The Hidden Oracle

July 25, 2016
In this book, the first in Riordan’s Trials of Apollo series (a spin-off of his bestselling Percy Jackson series), the god Apollo is punished by Zeus and sent to Earth in the form of a gawky teenage boy. He is forced to serve a 12-year-old demigod girl who just recently discovered her powers, faces danger from an ongoing series of mythological creatures trying to kill him, and attempts to solve the mystery of why the Oracle of Delphi has gone silent. Narrator Daymond’s narration is delightful: lively and comical, he perfectly captures the lovably conceited and pompous Apollo, who is constantly being brought down a peg in his humiliating human state, and creates memorable voices for a myriad of creatures, including gurgly, raspy plague ghouls, an authoritative centaur, and a grain spirit in the form of a wailing baby. Percy Jackson fans will eagerly take to this new series, and Daymond’s entertaining narration only adds to the fun. Ages 10–14. A Disney-Hyperion hardcover.

With more Mel Brooks-ian flare than a fourth wall could hope to contain, Riordan presents another expansion to his modern pantheon. Punished by his father, Zeus, sun god Apollo falls from grace--literally--first landing painfully in a dumpster and then, humiliatingly, into the service of a streetwise, 12-year-old, presumably white demigod named Meg McCaffrey. The now-mortal Apollo seeks help from Camp Half-Blood and its resident heroes only to find that there's been a plague of disappearances among the demigods, the camp has been cut off from the Oracle of Delphi and its quest-granting prophecies, and a sinister conspiracy is working tirelessly to destroy everything the former sun god holds dear. In his narration, Apollo alternately waxes poetic about his godly virtues (including his open bisexuality) and gripes about his current awkwardness and servitude to the enigmatic Meg. Egocentric to the point of rollicking self-deprecation as he tries to reconcile millennia of personal history as an immortal with his sudden fragile finitude, his voice overpowers any sense of his new 16-year-old white, acned form, and he continuously disrupts the narrative to remind readers of his dissatisfying appearance. Nonetheless, the wearying negotiation of inner and outer self will ring true for (im)mortals of any age as Apollo desperately works to save himself and everyone else. A clash of mythic intrigues and centuries of pop culture to thrill die-hard and new fans alike. (glossary) (Fantasy. 12-17) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2016

Gr 5 Up-Riordan's many fans will be thrilled with this return to the world of Percy Jackson and friends. Apollo has had his godly powers taken away by Zeus as a punishment for events in the previous series. Not only is Apollo now human but he's also a 16-year-old boy with acne and flab. The first-person narration is full of comments about the indignity of his new appearance and limited abilities, which adds to the humor of his often dark adventures. The story opens as Apollo falls to Earth and lands in a dumpster where he is attacked by a pair of street toughs. He's rescued by Meg McCaffrey, a new demigod who claims Apollo's service in his quest to redeem himself. Apollo and Meg recruit Percy Jackson to help them travel to Camp Half-Blood, where Apollo hopes to find help, but when they reach the camp, they learn about new threats against all the demigods. The protagonist discovers that he must restore prophecy by finding the hidden Grove of Dodona, which is the first step in defeating the newly revealed evil masterminds who are trying to destroy him. Riordan's characters continue to be an impressively diverse group, and he includes same-sex relationships between characters and has Apollo frankly discuss his bisexuality, which will be welcomed in libraries looking for books with positive portrayals of nonheteronormative relationships and families. VERDICT This latest has Riordan's signature wry narration, nonstop action, and mythology brought to life. A must-buy for libraries serving tweens and teens.-Beth L. Meister, Milwaukee Jewish Day School, WI

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