House of Hades by Rick Riordan is the fourth installment in the Heroes of Olympus series, and it is full of some amazing scenes. Check out our top 10 favorites!
Note that this article contains major spoilers. If you have not yet read The House of Hades, we highly recommend you turn back now!
1. Hazel stands up to Hecate
Like all deities in the Percy Jackson books, Hecate is not a straight-forward character. Although she promises to help Hazel and the other demigods, you always have to wonder in the back of your mind if she will end up betraying them at the last minute. Hey, it’s happened before!
That’s why when Hazel stands up to the goddess, it packs such a punch. Hecate is, among other things, the goddess of the crossroads. She shows Hazel various images that represent her different choices, with each one ending in tragedy. Needless to say, we got goosebumps when Hazel decided she didn’t like her options and said, “I’m not choosing one of your paths. I’m making my own.”
You tell her, Hazel Levesque!
2. Annabeth whispers ‘I love you’ as she and Percy fall into Tartarus
Okay, all together now: “Awwww!!”
Percy and Annabeth have been an OTP couple since book 1 of the Percy Jackson and Olympians series. We’ve seen them grow up and heard Annabeth go from calling Percy “Seaweed Brain” in a mocking way, to using the same nickname affectionately.
While we all knew that Percy and Annabeth loved each other, there’s just something to say about the fact that, when falling for eternity into Tartarus, she thinks of Percy and her feelings for him. Because let’s face it. We all would’ve have passed out at that point or, at the very least, been screaming ourselves hoarse.
3. Frank fully accepts himself as a son of Mars
Much like so many other demigods in this series, Frank has always struggled with the idea of who his godly parent was. Being half-god and half-mortal is no easy task, but being the son of Mars, the god of war, does not make it any easier. Especially for someone like Frank, who already feels ostracized because of his looks and his ethnicity.
But like all demigods, Frank rises to the challenge, on more than one occasion, and finally accepts who he is. In Venice, after Hazel has been poisoned and Nico has been turned into a plant, Frank does what he needs to do in order to save his friends. And what he does is incredible. Not only does he figure out a way to get Triptolemus to help him, but he single-handedly defeats all of the katoblepones in the entire city. Whoa.
4. Percy suffers the consequences of having killed so many monsters
One of the most interesting aspects of House of Hades is that it finally gives a perspective to all of the monsters Percy and his friends had killed over their years. While in most cases they certainly don’t deserve our sympathy, you can’t help but actually feel for them as you see where they are sent and how they reform in Tartarus.
Many of the monsters are just that — monsters. But some of them actually do change their ways and wish to help our demigod heroes. The likes of Bob and Damasen remind us that just like demigods, who can be both good or bad, those immortal beings have both light and dark inside of them as well.
5. Nico finally admits his big secret
Nico is, by far, the most mysterious demigod in this entire series. Shrouded in darkness and mystery, he doesn’t let many people get close to him. It’s obvious that he has a soft spot for his sister Hazel, but for most of his other “friends,” he tends to keep them a Stygian blade’s length away.
And then, at one point in the story, we finally get see what it is that has been bothering him for so long. While we’re sure there is more to his character than just this one secret, we finally go to learn that Nico is gay — and that he’s had a crush on Percy for quite some time.
The moment was both beautiful, in that we got to experience it from Jason’s point of view as he figured out how he felt about the revelation, and tragic, since we know that Percy and Annabeth are so incredibly in love with one another. We can only hope that Nico will get his own happy ending as well.
6. Calypso kisses Leo
Leo has gotten the short end of the stick for several books. He liked Hazel, but she loved Frank. While that would be tough in any circumstance, having to see the two of them together every day while they travel to Greece couldn’t have made it any easier.
So when Leo crash-lands on Calypso’s island and the two immediately start butting heads, ships set sail all across the harbor vying for these two to get together. After all, who doesn’t like a good first encounter that’s full of animosity which eventually turns into a grudging admittance that the two faux-enemies actually have feelings for each other?
It’s exactly what happened to Leo, and while it’s sad to see him let Hazel go after holding a flame for her (pun intended) all this time, his change in personality and his new-found determination is exactly what he needed.
7. Tartarus deems Percy and Annabeth worthy of his personal attention
Okay, so, admittedly it’s not a good thing when one of the oldest gods in the universe decides to personally kill you in a myriad of terrible and painful ways. However, it is sort of cool that Annabeth and Percy, who are mere mortal demigods, were worthy of Tartarus’ attention, right?
When Tartarus says that even the Olympian gods were never punished by his own hand, you’ve got to feel a little pride swelling up in your chest. Annabeth and Percy are our main heroes, and they’ve done a lot of things to both help and hinder various gods. But this might just be the coolest (and, probably the most terrifying) one of all.
8. Frank gets a promotion
Frank has always been a little awkward, but in this book he definitely stepped up his game. We thought he was awesome when he destroyed every single katobleps in Venice, but a scene closer to the end of the book might just give that one a run for its money.
As they’re getting close to the Doors of Death on the mortal side, Frank must let Leo and Hazel press on while he helps the rest of the group defend themselves against the hoards of monsters spilling out of the underworld. Their backs are to the wall and they’re very nearly defeated. That is, until Frank steps up to bat.
All he needed was a field promotion from Jason and suddenly he can control the legions of undead warriors to fight the monsters. With Frank as the commanding officer, no creature stood a chance, and soon every single one is killed and sent back to Tartarus.
9. Bob and Small Bob defend Percy and Annabeth against Tartarus
Bob and Small Bob may have stolen every single scene they were in. First you have Bob, who used to be the Titan Iapetus, but now only remembers what Percy told him after he dunked the monster in the Lethe River and wiped his memories. But even as Bob begins to remember who he really is, he still sides with Percy and helps him get to the Doors.
And then there’s Small Bob, who turned into No-Longer-Small Bob to fight with Bob against Tartarus. “Also, I have a good cat,” said Bob, right before the two of them took on the primordial deity with no assurance that they would win. No one could ask for more loyal friends.
10. Damasen changes his fate
One of the best and most important messages in House of Hades is that anyone can overcome their fate if they just believe in themselves. Damasen was a Giant who never quite fit in with his brethren. Although he had every right to attack and kill Percy and Annabeth as soon as he saw them, he instead helped them with their journey through Tartarus.
Annabeth begged Damasen to join them in their quest, but Damasen refused, saying that he literally could not leave his home in the swamp.
While we weren’t exactly surprised that, in the end, Damasen did show up, we have to admit it was still awesome to read about him riding the drakon over the ridge, with a lance in one hand and his eyes on Tartarus. It was a sad ending to a quick friendship with Bob, Small Bob, and Damasen, but we can only hope we’ll be seeing them again.