Friday, June 3, 2016

THE TRIALS OF APOLLO BOOK ONE THE HIDDEN ORACLE

Download the first installment of The Trials Of Apollo, The Hidden Oracle (Yet Another Rick Riordan's creation) Download this by clicking the above link. It is ad and download free and of course no surveys.

CRITIC

Striking his usual stellar balance between mythological monster battles and character growth, humor and pathos, this start to a spin-off of a spin-off series doesn't disappoint longtime Riordan fans. And you need to be a longtime fan to follow along. The storyline picks up where Heroes of Olympus leaves off and references the other books and their main characters often.

THE HIDDEN ORACLE treats us to Riordan's familiar formula but a very different kind of narrator. Apollo sure is a self-obsessed annoyance to start, not at all like instantly relatable and funny Percy Jackson. He comes around quickly enough for the reader to root for him but only after a few trials suck the wind out of his sails. (It also helps that Zeus sticks Apollo with the mortal name Lester Papadopoulis and a face full of teen acne.) Lester/Apollo also sports some special talents that, even watered down in mortal form, make for some truly curious combat options. The power of a Neil Diamond song has never been wielded so successfully before, and -- finally -- being the god of plagues is good for something.