by Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro
4.8 · 4 reviewsAs the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Ap…
As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life–literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that’s been the case so far . . . Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld. He thinks he knows who it is: a reformed Titan named Bob whom Percy and Annabeth had to leave behind when they escaped Hades’s realm. Nico’s dreams and Rachel Dare’s latest prophecy leave little doubt in Nico’s mind that Bob is in some kind of trouble. Nico has to go on this quest, whether Mr. D and Chiron like it or not. And of course Will insists on coming with.
4 reviews
Their relationship is the plot, not a subplot, and that matters enormously. Also Tartarus is genuinely creepy in this one.
Much more internal than the usual quest structure. I enjoyed it but younger readers used to the pace of the originals may find the middle talky.
It's a Percy Jackson book so it's funny, but the depiction of Nico's trauma is handled with real seriousness. My teenager and I both read it and both cried.
Fans have wanted this for a decade and it delivers. A journey into Tartarus to rescue a friend, with two boys who love each other trying not to fall apart in the dark. Oshiro's voice blends beautifully with Riordan's.