“The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school.”

From Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan’s Curse.

Nothing is ever easy for demigod (half god/half human) Percy.  Nothing.  A quick trip to escort two new demigods, Nico and Bianca (mini-spoiler: they’re going to be important later in the series), to the safety of Camp Half Blood quickly turns into a dangerous battle that takes three demigod teens and a goddess.  Percy is having some troubling dreams which is connected to a dark prophesy; he is eventually allowed (forced by the gods, really) to set off on a quest to try to change the future and save the world.  This quest takes Percy and his friends on a trip across several states, against countless monsters, bloody battles, and even heartbreaking loss.  The deeper the teens dive into the mystery of what the prophesy actually means, it becomes obvious that the gods will have to intervene if there is any hope of survival for the world.  The only problem is convincing the Greek gods and goddesses that there actually is a problem and that the threat actually requires action on their part… and staying alive.  Just another impossibly challenging day for Percy Jackson.

The third book in the series is another fascinating adventure for Percy, his friends, and all the mythical creatures.  Riordan makes it incredibly easy for the reader to forget this world and fall into the fantasies of Percy’s world.  The characters are bigger and bolder than the first books; readers even get to connect more with some of the (eccentric) gods that have previously just been minor roles or mentions.  The humor and realistic reactions of the characters help to propel the story along, making for a very quick read.  The ending of the book is mostly satisfying, leaving the reader with a sense of closure, at least until the story can be continued in the next book.  The Titan’s Curse is a captivating and rewarding read that’s not to be missed!