L'oracolo nascosto. Le sfide di Apollo

The Trials of Apollo #1

by Rick Riordan, Loredana Baldinucci (Translator), Laura Melosi (Translator)

Per un immortale non c'è condanna più crudele che diventare un mortale: Apollo è precipitato dall'Olimpo a Manhattan e si è ritrovato nelle sembianze di un goffo sedicenne di nome Lester Papadopoulos! Il dio della poesia, della musica e del sole è più che mai determinato a riconquistare bellezza, fascino e addominali. Così, in compagnia della nuova amica Meg, si avventura per le strade di New York alla ricerca di Percy Jackson, l'unico che possa aiutarlo.

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Percy Jackson, Adventure

360 pages, Paperback

First published May 3, 2016

About the author

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zeus needed someone to blame, so of course he’d picked the handsomest, most talented, most popular god in the pantheon: me.

This might be my favourite Riordan book.

I was actually disappointed with his last one - The Sword of Summer - and I began to question in my review if it was finally time for Mr. R. to take a step back from these books about Greek, Roman and Egyptian gods. The conflicts were similar and the teen "voices" had begun to blend into one. Magnus Chase could just as easily have been Percy Jackson.

BUT then RR had to throw Apollo into the mix. Apollo stands out because he is not a teenage boy. Well... technically, he *is* in this book. But he's actually an age-old immortal who has been cast out of Olympus by Zeus and turned into a regular human teenager. His voice, however, not to mention his snark and humour, are that of a selfish, narcissistic, hilarious asshole.

Truly, this book is so refreshing! Apollo doesn't even pretend he's a do-gooder; in fact, it's clear from the beginning that he's out for himself and views humans as "meat sacks". Imagine his horror when he discovers that not only is he human, but he also has acne and flab.

Is anything sadder than the sound of a god hitting a pile of garbage bags?

Of course, there's a whole lot of godly drama going on too. You don't get to be an old god like Apollo without making a LOT of enemies. But this mostly stood out to me as being the funniest book Riordan has written and that's really saying something, given that all his books are defined by his trademark snarky humour. Pure entertainment.

Apollo is the Gilderoy Lockhart of this world and it is hilarious. There's a nice bit of schadenfreude to be had when this self-obsessed god finally gets what he deserves and has to rely on Percy Jackson for help. And yet, there is something undeniably lovable about him too.

On that note, many familiar characters come in and out of this book. You don't have to have read the other books to understand and enjoy this one, but it does contain spoilers for the main series and the characters.

This, for me, stood out amid a sea of similar stories and characters. I'm still not 100% sure I would want to read any more books that focus on teenage demigods (we've kind of been there and done that, in my opinion), but I will definitely see Apollo's story through to the end.

It warmed my heart that my children had the right priorities: their skills, their images, their views on YouTube.

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[Claudia Lomelí · Rating 4 out of 5]

NOOOOOO OMG!!! That final chapter killed me and brought me to life at the same time!!! Apollo's team in this trials will be THE DREAM TEAM! I'm so excited to read the adventures of these three!!!

Also, everytime Percy appeared I couldn't stop SMILING. OH! And Apollo was FANTASTIC! He made me laugh out loud every two paragraphs! Humor on point! I really loved this book.

...

UPDATE 05/10/2015: WE HAVE THE SYNOPSIS AND THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN I EXPECTED! I've always loved the way uncle Rick writes Apollo (and all the gods, tbh)! This is gonna be so epic and hilarious. And I can't wait to see more of my babies at Camp Half-Blood!!! Nico, Will, Jason, Piper, Leo!!! And hopefully also Percy and Annabeth and Hazel and Frank YES PLEASEEEEEE.

I'M FANGIRLING SO MUCH.


First impressions, September 2015: OMFG OMFG OMFG.







EDIT: I don't understand why people complain so much about Rick sticking to this universe and being "like Cassandra Clare". SO WHAT IF THE AUTHORS LOVE THE UNIVERSE THEY CREATED? LET THEM BE! They are the authors and they can write whatever they want. If you don't want to read more of their amazing books, then you don't have to do it! There are plenty of people (including me) who are VERY EXCITED for this new series (and for all of Cassie's new Shadowhunter Chronicles, too).

[Sasha Alsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Suffice to say, Apollo, you are awesome. This book made me literally "LOL" multiple times and brought a smile to my face seeing old characters I love again. YAY!

Ill be uploading my review to my youtube channel this week!

[Regan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I LOVED THIS! A review will be up on my channel on Friday!

[Natalie Monroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Is anything sadder than the sound of a god hitting a pile of garbage bags?"

Or to paraphrase, is there anything sadder than your favorite author becoming a sellout?

It's blatantly obvious Riordan isn't even trying anymore. He knows he can put out a steaming heap of crap and Percy fangirls and Solangelo diehards would still be clawing over each other for a copy, sending This Hidden Disappointment to the top of the NYT bestseller's list.

I don't understand Solangelo—Will and Nico. They never had chemistry. They were slapped together in The Blood of Olympus for the sole purpose of Nico getting over Percy. Yeah, it was sweet then and I was drunk on the magic of the finale, but their relationship is never fleshed out. They're presented as this oh-so-cute couple and we're automatically supposed to be on-board because they're gay.

To that, I say:



We ship Percy and Annabeth because they have history. They went to hell and back for each other. Their relationship weathered problems, like Luke and Rachel. They work so incredibly well as a couple and a team as The House of Hades demonstrated.

What do Will and Nico have? A few conversations behind the Hades cabin. I expected their relationship to develop more in The Hidden Oracle, not a simple PSA about LGBTQIA rights from Riordan through Apollo. I'm glad we're seeing more diversity in campers, with Chinese and Brazilian demigods, but the way they're presented feels like a big neon sign flashing, "Look how inclusive I'm being!"

Solangelo isn't the problem. I can live with them and the obvious fanservice in the form of Leo and Percy's reappearance. Props on ushering the son of Poseidon out of the story early, so Apollo and new characters can shine.

(I was dying to use that pun.)

But the fucking plot. It was formulaic and recycled and I can feel angry tears springing to my eyes as I type this. I can bitch and whine about Riordan not leaving Percy in peace, but I grudgingly and eagerly accept new series as long as he kept delivering quality content.

The pacing of Apollo's character arc can be described by one word: whiplash. Too fast, too out of the blue. The writing itself has regressed. For the first time, I feel like I'm reading middle grade. Percy Jackson & the Olympians had the occasional beautiful sentence, and the Heroes of Olympus showed leaps and bounds in prose. The Hidden Oracle is filled with short, simple sentences and quickly dated popculture references. "You don't want to wake the Beast," is a shameless ripoff of Game of Thrones.

Its predecessors knew when to put a lid on the enchilada jokes and get serious. Percy's fight with Ares way back in The Lightning Thief was dead serious. The grand climax of The Hidden Oracle is frankly ridiculous. The statue sneezes his head off, for fuck's sake.

Rhea portrayed as a tree-hugging hippie is a tired Riordan stereotype. Yes, mighty gods are door-to-door salesman and hobos. Call me when it's 2005 again.



Then there's Meg, the demigod that claims Apollo into her service—and obligatory female partner-in-crime, like Annabeth or Sam from The Sword of Summer. She's a bratty, more annoying version of your typical Strong Female Character. One that doesn't have a lot of personality, but she can fight and backsass, so that automatically makes her the face of feminism.

I wouldn't be as peeved had Riordan not shown himself capable of creating more complex female characters. Reyna is a goddess. Her character arc in The Blood of Olympus was one of the highlights of the whole book. She got rejected by both Jason and Percy, but sucked it up to fight a war. She became allies with their girlfriends and eventually friends. She sought to bridge the Greek and Roman camps, even though she had every reason to hate them. She doesn't magically find a boyfriend to mend her broken heart in the end and gets over it through time and space.

I officially ship Reyna with herself.



I've loved Percy and his adventures for nearly 8 years. I lived through the movie announcement, then subsequent disappointment at the actual product. My edition of The Lightning Thief isn't even in print anymore.

I'm as big as a fan as before. All I'm asking for a little respect.



My review of The Dark Prophecy

Pre-review:

Cynical Natalie: *grumbles* Not another one.

Nice Natalie: OH MY GOD IT'S ABOUT APOLLO MAYBE IT'LL BE IN HIS POV I CAN'T BREATHE

Cynical Natalie: Stop it, stop it! Don't you see this is another attempt to squeeze money out of the Percy Jackson series? How can he prove himself a relevant writer if he keeps writing the same thing?

Nice Natalie: SQUEEEEE WE CAN SEE PERCY

Cynical Natalie: You didn't hear a word I said, did you?

Nice Natalie:



Cynical Natalie: We've lost her.

[Tharindu Dissanayake · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I fell on my divine face."

This is one hilarious book. No matter how terrifying some of the situations might be, laughing at Apollo takes over everything else in this book. And after all the world-ending battles, it's kind of nice to go back to a slower pace at least for a little while. This one felt a somewhat similar to PJO Lightning Thief where everything began with Percy, and not just because of the first person narrative. Considering Apollo wasn't never made out to be a favorite character before, I'm sure most will be laughing throughout the first half of the book.

"It starts on the fourth of the major scale. They say it's called Lydian after the old kingdom of Lydia, but actually, I named it for an old girlfriend of mine. She was the fourth woman I dated that year."

It was kind of nice being back at Camp Half-blood and to meet some of our old beloved characters, but I did wish the main plot would've begun a little sooner. Camp part didn't feel like anything new. Still, Meg's first camp experiences made things interesting. And Meg - awesome new character.

"THY CHANTING SUCKETH. METHINKS THOU HAST BLOWN IT."
"Then all Hades broke loose."

The adventure part start in the second half of the book, and the overall direction of the book (and probably the entire series) is revealed. By the way things ended with HoO, I expected the plot to continue from the Gaia's leftover supporters but, it seems Riordan's had his mind set on an entirely original path to continue things along, and one that has a lot of potential to grow in many possible ways.

"Oh, geyser, my geyser, Let us spew then, you and I.
For we have not gone gentle into this good night,
But have wandered lonely as clouds."

And this poem... I couldn't resist selecting it as a quote.. What would Dylan Thomas and William Wordsworth have to say, I don't know... This book was more hilarious than anything else (of which I'm not complaining) but, I do hope things will get thrilling as we move on.

"Malcolm looked like the perfect battlefield commander, except for the fact that he'd forgotten his pants."

"The journey is greater than the destination."

[Jayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

(B+) 78% | Good
Notes: The tone and style's bit juvenile, bit sterile plot, bit cloying, a pompous voice (bit risky choice) I didn't find annoying.

*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary:

Progress updates:

08/02/2023 - Preamble
(1) I could have read this last year but I wanted to refresh my memory with audiobook rereads of the previous books.
- I never imagined the 10 books would take me 9-1/2 months, but that's all down to not having to drive as much as I did, and then driving a lot (I finished the last 3 books in 2 weeks just listening in my car).
(2) Buddy-read with Jenny.

08/03/2023 - Chapters 1-5
(1) There's a lot of slipping on banana peels for humor... which might be funny if banana peels were actually slippery on pavement.
- Seriously? how did that gag become a thing?
(2) In my head, Apollo has an upper-class English accent.
- All the better to accentuate his snobbery.
(3) I can already tell Meg's going to annoy me.
- She seems quirky for the sake of quirky, and her personality's all over the place.

08/04/2023 - Chapters 6-10
(1) Definitely a middle-grade tone to this book so far.
- A main character is 12, and there's lots of juvenile humor: pratfalls, food-fights, crotch-kicking, etc.
(2) Whenever I see "nosoi," I think "no soy."
- "I am not" in Spanish, or the bean/milk/protein alternative.
(3) The POV reminds me of Bartimaeus from "Amulet of Samarkand."
- Not just in style and tone, but they're both ancients in the modern world.

08/05/2023 - Chapters 11-15
(1) Apollo's bisexual, and has had around 33 girlfriends and 11 boyfriends.
- You'd think it'd be a lot more since he's literally ancient, and given all the kids he's spawned.
(2) Chiron: "Even the archaic form of communication known as e-mail is strangely unreliable."
- Wouldn't you expect archaic things to be unreliable?
- And since when is e-mail "archaic"? Though, apparently, here Facebook is cutting edge.

08/06/2023 - Chapters 16-20
(1) There are intercontinental campers now.
- I can't say we've seen that until now.
(2) We get the first non-villain deaths in forever.
- They're two no-names, but it's something to give this series some teeth.
(3) How does Meg have a step-dad if her mom's a god?
- I guess her dad's bisexual and married a guy.
(4) Rachel acting like a cheated-on girlfriend when Apollo reveals he has other Oracles is inspired!

08/11/2023 - Chapters 21-26
(1) The "deadly little girl" trope is one of my pet peeves. It's rarely done right.
- Meg isn't exactly Hit-Girl. She's a pudgy, somewhat dimwitted 12 year-old with zero training. Nor does her godly parentage naturally confer any martial ability.
(2) "Sweet Caroline" isn't exactly the usual Riordan pop culture reference.
- Usually his references are so current and fleeting they go in one ear and out the other.

08/12/2023 - Chapters 27-32
(1) Nero being The Beast isn't a mystery. Anyone who's read any sort of commentary on the Book of Revelation will know "the number of the beast" is actually code for Emperor Nero.
(2) Not to spoil anything, but SPOILER WARNING, I totally guessed the identity of Meg's step-father.
- When it's mentioned that he's a particular type of person, and only one person of that ilk is named in the book, it's pretty easy.

08/13/2023 (1) - Chapters 33-36
(1) I'd planned to finish the final 60 pages in one sitting. However, my body's betrayed me and sleep beckons.
(2) This hasn't been the usual Riordan book. Most notably, nearly everything happens at camp.
- We don't get the standard cross-country road trip and its chain of side-quests along the way.
- It's mostly been about rescuing abductees from monsters. St. George and the dragon stuff. Nothing spectacular.

08/13/2023 (2) - Chapters 37-39
(1) I'm essentially finished. I've only got the glossary to read, which I'll get to later because I'm a completist.
(2) For me, this is on the border between 3 and 4 stars. What made me round up was actually Apollo's narrative voice, which I'm sure people are split on.
- I wasn't annoyed by it and found it entertaining. It's colorful, like when Percy narrates, not bland like Jason or irritating like the Kanes.

[Brigid ✩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be.”

Dammit, Rick Riordan. This book was actually really good. WHAT THE HELL.

When I first heard about Trials of Apollo, I had very mixed feelings. On one hand I felt like, “Jeez Rick, please don’t turn into a huge sell-out.” On the other hand, I was like, “I GET TO BE REUNITED WITH ALL THE PJO/HOO CHARACTERS YET AGAIN!! YESSSS.”

Honestly, the premise––which is that Apollo turns mortal (a punishment from Zeus) and has to attend Camp Half-Blood––sounds like someone’s fanfiction idea or something. So I was a little like, “Oh boy, how is this going to last for an entire book––an entire five-book series for that matter?”

I guess I can only speak for the first book so far, but somehow it works. I was honestly just going to read this book for kicks––and to find out what had happened to certain PJO/HoO characters. But I ended up being way more invested in the story than I thought I would be. Not only is this book good, but I seriously think it’s the best thing Rick Riordan has written in the past few years. I liked this book more than Magnus Chase and honestly I think I liked it more than Blood of Olympus as well.

What I liked:

Apollo’s narration. Oh my goodness, it’s hilarious. I always loved Apollo in the PJO books, and it’s amazing to get to read a whole story in his perspective. Somehow he manages to be super conceited but also so lovable at the same time? And I think it’s because we all know he actually has a heart, hidden underneath all that vanity.

But also, it’s hilarious to see him trying to adjust to being mortal. Oh, and I loved that all the chapter titles were haikus.

It’s not a journey story. I think this may be the first ever Rick Riordan book where the characters don’t go on an epic quest. Not that I don’t mind a good journey story, but I was relieved this book didn’t follow the typical Riordan formula.

This is where The Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase, and even Heroes of Olympus fell a little flat for me––I liked them, but it was starting to feel like the same story over and over again: “the characters go on some long journey, they meet a bunch of quirky mythological beings along the way!”

The Hidden Oracle, on the other hand, mostly just takes place at Camp Half-Blood. Yet, there is still tension, mystery, and conflict without the characters having to wander all over the country. Towards the end, I got the sense it was setting up for a journey story in the next book(s), but I at least appreciate that Rick stepped out of his comfort zone for this first installment.

Percy Jackson gets a freakin’ break. I was excited Percy was in this book, of course (and I found it hilarious that Meg immediately has a crush on him––oh my god, everyone is in love with this kid). But I also liked that Percy didn’t stick around for the whole book (as much as I love him). He’s just like, “Look, I’ll give you a ride to camp and I’ll check in this weekend––but I also have a life and stuff.” I’m sure he’ll get dragged into more shenanigans in this series, but I’m also glad to see him trying to live a normal life––trying to catch up on schoolwork, thinking about college, etc. #LetPercyLive2k16

The humor. Rick really brought it with the humor in this one––I haven’t laughed so much at a book in a long time.

Then the glow become brighter: a holographic golden sickle with a few sheaves of wheat, rotating just above Meg McCaffrey.

A boy in the crowd gasped. “She's a communist!”

A girl who'd been sitting at Cabin Four's table gave him a disgusted sneer. “No, Damien, that's my mom's symbol.”

Just … oh my gosh. *dies of laughter*

MEG. I love Meg. I love that she wears glasses and eats a lot and has a little bit of hair above her upper lip. I love that she’s a daughter of Demeter, and that being a child of the harvest/agriculture goddess is actually portrayed as being pretty badass. I love how endearingly odd she is. I love that she gets to be an important part of the story, when most of the time a similar character would have to take the sidelines.

I also love the friendship between Meg and Apollo. He starts off thinking she’s a total nuisance and then ends up really caring about her in the end, and just … mY HEART.

THE SOLANGELO. OH MY GOD. OH. MY. GOD. I was grinning my head off about these two throughout the whole book. I am ridiculously happy to finally see a canon gay couple in one of Riordan’s books, and it was worth the wait. These two are PERFECT, OMFG.

Will put his hand on Nico's shoulder. "Nico, we need to have another talk about your people skills."

"Hey, I'm just stating the obvious. If this is Apollo, and he dies, we're all in trouble."

Will turned to me. "I apologize for my boyfriend."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Could you not―"

"Would you prefer special guy?" Will asked. "Or significant other?"

"Significant annoyance, in your case," Nico grumbled.

BOYFRIEND. HE SAID BOYFRIEND.

"Nico," I said at last, "shouldn't you be sitting at the Hades table?"

He shrugged. "Technically, yes. But if I sit alone at my table, strange things happen. Cracks open in the floor. Zombies crawl out and start roaming around. It's a mood disorder. I can't control it. That's what I told Chiron. "

"And is it true?" I asked.

Nico smiled thinly. "I have a note from my doctor."

Will raised his hand. "I'm his doctor."

CAN YOU HEAR ME SCREAMING. THESE TWO DORKS. I CAN’T HANDLE IT.

And you know what I also love? I love that Apollo is so open about being bisexual. Honestly this just means so, so much to me. The first time Apollo mentioned that his two true loves had been Daphne and Hyacinthus my jaw kinda dropped, because I really hadn’t expected Rick Riordan to acknowledge that.

And I was already happy with that one little nod to Apollo’s sexuality, but it doesn’t end there. Apollo clearly states at one point that he has been in relationships with numerous men and women, and throughout the story he notes the attractiveness of both male and female characters. I had expected that at most Rick Riordan would hint that Apollo was bisexual, so I was just overjoyed that he didn’t try to hide it at all.

In all seriousness, this representation means a lot to me. There were no LGBTQIA characters in the books I read as a kid. None. I don’t think I saw queer characters in a book until I was like 15. So to see a book like this, where there is both a canon gay couple and a bisexual protagonist, and to know that gay and bisexual kids could grow up reading this book/series and actually feel represented … that gives me so many feelings. I wish I’d had this kind of representation when I was a kid.

What didn’t work for me:

As I said, I did appreciate that this book took things a little more slowly than most of Riordan’s books. However, I did wish there’d been a little bit more going on. The whole book felt like it was building up to something bigger––which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it also made it feel a little incomplete.

The references to modern technology. Look, I know Rick Riordan wants to appeal to the cool kids and all, but at times I found this a little cringe-worthy. All the references to things like Skype, YouTube, Snapchat, etc. tend to feel forced and unnecessary to me––not only that, but they’re probably going to seem silly and obsolete to any kid who reads this book in ten years.

There was a major plot twist I was a little iffy about. I’m talking about the whole thing where Meg (sort of) betrays Apollo. It was a tad clichéd and I was slightly disappointed that Riordan took it that route … I just feel like the same plotline has been done a million times. However, I did like that it added more depth to her character. It’s pretty messed up how much Nero has manipulated and emotionally abused her.

The final word:

This book really came out of left field for me. I had lost a bit of faith in Rick Riordan over the past few years, but I feel like he redeemed himself with this one. I was initially anxious about yet another PJO spin-off, but now I’m finding myself really excited about it.

I love Apollo’s narration. I love the humor. I love the new characters and I love seeing the old characters again.

I guess I’ll be reading this series until I’m like 30. Dammit, Rick.

(Pre-release ranting/fangirling under the cut.)

---------

2/11/16:





WELP, THAT'S IT. I'M SOLD.

----------

12/10/15:

YESSSS, MORE INFO.

- First of all, we have a book cover now! OOOOOH, pretty.
- Apparently this is going to be a 5 book series. ... Which means I'm literally going to be almost 30 by the time the last book comes out. That's a scary thought.
- Most importantly, PERCY IS IN IT. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
- You can read a short excerpt from the book here.

----------

10/8/15:

Oh boy. I know I shouldn't be excited for this. I know Rick Riordan is just milking the Percy Jacskon franchise for all it's worth. I know he's essentially just writing fanfiction of his own series at this point.

AND YET ...... I don't care, honestly. And despite what the rational side of me says, I am excited. Because:

- Apollo's point of view is sure to be hilarious.
- I'm just imagining Apollo trying to adjust to Camp Half-Blood life and it's glorious.
- Heroes of Olympus left a bunch of loose ends and I want to know what happens.
- WE GET TO SEE ALL THE OLD CHARACTERS AGAIN??????!!!!! WE GET MORE PERCABETH??!!?! WE GET TO SEE NICO AND WILL AS A COUPLE HOPEFULLY???!!!!

[Tina➹ lives in Fandoms · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Golden Stars
98%
because of a few small things


READERS ATTENTION!:
before this series, you should read these to understand better:
first, Percy Jackson
then Heroes of Olympus

✦ Not only because of knowing the Characters & the World, but the Plot is kind of continuous

Also Trials of Apollo is happening at the same timeline with Magnus Chase; they have crossovers sometimes.
(or if it's hard to remember go here & read in this order: Camp Half-Blood Chronicles)
I literally warned everywhere I could, so I should've put it in my review too. :D


now
*clapping my hands*
where were we?
Trials of Apollo, Book 1: the Hidden Oracle
yessss!

I loved this book.
so much fun!
Solangelo! of course! (my other OTP.) I want more! I NEED more!
Kayla & Austin & Damien & Ellis & Sherman, so great! so fun!
thrills & feels (not so tense but I'm so emotional)
Apollo sounds like Kuzco! I love Kuzco! I love Apollo!
the first part was the funniest!
the last part was the best! (& funny too, you can't expect Apollo's narration not to be fun! XD)
& the COVER is GORGEOUS! OMG! *mesmerizing with the beauty*

I always loved Apollo in Greek mythology (before reading Percy Jackson) & he is awesome in this world of modern Greek mythology retelling, Camp Halfblood & Demigods too! I love we have a series about him. :)
he is completely a DRAMA QUEEN (he even approved himself as a dramatic god somewhere in his haiku.)
Of course he was a whining wimpy Narcissistic (sometimes idiot) character at first (& that was funny!) he was an immortal punished to be a mortal; those are very different states...


How do you punish a powerful immortal??

By making him powerless & mortal


but he started to change soon.
He stood up for his mission, because he believed that was something he must have done himself:

he changed from this:
I would rather have pick a nice group of heroes & sent them...
to:
"I won't allow any others to put themselves at risk."

My heart melted when he was singing; like I could actually hear him told his stories, his remorse. He accepted he made mistakes.
He actually changed:

✦ "I risked my life for you," I said in amazement. "and that actually means something. because I can die!"

& as Percy said, "You sure about that? You seemed pretty different to me."

Also meeting his children was one of the fantastic moments of the book! (& funny & awkward!)
& I loved to see some of the older familiar (favourite) characters is back in this series! I wish we see others too!
& the new ones were fun, Damien, Sherman, the Nike children.
and the good feeling of rushing adrenaline through my veins inside the pages! (even after 3rd re-read) I love the excitements! it makes me feel alive.

at the end, He still whines but as long as he cares & sometimes acting courageously, doesn't matter he thinks like a crybaby. also his whining brings more fun to the story. XD
I can understand him.

Bless Riordan's writing style! Seems so real, all the characters & events; I think sometimes Apollo & his haikus & Percy & his friends might really exist & world came to an ending twice! (that's insane, I know!)


p.s. I want to eat tortillas with seven layered dip & blue cookies! am I the only one!?
p.s. 2. the only thing I didn't like much was Myrmekes. (because I don't like bugs.) I did like the singing part tho.
p.s. 3. I think Riordan is a Supernatural fan. I mean, what's the odds that you somehow add 1967 Chevy Impala "in particular" as a minor detail in your book & not knowing how much it means to some people, aka, the SPNfamily & they pick it up (devour it) immediately??

-
World building: ★★★★★/5
Characters: ★★★★★/5
/ Characters development: ★★★★★/5
Written style: ★★★★★/5
/ Fun: ★★★★★/5
/ Feelz: ★★★★★/5
Plot: ★★★★/5
General idea: ★★★★★/5

[Hailey (Hailey in Bookland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was tons of fun! The perspective of a god is great to read from, especially since Apollo made for a hilarious narrator. While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as his other books, it was still great!

[NickReads]

I need to start reading Percy Jackson so I can continue with Heroes of Olympus and The Trials of Apollo.

[aimee (aimeecanread)]

10/08/2015
I have two reactions right now:
1. Apollo =
2. "And yes, this means we’ll get to know what’s going on with fan-favorite characters Leo and Nico. And, of course, Percabeth." That's it, I died. PERCABETH, GUYS!

09/17/15
HOLY. FREAKING. SHIT. Brb peeing my pants in excitement. Although I hope it's more like the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians series rather than Heroes of Olympus.

[P · Rating 4 out of 5]

The others seemed confused. Then the glow became brighter: a holographic golden sickle with a few sheaves of wheat, rotating just above Meg McCaffrey.

A boy in the crowd gasped. “She’s a communist!”

The Hidden Oracle continues right after The Blood of Olympus. Apollo aka Lester Papadopoulos is banished from Olympus. He used to be a god, when he's mortal, he doesn't have his power and that makes him very upset. In this book, you will meet the same old characters such as Percy, Nico, Chiron and Will. If you love Nico and Will being together, this book won't disappoint you. If you miss Percy and want to see him once again, this book will bring you joy. So The Hidden Oracle is for the fans who always want more of Rick Riordan's stories, the world of Percy Jackson and Greek gods.

Apollo is a remarkable character from the first page. Rick Riordan pulled me into the story easily as if there was magic in it when I touched the book and it told me that: 'Love me ! Reading me is so fun and don't put me down'. So it turned out that I couldn't put it down for hours and had to read until I finished it. Rick ! You hooked me to this stuff (again). I love The Hidden Apollo more than The Blood of Olympus because I feel like this is a good start for the brand new stories to come. There's just one storyline and it doesn't tangle like it does in The Hero of Olympus series. The story is easy to understand and focus. Apollo always made me laugh and I enjoyed every moment of that. Even if when Percy appears on the scene, my focus shifted from Apollo to him, but it's not a problem. xD

“And I have acne,” I lamented. “And flab.”

This book is a bit better than Magnus Chase, however, I kinda like Magnus Chase even more. Maybe it's because I'm not excited about Greek gods anymore or so. Norse mythology is new for me, and I was super excited when I read Magnus Chase. Anyway, this book is great and the narrative is not boring at all - it's engaging and hilarious, the dynamic of the characters is abundant. There're four oracles waiting to be explored at the end of this book. I want to see Apollo's development in the next book and how hard he learns his lessons for both him and Meg. Can't wait !



http://goo.gl/E0blSX

[celina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will read anything that this man writes

[Ahmed Ejaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember when I started this book last year without reading the previous ten books, one of my best friends here told me I have to read previous books. I was sad because I had read, I think, 5 chapters or so and I was quite enjoying it. And reading ten whole books seemed a huge mess to me. Now I understood that my friend was right.
**Thank you, if you are reading this review. :)**

>>The book started off in an excellent manner. Very much interesting. It was so hilarious how Apollo was, literally, whining about him being a mere mortal. Jokes aside, I enjoyed his whining. Does it seem cold? Then be it! :D
>>We got a whole bunch of new characters. Especially, Meg was a good one. We didn't get much of her past. Really looking forward to read more of her. By the way, I had guessed her godly parent before revelation. I know I won't be getting award for this as it was obvious.
>>We get a new, maybe, Great prophecy here. It's totally different from the ones we have read previously. I liked it. But still my favourite prophecy is The Prophecy of Seven.
>>Rhea! Wow! Her entrance was...OMG! I loved her meeting with Apollo.
>>Now Uncle Rick is, brilliantly, trying to link the previous events with a company of three roman emperors. Well, I wasn't interested in it because it seemed too much. But eventually it all made sense.

One thing I would mention that this book seemed boring to me at some points in the middle. Really! Maybe it was not boring? I just felt it that way because I am reading his books almost in row?
I pretty much liked this book. But I think previous ten books in the series are better than this. Maybe because this is just the beginning. I just can't say it, but something feels off. Really hope next book will be amazing.

🌟🌟4.50 Stars🌟🌟

7 December, 2017

[Simona B]

This was the conversation my sister and I had about this book.

ME: You know, I hate too long series. After, don't know, ten books, don't you think one must accept it is time to stop? The well is dry, let's face it. Personally, I always avoid this kind of writers-

SISTER: You're a Cassie Clare's fan.

ME (not listening): ...because I hate that they have to stretch their stories this way. It's not fair, too often they come up with idiocies that are just shadows of their first works-

SIS: You liked TID better than TMI.

ME: ...and I can't help but feel exploited by their selfish purpose of making money, money, money-

SIS: You know, I heard Rick Riordan is going to publish a book about Apollo.

ME: ...and- wait what?

[Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m on BookTube now! =)

”The only thing I knew for certain: my punishment was unfair. Zeus needed someone to blame, so of course he’d picked the handsomest, most talented, most popular god in the pantheon: me.”

I can’t believe how we got from this Apollo at the beginning to the Apollo at the end of the book. But then again, there was always good in him. It was just buried underneath his huge ego. *lol* I guess in some way I’m very thankful Zeus decided to kick Apollo out of Olympus, because it didn’t just give us an entirely new series that plays in the Percy Jackson universe but also helps us to understand how Apollo (and most of the gods) think about demi-gods and humankind in general. It’s nice to have a gods POV for a change and it definitely made for good entertainment. The interesting thing about Apollo is that he’s a really witty and hilarious character but at the same time there is some depth to him we didn’t get with a lot of the other heroes in the PJ universe. Sure, they all have their troubled pasts, some more than others, but at the end of the day they are all teenagers that learn to find themselves and to pave their own way.

”I wanted to say: You remind me of someone. But I didn’t dare open that line of conversation. Only two mortals ever had broken my heart. Even after so many centuries, I couldn’t think of her, couldn’t say her name without falling into despair.”

Apollo is entirely different to the demi-gods because he was around for thousands of years and despite being one of the powerful gods, he has loved and lost already. He’s a grown-up stuck in the body of a powerless teen and for the first time ever since he came into being he’s forced to realize what it truly means to be human and what it entails. Obviously to have no eight-pack abs and to have horrible acne! *lol* I had a good laugh about that one because I’m sure every teenager can relate to those “horrors” Apollo spoke about. ;-P If you take away his narcissism, egoism, good looks and high-handedness all that’s left is his true self, though. And this is exactly what happens in the book. Apollo is forced to accept his new reality and it allows him to shine and to show that underneath it all he’s actually a pretty decent human being.

”Then it occurred to me how many times I had asked for sacrifices, how many heroes I had sent to their deaths. Had they been any less noble and courageous than these [redacted]? Yet I had felt no remorse when I sent them off on deadly tasks. I had used them and discarded them, laid waste to their lives to build my own glory. I was no less of a monster than ...”

Yes, I’m trying my best to keep this review spoiler free so you’ll have to live with “redacted” quotes. *lol* Anyway! What I really liked about “The Hidden Oracle” were the interactions between Apollo and all his children. Well, truth be told, not only his children but their friends as well. He’s a very kind soul and some sort of father figure that adopts everyone no matter how much they annoy him and this is extremely wholesome and endearing. I loved that he knew all of his children by name and also remembered their mothers and fathers.

”Thank you,” I managed.
I could not add my children. It didn’t seem right. These demigods were my protectors and my family, but for the present I could not think of myself as their father. A father should do more – a father should give more to his children than he takes. I have to admit that this was a novel idea for me. It made me feel even worse than before.

His developing friendship with Meg was so nice to watch and it always got me when he thought about his children and how he should have done more for them. He’s probably the only god who knows all his children’s names (except of Zeus, Hades and Poseidon, but if you only have one kid that’s not really a challenge. XD) yet he still wanted to do better. Apollo truly cares about his kids and if they get into trouble there’s nothing he wouldn’t do in order to save them. And this even in his powerless human form. And it’s the same for his children. They’d do anything to help their father as well and if that isn’t a good and nourishing foundation for love and trust then I don’t know.

The curse of the River Styx could kill me in its slow cancerous way, or Zeus could strike me down. But my oath to save Meg McCaffrey had to come first.
I turned my face to the sky. “If you want to punish me, Father, be my guest, but have the courage to hurt me directly, not my mortal companion. BE A MAN!”

The defiance!!! *lol* It reminded me of Percy and it’s no wonder those two worked so well together. Seriously their conversations gave me life and some part of me hopes for more cameos of Percy just to see him banter with Apollo. I guess it’s safe to say that all of the demi-gods have a difficult relationship with their godly parents but Apollo is a god (or was until this book) and obviously has a more than just complicated relationship with his father Zeus as well. I wonder if Zeus will learn something from this too and I genuinely hope he does because Apollo deserves to have a father that cares about him too.

”Nosoi?” Percy planted his feet in a fighting stance. “You know, I keep thinking, I have now killed every single thing in Greek mythology. But the list never seems to end.”
“You haven’t killed me yet,” I noted.
“Don’t tempt me.”

Moreover he has loved and lost and his pride cost him dearly in the past. According to Apollo there were only two people he truly loved and they are a constant in the entire book. He still thinks about them and they are always on his mind, their ghosts accompanying him wherever he goes. His grief is deep and I felt really sorry for him whenever he was reminded of them. Also because I just need to say it: Apollo is a bisexual disaster and I LOVE him for it! The way he handles sexuality and how it’s no big deal for him. A true icon! I wish everyone’s parents would be as accepting and open-minded as Apollo and I loved that he kinda shipped his own son with his boyfriend. XD That’s such a rare thing to witness, but if anyone would do it, it would be Apollo, of course. ;-)

Will changed his surgical gloves and glared at the woods. “We will find them. We have to.”
Nico di Angelo gave him a flask. “Drink. Right now, this is where you need to be.”

Which brings me right to one of the most important things about “The Hidden Oracle” and technically it’s no spoiler because if you read the book it’s already mentioned about 25-30% into it. My Solangelo ship finally sailed and I’m not mad about it!! <333 What I’m MAD about though, is that it happened so fast and that we never found out what exactly happened! Like the last time I checked Will and Nico weren’t a thing at the end of “The Blood of Olympus” and now they are together?!! AHHHHH!!! My shipper heart is happy and not happy at the same time! Like: How dare you Uncle Rick? How dare you to throw this ship at us without any explanation of how it all happened?!! We didn’t even get a first time of holding hands or their first kiss. Like NO! Can we please at least hear about their story and how they became a couple?! T_T It feels like I missed out on 30 minutes of a fast-paced movie! *lol*

Will turned to me. “I apologize for my boyfriend.”
Nico rolled his eyes. “Could you not-“
“Would you prefer special guy?” Will asked. “Or significant other?”
“Significant annoyance, in your case,” Nico grumbled.
“Oh, I’ll get you for that.”

Still, I loved those two and their gentle gestures. They care about each other so much and the way they watch out for each other and take care of each other was so beautiful I melted. They are the epitome of the “Grump and Sunshine” trope and had me smiling whenever they were on page. Despite Nico’s grumpy attitude it’s more than just obvious that he loves to be Will’s boyfriend and adores him. I can’t wait to see more of their interactions and I hope they’ll be a big part of the next book too. I mean Will is Apollo’s son and the healer of the camp, it would make sense if he and Nico would go on a quest with Apollo, right?! Nico is still one of my favourite PJ characters ever and I’m absolutely in love with Will Solace. His slightly bossy and no-nonsense personality gets me every single time. <333

”You guys go,” Will told me. “The chariot is only designed for three, and after that shadow-travel Nico is going to pass out any second.”
“No, I’m not,” Nico complained, then passed out.
Will caught him in a fireman’s lift and took him away. “Good luck! I’m going to get the Lord of Darkness here some Gatorade!”

Ahh you just gotta love Will. XD He’ll become one of the best healers ever and Apollo is already very proud of him. =) This said I absolutely loved “The Hidden Oracle” and had an amazing time. I read this book in a couple of days and for me this is actually pretty fast. It usually takes me weeks to finish a story but this time around I just couldn’t put it down. Apollo as a character is extremely intriguing and I love the more serious vibe of this series. Don’t get me wrong, Apollo is one of the most hilarious characters ever, but he also has a very earnest side and the mixture of both of his sides worked more than just well for me. Plus his character growth after the first book is already palpable and I can’t wait to see how much more he’s going to change throughout the series.

”Apollo,” Chiron said, “you must do this. You are the lord of archery and illness.”
“I’m not lord of anything!” I wailed. “I’m a stupid ugly mortal teenager! I’m nobody!”

All told “The Hidden Oracle” was exactly the kind of book I wanted to read and had everything I hoped for and even more. Apollo’s development and character arc is done so well and Meg is a more than just interesting and complex side-kick. Fingers crossed we’ll see more of her and Peaches in the next book. I’m ready to pick up “The Dark Prophecy”! Let’s hope I’ll get hold of a library copy soon! ;-P

_______________________________

This was so much fun! I think Apollo might turn out to be one of my favourite heroes of the Percy Jackson universe. <3 I love Apollo! He’s precious and even though he might be self-centred and egoistic he also has his heart at the right place and would do anything for the people he cares about and loves.

I can’t wait to borrow book two from my library!
Full RTC soon! There’s so much more to Apollo than meets the eye. ;-)

_________________________________

New Year, New Series! =)
And I’m so damn ready to read this one, you have no idea!
I wanted to read “The Trials of Apollo” ever since Apollo’s first cameo in one of the Percy Jackson books and he just sounds like such a fun character! *lol*
Also he’s the father of Will Solace and I love Will and hope he’ll be a part of those books too. =)

Guess the only way to find out is by reading the book! XD
2023 is going to be the year of Apollo for me. ;-P

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[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

BOOKTUBEATHON 2016 BOOK #4

I really enjoyed this, though not as much as other books in this universe. IT HAS A LOT TO LIVE UP TO! Apollo's narration was hilarious and amazing and EVERYTHING and there was a really important narrative about relationships, specifically abusive ones, that I am really glad to see and interested to see play out. Honestly, Riordan's books will always be some of my favorites because of how great the world and characters are and how he manages to put important conversation pieces in his books!

[Paige Bookdragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

After the not-so-successful Magnus Chase book, I know that some people are reluctant to go back to RR's world, but I'm here to tell ya.The Hidden Oracle is so much better than The Sword of Summer.

Basically,this is the summary of The Hidden Oracle



This book is different to the usual RR book and its formulatic story. Uncle Rick II is kinda famous for writing a book/series with demigods as main characters and though I love Percy and the gang, the characters and the plot are getting predictable. I'm glad that The Hidden Oracle came something as a breathe of fresh air because we don't have a demigod hero in this book. What we have is a self-centered narcissistic ex-god who was turned into a human as a punishment.

MY NAME IS APOLLO. I used to be a god.

Apollo, the god of archery:


is one of the funniest character that Uncle Rick II has created. His self-entitlement knows no boundaries and of all the heroes that Uncle Rick II has made in the past,Apollo is the least heroic character.

His chin was so weak I was tempted to create a GoFoundMe campaign to buy him a better jaw.

-Apollo



Of course, part of the reason why The Hidden Oracle is awesome is because Nico and Will (SolAngelo) is here. And. They. Are. Goals.

Will put his hand on Nico’s shoulder. “Nico, we need to have another talk about your people
skills.”

“Hey, I’m just stating the obvious. If this is Apollo, and he dies, we’re all in trouble.”

Will turned to me. “I apologize for my boyfriend.”

Nico rolled his eyes. “Could you not—”

“Would you prefer special guy?” Will asked. “Or significant other?”

“Significant annoyance, in your case,” Nico grumbled.

“Oh, I’ll get you for that.”

Dying here. Omg.

And by the way,let us not forget my favorite Percy scene in this book.



and my favorite Percy quote:

“Some of the best demigods have gotten their start by blowing up toilets.”

He's just as swoony as ever.

And of course,who can forget that sudden twist in the end where LEO AND CALYPSO CAME BACK

It was like:



YEEEES GUUURL YEEEES.

And Rick Riordan?

[Neil Franz · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back."

Time and time again, it has been proven that whenever I'm reading a Rick Riordan book, I read so fast that the words blurred. I mean, I can't stop flipping the goddamn pages like there's no tomorrow. Maybe, it's the humor or probably, something else.

Anyway...

The Hidden Oracle is... wait for it... an entertaining read. I don't say, right? Hahaha! If you loved PJO and HoO, you will definitely love this one, too. It has the same elements, the same aura with those books by Uncle Rick. Yet, The Hidden Oracle is also different in many ways.

For the record, I like Apollo. I know he is selfish, a self-absorbed god and an asshole but his voice in this book made me like him. And his character development is superb. I liked how his character developed emotionally and intellectually. It fits and doesn't feel contrived at all. And don't forget his strong sarcasm and humor! *hands down*

The interesting new set of demigods involved in this novel is so diverse and all cute, I mean, likable and adorable. I like their distinct voices and personalities and the genuine feelings they are propagating in my direction, either it's happiness or the opposite of it.

We do have a great plot in this book. You know the drill, it involved prophecies and all but I still find it intriguing especially that it will scavenge other areas of Greek and Roman mythology.

Finally, we've got to see again some of the familiar demigods we loved in the previous series OMG YES and got the answer we're waiting for!

Can't wait to read the next book!!

[Marta Álvarez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entre las mil y una sagas de Riordan, creo que Las pruebas de Apolo recupera la originalidad con un narrador distinto. Es decir, Riordan siempre escribe con humor e ironía, pero Apolo destaca entre la sucesión de protagonistas semidioses ingeniosos y carismáticos. El dios más vanidoso convertido en mortal a las órdenes de una sin techo de trece años e ssin duda un personaje que da tanto juego como promete.

Es un poco introductoria (la trama "grande" de la saga" no empieza a aparecer hasta la mitad del libro). Pero se le perdona. Los cameos de algunos de mis personajes más queridos de sagas anteriores lo compensan (casi) todo.

[Anirudh · Rating 4 out of 5]

No! You simply do not mess with a person's eight-pack (or six or four-pack, for that matter) abs! Seriously, Rick, no wonder Apollo's feedback after mere moments of human existence was, "Mortality blows", lol.

Rick Riordan seemingly exhausts Graeco-Roman mythology, lore and history, to immerse audience in this, lesson-studded, and surprisingly empathetic metamorphosis of a god.

The Hidden Oracle, the introductory novel in this series, returns audience to Percy Jackson's universe through the marvellously depicted perspective of Apollo, the former god of music, arts, the Sun, etc. The deep and captivating plot unravels, as Apollo reluctantly serves Margaret McCaffrey (another reason for the afore-mentioned, "Mortality blows"), with astute, well-placed humour and dramatic action. This is done sublimely and the audience doesn't miss most of the "A-listers" of the series, as they rapidly get attached to Apollo, Meg and the ensemble of simpatico (hi, Nico, Rachel) secondary characters, from the previous series, supporting them.

Rick's Apollo (aka Lester Pswkmskeje...or something, lol) does wonderful work of channelling some of mythological Apollo's personality in an apropos manner, and the novel is a smashing (re-) introduction to this universe of mythological fiction.

"We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it is going to be."
- Rachel Dare.

[Kai Spellmeier]

“Not all monsters were three-ton reptiles with poisonous breath. Many wore human faces.”

I just finished The Heroes of Olympus, since I couldn't wait to get my hands on this. Finally I'd find out what happened in a god's head. The result was a little disappointing.

The main reason I didn't like this as much as Riordan's other books was the main character: Apollo. He's pretty self-centered and arrogant, but in a funny and ironic way. Thing is, after a few chapters the fun wears off, but Apollo stays as stupid as before. I kept waiting for some character developement. Luckily, in the second half of the book, Apollo grew through his trials and challenges, at least a little.

There was lots of great stuff in The Hidden Oracle. Amazing characters like Meg, Will and Nico, and most of all Sally Jackson. I loved returning to Camp Half-Blood once again. And Apollo as an openly bi (or pan?) sexual character in a children's and YA series is great. But I still caught myself skimming parts. There was just too much that bothered me.

There's that thing where authors keep writing about their world, not knowing when to stop (yeah you got me, I'm talking about a certain Shadowhunters author). But I don't get that feeling about Rick Riordan's books.
What does tire me out however, is that after the Titan War and Gaea awakening, there should be another threat to this world, possibly even more sinister and dangerous. Seems unlikely to me.
And last but not least we have Leo Valdez. And I don't like Leo Valdez. And I don't care for Leo Valdez. And I was happy that he was no big part of this book. But that's where my luck runs out. Seems like he's going to be a main character in the sequel.

I doubt that I can handle both Apollo and Leo in The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2). So I think it's understadable that I'm not too keen on continuing this series. I'll decide when its release date will come closer.

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[Silanur · Rating 4 out of 5]

edit #4 of March 8, 2017: FINALLY read this, rtc! Brought back so many memories and nostalgia :')


edit #3 of December 9, 2015: THE COVER DROPPED. I don't love it so much but you know what? I DONT FREAKING CARE BECAUSE IM THAT EXCITED FOR THIS BOOK. (tho i have to read magnus chase first... *hides away* SCHOOL IS GETTING IN THE WAY OKAY??!!!)

edit #2 of October 8, 2015: I know I'm a bit late to this, BUT GUYS THE SYNOPSIS AND TITLE WAS REVEALED AND IT SOUNDS EVEN BETTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD SOUND. GOSH. <3 I'm so happy because Apollo happens to be my favorite god, especially how he's written by Rick. (He's so cute and hot and gahhhhh)



OH BY THE WAY GUYS I'M ABOUT TO SEE RICK RIORDAN IN AN HOUR THAT'S WHY I'M WRITING THIS RIGHT NOW.

~

quick edit #1: to the people who are saying rick is becoming a "cassandra clare" by writing more series, stop it. if you don't want to read more wonderful books, then don't. the authors can write whatever they want, whenever. which means that cassandra clare and rick riordan can write whatever they want and YOU can't say anything. if you don't support it, then fine. but don't bash or hate on the authors with negative reviews.

~

OHMYGODS EVERYONE FREAK OUT



RICK IS WRITING A NEW FIVE BOOK SERIES

OHMYGODSOHMYGODSOHMYGODSOHMYGODS I HOPE THIS HAS SOME PERCABETH AND CALEO AND ALL OF EM. I NEED THEM. GOSH I ACTUALLY HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN I SAW THIS.

[✨ Helena ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t you just love it when a new spin-off series in a previously established world lives up to the nostalgia of your childhood? Because I do! I clearly remember coming across a small paperback, titled The Lightning Thief, sold on a small table of books at age 9. I will never forget that moment as it rekindled my love of mythology, which happened to be the tales that I was raised on. Percy Jackson was a fundamental aspect of my childhood, which makes my enjoyment of The Hidden Oracle that much sweeter.

Meet Apollo, the Sun God:


This is the first instalment in a new series centred around Apollo, who has just been cast out of Olympus, after having incurred Zeus’ wrath. Apollo finds himself in a dustbin with the appearance of a pimply and flabby teenager, named Lester Papadopoulos. To make matters worse, he no longer has any of his godly strength or powers. Needless to say, he’s in big trouble! :O Luckily, however, he manages to maintain his brilliant sense of humour (even though he’s being completely serious, it comes across as humour to the reader). “Zeus needed someone to blame, so of course he’d picked the handsomest, most talented, most popular god in the pantheon: me.” He’s so funny, snide, vain, selfish, and arrogant.

Rick Riordan has convincingly portrayed Apollo as a fallen god who needs to learn what it means to be human…that their children aren’t simply replaceable mortals to resolve the gods’ troubles through the completion of quests. Out of all of Riordan’s protagonists, Apollo is nearly matched with Percy Jackson as my favourite narrator. I loved seeing Camp Half-Blood through the eyes of one of the gods, especially one who fathered quite a number of history’s demigods. This book also gave Apollo plenty of opportunities for self-reflection. “I was the worst of the gods, the most guilt-ridden and unfocussed. I couldn’t commit myself to one lover. I couldn’t even choose what to be the god of. I kept shifting from one skill to another – distracted and dissatisfied.”

Despite his asinine behaviour the majority of the time, he does change over the course of the novel, thus becoming a better version of himself. “Then it occurred to me how many times I had asked for sacrifices, how many heroes I had sent to their deaths. Had they been any less noble and courageous than these dryads? Yet I had felt no remorse when I sent them off on deadly tasks. I had used them and discarded them, laid waste to their lives to build my own glory. I was no less of a monster than Nero.” I loved seeing Apollo as a protective father, wanting to do right by his demigod offspring. He also took great pride in their achievements, whether it be archery, medicine, or music.

The best part of this novel, of course, are the cameos from our favourite characters, including Percy Jackson, Chiron, Rachel Dare, Will Solace, Nico di Angelo, Leo Valdez, and Calypso! PSA: If you haven’t read The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and The Heroes of Olympus series to their completion, you will get spoiled, whilst reading this. However, if you have no intention of picking those up (which would be depriving yourself of great mythological retellings!), you do not need to read Riordan’s previous series in order to understand and adore this novel.

For anyone who worried that Rick Riordan’s characters were becoming carbon copies of one another, (considering that he’s written a Greek mythology series, a Roman mythology series, an Egyptian mythology series, as well as a Norse mythology series), you needn’t fear. I truly believe that this is his funniest book yet, and one of the best books that he’s written in quite some time! Bravo, Uncle Rick! I can’t wait to see Apollo again on his next adventure! :D

[bec. · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS COMES OUT IN MAY WITH SO MANY OTHER RELEASES BUT IM GOING TO BUY IT ANYWAY BECAUSE I'VE SOLD MY SOUL TO THE PERCY JACKSON SERIES.

[Juliana Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

MARAVILLOSO!!
Tengo que reconocer que cuando supe de este libro de Rick aunque me emocioné mucho tenía muchas dudas sobre leer mas historias de "lo mismo", todos saben que amo a Percy por encima de todas las cosas, pero ya es hora de dejarlo tranquilo, de ahí partían la mayoría de mis dudas.

Sin embargo este libro no es para nada mas de lo mismo, seguimos dentro del mismo mundo, sí, pero las aventuras, los mitos, los personajes, todo es nuevo y grandioso, las pequeñas apariciones de personajes que ya amamos de otros libros Percy, Nico, Will, Rachel... y otros que no mencionaré para evitar spoilers hacen que el nivel de fangirl por esta historia llegue a niveles absurdos.

Apolo es un narrado innato, su personalidad puesta aprueba como mortal es el toque de humor de la historia, verlo enfrentarse al mundo sin su estatus divino es bastante divertido (lo siento Apolo) y los nuevos personajes le dan un toque bastante diverso y fresco al libro 11 que leo sobre mitología griega y el campamento mestizo.

El final del libro es una emoción tras otra, desde que inicia la batalla en los últimos capítulos no puedes parar de leer, emocionante, divertido, peligroso, la verdad es que fui muy fan de este primer libro de Apolo y por su conclusión ya sabemos que vienen grandes aventuras con grandes personajes en la continuación de esta historia, ansiedad total por leer el siguiente libro de "Las Pruebas de Apolo"

Reseña: https://bastvilard.blogspot.com/2017/...
Video-Reseña: https://youtu.be/5oPTloi9Lz8

[Isa Cantos (Crónicas de una Merodeadora) · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST. BOOK. EVAHHHHHHHH.

Dioses griegos en desgracia. Percy Jackson. Quirón. Leo Valdez. Calypso. Los haiku de Apolo. El humor de Rick Riordan. Un triunvirato romano malvado. ¿Hay algo mejor que un libro con todos estos elementos juntos? ¡Yo digo que no!

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle se sitúa seis meses después de que acaba The Blood of Olympus así que, antes que nada, les advierto que si no han terminado la saga de Heroes of Olympus esta reseña puede tener spoilers.

En esta historia nos encontramos con Apolo despertándose en un basurero después de que su padre, Zeus, lo haya desterrado del Olimpo y lo haya vuelto mortal por haber propiciado, de cierta manera, el caos con los Titanes y Gea. Apolo, que ya ha vivido esta situación de volverse mortal dos veces, sabe que para recuperar su condición de dios, debe cumplir tareas casi imposibles dictadas por un semidiós que reclamará sus servicios. Es allí cuando aparece Meg, una semidiosa salvaje que nunca ha estado en el Campamento Mestizo, y ata Apolo a su destino. A partir de ese momento, Apolo y Meg viajarán juntos hasta el lugar seguro de los semidioses para solicitar ayuda de los campistas y poder restaurar la divinidad del dios caído en desgracia. Sin embargo, lo que ni Apolo ni Meg saben es que están a las puertas de una gran conspiración que involucra a los cuatro oráculos principales, pues no están funcionando, monstruos ancestrales y a un temido triunvirato de emperadores romanos que quieren hacerse con el poder de las profecías y el destino.

The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle es un gran inicio para lo que será una nueva serie de cinco libros del Tío Rick. La trama es épica, el sentido del humor sigue intacto y los personajes son más reales e inconfundibles que nunca.

Si hay algo que adoré de este libro es la vulnerabilidad de Apolo. Él, el dios del sol, la medicina, los oráculos, la música, la poesía y cientos de cosas más, se ve rebajado a ser un mortal. Ya no es guapo, ya no viaja en su carruaje del sol, tiene acné y no está en forma. Cuando empieza The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle nos encontramos con un mortal arrogante, que cuestiona cualquier aspecto de la vida mundana y sin poderes pero, a medida que va avanzando la historia, vamos percibiendo un cambio en Apolo. Ya no es este mortal que sigue creyéndose un dios, sino que se va a adaptando a las circunstancias que lo rodean. Deja de ser arrogante y, lentamente, entendemos que lo que se escondía detrás de esa actitud de chulito es una nostalgia y un dolor tremendos. La añoranza de lo perdido y la incertidumbre de un desenlace satisfactorio.

Rick Riordan supo construir en Apolo un personaje entrañable, con un sentido del humor único y un interior destrozado. Si bien Apolo es un dios al que aparentemente todo le ha ido bien en la mitología, sólo tenemos que devolvernos a revisar sus historias de amor para darnos cuenta de que no es así. A Apolo le han roto el corazón, se lo han hecho trizas... y no es algo que haya podido enterrar ni superar a pesar de que han pasado milenios.

En The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle, el Tío Rick vuelve a hacer de las suyas haciendo que confiemos en personajes en los que no debíamos. Cuando todo parece miel sobre hojuelas, aparece la persona menos pensada a apuñalarte por la espalda. Y, ¡por todos los dioses!, Apolo ya ha tenido suficientes traiciones en su eternidad. Pobrecillo mío. Pero, así como Rick juega con nuestros sentimientos para mal, también nos da una alegría tremenda en este libro y es que vuelve un personaje que todos pensábamos muertos tras el final de Blood of Olympus. ¡Mil hurras al Tío Rick por eso! <3

Eventualmente, cuando llegamos al meollo del asunto en el libro. Cuando entendemos por qué realmente no funcionan los oráculos, por qué los semidioses están desapareciendo, por qué no se les pueden asignar misiones y por qué nadie sabe nada del Campamento Júpiter... nos quedamos con la boca abierta. Creo que a Rick Riordan nunca se le acabará la imaginación, pues cuando pensamos que ya ha explotado la mitología al máximo en estos retellings, sale con un giro i m p r e s i o n a n t e. ¡El triunvirato, nada más y nada menos! Traiciones, Bestias y hechizos primordiales. Nada le falta a este libro. ¡Ni siquiera Percy! ¡PORQUE PERCY TAMBIÉN APARECE Y LO AMO Y....!

Adoro ver cómo todas estas sagas paralelas se van entrelanzando. Porque, aunque sutiles, en The Trials of Apollo: The Hidden Oracle hay menciones a situaciones de la trama de Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer. Tío Rick, nunca dejes de escribir, por favor.

Y nada, dejaré algunas de mis frases favoritas del libro aquí abajo para nunca olvidarlas en caso de que un apocalipsis triunvirático despegue todos los post-its de las páginas de mi ejemplar.

«"Please, Father, I get the point. Please, I can't do this!"
Zeus did not answer. He was probably too busy recording my humiliation to share on Snapchat».

«After being alive for so many millenia, I had trouble keeping track of time even in the best of circumstances. I would hear a song on Spotify and think, "Oh, that's new!" Then I'd realize it was Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 20 in D Minor from two hundred years ago. Or I'd wonder why Herodotus the historian wasn't in my contacts list. Then I'd remember Herodotus didn't have a smartphone, because he had been dead since the Iron Age.
It's very irritating how quickly you mortals die».

«Only two mortals ever had broken my heart. Even after so may centuries, I couldn't think of her, couldn't say her name without falling into despair».

«If I'm being honest, I have to confess something else: all gods fear death, even when we are not encased in mortal forms».

«Ah, everything was better in ancient Greece! Well, except for a few small improvements modern humans had made - the Internet, chocolate croissants, life expectancy».

«One thing my sister Artemis and I agree on: every worthwhile pursuit is better outdoors than indoors. Music is best played under the dome of heaven. Poetry should be shared in the agora».

«Will turned to me. "I apologize for my boyfriend".
Nico rolled his eyes. "Could you not--"
"Would you prefer special guy?" Will asked. "Or significant other?"
"Significant annoyance, in your case", Nico grumbled».

«Oh. Perhaps some of you are wondering how I felt seeing him with a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend. If that's the case, please. We gods are not hung up about such things. I myself have had... let's see, thirty-three mortal girlfriends and eleven mortal boyfriends? I've lost count».

«"Nico", I said at last, "shouldn't you be sitting at the Hades table?"
He shrugged. "Technically, yes. But if I sit alone at my table, strange things happen. Cracks open in the floor, Zombies crawl out and start roaming around. It's a mood disorder. I can't control it. That's what I told Chiron".
"And is it true?" I asked.
Nico smiled thinly. "I have a note from my doctor".
Will raised his hand. "I'm his doctor".».

«"Hey, guys!" Leo spread his arms for a hug. "Sorry to leave you like that. Bad news: I died. Good news: I got better! I had to rescue Calypso. We're both fine now. We're taking Festus to--"».

«I wish my head would stop pounding. On Olympus, headaches were so much easier to cure. Hephaestus simply split one's skull and extracted whatever newborn god or goddess happened to be banging around in there. In the mortal world, my options were more limited».

«"Half the trick to being a god is knowing how to bluff».

«Not all monsters were three-ton reptiles with poisonous breath. Many wore human faces».

«"I'm the sun god", I said, trying to muster more confidence than I felt. "I always return at dawn"».

«Those lips I have never kissed but never stopped dreaming of».

«While Daphne's feelings turned to pure hate (which is, of course, only the flip side of love). Nothing is more tragic than loving someone to the depths of your soul and knowing they cannot and will not ever love you back».

«I've found that whn one is looking for danger, it's never hard to find».

«I try to avoid weapons that talk. I find them rude and distracting. Once, Artemis had a bow that could cuss like a Phoenician sailor. Another time, in a Stockholm tavern, I met this god who was smoking hot, except his talking sword just would not shut up».

«Rachel put her hand over mine. "Things can turn out differently, Apollo. That's the nice thing about being human. We only have one life, but we can choose what kind of story it's going to be"».

«Their descent was silent, but in my mind a joyous fanfare of Valdezinator music proclaimed the good news.
Leo had returned».

[Rachael · Rating 5 out of 5]

UPDATE: 19/01/2018
Decided to reread The Hidden Oracle and my rating still stands at 5 stars! Love this book so much and I hope to pick up the sequel soon : )
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RICK RIORDAN HAS DONE IT AGAIN. THIS WAS SUCH A FANTASTIC BOOK AHHH!!

I loved being back in camp half blood and I absolutely loved Apollo as the main character!! He's just so hilarious and sassy :D I also loved seeing all the old characters again and it just made me want to cry because there was so much nostalgia :')

Overall, I flew through this novel and I am so excited for the next book. I will be uploading a full review on my blog soon so stay tuned for that!!

[Melanie]

Edit 08/10/15

We have more details on THE HIDDEN ORACLE! (http://www.hypable.com/rick-riordan-p...) I think I might just die right here. APOLLO. APOLLO!!! Only my favourite god from the PJO world. I am so ready for bad haikus and humour. The fact that this will have all (most? some? of) the old characters definitely makes me feel a little less nervous about this book so yes, PLEASE BE FABULOUS. I AM READY TO ACCEPT YOU INTO MY ARMS.

Edit 12/09/15

W. H. A. T.

WHAT?

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, I am going: OHMYFUCKINGGODHELLYESINEEDTHISBOOKINMYLIFE I'm also very very sceptical and worried that this series is going to disappoint me. And I also had a feeling that Rick Riordan said that he was done dabbling in this world (but clearly I was wrong... whoops) and I pretty much already accepted that ages back... so now to find out that he will be doing Greek/Roman (I dunno which one?) demigods again makes me confused but also very much crazy-fangirl-mode. MY FEELINGS ARE A MESS GARGH. I am excited for this series all the same, of course, because Riordan is one of my most favourite authors of all time.