The Trials of Apollo, Book One: The Hidden Oracle

Rick Riordan

May 2016 · Sold by Disney Electronic Content

About this ebook

How do you punish an immortal? By making him human. 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.

Ratings and reviews

Honestly, I'm pretty late when to comes to books made by Uncle Rick. I read this as a physical book. Even though I am not LGBTQ+, I just adore Solangelo. Also, just the way Apollo is as a mortal. If you picture yourself as a demigod, in the Apollo cabin, sometimes it's pretty cute. Can't wait to get Chalice of the God's. And judging by the looks of it, I'm hoping to get Easter eggs from The Chalice as the description says things about Percy's tests for school(college?), and being the same exams mentioned in this one.

Rick Riordan has done it again (and again and again). I don't know which god (Nordic/Roman/Greek/Egyptian?) is responsible for inspiring him – though I have a feeling they would all clamor for the credit – and I have no complaints. The Hidden Oracle got my heartbeat racing – and I didn't even read the synopsis before buying. As soon as I bought my copy, I hunkered down and read it straight for three hours. Reading The Hidden Oracle felt like one big fun adventure, especially since seeing the world through Apollo as a sixteen-year-old human was highly amusing. It's not that I needed full concentration to enjoy this, but because I wanted to lose myself in this world. How I missed Camp Half-Blood! If you've been reading Riordan's Percy Jackson/Olympus series, then you know that Apollo is one of the most arrogant gods, although he has his nice moments. The book was peppered with praises of his godliness and awesomeness. I love how Riordan modernizes the portrayals of the Greek gods as seen in Homer's Illiad. If we had these books back when we were studying Illiad, I think a lot of the class would easily ace our quizzes on which god did what. I loved seeing Apollo fall – literally and figuratively, several times. It was the humbling of a god who, through his carelessness, brought so much downfall to humans (and consequently, the gods) the past few years. And Meg, whose last name was not mentioned, as a twelve-year-old kid blowing raspberries and being a great antithesis to his godly arrogance, was easily charming that the end of the book had me anxious on her behalf. She has the potential of being an awesome and precious character. We are also treated to a few glimpses of Percy Jackson, which always thrills me, and Nico is also a secondary character. If you're a fan of Nico and his...revelation, you're in for a treat with The Hidden Oracle. We also get Leo Valdez back, and I am excited to see what other machines he's going to come up with in the next books in the series. We are also treated to scenes of Mother Rhea as a trippy hippy, and she is one of the characters I am most excited to know more about. There is a surprising revelation in who the villain is – and I have a feeling this is the last book in the Olympus bracket (explaining would ruin the story!). Hopefully we'll get more glimpses of our beloved heroes from his other series as Apollo faces formidable villains in The Trials of Apollo series. I suppose the next book in the series, The Dark Prophecy, will be out next year – and that will definitely be on my auto-buy list. Just like Riordan's other books, his writing transported me right in the thick of things and Chiron's red heels (read the book!). I would definitely recommend this to all fans of Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson, and young adult fantasy, mythology, and just generally great stories. Go get it. Happy reading! :)

It is a shame that such a talented writer as Riordan has chosen to fall to the dark side of the force, and uses his gift throughout this particular book to persuade his vulnerable young readers about the merits of the homosexual and bisexual lifestyle. His main character, Apollo, not only glorifies his own affairs with both males and females, but rejoices in the gay relationships of other teenage demi-gods in the story. He goes far beyond just mentioning such relationships, and digresses from the plot to go to great lengths to praise them while condemning those that might question such attractions. Having read all of his prior fantasy novels I am beyond disappointed--rather disgusted-- that he would push his own moral agenda on his young and impressionable fans. This is just a sneaky, poorly disguised attack on traditional family values. Beware Christian parents and grandparents! The sexual/homosexual theme is so prominent throughout this book that it overshadows all other messages and merits to the story. Shame on you Mr. Riordan for betraying the trust of your fans who just wanted a good fantasy read and were not signing up for sexual indoctrination!

About the author

Author Info:

Rick Riordan, dubbed “storyteller of the gods” by Publishers Weekly, is the author of five #1 New York Times best-selling middle grade series with millions of copies sold throughout the world: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, and the Trials of Apollo, based on Greek and Roman mythology; the Kane Chronicles, based on Ancient Egyptian mythology; and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, based on Norse mythology. Rick collaborated with illustrator John Rocco on two #1 New York Times best-selling collections of Greek myths for the whole family: Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods and Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes. Rick lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @camphalfblood.