The House of Hades (Heroes of Olympus, Book 4)

The House of Hades

The House of Hades – At the conclusion of The Mark of Athena, Annabeth and Percy tumble into a pit leading straight to the Underworld. The other five demigods have to put aside their grief and follow Percy’s instructions to find the mortal side of the Doors of Death. If they can fight their way through the Gaea’s forces, and Percy and Annabeth can survive the House of Hades, then the Seven will be able to seal the Doors from both sides and prevent the giants from raising Gaea. But, Leo wonders, if the Doors are sealed, how will Percy and Annabeth be able to escape?

Book Review by monchari

I think this is the best book in this Heroes of Olympus series so far.
All emotions, all tension , (almost) all expectations and thrills and drama are included in this one.
I almost forgot to breathe myself.
The story took you to the peak position and keep you there, it’s really wonderful.

Since My favourite character always be Percy, I’m so thrilled that he had a chance to take a tour in Tartarus..(^_-)-☆
Because after all, he had already met and negotiated and fight with nearly most of the gods and Titans on the land, I thought it must be a good experience for him to challenge the big boss of Tartarus to enhance his power, and utilize it when the time comes.
All the chapters about his and Annabeth in Tartarus journey were so good.

And I’m so glad I had a chance to meet Bob, Small Bob and Damasen.
Especially Bob.
He was so sweet, so gentle and a very wonderful character.
His word ‘say hello to the stars for me’ was so powerful it still makes my eyes full of tears and squeeze my chest so tightly every time I thought about this book, even after more than a month since I finished it.

You will love Bob and small Bob so dearly, I guarantee you.

Anyway, cause I wrote this review after I finished all the books in this series, and because this 4th book is really great as I told you, I don’t know whether I should make some caution for you to not expecting much for the next (final) book or not.

Of course, you’ve come this far you should finish it for good, but some times I wondered it might be better if I had stopped reading at this book and let my imagination end the series.
Especially if you are Percy Jackson’s fan like me.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 5–8—Fans won’t be disappointed as the cliff-hanger ending from the previous book, The Mark of Athena (Hyperion, 2012), leads to further exciting adventures by the intrepid demigods in this penultimate book in the “Heroes of Olympus” series. Annabeth and Percy have fallen down into Tantarus, and they must fight off the attacks from the monsters stuck there long enough to find the Doors of Death. The other five demigods must get to Eprius in Greece, find the House of Hades to open the Doors of Death on the mortal side, save Annabeth and Percy, and seal the entrance to stop Gaea’s forces from escaping into the mortal world and destroying it.

The gods are incapacitated by their Greek and Roman personalities warring with one another, and the demigods from Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter are on the verge of an all-out war. As Annabeth and Percy struggle to survive Tantarus’s poisonous atmosphere and creatures, the other demigods must undergo harsh trials-particularly Hazel, Frank, and Leo, but they learn and grow mentally and physically from their experiences. The heroes realize that they cannot change their parentage but they can control their legacy. While more serious than the previous titles, there are lighthearted moments here, many involving a farting polecat. The horrifying monsters are nicely balanced by peace-loving Titan Bob, a skeleton calico cat called Small Bob, and gentle giant Damasen. Fans will be thrilled to know the series continues with The Blood of Olympus in 2014.—Sharon Rawlins, New Jersey State Library, Trenton

From Booklist

For Percy Jackson fans, it’s been a long year since the cliffhanger at the end of The Mark of Athena (2012). Now Riordan picks up the story and carries it to a rewarding conclusion, with the main set of characters reunited and preparing themselves for the final showdown with Gaea. Throughout the book, Percy and Annabeth make their harrowing way through the underworld to the Doors of Death. Meanwhile, Hazel, Leo, Frank, Piper, Jason, Nico, and Reyna endure their own perils, all the way through to the story’s climax.

In addition to experiencing growth spurts, several of the teen demigods take significant steps toward understanding their powers, accepting their feelings, trusting each other, and taking responsibility for leadership. Adventure fans will relish the action as their heroes confront formidable foes, while readers who have come to love the characters will enjoy following the different individuals as they take the stage in scenes that are usually dramatic, often witty, and occasionally surprising. A satisfying, penultimate entry in the Heroes of Olympus series. Grades 6-9. –Carolyn Phelan

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About the Author

Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the Kane Chronicles, and the Heroes of Olympus. He is also the author of the multi-award-winning Tres Navarre mystery series for adults.

For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. In 2002, Saint Mary’s Hall honored him with the school’s first Master Teacher Award.

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