“Jason hated being old.”

From Rick Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus: The Blood of Olympus.

The seven demigods (kids with both human and godly parentage) chosen to fulfill the foreboding prophecy tasked with defeating the evil Gaea have already endured so much, but their struggles are far from over.  While the Seven (Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Hazel, Frank, and Leo) take on what they hope will be their last battle against Gaea, their chaperone satyr, Coach Hedge, joins forces with Reyna and Nico try to keep the peace between the Greek and Roman demigods by returning the long lost Athena Parthenos statue to Camp Half-Blood.  As the final battle draws closer, the demigods have been preparing for the battle that they thought would take place on Mount Olympus, but they learn that the evil army is actually planning to attack at the Athens’ Acropolis.  When Jason is injured by a spirit from his past, it allows Annabeth, Jason, and Piper to take part in a desperate plan to reach out to the Greek gods Artemis and Apollo, while Hazel, Leo, Frank, and Percy must try to survive some deadly Olympic Games for a clue from the goddess Nike about their fate which requires them to create the Physician’s Cure to save one of the demigods that has been fated to die.  As the demigods race to reach the Acropolis in time to take on Gaea’s army while also gathering the ingredients for the Cure, each demigod must face challenges from their past and godly lineage if they are to have any hope of saving the world.

This fifth and final book in Riordan’s Greek/Roman crossover series is full of heart-pumping action, witty humor, and undeniable heart.  Watching the characters develop throughout the series comes to a rewarding conclusion as each one rises to the occasion that the story places on them.  The Blood of Olympus is a satisfying end to one of Riordan’s best series.