The House of Hades by Rick Riordan has been alive in the world for one week, and it’s still going strong. Check out our review of book 4 in the Heroes of Olympus series!
The House of Hades picks up right where The Mark of Athena left off. Percy and Annabeth fell over the side of the pit and straight into Tartarus. In the beginning of House of Hades, they’re falling for what certainly feels like eternity while their friends, who are literally a world away, are continuing their quest to save them.
Throughout the course of the book, the stories of our heroes parallel each other. As Annabeth and Percy make their way through Tartarus, Jason, Piper, Nico, Leo, Hazel, Frank, and Coach Hedge journey toward Greece, hoping to meet their friends at the Doors of Death at exactly the right moment. They must do this in order to save both Percy and Annabeth, as well as cut off the entrance into the mortal world so the monsters who have reformed in the Underworld can’t wreak havoc on Earth.
To say it’s not a quest for the faint of heart would be a major understatement.
But our favorite heroes know the stakes if they fail, and none of them will let their fear rule them. It may be a death sentence, but the demigods know what will happen if they don’t succeed. The least they can do is try.
Book Review: ‘The House of Hades’
The House of Hades is by far one of the most gripping tales Riordan has written in his Percy Jackson world. It is full of terrible monsters, nail-biting fights, and horrific psychological thrills. Not only do our heroes have to face beasts that they’ve already defeated once before, but they must face their own true fears — something that can be just as incapacitating as a physical wound.
While we already know our main characters well, having met some of them nine books ago now, sometimes they still manage to surprise us. For fans who find Annabeth and Percy’s relationship endearing, this book will serve to strengthen their affection of the couple, who somehow find a way to love each other even through the darkest depths of Tartarus.
As for the other characters that we may think we know, it’s interesting to see another side to them. Assumptions will be broken and some will find themselves walking down a completely different path than they might have expected. Each person is written with care as secrets are revealed and friendships continue to blossom.
House of Hades is the darkest book in the Heroes of Olympus series, not to mention the Percy Jackson and Olympians series. Percy in particular will be thinking of the consequences of his actions and of everything he has done over the last few years that he thought was in the name of all that was right in the world.
House of Hades could not come any more highly recommended for fans of the Percy Jackson world, and we’re sure that everyone — us included — will be impatiently biding our time until the fifth and final book, The Blood of Olympus, is released next year.
For now, be sure to read The House of Hades! You can buy it on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or add it to your Goodreads list.
We want to hear your thoughts on this topic!
Write a comment below or submit an article to Hypable.