My first read in 2023 was a follow-up to my postponed plan to finish the reread of Percy Jackson and the Olympians last year. The fifth book in the series, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan, took me quite a while to complete not because it came behind in the list of which was better, but rather because of how unpredictable a new year could be.
Following the story of an impending war between the Olympians and Kronos, Percy once again needs to decide the fate of the entire world. When the gods are busy defending New York City from Typhon, one of Kronos' strongest armies, the Olympus located on the 600th floor of the Empire State Building stands unguarded. That's when Percy leads his friends from Half-Blood camp to defend Kronos and his cronies... alone.
Again, this book surprised me with how much I had forgotten in the span of several years. Looking back, I was quite impressed with the way all the first four books had been stringed with one another and seemed to be leading into something big: this finale. And the moment I read its first line: "The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car", I knew instantly I was hooked.
I adored Nico and his growth the most in this book, while Percy was still the same old Percy. For the most part, I felt like he was almost the same as he had been supposedly four years ago. What this book lacked in character development it made up for in the plot, however. The twists here and there though not too grand were amazing. So was the play of the little details. I liked how some demigods with smaller roles had their own notable moments.
In conclusion, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian was an epic finale to close this series with. Although I didn't really get the highlight of "The Last Olympian" and had to google it once I was done with the book, it was still worth all the praises and rewards.
Actual rating: 4.8★
