybody,/ Here’s a little tune I call/ “All the Ways I Suck
6. Sailing north to war/ With my Shirley Temple and/ Three cherries. Fear me.
7. Nice stroll into town/ Happy birthday to Lester/ Here’s some gift-wrapped pain
8. Tattoos! Get yours now!/ Free, wherever books are sold/ Also, a large cat
9. Dearly beloved,/ We are gathered here because/ Hera stinks. Amen
10. Sing it with me: Who’s/ Afraid of the Big Good Wolf?/ Me. That would be me.
11. Dirt and bubble gum/ Lavinia brought enough/ For the whole senate
12. I now have a plan/ To make a plan concerning/ The plan for my plan
13. Romance disaster/ I’m poison for guys and gals/ You wanna hang out?
14. Reluctant arrow/ Grant me this boon: permission/ To skedaddleth
15. Nightmare carousel/ Totally let your kids ride/ I’m sure they’ll be fine
16. Meet the new Tarquin/ Same as the old Tarquin, but/ With a lot less flesh
17. Meg, don’t you dare—MEG!/ Or you could just get us killed/ Yeah, sure, that works, too
18. Cooking with Pranjal/ Chickweed and unicorn horn/ Slow-basted zombie
19. O book, what’s my fate/ What is the secret of life?/ See appendix F
20. Hamster ball of death/ Spare me your fiery doom/ I’m not feeling it
21. See this right here, kids?/ This is how you don’t do it/ Questions? Class dismissed?
22. I sing of dead plants/ And heroic shrubberies/ Inspiring stuff
23. In my pickup truck/ With my dogs and my weapons/ And this fool, Lester
24. Stick my godly face/ Where it doesn’t belong and—/ Venus, I hate you
25. Frozen in terror/ Like a god in the headlights/ Why U speeding up?
26. I’d like to sing a/ Classic for you now. Thank you./ Please stop stabbing me.
27. Let’s play guess the god./ Starts with H. Wants to kill me./ (Besides my stepmom.)
28. We all need the hand/ On our shoulder sometimes so/ We can chew through steel
29. Ever heard the phrase/ “The silence is deafening”?/ Yeah, that’s a real thing
30. A voice and a shh./ I have seen stranger couples./ Wait. No, I haven’t
31. O, blood moon rising/ take a rain check on doomsday/ I’m stuck in traffic
32. We have a special/ Today on slightly used trucks. Thanks, Target shoppers
33. Welcome to the war/ We hope you enjoy your death/ Please come again soon!
34. O insert name here/ Please hear us and fill in blank/ What is this, Mad Libs?
35. Such a deal for you/ Two-for-one single combat/ Kill us both for free!
36. Not again. My hear./ How many syllables is/ “Total hopelessness”?
37. I didn’t do it./ Explosion? I don’t know her./ Probably Greg’s fault.
38. Got two words for you:/ Swiss Army unicorns, man!/ Okay, that’s four words.
39. Captain Underpants/ Does not appear in this book/ Copyright issues
40. Stop making me cry/ Or buy me some new tear ducts/ My old ones broke down
41. If you hate me, fine/ Just don’t hit me in the gut/ Or, well, anywhere
42. Life is uncertain/ Accept presents, and always/ Eat your birthday cake
43. Our great opening! Win a free Inferno trip!/ And take a cupcake!

Trivia

• The time between the release dates of The Tyrant's Tomb and The Burning Maze is the longest as of yet. Whereas other books within a series have come out within twelve months of each other, these two books were released within eighteen months of each other.
• The Tyrant's Tomb was released on the same day as Percy Jackson Demigod Collection.
• Apollo stated that not even emperors would dare refer to themselves as kings. However, emperors are actually considered higher ranked and more powerful than kings.
• There is a misprint in which Reyna refers to her time on "Calypso's island" instead of Circe's.
• The Barnes & Noble edition of the book has a sneak peek at Camp Jupiter Classified: A Probatio’s Journal.

Gallery

Unofficial cover

UK cover

Italian cover

Dutch cover