Product Description

Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse. In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth–a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this latest audiobook promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #136 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-06
• Released on: 2008-05-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 368 pages

About the Author
Rick Riordan is also the author of the previous books in the New York Times #1 best-selling series Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book One: The Lightning Thief; Book Two: The Sea of Monsters; and Book Three: The Titan’s Curse. These titles are all available on audio from Listening Library. His previous novels for adults include the hugely popular Tres Navarre series, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons. To learn more about Rick, visit his website at www.rickriordan.com.

Customer Reviews

The Saga Deepens
In this installment of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the characters mature in parallel to the scope and urgency of the conflict. Annabeth, Percy, Grover, Clarisse and others wisen and deepen as the conflict takes on a more personal edge.

It opens light-hearted enough: Percy has a run-in with some not-so-peppy cheerleaders and manages to put Annabeth in a jealousy-inspired fit in the process. However, as we find out more about the approaching war with the Titans, the reader is quickly drawn into a literal maze of difficulties.

All of the main characters have crucial choices they have to make, and this drives the plot forward: Percy has to deliberately decide several times to renounce his own desires in favor of others' needs; Annabeth has to exercise both her wisdom and humility; Grover has to simply grow; and we even see some beautiful character-deepening in Clarisse and Mr. D.

My favorite aspect of this part of the series is how the personal choices of the characters--whether major or minor characters--so profoundly affect the overall battle between good and evil. In literature, it is too easy to allow these forces to runaway and not ultimately be affected by individual decisions, but if it is to be real, and real fantasy, this element is essential. Riordan masters this chillingly well; even in the stunning, picturesque comeback of Kronos he reminds us of the importance of individual choice. Book 4 goes necessarily deeper than the previous books, so much so that I am still mulling over it several days after completing it.

While it cannot exactly be a cliffhanger, Riordan is definitely segueing into The Last Olympian. Book 4 is a wonderful story in and of itself, but we are painstakingly set up for the conclusion, and it's just a shame we have to wait so long to get it!

Percy's adventures continue at a frenetic pace!
I had purchased The Lightning Thief (1st book in the series of 4, so far...) for my 11 year old son who does NOT like to read silently, figuring that we could read it aloud together, and to try to get him interested in non-fiction. It also coincided with Greek Mythology a social studies subject in 6th grade. It was fabulous, and we have since read books 2 and 3. He was THRILLED that a new installment was avaailable and even read it himself! Can't wait for book 5, Riordan is a genius!

Standardized Sphinxes
These books are always enjoyable. I've been a mythology enthusiast since I was a kid and am still a sucker for creative variations on Greek Myths. I had to particularly laugh at the Sphinx who ditches the traditional riddle contest for a standardized test. Her lines are classic.

"Think? How am I supposed to test whether you can think?, that's ridiculous!"

"If you won't pass, you fail. And since we can't allow any children to be held back, you'll be eaten!"

"My grading machine! I can't be exemplary without my test scores!"

OK, I'm a teacher. I probably found this much more amusing than the kids that this book is targeted toward.