General Opinion

What better way to start a book than having a used-to-be God waking up in a dumpster? Yep, that will be a high bar, Rick Riordan set a new standard of opening a book with funny yet miserable lines simultaneously. I LOVE THIS BOOK, it has to be one of the funniest books I read in 2024, and the idea of a powerful God being turned into a mere mortal, humble by others around him is just extraordinary. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much when I picked up this book, but I was so wrong. 

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Quotes: 

When I said this is one of the funniest books I read, I was not kidding, here are some examples in the book: 

•  "I am Apollo,” I announced. “You mortals have three choices: offer me tribute, flee, or be destroyed.” I wanted my words to echo through the alley, shake the towers of New York, and cause the skies to rain smoking ruin. None of that happened. On the word destroyed, my voice squeaked."

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• "The child seemed unfazed by the cold weather, the dangerous journey ahead, and the fact that I was suffering from acne."

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• "along with a New York State junior driver’s license featuring a photo of a dorky, curly-haired teen who could not possibly be me, with the name Lester Papadopoulos. The cruelty of Zeus knew no bounds!" - ye, Apollo was concerned that his last name is now Papadopoulos. 

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• "I confess I lost track of the specifics after he explained the exploding chainsaw Frisbees. “And they’ll be like, ZOOM!” He bounced up and down with excitement. “And then BUZZ! And POW!” He pantomimed all sorts of chaos with his hands. “You have to be quick or you’ll die, and it’s awesome!

 

Relationship: 

And there are even more funny quotes! The other thing I like about this book is the chaotic dynamic between Lester Papadopoulos and Meg. They resemble that one wild siblings duo, when I first saw Meg, I thought she might be Lester's love interest, but they ended up just being friends, and I love that for them. At the start of the book, it is clear that Apollo is annoyed by Meg, wishing to be rid of her, but at the end of the book, he thinks to himself that he "missed hobbling with her through the Labyrinth, our legs tied together. I would’ve settled for a good garbage fight in an alley". This shows how their bond had strengthened throughout the book and it was adorable to see. ​

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Characters

The thing I like the most is Apollo's character development, it was clear that he started as arrogant, selfish, and narcissistic, being a former god. But as the story went on, he started to doubt himself, being humble again and again of his ability. Not only that, Apollo was irresponsible at first, not wanting to admit that he was wrong because he constantly thought that he was perfect. However, near the end, in the face of getting away from danger, Apollo sings of his faults, and his wrongdoings over the thousand years of godhood. This makes him more likable and more interesting, as we know that we will get to see more of his growth in the following 4 books.

 

Conclusion

Overall, I recommend this book, especially to Percy Jackson's fan or any mythology fan, it is a great deal and I believe you will enjoy this book and the whole series.  ​

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