It's no secret I love Rick Riordan's books, and I pre-ordered this as soon as I knew it was coming out. It didn't disappoint!The story is the first in a new series in the Percy Jackson world. It follows on from the Heroes of Olympus series conclusion, but you don't have to have read that series to enjoy this book (there are a couple of references to previous books that will only make sense if you've read them, but they don't have any impact on following this story).
In a nutshell, this is a fish-out-of-water story. The Greek god Apollo has been punished by his father and king of the gods Zeus for his part in causing a war by being made human and thrown down to Earth. He believes the only way to get back to Olympus and be reinstated is to complete a series of trials, with the help of the demigods of Camp Half-Blood.
The book includes some characters from previous stories but the main focus is on Apollo and a feisty young demigod called Meg, who he meets when he first arrives in acne-covered-human form in New York. The story is told from Apollo's point of view, which is a brilliant ploy by Riordan as it not only gives an insight into the mind of a god but it shows the character development Apollo goes through during the story.
As with Riordan's other books, there are quests, prophecies, monsters, teenagers with supernatural abilities, mythical creatures and a generous dollop of fighting sprinkled with humour, great characters and excellent storytelling. I read the book in 24 hours - it grabbed my attention so well that while there were plenty of places I could finish a reading session, as soon as I put it down I wanted to know what happened next.
If you've already read the other Percy Jackson books then you should absolutely get this, and if you're new to Riordan's world then you should still get it, and pick up the other books in the Greek gods story arcs as well!
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