Book Review | The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordon

The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #2) by Rick Riordon
Published by Disney Hyperion on January 1, 2006
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway
Goodreads:★★★★

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

REVIEW

After completing The Lightning Thief, I decided to continue on with the Percy Jackson series right away and picked up The Sea of Monsters. If you've read my review of The Lightning Thief (LINK), you'll know that my main issue with the book was how closely it paralleled my beloved Harry Potter. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed the characters and the adventure, so I hoped the series would adopt more of its own voice as the story continued.

Unfortunately, The Sea of Monsters started off on the wrong foot. There was a syntax error in the first few pages, and a scene at the beginning that closely mirrored the Knight Bus in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. I couldn't believe the similarities, but kept powering through, and I'm so glad I did! 

The Sea of Monsters introduces readers to a new character named Tyson, who is a young cyclops. In Percy's world, cyclopes are very dangerous and thus mistreated by half bloods. I absolutely loved the role Tyson plays in the story, and am impressed with Rick Riordon's decision to include him. Percy's journey with Tyson is so touching. It teachers readers about acceptance, and how someone who is a bit different is not necessarily bad. I think it's amazing that children who read this book will get to see how important it is to be kind and understanding of everyone. 

Moreover, The Sea of Monsters is a fast-paced and exciting read. This second book jumps right into the action from the start, and readers are along for the ride without hesitation. While I do wish there was a bit more set-up at the beginning, once I adjusted to the new storyline I was fully invested. Percy is such a great narrator, and his voice makes the book so much fun to read. 

Finally, I loved the cliffhanger at the end of The Sea of Monsters. It was a bit predictable, but it was still exciting, and made me want to pick up the next book in the series right away. I was surprised at how short The Sea of Monsters was, but I enjoyed it a great deal, and it was a definite improvement over the first book in the series. I'm excited to continue on and see where Percy's adventures take him and his friends next! 

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Book Review | The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordon

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1) by Rick Riordan
Published by Disney Hyperion on July 1, 2005
Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Adventure
Pages: 375
Format: Paperback
Source: Giveaway
Goodreads: ★★★

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse-Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends -- one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena -- Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

REVIEW

I was unfamiliar with Percy Jackson until last year, and was excited when I won a full set of the series in a giveaway. I don't often read middle grade unless it is a reread, but I was interested to give this a try because it has such a huge fanbase. After reading the first book, I can definitely understand why this series is so loved, but I did have some issues with it. 

First and foremost, I was beyond annoyed with the Harry Potter parallels in this story. Our protagonist Percy is a 12-year-old boy who has experienced strange occurrences throughout his childhood that he cannot explain. As it turns out, he's a half-blood, which means he is the son of a human and a Greek god. Percy goes to Camp Half Blood in Long Island, New York (aka Hogwarts), where he learns more about his special powers and is trained to kill monsters. 

Percy becomes part of a trio that goes out on an epic quest in order to prevent a war between the gods of Olympus. He is joined by Annabeth, a very bright young girl, and Grover, a satyr who is a bit of a doofus, but a great friend to Percy. Oh, and did I mention there is a security guard at Camp Half Blood named Argus? I mean, come on, this is truly inspired by Harry Potter, and with every detail that paralleled Harry's story I wanted to throw the book across the room. I'm sure author Rick Riordon was influenced by Rowling's work, but whether he intended the similarities or not, I couldn't believe how replete they were throughout The Lightening Thief. 

Moreover, another huge drawback in the story for me was the predictability. I understand this is a middle grade novel that I am reading as an adult, but I was easily able to figure out most of the action by the plethora of hints Riordon drops throughout the novel. With that being said, I was quite frustrated with the ending of the book because it did not flow logically from the story's set-up. Instead, it felt like Riordon wanted to shock the readers, and he did so with an unexpected twist that was a bit disjointed. That definitely took away some credibility from the book. 

Putting those issues aside, however, I really did enjoy The Lightning Thief. The writing style was very well done, and I really liked Percy as a first-person narrator. Percy was a very relatable character, as he was quite imperfect but still incredible at the same time. If I was reading this as a middle schooler, I'd definitely want to be friends with Percy and his gang. 

In addition, I loved the road-trip adventure that Percy goes on in this book, and how he needs to fight a variety of monsters along the way. It was really fun how Riordon included Greek mythology in an American setting, and adapted the gods and monsters for the 21st Century. While it took me about 130 pages to really become invested in the world, once I was hooked I couldn't put the book down and finished the remainder in one day. I'm really looking forward to continuing on in the series and seeing where Percy ends up next! 

Thus, if you are looking for a fun, middle grade fantasy, I think Percy Jackson is a great place to start. I know that kids will really enjoy it, but adults who grew up with Harry Potter as I did will need to read this with a grain of salt. I'm hopeful that as the series continues the books will divulge from Harry Potter and take on its own unique identity. 

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Book Review | The Master of Misrule by Laura Powell

Note: This review contains spoilers for the first book in the series. Please see my non-spoiler review of The Game of Triumphs HERE.

The Master of Misrule (The Game of Triumphs, #2) by Laura Powell
Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers on June 12, 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Format: Hard Cover
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★★

When Cat and her friends put an end to the sinister Game of Triumphs, they thought they could simply collect their prizes and walk away. But they unwittingly created a monster. Before the dust has settled, the self-proclaimed Master of Misrule is engineering a sadistic lottery that will unleash the power of the Game onto an unsuspecting London. Misrule's agenda of chaos threatens life as they know it, gambling away free will for fickle fortune. And his power has quickly grown to proportions they never could have imagined. It all comes down to one final play. Cat, Flora, Blaine, and Toby must go back into the Arcanum and take fate into their own hands. This time they have everything to lose.

This spine-tingling follow-up to Powell's The Game of Triumphs is everything you could hope for in a sequel and more! It's every bit as thrilling and complex as the first book, with higher stakes and even a hint of romance added to the mix. 

REVIEW

I was extremely excited to pick up The Master of Misrule after finishing The Game of Triumphs. The cliffhanger was killing me, and I needed to see where the characters would end up. I was surprised that The Master of Misrule picked up right where the first book left off, with no gap whatsoever in the story. While I was reading the books back-to-back, this second book includes a quick recap of the first book at the beginning if you need a refresher. I found that really helpful! 

The Master of Misrule is thus a direct continuation of The Game of Triumphs, but with an added twist. Unlike the first book, where readers only followed Cat, we now get to learn more about her friends Toby, Flora, and Blaine as they work to get the game back under control after setting the Master of Misrule loose. I really liked getting to know the other characters, and I think Powell did an excellent job with character development. When I learned more about what the other characters had at stake, I was more invested in the story. 

I also found that Powell's writing really matured in The Master of Misrule. The book flowed quite easily, the chapters were a good length, and I kept turning the pages to find out where the game would go next. As with the first book, I found that the story was difficult to predict, but each twist and turn in the plot was logical and believable. I especially loved how each character's story wrapped up at the end.

All in all, I really enjoyed the Game of Triumphs duology. I would love to see this repackaged as a bind-up of the two volumes, as one can't read the first book without continuing on, and because they take place without any lapse in time between the two. The story is imaginative, the characters are complex, and the ending is incredible. I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good young adult fantasy, especially those who are fans of the movie Jumanji. Trust me. 

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Book Review | The Game of Triumphs by Laura Powell

The Game of Triumphs (The Game of Triumphs, #1) by Laura Powell
Published by Ember on March 9, 2011
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★

At an exclusive Soho party one rainy night, Cat stumbles into an ancient and dangerous game of fortune. A mysterious quartet of game masters deal out challenges—moves that unfold in the Arcanum, a dream-scape version of our world. Success can earn players fame, fortune, inspiration. Failure can be deadly.

At first Cat is skeptical, but undeniably curious. And when a journey into the Arcanum reveals a shocking glimpse of her family's past, Cat begins to understand what drives people to play. Sometimes it's greed or longing—other times desperation. She must know more. 

Right now, the game masters hold all the cards. But Cat finds others like herself on the fringes of the game. And together an unlikely group of chancers hope to change the rules in their favor.

In the Game of Triumphs, the risks are high, but the rewards may just be worth dying for. . . .

 REVIEW

I've been looking forward to reading The Game of Triumphs ever since I picked up the duology this past summer. I stumbled upon the second book, The Master of Misrule, at The Strand for $2, and decided to snag it. It was only once I got home and added The Master of Misrule to my Goodreads that I discovered it was a series! Luckily I was able to get a discount copy of The Game of Triumphs on Book Outlet, and the series has been sitting on my TBR shelf since then.

The Game of Triumphs is an urban fantasy that craftily incorporates Tarot cards into the plot. Main character Cat accidentally becomes part of a mysterious game after coming into contact with some players on the streets of London. Cat is invited to Temple House, the headquarters of the Game of Triumphs, and while she doesn't want to get involved, she is too curious to refuse the invitation. What she thought was just a simple role-playing game for the geeks of SoHo turns out to be something a bit more. Cat ends up diving headfirst into the Game, and discovers the new world of the Arcanum. 

I really enjoyed The Game of Triumphs. I never knew what was going to happen next, but the story flowed quite logically. Cat meets a great cast of characters on her journey, and I thought Powell added them in really well. As with any fantasy story, world building is an essential element. While I was a bit confused at the beginning of the book, I began to understand the way the Game functions, and learned along with Cat. Thus, I found the pacing and intrigue very well done. I was inclined to keep reading, and was never bored. 

I decided to give The Game of Triumphs a four star rating for two reasons. First, this book is definitely on the younger end of young adult, and at times I found the writing a bit cliché. This was mainly an issue in the dialogue, and because the characters are teenagers I didn't find this too annoying. Second, the book ended with a major cliffhanger. This is, of course, the first in a series, but Cat had a main goal throughout the entirety of The Game of Triumphs that was left incomplete at the book's end. In this way, it becomes absolutely necessary to continue on with the series, because this first book is just an introduction to the world and the characters. I would have preferred a conclusion of Cat's current mission before continuing on into the next book. However, I can definitely understand that Powell wants readers to continue on with the series to find out what happens.

All in all, I definitely recommend The Game of Triumphs for fans of young adult fantasy. I've never come across a story like this before, and found the incorporation of Tarot cards into the plot a lot of fun. I will be continuing on with the series, and will have a review up for the second book as soon as I've completed it! 

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Book Review | The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry
Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1993
Genres: Young Adult, Dystopian, Classic, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Pages: 225
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: ★★★★ ½

The Giver, the 1994 Newbery Medal winner, has become one of the most influential novels of our time. The haunting story centers on twelve-year-old Jonas, who lives in a seemingly ideal, if colorless, world of conformity and contentment. Not until he is given his life assignment as the Receiver of Memory does he begin to understand the dark, complex secrets behind his fragile community. Lois Lowry has written three companion novels to The Giver, including Gathering Blue, Messenger, and Son.

 REVIEW

Growing up I remember seeing the cover of The Giver hanging on the walls in Barnes & Noble. I used to think that it was an older classic, so I was surprised to learn that The Giver was, in fact, first published during my lifetime in 1993. While The Giver was never at the top of my "to read" list, I was compelled to purchase the book when I heard a film adaptation was being released. I was also excited to hear this is a dystopian novel, as that is one of my favorite genres. 

Besides knowing that one of the characters in the book was an old man called The Giver, I knew nothing about the story whatsoever. I enjoyed discovering the new world inside the pages as I read. One of my issues with the story, however, was the world building. The Giver takes place in a future that is quite different than ours, and Lowry slowly reveals the makeup of that fictional world. While I appreciated the gradual development of the setting, I found that as I finished the book I still had a number of questions about the world. Thus, I docked half a star from my rating due to the lack of detail surrounding the book's setting.

Putting that critique aside, I greatly enjoyed the remainder of The Giver. The story follows twelve-year-old Jonas as he receives his Assignment, or the job he is to perform for the rest of his life. Jonas lives in a world of Sameness, a concept that is discussed throughout the book, and one that I found quite thought-provoking. What first might seem as a happy, organized, and simplistic life may actually be a life devoid of true feeling. Jonas begins to understand the truth about his community after receiving his special job, and he must decide what he can do, if anything, to change the future for himself and his family. 

I finished The Giver in one day, not simply due to its short length, but to its fast-paced and flowing language. I constantly wanted to know what would happen next for Jonas, and I craved to discover the secrets of his community. The ending of this novel came upon me quite quickly, and is one filled with emotion and a bit ambiguous. I closed the cover thinking "what just happened?," which gave me some time to digest this deep and meaningful story. I now understand why The Giver is a loved book, and if you have not yet read it I highly recommend doing so. Please share your thoughts on The Giver in the comments! 

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Book Review | The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima

As a child I absolutely loved reading fantasy novels, but for some reason I've strayed away from the genre. When I saw that the book club Booksplosion was hosting a read-along for the first book in the Heir Chronicles series by Cinda Williams Chima, I decided to pick up The Warrior Heir and join in on the fun.

The Warrior Heir is a young adult fantasy novel that follows our main character Jack. The book opens with a mysterious prologue that gives us a glimpse into a magical world, but then jumps forward to Jack's high school life. He's lived as a normal teenager, but one day he forgets to take his medicine and weird things start happening. It turns out Jack is a member of a magical world, and readers follow him as he adapts to his new status.

There were several aspects of The Warrior Heir that I really enjoyed, but unfortunately the story was very slow going for me, and I felt like the world-building took a long time to develop. For much of the book, I was quite confused and wished I had more of a setting for the story. Similarly, I found the story hard to believe. Yes, it is a fantasy novel, but as the story begins Jack is still a normal kid at a normal high school. He and his friends do some crazy things no questions asked, and that annoyed me. However, I did like Jack's relationships with his friends and his Aunt Linda, and I thought the book ended well.

That said, I don't think I will continue on in this series. The Heir Chronicles is a companion series, which means that each book follows a different main character. I would love to hear more about Jack and how his life develops after The Warrior Heir, but I'm not interested in other characters in this world.

I rated The Warrior Heir a solid three stars on Goodreads. While the story was innovative and ended well, the book was just too slow in its world building for me to rate it any higher. If you really love fantasy, especially those with magic, I think you would enjoy this book. On the other hand, if you are looking to break into the fantasy genre, I don't think this is a great series for you. You can purchase The Warrior Heir on Amazon HERE. As always, please let me know your thoughts on this book in the comments!

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Book Review | The Iron Trial by Holly Black & Cassandra Clare

I've been hearing people gush over both Holly Black and Cassandra Clare since I got back into reading this year, but to be quite honest, I had never read anything by either author! Lucky for me, I was approved on NetGalley to read and review an advanced eBook of the pair's new book, The Iron Trial. This is the first book in a new, middle grade series called the Magisterium. Once I heard magic was involved, I couldn't wait to read it!

The Iron Trial follows Callum Hunt, a 12-year-old boy who grew up with his dad. Call knows there is something different about his family, as his dad always tells him about the dangerous war that killed his mother. This war took place between the mages, magical people who can control the elements. Call is now faced with the difficult task of failing The Iron Trial – the test all magic-prone kids must take to determine whether or not they will be accepted to the magic school called the Magisterium. Call does everything he can to fail this test, but, of course, things don't go quite according to plan and Call is ripped away from his dad to try and learn the ways of the mages. Readers follow Call as he adapts to life in the Magisterium, and tries to determine whether it is the dangerous place his father warned him it would be.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Iron Trial, but before I get into my personal thoughts I do want to address the Harry Potter comparisons. There are many elements of The Iron Trial that reminded me of Harry Potter, but I hesitate to say the are copied. Because both of these series take place in magical worlds, there is bound to be some overlap. Do I think certain choices were interesting based on the Harry Potter connection? Yes. But the overall story in The Iron Trial is so different from Harry Potter that I do not think it is a copycat novel. Instead, I liked reading a book with Harry Potter influences because that's one of my all-time favorite series. I would definitely recommend it for Harry Potter fans!

Moreover, The Iron Trial a fun and easy read, but it's an unpredictable one. I never knew which way the story was going to go, and that made me want to keep reading. The story flowed quite well, and all of the surprising elements made logical sense in hindsight. I think The Iron Trial is perfect as the first book in a series. The world-building was done very well, and I loved how the authors set up the story for the next book. I am really impressed with The Iron Trial and can't wait for the next book to be released!

I highly recommend The Iron Trial for readers of all ages, especially those who love fantasy and magic. It is well-written and imaginative, and just tons of fun. Of course, I gave it a 5 star rating on Goodreads. You can purchase The Iron Trial on Amazon HERE. As always, if you've read this book please let me know your thoughts in the comments!

I received this book from NetGalley to review. I use Amazon Affiliate links so you can find the books I mention easily. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information. 

Book Review & Giveaway | Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

This Sunday is a bit different here at OpenLetter2NYC! I just completed my first ever 24-hour readathon! I heard about Dewey's Readathon last minute, but I decided to participate a bit. It was a great experience, and I can't wait until the next one!

During the readathon, I completed Serendipidus by Jennifer Ott. This book is just delightful! The story revolves around Venetia De Mille, a famous supermodel living in New York City. Venetia was raised in a nunnery, not knowing who her parents are. All the nuns knew was that she was to love nature. That she did! Venetia was very in tune with the Earth, and even talked to animals more than people. The nuns made her leave the convent so she could find her true destiny in life, and when Venetia ends up in bustling NYC, she lucked into a modeling job after being scouted in Central Park. She wasn't thrilled with her career, but her angelic looks allowed her to buy a penthouse apartment away from the noisy city streets.

Serendipidus really gets going when Venetia meets a shunned scientist, Poindexter Scheigopherer. When a sudden and violent storm shakes the Earth to a halt, Venetia and Poindexter join forces to try and get the Earth spinning again. What follows is their trip around the world as they try to get society to wake up from the devastation before it's too late and they all meet their doom.

While Serendipidus is a short read at just over 200 pages, it is a great one, packed with adventure, humor, and thought-provoking passages. Our villain in this story is none other than Medusa Dominatrix, and while she is quite despicable for trying to end Earth's existence, I always laughed at her ridiculous antics and looked forward to every appearance she made in the story. I was also very impressed with Ott's ability to make such a deep and dark, apocalyptic plot very uplifting and enjoyable. Serendipidus is full of hope, and it really helps shed light on how our actions are affecting the Earth even when we don't think anything of them. Ott does a great job at creating a wonderful story while simultaneously commenting on society.

Overall, I loved Serendipidus and highly recommend it. It is a quick and easy read, and one that I think anyone will enjoy. Part end of the word, part urban fantasy, and part humor, Serendipidus has something for everyone. You can purchase the book on Amazon for just $2.99 HERE. You can also enter to win a copy of Serendipidus by entering the giveaway below. Best of luck!


Did you take part in Dewey's Readathon? Tell me about your experience in the comments!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.