The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

For those of us who mourned the ending of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the first book in the spin-off series was released this week, The Lost Hero.  The Heroes of Olympus is the name of this follow-up series, and, if the first book is any indication, readers will be just as pleased with these.  I don't care that the target audience is 9 to 11.  I bought my copy for my Kindle because I wanted it on Tuesday. 

The opening sentence of The Lost Hero would capture anyone's attention.  "Even before he got electrocuted, Jason was having a rotten day."  Jason doesn't know who he is, or how he ended up at Wilderness School with a group of troubled teens who were fifteen and sixteen.  But, when a monster attacks Jason and two other teens on the walkway at the Grand Canyon, he quickly figures out the three of them are a little different.  When a rescue team, led by Annabeth, swoops in to rescue them and take them to Camp Half-Blood, he knows how different they are.  But, Jason still doesn't know who he is.

Piper and Leo are only a little better off.  They're all a little old to arrive at Camp Half-Blood, but they quickly learn they're essential members of a new team sent on a quest.  Hera is imprisoned, and, if she's not rescued by the solstice, in four days, a king will arise who opposes the gods on Olympus.  All three, Jason, Piper, and Leo, have secrets, but the oracle's messages indicate they must move quickly.  And, each one has strange dreams, and messages from Hera.

Riordan's first series always left the reader breathless with anticipation and anxiety.  Percy Jackson's adventures were riveting, involving the Greek gods.  Now,  Percy Jackson's disappearance is an essential plot element, while Jason's involvement introduces the elements of the Roman gods.  The three new demi-gods have fascinating backgrounds, different from characters in the earlier books.  To tell anymore would be to ruin the excitement of this series.  My only disappointment?  It will be a year before the next book in the series.  But, The Lost Hero successfully launches an exciting follow-up series combining fantasy and mythology.  It's a must-read for those of us who loved Percy Jackson.

Rick Riordan's website is http://www.rickriordan.com/

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.  Hyperion, ©2010. ISBN 9781423113393 (hardcover), 576p.

*****
FTC Full Disclosure - I bought the ebook for my Kindle.