Just, ya know, talking about the book. Spoilers! (Duh)
Just, ya know, talking about the book. Spoilers! (Duh)
It says on Frank's page that Frank died, but Frank is seen near the end of the book during Hazel's election to become the new Praetor, so how did he die?
Hm thats weird. I mean, he kinda died, but not really so.....
So probably my favorite part of the book is that Rick Riordan actually doubled down on Jason’s death. My biggest fear going into the book is that he would find away to bring him back, through his revival or making him into a minor god would cheapen the effect of his sacrifice, while also breaking Zeus’s character, cheapening the Seven’s while ruining the whole Godhood thing. (Only 5 demigods became gods off my head and only two made it through their feats). There is no good way to have home come back effectively that I can see except for one (*cough *cough Jason Grace origin story). I was extremely appreciated tho that his death had such a lasting effect on the story, helping to drive to plot forward and be a lasting motivation to Apollo. It was the first real “death in the family” and the story really pushes that perfectly. Other than that I really enjoyed the book. Rick’s book are still a joy to read tho there is a couple little nitpicks that I have.
1) I personally didn’t really like that Reyna became hunter. I always felt like she was the bad ass that was married to her job and even though she never had guy luck, one day she found the perfect one for her, and since it was interpreted that only a mortal can love her, even though that every single person around this hypothetically male would be better fast more heroic and more beautiful than him, he would still be worth it cuz he is near and dear to her heart. Too sappy? Eh oh well
2) I pretty much despise every fake death there is, so even though frank’s is about the least painful of the majority of them, I still don’t know how to feel about it. It felt like a weird contrived death with a weird contrived way of him coming back. The only couple reason i’m like “eh” on it instead “ugh” is that we had an major death in the pervious book so it seems like a little break before the absolute firestorm that is going to be book five and that the battle was not consequences free.
3) the wakanda reference was absolutely hilarious, but it messes with the lore because infinity war came out in 2018 and the story should take place in 2010 so unless if there was a marvel comic with wakanda depicting something similar released in 2010 or infinity war came out in 2010 in the riordanverse, we would have some little timeline issues for us to debate in the future ( semantics I know)
Overall I really enjoyed the book tho, and for the entire series of far I have steady grown more and more to like it. TOA is really taking an identity of its own as the really Dark story of the riordanverse. We’re really see consequences and sacrifices never see in uncle rick’s works, tho I have yet to personally put it over any of his other series, except for HOO ( cuz I still don’t know what to feel bout that series lol)
Edit: oh another gripe is hazel being chosen for praetor. Absolutely nothing against her, I love her to death, but every single person we know that we know was praetor was from the 5th cohort. Jason, the Michael dude, I-don’t-know-bout-Reyna-but-it’s-heavy-implied-tho, Percy, Frank, and now hazel at all 5th.
Other than that I really enjoyed the book. Rick’s book are still a joy to read tho there is a couple little nitpicks that I have.
1) I personally didn’t really like that Reyna became hunter. I always felt like she was the bad ass that was married to her job and even though she never had guy luck, one day she found the perfect one for her, and since it was interpreted that only a mortal can love her, even though that every single person around this hypothetically male would be better fast more heroic and more beautiful than him, he would still be worth it cuz he is near and dear to her heart. Too sappy? Eh oh well
2) I pretty much despise every fake death there is, so even though frank’s is about the least painful of the majority of them, I still don’t know how to feel about it. It felt like a weird contrived death with a weird contrived way of him coming back. The only couple reason i’m like “eh” on it instead “ugh” is that we had an major death in the pervious book so it seems like a little break before the absolute firestorm that is going to be book five and that the battle was not consequences free.
3) the wakanda reference was absolutely hilarious, but it messes with the lore because infinity war came out in 2018 and the story should take place in 2010 so unless if there was a marvel comic with wakanda depicting something similar released in 2010 or infinity war came out in 2010 in the riordanverse, we would have some little timeline issues for us to debate in the future ( semantics I know)
Overall I really enjoyed the book tho, and for the entire series of far I have steady grown more and more to like it. TOA is really taking an identity of its own as the really Dark story of the riordanverse. We’re really see consequences and sacrifices never see in uncle rick’s works, tho I have yet to personally put it over any of his other series, except for HOO ( cuz I still don’t know what to feel bout that series lol)
Edit: oh another gripe is hazel being chosen for praetor. Absolutely nothing against her, I love her to death, but every single person we know that we know was praetor was from the 5th cohort. Jason, the Michael dude, I-don’t-know-bout-Reyna-but-it’s-heavy-implied-tho, Percy, Frank, and now hazel at all 5th.
They could still bring Jason Grace back or make him a minor god. Hades COULD resurrect Jason in exchange for Caligula, maybe even the entire Triumvirate. I really hope they do. I love Jason and he's one of my favorite characters. Reyna being a Hunter makes perfect sense. She had difficulties in the romance department so she wants to never go through that pain again by becoming a Huntress.
For me reviving Jason, my thoughts are a couple things. Only 2 demigods were turned into god through merit alone ( Hercules and Dionysus) and the rest where just consolation prize from having a tragic death between two gods. Zeus doesn’t give favor to any of his kids so consolidation prize is out, so the only way he could be ascended is through his merits. It’s pretty much established that you have to do some pretty nutty stuff in order to be a god and the only person offered it was Percy for his feats in the battle of Manhattan. Since we know little to nothing concrete about Jason’s backstory really standout, we would have point towards his feats during HOO and how the gods literally brushed off the aftermath of the Giant war makes me think that that would be reason enough. Also I really don’t like hades bringing him back. If it was just so easy to trade an eye for an eye why would hades do it himself (or his son or another hero if you want to argue the god neutrality) when hazel or Nico’s mother died?
The Reyna thing is probably more of a personally thing to me tho. It was really weird when they introduced Venus into it. This character literally actively worked against a prophecy she was supporting, and knew she was getting tricked, just to get her son Aeneas matchmade. And she hates the Hunters. So throwing her into the fold just kinda feels like a plot point missing ( cuz I can assure you 100% it was not her endgame to have Reyna to join the Hunters) and overall makes me curious where this story might go next
3) the wakanda reference was absolutely hilarious, but it messes with the lore because infinity war came out in 2018 and the story should take place in 2010 so unless if there was a marvel comic with wakanda depicting something similar released in 2010 or infinity war came out in 2010 in the riordanverse, we would have some little timeline issues for us to debate in the future ( semantics I know)
I'm not sure fortiusnitius existed in 2010 either.
They could still bring Jason Grace back or make him a minor god. Hades COULD resurrect Jason in exchange for Caligula, maybe even the entire Triumvirate. I really hope they do. I love Jason and he's one of my favorite characters. Reyna being a Hunter makes perfect sense. She had difficulties in the romance department so she wants to never go through that pain again by becoming a Huntress.
After the Tyrant's Tomb, it is now easier to resurrect Jason as it is no longer restricted by the "permanent death", because like Frank, he "took control of his destiny" and went to find Caligula, knowing that he would die. So he could have never died (which probably isn't the case, otherwise every life sacrifice wouldn't have resulted in anyone dying and they also found Jason's body), or he could have broken free from the "permanent death", which would make him much easier to resurrect.
There was the perfect opportunity to make Jason a minor god, by making the god summoning ritual just summon a god, without being able to choose who it was. "Summoning" could be interpreted as actually creating one, thus making Jason a god. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
I am One of Me wrote:
3) the wakanda reference was absolutely hilarious, but it messes with the lore because infinity war came out in 2018 and the story should take place in 2010 so unless if there was a marvel comic with wakanda depicting something similar released in 2010 or infinity war came out in 2010 in the riordanverse, we would have some little timeline issues for us to debate in the future ( semantics I know)
I'm not sure fortiusnitius existed in 2010 either.
They could still bring Jason Grace back or make him a minor god. Hades COULD resurrect Jason in exchange for Caligula, maybe even the entire Triumvirate. I really hope they do. I love Jason and he's one of my favorite characters. Reyna being a Hunter makes perfect sense. She had difficulties in the romance department so she wants to never go through that pain again by becoming a Huntress.
After the Tyrant's Tomb, it is now easier to resurrect Jason as it is no longer restricted by the "permanent death", because like Frank, he "took control of his destiny" and went to find Caligula, knowing that he would die. So he could have never died (which probably isn't the case, otherwise every life sacrifice wouldn't have resulted in anyone dying and they also found Jason's body), or he could have broken free from the "permanent death", which would make him much easier to resurrect.
There was the perfect opportunity to make Jason a minor god, by making the god summoning ritual just summon a god, without being able to choose who it was. "Summoning" could be interpreted as actually creating one, thus making Jason a god. Unfortunately, this did not happen.
Really feel like that up to interpretation. What Frank did was pretty much sacrificing himself for the greater good , and is pretty much nothing different then someone making their stand on a bridge. You can probably draw some comparisons in fact to how Odin’s warriors are born (I know but I really don’t wanna try to butcher it’s 12 in the morning lol) but personally really really don’t like how it played out. Frank was saved from death because he faced his fears and he was willing to give his life for others (which is extremely awesome don’t get me wrong) but countless other characters is the riordanverse would of died or did die when they did. On top of that is the fact that it contradicted what was already established in the classical myths, and the previous series, and was terribly shoehorned in at the last second makes it one of my least favorite fake deaths ever and I would hate it if Jason does the same thing. Man, people gave Leo so much flack over his fake but at least he was actively planning for it for the whole book and it was supported by the classics.
Also if anytime that Jason was to become a minor god I would think it would be during his funeral. Some stories of Hercules tell that when he was killed a burned his body was burned up and his soul was transformed into a god and he ascended to Olympus. I would of thought that Rick would do the same with Jason to harken back to his older brother.
My final thoughts really is that if Rick was to bring back Jason, there was an 80% chance that it would of happened in this book. He could always bring him back by trading a life for a life (maybe one of the emperors or Apollo himself, tho him not returning to Olympus kinda defeats the purpose for me of the series), or MAYBE Apollo gains a boon for his adventure at the end, but since even the Seven didn’t get one at the end of HOO, i’m hesitate to say that Apollo would. I’m still one that doesn’t believe that Jason should be revived, and that there is way better ways to reintroduce him into the story (cough cough Jason Grace origin story cough cough).
Housedunn wrote:
Really feel like that up to interpretation. What Frank did was pretty much sacrificing himself for the greater good , and is pretty much nothing different then someone making their stand on a bridge. You can probably draw some comparisons in fact to how Odin’s warriors are born (I know but I really don’t wanna try to butcher it’s 12 in the morning lol) but personally really really don’t like how it played out. Frank was saved from death because he faced his fears and he was willing to give his life for others (which is extremely awesome don’t get me wrong) but countless other characters is the riordanverse would of died or did die when they did. On top of that is the fact that it contradicted what was already established in the classical myths, and the previous series, and was terribly shoehorned in at the last second makes it one of my least favorite fake deaths ever and I would hate it if Jason does the same thing. Man, people gave Leo so much flack over his fake but at least he was actively planning for it for the whole book and it was supported by the classics.
Yes, I agree that what happened with Frank was really stupid. It just seemed like a way so that no important character died in this book, after last book and what will probably happen in the next book. Hopefully, Apollo was wrong about it and there is a better explanation, which does not render any person willing to sacrifice their life unkillable.
I did love the book, but I had the same issue's as a couple people had. I did not like how Reyna ended up joining the hunters. To me it was such a let down, like he didn't know what to do with her so he had her join. Problem solved! So basically she hadn't found anyone yet, I think she's only like eighteen so she will have nobody. It made the whole Venus, Apollo thing kinda of pointless. Why could she not just retire and go to college in Rome for a while, try a normal life for once. Also the whole Frank thing was not explained very well, I still don't quiet get why he didn't die. Don't get me wrong I'm glad he didn't Jason was enough death for me. But the whole sacrificing himself and then him not dying seemed a little dramatic to me. But overall I still loved it, especially Meg, I feel she doesn't get a lot of love, she's perfect for Apollo's journey. I just wonder if they are ever going to bring Demeter into the story, have her talk to Meg. I also hope Percy and Annabeth are in the next book, especially if this is his last Greek book.