Thoughts after reaching the "The End"

“The Sea of Monsters”, book two in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan, significantly improves upon the original. With this book Riordan begins to draw on the rich mythological histories behind his characters and the depth that these histories bring to the story makes it much more interesting and enjoyable. The introduction of Tyson begins the process of changing Percy from an annoying, self-centered narrator to a likeable hero, and Tyson ends up being not only a key part of this book, but also a key-factor in the value and enjoyment of the series (I would argue that the character of Tyson is the most important in the series, because of the effect he has on Percy). Riordan makes use of existing mysteries and places (such as the Bermuda Triangle) in this book, thereby successfully inserting the reader into the story. The ending of “The Sea of Monsters” is surprising and unexpected, and Riordan does an excellent job of misdirection while revealing his ending, keeping it exciting and changing right up to the end. This book should win an award for “Most Improved Sequel”.

“The Sea of Monsters” still falls a bit short of being great, mainly because the gods and monsters throughout the book do not act as though they’ve been around for thousands of years, but it is definitely a book worth reading. Anyone who made it through the first book should at least reward their effort by reading the second.