"The House of Hades" (2013) by Rick Riordan REVIEW

Note: If you have not read the previous books in this series, get off your butt and read them now before you end up finding spoilers below.

Wait, am I really only one book away from finishing this amazing series? NOOOOOOOOOOO!

Shortly after the events of Mark of Athena, the Argo II crew are in a race against time to stop Gaea, the Earth goddess, from awakening. Now they know the date she plans to rise: August 1, just barely a month away. However, before the demigods can figure out where the giants plan to resurrect Gaea, they must first find the mortal end of the Doors of Death and close it to keep the monsters at bay. Meanwhile, in the depths of Tartarus, Percy and Annabeth struggle to survive. Weak, injured, and starving, their chances of closing the Underworld's end of the Doors of Death are thin. Can the seven demigods of the prophecy still succeed?

Told from the perspectives of all seven demigods, Rick Riordan's House of Hades did something I didn't know was possible: it surpassed it's predecessor and left it in the dust. Riordan masterfully paces the story, going back and forth between the normal world and the Underworld. The humor remains strong, the action is edge-of-your-seat, and the writing in both the dialogue and narrative flow naturally.

I don't want this series to end. It's just too good. Alas, like all good things, this series will be coming to an end. Here's hoping it's a great one!

5/5 Stars

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