Re-Read 2015: The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan and read by Jesse Bernstein

Summary on Goodreads:

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.

Review:

I am so glad I discovered the greatness of these audio books before all my road trips. I kind of breezed through this one on my way to CT (where I was staying during my time at BEA). And I probably keep saying this, but I forgot how awesome these stories really are.  I remember enjoying these books on my first run-through, but I don’t remember appreciating them as much.

The characters and the world-building are top-notch. The maze in this one is ridiculously cool. Some of the modern day explanations for where things are and what the entrances look like were a little over the top. But, I kind of love the humor and over-the-top feel these books have maintained through out the whole story. I love being able to read/listen to these books all in a row, one after another. I’ve never done that before. It allows for me to make all the connections and see how much was planned from the beginning.

This book also has a couple twists that I completely forgot about! You know it’s a good twist when on your second reading, it surprises you again! Also, both Annabeth and Grover really step up in this one for me. Grover has become so much more than a sidekick. I love his budding friendship with Tyson. And Annabeth finally gets to lead her own mission. And I just ship her and Percy so much. Though, I don’t hate Rachel. I actually found getting to know her in this book to be a lot of fun. I love the awkward middle grade romance and how clueless Percy is when it comes to these things.

So, the characters are older. The battles are more intense. And the stakes are even higher. Kronos is getting stronger. There is some seriously scary stuff going on with him. And of course there is also more death. This isn’t the kind of middle-grade fantasy where everyone lives and has a happy ending. It’s the kind of middle-grade fantasy that has seriously scary creatures, death, family drama, and darkness. Is there a better kind?

This one has taken all kinds of dark turns. The way Riordan combines ancient mythology with modern day plot arcs is just incredible. And I know it’s all leading up to the final battle. I just started the last book. I’ll listen to more of it in the car, on my way to work this week. I have a feeling, it will be really hard leaving my car. This one gets a 10/10 from me. I just never wanted to stop listening. It reads really fast, and is so full of action, there’s just never a good moment to stop.