Tigerpetal Press : Book Review: Wrath of the Triple Goddess

Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Senior Years Book 2: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan

4 stars – I really liked it

Second book in the Senior Years trilogy! It wasn’t even on my schedule, but it arrived in the mail shortly before my trip to Mexico, so I just had to bring it along.

Read: Oct 11 – Oct 15, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Mythical Realism
Audience: Middle Grade, YA
Book contains: gods and monsters, undead, mild violence, threats of death by incineration/impalement/etc.

Purchase a copy from Amazon.ca

A Percy Jackson Halloween Tale!

Percy needs two more recommendation letters to get into New Rome University, and the second request comes from Hecate, goddess of magic. What does she need? Pet-sitting for a week so she can go trick-or-treating. With Annabeth and Grover to help out, Percy is confident that nothing will go wrong. Too bad things always go wrong.

I originally didn’t have this book written into my schedule, but I’d preordered it as soon as I saw it was available, and it just so happened to arrive in the mail right before I left for a two-week vacation to Mexico. Of course, I packed it (along with five other books) and was super excited to dive in.

This novel is told in first person from Percy’s perspective, with the same brain tangents and casual humour as all the other books in the series. The chapters are a decent length, not too long and not too short.

I read it the old fashioned way; started it in Mexico on a lounge chair by the pool, read a bunch on the plane ride home, and finished it sitting comfortably at my computer desk.

Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are the main trio of this book, with brief cameos by Sally, Chiron, and Eudora (though Eudora is hiding). They meet and learn more about new characters like Hecate, Gale, Hecuba, and more—each character adds something significant to the plot and lessons woven in.

Percy and Annabeth are in a solid romantic relationship and nothing can shake them. I do like how the initial conflict tests Percy’s friendship with Grover—but we all know that nothing can break them apart. At the same time Percy struggles with maintaining who he is in the face of the choices he’s presented with. How he treats his friends is one thing, but how will he treat his enemies? That’s the question that gets asked multiple times in this series of adventures.

Riordan continues to be an excellent writer for young and growing readers. For the kids just diving into the world of Percy Jackson, this book is perfect for future planning, and for returning readers (like me), it’s nostalgic to see Percy and his friends growing up and maturing. The casual, playful tone and interspersed action keeps any reader’s attention, all the while delivering valuable life lessons along the way.

There are actually a few steps to this quest, rather than a single goal. First is dealing with Hecuba, then dealing with Gale, then finally the deadline, and I’d say it went pretty smoothly. There was always something happening, and a bigger mystery draws your attention throughout everything that’s going on.

I highly recommend this series to lovers of Percy Jackson, and if you haven’t read the whole series—you really should. This author is one of the best I’ve read in contemporary children’s fiction, not only for engaging books, but for books with valuable life lessons and inclusive characters and storylines. Now I can’t wait for book 3!

Percy Jackson & the Olympians, The Senior Years Book 2: Wrath of the Triple Goddess by Rick Riordan

A Percy Jackson Halloween Tale!

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