Finally finishing this book is SOOOOOOO gratifying! Firstly, because, by finishing this book, I am contributing to my reading resolutions for 2021 to finish more series, and secondly, because I have finally finished a series that I have been reading for literal YEARS. These books just get better and better with every new installment and this book not only tied up the series perfectly, but it also got me super excited to read the Heroes of Olympus series next. I am so surprised at how much I loved this book, so let’s talk about it. 

 

This review may turn into more of a review of the whole series since, you know, no spoilers. 

​

This book was a ride from start to finish and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. This book is essentially a series of battles, but they are all done so well and feel so necessary that I was enthralled for each sequence. What I also really admired about this book was that it did focus on the battles that Percy and his friends were fighting, but it still mentioned the other battles throughout the world to show us the scope of the war. 

 

Throughout the series, these characters have really grown and you can see them mature with each book, which is something I really appreciate about Rick Riordan’s writing. He knows how to write enthralling and heart-wrenching relationships that will make you worry for each character whether you actually like them or not. Even if you don’t like the character themselves, you become worried about how it will affect the other characters if something happens to them. 

 

I will say that since her introduction though, I have never understood the reason behind Rachel Dare’s character, other than to maybe add some tension between Annabeth and Percy. Her entire role in this series could easily be given to other characters we already know. I get that she is like Percy’s tie to the mortal world, but there could have been an easier way to do it; and if they wanted to include Rachel so bad, she should have already known Percy from the beginning of book 1 so he had not only a link to the mortal world but also a link to his previous life. 

 

I will say that I also really enjoyed the way that Rick Riordan portrayed the Greek Gods in these books. He really made sure that, while the Gods are a presence throughout the series, it was really about the kids finding their way through this new world. It could have easily become a book overshadowed by these Gods, but they were able to be peppered in just enough to keep the readers satisfied, keep the relationships alive, and demonstrate the magnitude of the ensuing war. 

 

This is a series that I mostly listened to on audiobook, and the narrator of these books is so great! He is not afraid to act out the book and the ridiculous noises of some of the creatures in this series. I have definitely listened to some audiobooks that have really bad narrators, and it makes such a difference to have an enthusiastic one. I think I listened to the last 3 books in the series on audiobook and I would highly recommend it. 

 

Until this last book, I was not extremely in love with this series, but the way that The Last Olympian wrapped everything up and set up the next series made me just want to reread the entire series in a marathon to really appreciate the subtlety of the ongoing threads throughout the series. 

 

I think that is about all I have to say about this book and this series. I cannot wait to pick up the Heroes of Olympus series and I would highly highly highly recommend these books to anyone who has not read them yet. Disregard the fact that they are middle-grade books, as they are some of the most fun books I have read in a long time. 5/5 stars to The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan