Book Review - The Last Olympian

Percy Jackson and The Last Olympian
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5
Genres: Mythology, Urban Fantasy | Childrens
Release Date: 1st August 2010
Publishers: Puffin
No. Pages: 361
Source: Borrowed
Rating:
Buy From: Amazon | Book Depository | Barnes and Noble | Waterstones

All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows..

In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the prophecy surrounding Percy‘s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

The following review may contain spoilers concerning earlier books in the series.
If you have not read the previous installments, please proceed with caution.

2014 has been the year of reading and reviewing series from start to finish after finding that my local libraries where the equivalent of gods in building form thanks to their book collections, yet it's also been the year I've found myself reading what people have been recommending I read over and over again. Some reads have proven not to be exactly my thing such as The Hunger Games and Mind Games, yet some have proven to be all round wonders such as The Lunar Chronicles and Under the Never Sky so where does Percy Jackson and the Olympians fit in? You'll be pleased to know that Percy Jackson has joined a rare collection called 'why on earth did I wait so long, GIMME ALL THE BOOKS' and that is an honour among those read, as I've mentioned before that I can wait months, even years, for sequels to be released. I'm deviating.. The Last Olympian was the best ending to this series that could have been, it literally could not have been any better and I've actually found myself delaying this review due to wanting to make this review as coherent as possible, but alas, it shall be difficult, this series has wormed it's way into my heart and I will always remember those who recommended it to me..

So what can I actually tell you about The Last Olympian? I confess, not an awful lot, and I mean this literally, as after I hit the 70% mark, I lost all my notes. Yes, I lost them ALL due to my computer being- anyhow, remembering individual parts of this novel is what is most difficult without my notes and that is in no way an insult, in fact, it's a compliment of the highest order. I know not of any other author, not even some my absolute favourites, who have been able to craft a story that flows so perfectly from one sentence to another, one scene to another, one chapter after the other in such a fashion that hanging on to specific scenes is near enough impossible, yet Riordan can do that. In some other Percy installments, there were dry moments where the action was missing and character development took the front seat, but in The Last Olympian, there wasn't a single moment, even when the action wasn't involved and I'm talking first 30%, where I was bored or lost interest, not one and that's is a rare feet. I am easily distracted by toilet breaks, food, twitter and my phone yet I managed to read The Last Olympian not only within 3 hours, but also with not a single break away, and when I did move from the depths of my bedroom, this book came with me. I was immersed, obsessed, addicted and plan in love with everything, from the world, to the action, to the humour and to the characters (AND THE ROMANCE! - shut up Amanda, not yet..) and from an 'edge of your seat thrilling finale' point of view, this book had it all.

I very rarely let somebody into the world of my notes, however, on this one occasion, my notes are best insight to how wonderful and amazing this finale really was, so please do excuse the following fangirling and illiterate sentences, but I think on this one occasion, it is very much needed;

'Oh god, I'm so near the end and it just gets better and better and better, oh my gods! I just can't, this whole series, it was never really about Percy, not really, it was always about Luke, I never realised, I never understood, but I do now and I adore it.

The action scenes, the power, the tension, everything, it's just like, it's everything you'd want in story, great characters, great scenes, fantastic world that is just so visible in your mind and just, gah! Aww Grover! Aww Tyson! Fucking finally, big yay for Percabeth, only took you 5 damn books! The following series will kill me.. I know I need to read every book this man writes, he's too good not to read.

Everything about this series has brought me joy and happiness, from the twists, the logical endings of prophecies, to the final ship moment, to character development both in the main characters and gods and to the finest of details down to the Mythology, it's just been an absolutely wonderful reading experience. I avoided this series for so long and I am so ashamed because I loved it, the best ending possible for a series I never expected to read, let alone love..'

You've read my other reviews, The Lightning Thief, Sea of Monsters, Titans Curse and Battle of the Labyrinth, and you know just how immensely pleased and surprised I was by this series, but I'd never felt passionate enough, in love enough or won over enough to give the series what it rightfully deserves, but when I think about the feelings this series gave me, how honestly eager I was to seek out the following sequels and how I fell so in love with the world, how much Riordan was able to incorporate mythology into the story of Percy and Luke and how invested I was in every single character who made an impact in this series, from Percy and Annabeth, Tyson and Chiron, to Zoe and Luke himself, there's very little this installment deserves other than the right be called perfect. For a series I never planned on considering, yet reading and adoring, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has given me a wonderful experience and opened the doors to an author I will most definitely be reading more of in the future. I reiterate what other people have told you time and time again; if you have not yet read this series, do it, get it from your library, get them from your discount stores, scour the internet for them, but you honestly cannot go on reading without having at least tried this series, it truly is too good to miss.