The Trials of Apollo by Rick Riordan ☀️ Series Review (1-3)

Summary of Series

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disoriented, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favor. But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters, and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood

Title: The Hidden Oracle
Pages: 376
Release Date: May 3 2016

I didn’t quite know what to expect when I picked this book up. I know that I wanted to binge all of Riordan’s books, and this was one of the last ones that I needed to tackle. I knew this featured Apollo in human form and possibly a few cameos, but I thrown into a new world of an entertaining and captivating MC; wholly intriguing plot lines infused with real history and mythology; cameos from my loves; and a few slight bumps in pace and one particular side character.

I absolutely love being in Apollo’s voice. I find him so so intriguing. Riordan manages to throw in so much wit and realism with how Apollo might sound if he had been formed into a modern teen’s body. There is so much humor, and I don’t know how Riordan does it but he is created Apollo into a totally likeable and rootable character that has me wishing there were tons of books with his voice. I definitely don’t think he might be for everyone, though.

The plots were so intriguing, and it was so much fun. This kept a lot of the same Percy Jackson feels, but it does feel partly different. You’re not just getting the same exact stuff, but Riordan definitely manages to refresh his proven formula. It’s definitely super entertaining, intriguing, and just an overall fun ride. I love how Riordan borrows from his other series with some wonderful cameos (SLIGHT SPOILERS::: Will/Nico adorable moments and Rachel Elizabeth Dare mentions had me screeching) and mentions (SLIGHT SPOILERS::: Reyna!! Leo!!), but also, brings something brand new.

The two main things that I wasn’t the biggest fan of was the pacing and Meg. I really really can’t connect with Meg. I can at certain points, but I’m still a bit hazy on her motivations and her as a person. I haven’t given up on connecting with her yet, but it’s still a bit of a struggle with me and her on that level. The other issue is that while I was enjoying the story, I had a bit of an issue with how long it took me to fully get invested and involved. I think it just was a bit of a dense read that took a little while to get into it, but by the end, I was so so invested and speeding through.

Overall, a great read, and now I’m super excited to keep going with the series. I think the bumps with pacing and Meg should equal out, and I am ready to fully dive into what Riordan does amazing and best: bringing Greek mythology to life in the modern age and with fully human moments along with the supernatural ones. Definitely a must if you’re a Riordan fan (but definitely after you’re caught up with PJO and Heroes of Olympus series).

Title: The Dark Prophecy
Pages: 401
Release Date: May 2nd 2017

Well, one of my ultimate loves from the Heroes of Olympus series came back in action so HARD that this instantly wins as the favorite Trials of Apollo book??? This series keeps bringing back all the old classics with reinventing with the new, and I’m super enjoying. 

I warmed a tiny bit up to Meg in this one, but I’m still having some difficulty with her. I enjoyed the storyline in this one, and the new character focus/team was super fun. I definitely far preferred the pacing in this one, and I definitely binge read this one.

A very solid and enjoyable second entry to this series. AND MY LOVE – he is still epic as ever and I’m screeching. I’m hoping this will continue a pattern of each book getting better and better. And now I must scurry over and read the next one.

Title: The Burning Maze
Pages: 431
Release Date: May 1 2018

Content warning: death, death of principal character

Oddly enough this was my favorite of the series despite it being the most emotional and sad of the bunch??? I felt like this book showcased so much growth – in Apollo who is quickly become a favorite character; in characters that I formerly have had issues with like Meg (SLIGHT SPOILER: and Piper!! omg, I used to complain about her much in the Heroes of Olympus series but I REALLY enjoyed her in this one), and development in plot and characterization. This series has really grown, and I’m really so so invested in it.

The only issue that I had with this one was the pacing. Sometimes, I felt like it was too slow, but other times, I felt like it was too fast. Such a strange combination, but the book really felt like that to me. However, the plot was so so intriguing and captivating. I had been spoiled for the biggest plot twist, due to a Twitter meme, so I did see that coming. However, it was still fascinating to see it happen.

Overall, this was such a brilliant addition to the series, and I’m screeching for how excited I am for the next book in the series. MY GIRL IS GONNA BE BACK IN ACTION. And I can’t wait to see how Riordan will blend mythology and history next.

Overall Thoughts & Rating

Um, I’m obsessed with this series. I’m not quite sure where it falls in the Riordan series in best ones, but this is just so so so good. It includes so many epic favorites from Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus while blending the classic Riordan spin on mythology with his brilliance new spin on history. It infuses Riordan’s classic wit and epic characters seamlessly. I’ve had a few bumps with pacing and characters, but overall, it’s be a delight and I’m craving more. It’s also got me listening obsessively to a Greek Mythology podcast, so, um, that’s a thing. An Anna rating!

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What do you think? Have you read any of these? Let’s discuss in the comments below!