House of Hades: Book review

This is actually my first blog, but I plan to write reviews for most of the books I've read.  So, please be nice. :) I'm sorry if I'm gonna blab a bit for the introduction, I just want to share my thoughts on the characters first before I go ahead with the book review.


My biases
(favorite characters) are Percy (of course), Nico (even though he's not one of the seven),  Frank and Leo. For the girls, I like Hazel the most. I apologize to the 'Percabeth' shippers, but I really wanted Rachel Dare for Percy </3. As for Piper, I just don't like her character at all, I don't believe in love at first sight, and so I'm not a big fan of how she's head over heels for Jason Grace and thinks the world of him. But since she's a daughter of Aphrodite and Jason Grace is considered the hottest guy in town, well, people expect them to be together. Still not a fan. I mean, look at how Percy and Annabeth started, I think their history is more relatable.

On with the review.

Like every other hardcore fan of the books, it felt like forever to wait for the new installment of the Heroes of Olympus series - the House of Hades.  It was released October last year, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to read it right away since I was really busy with my thesis and was preparing for graduation. I just finished the book a few days ago, and here's my reaction:

** Spoiler alert: this is not a teaser review, so if you don't want spoilers, stop reading**






I'm going to be honest. I hated it and loved it at the same time. Here are the reasons why:

Let's start with 'hate' reasons, shall we?

1. Nico being gay.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not being sexist, I like gay people. I know there's still going to be a lot of bashing because of this, but I'm still gonna go ahead and say it. I really didn't think it was "necessary". In the previous books, it was implied that Nico really admired Percy, especially since he was really into this card game called Mythomagic. It was a like a dream come true for him when he found out that gods and demigods really exist, add to that, being one himself. So I guessed as much the level of disappointment for him when Percy came back from his quest without Bianca, not being able to fulfill his promise to protect her. He believed in Percy; he was his hero. So, I didn't think that him being gay is the very explanation why he became so distant with everyone. I mean, take that fact away, he still has a lot of reasons to hate himself and the world. And I was really hoping that, like the others, he'll find someone who'll make him want to be better. That being Percy, who's already taken, I felt like he won't really achieve true happiness. Which leads me to the conclusion that in the last book, he'll die. He doesn't have a home, except with Bianca, who's in the Underworld (but Nico's also wondering if she's been reborn because he couldn't find her there). Fingers crossed, I really don't want him to die, I love this boy!

2. Tartarus Adventure
I felt that Percy and Annabeth's adventure in Tartarus was a little bit easier than expected. I can't even imagine a more horrible place. It was like, everything they needed was handed to them, maybe not in a silver platter, but all the same, help always came. Unlike in the previous books, it was just them trying to solve all their problems. Most of the time, the gods weren't even willing to help; even if it's for their son or daughter. I imagined that since they were in Tartarus, they would find something out in themselves that'll help them get through it. Like with the other demigods, Hazel and Frank, whose characters really developed in this book. I mean, I imagined that for every step they took in Tartarus, there would be monsters surrounding them, since basically they're two of the most wanted demigods by Gaea. It was a little too convenient that they had Bob (previously Iapetus) with them and then, found another ally, Damasen, the giant counterpart of Ares. They didn't even have to fight much in the scene where they were at the Doors of Death, it was all thanks to their new found friends.

3. Inconsistency
There was a part in Hazel's POV wherein she thought about her relationship with every one included in the Quest. What really bothered me most was the part about her thoughts on Jason. She said that she couldn't get a read on Jason because he was too perfect, a true leader, and she had a hard time warming up to him. For the readers, if you'll recall in the Son of Poseidon, Hazel mentioned that she really liked Jason since he was the first one to befriend her and he took her in and vouched for her in the Fifth Cohort. So she became really depressed when he went missing. See the inconsistency?? I mean, I could understand if she phrased it like she noticed that Jason changed a lot since he returned from Camp Half-blood and maybe she wasn't sure if he still remembers the times they spent together in Camp Jupiter. That's how I would feel. I felt a bit insulted to think that maybe Rick Riordan either forgot about this or didn't think his readers would notice.

4. No character development for Jason
Everyone else really grew in this book, even Piper, my least favorite character. I mean, she even learned how to use a sword (finally! I was really worried she'll just keep using her Cornucopia and the useless Katoptris). On the other hand, Jason was still the same person he was in The Lost Hero. After he regained his memories, he became confused about which identity to embrace; the Roman praetor or the Greek hero with a surprise girlfriend. And he was still confused up to the fourth book. When will he decide?? I know it's not easy to choose between the two camps. But I was really disappointed that up until now, he hasn't made up his mind. It's obvious that he wants to be Greek, even the ghost Roman legionnaires sense that. I think the only thing keeping him from deciding is Reyna, who I really like by the way. But come on, you already decided to be with Piper, a girl you just met (sorry, I'm really really not a fan of whirlwind romance). Own up, just be Greek already. At least, he finally stepped down being the praetor and handed the title to Frank. Maybe in the next book, he'll be more sure of himself. I hope. No one wants a leader who has doubts about himself.

And now, the reasons why I love the book:

Character development for everyone! (except for Jason)
Hazel was the bomb in this book. She was the shiest girl when her character was introduced. She didn't acknowledge being the daughter of Pluto, she hid her powers of summoning treasures from the ground and she was afraid to let everyone know that she died and came back from the Underworld (with the help of Nico). But now, she kicked ass. I really liked the part where she finally learned how to control the mist and saved all her friends from being skewered by Sciron / being eaten by the giant turtle ( in Jason's case). Also, the part where she manipulated Pasiphae's illusion and fought against Clytius side by side with Hecate. That was awesome!

Frank. I'm imagining how good he looks now that he grew muscles and stuff. Frank, like Hazel, didn't believe much in himself in the earlier books because of his firewood weakness and maybe, his physique. He wasn't the classic hero who was handsome like Percy or Jason. He wasn't that tall or buff. He didn't have the confidence to wield a sword and much preferred using a long-range weapon like bows and arrows despite him being a son of Mars. But in this book, I think I speak for everyone who read it that during the part where he led the ghost Roman legionnaires in the second level of the House of Hades, we were shouting like crazy (in our mind or literally) cheering for him. And I liked the teamwork between all of them, how Nico summoned the ghosts, directing Jason to lead a unit, telling Piper to counter the empousai; he was a badass leader. Everybody thought so. It's a shame Hazel didn't witness that.

Leo. I'm just so sad for Leo. He's grown so much in this book. People see him as just this happy-go-lucky boy, who just wouldn't shut up and couldn't pass up the opportunity to crack a joke. But ever since Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus, he became more responsible and wary of his actions. He felt that it was his fault. And when the snow goddess Khione threw him to Ogygia, he wasn't even welcome there. Calypso hated him; thinking he was her punishment from the gods, someone ugly and she couldn't possibly love. What's worse is that even though Leo wanted to leave, he couldn't because Calypso didn't like/love him, and the boat will only appear for those demigods who Calypso wanted to stay in the island. But after awhile, they bonded, and Calypso warmed up to him. Right then, the boat appeared and Calypso kissed him goodbye. The gods really are cruel. He's been lovesick ever since. And when he got back, he became a bit reserved, he even stopped teasing Frank and got more comfortable with Hazel. I wish he'll meet Calypso again someday. *tear*

Percy and Annabeth. What I like about them is that even though they were in the worst possible place ever to have a date (their inside joke), they didn't give up. They both felt like it, but because of the other person, they didn't give in. Percy also thought about life for the monsters after he'd killed them and whether he was any different from them. Annabeth also considered moving to New Rome with Percy despite her previous reservations. They found new unlikely friends, Bob and Damasen, and promised to make their sacrifices worth it by defeating Gaea and the giants. The last part, was a tear jerker for me, when Percy looked up to the stars and said "Bob says hello".

Piper. At last, she's not just a pretty face anymore. She already went through a few adventures, with Jason and Leo, and she even became the head counselor for her cabin. But she only learned pegasus flying, as far as I remember. In this book, she decided to learn sword fighting with Hazel after feeling helpless during Khione's attack. I mean, charmspeak is great, but it won't work on everyone. She also learned that Hazel's way of controlling the mist is similar to what she does with Charmspeak. It was brilliant what she did with Festus, which she permanently reactivated with just charmspeak. I think that part was her shining moment. If only she spends more time practicing fighting than dreaming about Jason's blue eyes and his long blonde hair, she'll have more screen (book) time, and maybe, more fans.


Overall, I like the book more than I hate it. Maybe I was expecting more danger, suspense and action. Nonetheless, the wait was worth it. Can't wait for the next book! Thanks for reading :)





Did you like my review? Or want me to write a review for a different book? Suggestions/violent reactions on the comment box below. Thanks again :)