The Battle of the Labyrinth

I've read about 3/4 of The Battle of the Labyrinth. So far, its just as entertaining and informative as the last three. This particular book is a great deal about choices. Obviously, the reader can see that from the title. The Labyrinth is a complex maze work that exists to decieve those brave or foolish enough to enter it. However, I also believe that this Labryinth represents the human mind. In the Labyrinth, one must choose which path to take, as they must do with their own lives. One false move, or one bad decision in life, can ruin a person. However, at the end of the Labyrinth lies the heroes' goals and if the right path is taken, they will prevail, just as the right descions in life will lead a person to success. The Labyrinth is a physical reminder that choices can have various consequences and that they are, in general, not easy to make. The book also deals with morality. This comes into play when Deadalus, the inventor of the Labyrinth, is forced to choose sides between the gods and the titans. The desicion to do what is right often escapes Deadalus, as is revealed with a flashback into his long, unatutal life. When Janus, the god of choices and pathways, influences Deadalus, he wrongfullly chooses to cause the death of his newphew out of bitterness and jealuously. Of all the wrong Deadalus commited in his 2000 years, the heroes still believe he will do what is right and help them navigate the Labyrinth. Ultimately, he refuses, claiming that they already know the way. This shows that many times, decisons must be made by an individual alone, and without any influence from friends or others. The main question in my mind now is this: Even if Deadalus had helped the heroes, would that make up for his previous actions and construction of the dangerous Labyrinth, which had caused so many deaths that never would have been if it had not had been created?

Finished "The Titan's Curse"

The Titan's Curse is the third installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series. As I previously stated in another post, the ancient Greek culture is brought to the present in a creative and informative way. Modern twists are put into an otherwise serious and noble culture. (EX: The chariot of Apollo being a sports car, and Posiedon being clad in fisherman's gear.)The scenarios which Rick Riordan uses in his stories reflect, in some cases, the journeys of Odysseus, they give a new view towards one whom most would count a selfless character (Hercules), and recreates the ancient peril with a new band of unlikely heroes, a group a adolescents who are the offspring of the various gods an goddesses of Mount Olympus.
In this third installment, tension is again created between the three elder gods, (Zues, Posiedon, Hades) when a new pieces in the game, as the author puts it, are brought back into play. These 'pieces' would be a girl who many believed gone from this world, and the other two would be newly discovered demigods (the name for the children of the gods and humans) that the monsters serving the Titans have been sent to kidnap. No one knows for sure the parentage of these two young children, but it is later revealed that they are of great importance.
While the decision to fight against the reformation of the Titan Lord Kronos is being determined by the gods and goddesses, the daughter of Athena is taken by the enemy and forced to bear the "Titan's Curse". (If you have any doubt as to what that may be, I encourage you to read these books or brush up on ancient Greek culture!) Also, this book clearly expresses why some people choose to endure great pain or martyr themselves for a cause. Numerous characters in this book force themselves to endure pain for the sake of a friend and another goes knowingly to her death so that she may save the one person she is bound to by love and allegiance.

New Series Update

I recently saw the Lightning Theif in the movies and decided to read the books. They are pretty good so far, but the story was changed somewhat for the film. I have already read the first two books and they have gone by quite quickly. If anyone is looking for a quick read, or if you are interested in Greek Mythology, this would be a good series to read. It gives an interesting modern twist to an ancient culture. aside form informative, this series is also quite amusing.