The Lost Hero

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, 384 pages

The Lost Hero is a new mythology series for Rick Riordan, whose better known for his Percy Jackson and the Olympians books. The Lost Hero returns to Percy's Camp Half-Blood, but follows three new demigods — Jason, Piper and Leo — as they embark on a mysterious quest (really, is there any other kind in Riordan's books?) and run into a myriad of mythological baddies. Meanwhile, Percy's missing and another war between the Olympian gods and those who came before them is looming.

I like the way Riordan incorporates ancient mythology into his thoroughly modern stories (shh... don't tell the kids reading these books that they're learning something) and I think his heroes and heroines are complex enough to carry their storylines. The Lost Hero is different from the Percy Jackson books in that each chapter focuses on one of the three new demigods' points of view. It was a bit confusing at first, but once you get in the swing of it, it works out well. I did find myself looking forward to the next Leo chapter though; he's the sidekick in the trio, and easily my favorite.

The full title of this book is technically The Heroes of Olympus: Book 1: The Lost Hero. I can't wait to see what book two brings.