Lightning strikes twice with new Rick Riordan series

Rick Riordan first gained notoriety when his “Tres Navarre” mystery series for adults won multiple awards. But it wasn’t until his headfirst plunge into children’s literature with the “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” series that he became something of a bookshelf celebrity.

It was this series that launched Riordan into the mainstream when the first book, “The Lightning Thief,” was made into a major motion picture. “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” resurrected Greek mythology, willing audiences to suspend disbelief and embrace heroes, villains and Greek gods in the name of adventure.

The books are premised on the presence of Greek gods in modern day (Olympus is above the Empire State Building), and they are doing what gods do best — having children with mortals. These demigods attend Camp Half-Blood, where they learn to excel in ancient Greek and monster slaying. In the first series, Percy Jackson is the hero who must fulfill the Great Prophecy in order to defeat the arch villain. The series is now transcending age demographics and is printed in over 35 countries.

It was so successful, that it became questionable whether Riordan could do it again.

Relax and set all doubts aside, Riordan has still got it. “The Lost Hero,” book one of “The Heroes of Olympus” series, will not disappoint loyal fans or new readers.

“The Lost Hero” weaves the end of the Percy Jackson series seamlessly with the adventures of new Camp Half-Blood inductees. The new quest begins with the hero Jason and his compatriots Piper and Leo, the girlfriend and best friend he has no recollection of.  It’s written from the perspectives of all three heroes, following Piper as she tries to gain the courage to be a great heroine, then stumbling along with Jason as he battles with amnesia to uncover his past, and even as Leo struggles to forgive his own.

Keeping with his writing style, “The Lost Hero” begins with high velocity monster slaying and the action never slows down.  From metal flying dragons and icy snow princesses, to insane weather gods and the perils of the Midas touch, not once is there a moment of boredom. The constant action is no cover for bad writing or plot; it instead provides opportunities for character development with a touch of growing up.

With new heroes, greater villains and an even bigger Great Prophecy, this first book of “The Heroes of Olympus” series is thrilling, witty and so engrossing it resists being set down.

Editor’s note: The original web-released review incorrectly titled the book “The Lost One.” The correct title of the book is “The Lost Hero” and has been changed to reflect the original inaccuracy. The physically printed issue does however contain the correct title “The Lost Hero.”