Review: The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, book 1)
By Rick Riordan
Published 2010 by Hyperion Books for Children

Having read and loved the Percy Jackson series last year, I had to pick up this spin-off series.

Jason Grace does not remember who he is. But now, he's being attacked by storm spirits, taken to a special camp for demi-gods and being sent on a quest to rescue Hera, queen of the gods. Piper McLean doesn't understand why her boyfriend, Jason, no longer seems to know who she is. But she's starting to wonder if it has something to do with the creepy voice that's been whispering to her. Or maybe with the visions of the giant who has kidnapped her father. Leo Valdez is pretty sure that discovering he's a demi-god is the best thing that's happened to him - especially since the unmentionable accident that killed his mother. But there are a lot of responsibilities that come with being a hero - is Leo up for them?

I was really excited to start this series. Unfortunately, I feel kind of so-so about it. On the one hand, I absolutely think that Riordan has created a richer and more complex plot in this novel. He is a master of pacing and storytelling - hundreds of pages fly by because you are simply compelled to keep reading. On the other hand, this book lacks the characters that made Percy Jackson so wonderful. Riordan tries something different in this one by offering readers alternating perspectives of three characters. I think this could work really well for this more intricate story. Unfortunately, Riordan has not created a main character that I care about. I mean, yes, they are all interesting in that it's interesting just to find out whose child they are and how their godly powers will manifest. But ultimately, I don't feel for any of these characters like I did for Percy. That being said, I'm really interested to read the second book and see how Percy works in this series. And I'm very excited to see how this plot will play out over the series.