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"The Demigod Diaries" (2012) by Rick Riordan REVIEW


I read the whole book in one day. I think you can guess what my opinion on this book is.

Much like The Demigod Files, The Demigod Diaries collects four short stories tying into both the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series as well as Heroes of Olympus. Alongside the four short stories, there are also artwork for locations of the stories, a couple games, and a short interview with George and Martha, the two snakes attached to the staff of Hermes, God of thieves.

The first story, The Diary of Luke Castellan, is perhaps the biggest highlight of the collection. The excerpt from Luke's diary tells of an adventure Luke and Thalia had five years before The Lightning Thief. In this adventure, Luke and Thalia must escape a house full of monsters and mythical traps. It gives readers a deeper insight of the character of Luke, the story being told through his eyes. The story also covers Thalia's finding of her shield, Aegis, and the bronze dagger Annabeth later wields in the series.

In the second story, Percy Jackson and the Staff of Hermes, it's Percy and Annabeth's one-month anniversary (exactly one month after The Last Olympian), and Percy forgot. Before he confesses to Annabeth, Hermes shows up at their picnic requiring Percy's help to receive his stolen staff back from a fire-breathing giant before five o'clock. No biggie. However, things might get difficult if the giant figured out how to activate laser mode on the staff. Full of heart and laughs, this story is just an all-around feel-good story and serves as yet one more opportunity to spend time in Percy's sarcastic head.

The third story, Leo Valdez and the Quest for Buford, is a laugh-out-loud romp taking place not too long after The Lost Hero. While building the Argo II, Leo mistakenly decides to wash his sentient table, Buford, with Windex. Hating Windex, Buford runs off into the woods of Camp Half-Blood. To make matters worse for Leo, Buford the Table also holds a very important piece for the Argo II's engine, and unless he, Jason, and Piper can install it back within an hour, the engine will explode and burn down a good square mile. The comedy was pitch-perfect in this story, even with a Psych reference that had me burst out laughing made my day.

The final story, Son of Magic, is perhaps the darkest story to take place in the world of Percy Jackson. Dr. Claymore, a mortal man who studies the possibilities of what happens when people die, soon finds himself in the midst of Greek mythology. Alabaster, a demigod who formerly joined Kronos's army, needs Claymore's help in answering a question that could save his life: What would happen if one couldn't possibly die? Written by Rick Riordan's son Haley Riordan, Son of Magic had me glued to the pages, unable to put it down, wanting to know what happens next.

Action, adventure, humor, and heart are the key elements in this collection of stories, and all are executed perfectly. If one would like to get a deeper understanding of the mythical world of Percy Jackson, look no further than The Demigod Diaries, brimming with stories to tell.

5/5 Stars

You can order your copy from Amazon right here!

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