The Dark Prophecy: Trials of Apollo #2

Nothing new to say
This book is quite awesome too

Apollo is mad

- Yours Truly

        This is another awesome book in the same series.

 Lester (Apollo) 

Still human; thanks for asking Gods,

I hate my life 

As Apollo explains quite eloquently in the above verse, he's still human and still suffering. The plot goes as follows: The Grove of Dodona is now secure and Apollo goes on to Indianapolis to search for the next Oracle and with it, the next emperor. Accompanying him, as the prophecy states, are Leo Valdez, Calypso and Festus(yes, they're back!). There they find indirect help from a friendly God, but they are not in the home ground and so their task is more difficult than the last time.

             I like this book more than the last one as two very familiar characters that I missed dearly are back. Another reason I love this book more than the previous one is the fact that Apollo actually learns a lot here. He understands the advantages of not being immortal and learns to enjoy friendship. He understands why one might prefer love over immortality. It is also a bit longer than the last book but it is also even more unputdownable. Some more new characters are introduced and are accompanied by proper back stories that make them interesting.

               Apollo has to face consequences for not taking proper care of one of his sons. The relationships that Apollo has had in the past come to haunt him and he understands his mistakes and the result of his negligence. Leo Valdez is endearingly irritating as usual. With Calypso's sarcasm and her past with Apollo, things get really interesting. The oracle in this book, Oracle of Trophonius is a far more dangerous one than even the Oracle of Delphi whose effects are well known among people who have read the Percy Jackson series. With Rick Riordan's classic sarcasm, it is definitely as good as the last one. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves books.

 Here are a few quotes:

All these people whose names ended in o—Jo, Leo, Calypso, Apollo—suddenly made me feel like my brand was being diluted. I thanked the gods we were not in Ohio and our dragon was not named Festo. 

I convinced myself I wasn’t blushing. The wind was just stinging my face. “We met when he was younger. We had a surprising amount in common. Once he became emperor…” I sighed. “You know how it is. He got too much power and fame at a tender age. It messed with his head. Like Justin, Britney, Lindsay, Amanda, Amadeus—” 

(Thanks for explaining why Justin's such a douche-bag Apollo!)

The tiger glared at us from the other side of his enclosure glass as if to say, Why are you bothering me if you haven’t brought me breakfast? I’d always found tigers to be sensible creatures. 

I sprinkled powder liberally around the doorway to neutralize the acid. I couldn’t help smirking at my own ingenuity. I hoped Athena was watching, because WISDOM, BABY! And I did it with so much more style than Old Gray Eyes. 

How many times had I been caught in such a dilemma? Do I destroy the Trojans or the Greeks? Do I flirt with my sister’s Hunters and risk getting slapped, or do I flirt with Britomartis and risk getting blown up? These are the kinds of choices that define us. 

As for mortal technology, it was useless to us. In our hands, phones malfunctioned and blew up (I mean, even more than they did for mortals). 

(I see what you did there Rick!)

The final rating is:

10/10 - Amazing

Note: Pardon the slightly rushed and smaller review. I am re-reading another masterpiece that demands immediate attention.