Dark Prophecy, The-Trials of Apollo, The Book Two

Following the disappointment that was The Blood of Olympus, I was again let down with The Trials of Apollo, The Hidden Oracle. Book One just didn't do it for me for some reason. I found that the book dragged on, the adventures weren't; very fun, the characters weren't as fun as others, and the voice of Apollo was repetitive, exhaustive, and not at all how he was depicted in the Titan's Curse. He was just so whiny. I wasn't; sure if I should buy the second book, but commitment to the Riordan brand didn't give me another option. And I'm so glad I didn't give up on him after two major disappointments. Book Two, The Dark Prophecy, didn't allow me to put down the book. While I struggled to finish Book One, Book Two was exactly what you would call a page-turner. The adventures were a lot of fun, Apollo was less whiny and more 'goddy', as he should've been from the beginning, and even though this particular book did not feature Percy Jackson, the characters were amazing and bad ass. Oh, and LEOOOOO. My only qualm is that there wasn't NEARLY enough Leo in this book. It also seems like this will be the most LEOO we will be getting, which is heart quenching since we just got him back, but Riordan makes up for this by that INCREDIBLE surprise he left for us on that last page. Book One left me hoping this would just be a trilogy, Book Two left me begging for an extension on the five book deal. Good job, Rick! You're still not forgiven for the drab that was Blood of Olympus, though!

Rick Riordan brings us another amazing book in the wondrous world of gods and myths that he has built. Delving ever deeper into the ‘not so common’ mythologies along the way. In this book, Apollo has left Camp Half-Blood behind with Leo, Calypso and our favorite mechanical dragon, Festus, to restore the Oracles, demigod communication and to (hopefully) regain his Godly prowess and return to Mount Olympus. “I may or may not have emptied my bladder in the channel. (Don’t tell Leo. He was downstream.)” Oh goodness, Apollo is a Dork and breaks the fourth wall almost as much as Deadpool! (But in a more kid friendly manner.) Apollo is such a sassy, narcissistic character who you can’t help but like, even with his hilarious disdain for us mortals and our mortal ways of doing things. But I can already see a new side to Apollo unfolding throughout the pages of series as it continues. I have thoughts that his heart is growing, not unlike that of the Grinch, and that Apollo is learning about family and friendship and a new sense of home because so far the stories seem to center around a safe haven for our hero friends and well… let’s face it, the Gods seem to have a disconnect when it comes to mortal lives. So I’m curious to see how these feelings of Apollo’s, lessons and friendships he is gaining will affect him once he returns to Olympus. Besides Apollo we see the return of some familiar characters (YES!!) and meet many new and endearing ones, as well as a new sanctuary for those who seek one. This book is full of adventure, a few twists, and lots of laughs and even has some adorable LGBTQ characters that I honestly adored. You know, Apollo himself is bisexual. And if you ever get curious while reading one of Riordan’s books, Google and discover even more about the mythology behind the story and see how Riordan keeps it true to history, but tweaked to fit the stories. Definitely cannot wait for the next branch of Apollo’s (or Lester’s Papadopoulos’s) adventures in The Burning Maze!

Just finished The Dark Prophecy and it honestly hit way harder than I expected. This wasn’t just an adventure—it was heartbreak, love, loss, and resilience all tangled together. Death isn’t distant or abstract in this book; it’s personal, and you can feel how much it changes Apollo. The pain sticks, the loss matters, and it forces Apollo to confront emotions he’s ignored forever. By the end, it felt like I wasn’t just watching a character grow—I was watching someone learn what it truly means to love, to grieve, and to keep going anyway.

Rick Riordan did an amazing job with this book. I loved it. It was so full of action and Leo was so funny (like always). I recommend this book for ages 10 - 16

Apollo apprend a être plus gentil envers les autres et devient de plus en plus généreux j'adore ce livre il est trop bien

The second book acts an excellent sequel to the 1st book of the series. The story continues as you see through the eyes of Lester a.k.a. Apollo. He is challenged by a series of trials and hardships. This installment in the series is a banger, and puts you at the edge of your seat as Apollo and Meg take a mortal fight to one of the Triumvirate's emperor. An absolute thriller, must read.

Me gustó mucho el libro, incluso más que el primero. Para todos aquellos que les encantó la evolución de Apollo en "The hidden oracle", en "The dark prophecy" encontrarán más profundidad y maduración de este estupendo personaje.

Der Gott Apollo ist auf Grund seiner Bestrafung durch Zeus noch immer im Körper des Sterblichen Lester Papadopoulus gefangen. Seine Suche nach den vom römischen Triumvirat kontrollierten Orakeln geht weiter. Ihn begleiten Leo Valdez und seine Freundin Calypso. Auf dem Metalldrachen Festus fliegen sie bis nach Indianapolis, wo Apollo basierend auf einer Vision hofft, seine Freundin Meg McCaffrey zu finden. Meg arbeitet im Auftrag ihres Stiefvaters Nero für das Triumvirat und soll Apollo gefangen nehmen oder töten. Dieser hofft jedoch, seine Freundin noch rechtzeitig umstimmen und von Neros schlechtem Einfluss befreien zu können. In Indianapolis erwarten sie jedoch erst einmal jede Menge Monster, die scheinbar über ihre bevorstehende Ankunft unterrichtet waren. Die Bedrohung ist zu groß und verzweifelt fliehen die Helden durch die Straßen der Stadt, bis sie im letzten Moment von Hemithea und dem Geist Agamethus gerettet werden. Hemithea bringt sie in ein geheimes Gebäude, das durchziehenden Helden als sichere Unterkunft dient. Doch inzwischen ist sie mit ihrer Freundin Josephine alleine. Jeder, der das Haus verlassen hat, wurde von den Monstern des Triumvirats entführt, auch ihre Adoptivtochter Georgie, die sie unbedingt wiederfinden möchten. Doch erst gibt Britomartis, die Göttin der Netze und Fallen, Apollo die Aufgabe ihre Greifen aus den Fängen des Triumvirats zu befreien. Erst danach will sie ihm verraten, wie er Georgie und das Orakel retten kann. Zusammen mit Calypso macht sich Apollo auf zum Zoo von Indianapolis, wo die beiden Greifen gefangen gehalten werden. Hier erwarten ihn nicht nur die Schergen des Triumvirats, sondern auch jede Menge gefangene Monster und Meg McCaffrey. In The Dark Prophecy sammelt Apollo jede Menge Erkenntnisse, darüber, wie es ist, als Held, Missionen von Göttern zu erhalten, was ihn nachhaltig prägt. Das Buch enthält viele interessante Rückblicke in die Vergangenheit des Gottes. Gerade durch diese und die Nähe zu seinen neuen Freunden, lernt er viel darüber, was es bedeutet, sterblich zu sein. Außerdem kommt es zu weiteren Begegnungen mit bekannten Charakteren aus den bisherigen Romanen von Rick Riordan.