Romans Read the House of Hades Fanfiction
The House of Hades
(The Heroes of Olympus Book four)
Author:Rick Riordan
Publisher: Hyperion
Publishing date:2013
Read the review forThe Lost Hero(Heroes of Olympus Book 1)
Read the review forThe Son of Neptune(Heroes of Olympus Book ii)
Read the review forThe Marking of Athena(Heroes of Olympus Book 3)
The Idea
The Vii demigods of the Prophecy must travel to the Doors of Death to free them from Gaea'due south control. The crew of the Argo Two face up perils in their trip through the Aboriginal Lands. Below the earth, notwithstanding, Percy and Annabeth must travel through Tartarus itself to achieve the Doors.
The Blurb
This book kept the fast-paced, high-action, super-fun, rather irreverent awesomeness of other Riordan books. At the same time, this novel doesn't shy away from some rather dramatic, deep topics, even more so than previous Heroes of Olympus novels. These topics include identity, consequences of past decisions, overcoming emotional burdens, and the power of choices.
Characters also shone brightly, equally they always have in this series. More than than anything else, even so, Percy, Annabeth, and their human relationship were the stars of House of Hades. The focus of the Percabeth relationship through the class of the novel is a focus non often constitute in YA lit. In that location are enough of fan-pleasing moments, only also motivational and inspiring elements too.
Ultimately, House of Hades was some other quality installment in the serial. The novel also offers plenty of textile for give-and-take or reflection.
(For content I recommend discussing with students, encounter Notes to Parents in The Evaluation .)
Recommended read?
Yep!
Recommended for analysis?
Yes
Bookshelf Rating?
Read an explanation of the Bookshelf Rating system here.
Warning! Spoilers across this point.
The Story
As in other Heroes of Olympus books, this novel switches perspectives amid the main characters and includes various important dreams, visions, and prophecies (which will be skipped over in this summary). I volition say, however, that in that location seemed to be fewer dreams, visions, and prophecies in this book than in the others.
The novel follows two main groups/plots: one) The crew of the Argo II as they navigate the Ancient Lands to reach the House of Hades in Hellenic republic, where expect the convict Doors of Expiry; and 2) Percy and Annabeth's ("Percabeth") journey through Tartarus to find the other side of the Doors.
ARGO II
Hazel (Roman demigod; daughter of Pluto) starts the novel by meeting with Hecate, goddess of magic and of the Mist that obscures the mythological world from mortal optics. Hecate tells Hazel that she must because a sorceress herself and learn to manipulate the Mist if the demigods wish to succeed in their fight confronting Gaea.
In lodge to survive the various layers of the House of Hades, the demigods take to accept a few detours to collect some helpful items. They seek out annoying dwarves in Bologna (called Kerkopes), from which they take a book the dwarves stole. Leo (Greek demigod; son of Hephaestus) likewise takes an interesting navigation device fabricated past Odysseus. Armed with the book, the demigods journey to Venice to seek out the small god Triptolemus, aka Trip, owner of the stolen book. Nevertheless, Trip will not provide the demigods with what they need for complimentary.
In order to proceeds Trip's assist, Frank (Roman demigod; son of Mars) is chosen upwards to bat. Ultimately, Frank must single-handedly rid Venice of an infestation of monster-cows. In doing so, Frank demonstrates strategy and battle prowess. He emerges from the fight a true son of Mars, not merely of a sudden vitrify only likewise primed for leadership roles in battles to come.
The Argo II leaves Venice equipped to keep the journey.
PERCABETH
In Tartarus, the very air and basis are killing Annabeth and Percy. They drink from the river Phlegathon, a river of burn down that volition keep them live, but beingness alive in Tartarus is almost the worst thing yous could be. THE worst thing you could be is a live demigod in Tartarus. All the monsters and adversaries Annabeth and Percy accept ever faced are wandering this deep hellish pit, and they aren't too happy with having been killed. As the pair travels, they face off with various new and old foes, including Arachne and empousai (vampire cheerleaders). The only thing that proceed Percy and Annabeth going through the pain, torment, hopelessness, and misery on their way to the Doors of Death is each other.
On a more than physical notation, all the same, they are too aided past Bob the Titan, who is a janitor in the Underworld but leapt into Tartarus when he heard Percy call for him. (That is, Percy mentioned him in conversation with Annabeth). Bob is actually the Titan Iapetus that Percy battled in a brusk story included in Riordan'due south The Demigod Files. Essentially, Percy (along with demigods Thalia and Nico) wiped Iapetus' retentivity and then told him he was a skilful guy and that his name was Bob. Bob now believes Percy is his friend, and he commits to helping him and Annabeth through Tartarus.
They make a rest stop at a fallen shrine to the Olympians, and Annabeth is able to send a message to Army camp Half-Blood by called-for information technology on the altar. [The message is for Reyna, who is a Roman praetor. The Romans are marching on Camp One-half-Claret for revenge, simply the demigods need to sympathise that there are bigger fish to fry right at present than their rivalry. But that's a background plot and I'm non explaining it.]
Percy, Annabeth, and Bob accept to boxing arai, which are embodiments of curses that were placed on Percy (and Annabeth) by various monsters and opponents in their by. [Honestly, this is an intense sequence. I of my favorites. I can't capture information technology here.] The arai prompt Bob to remember who he really is and what Percy did to him. Bob (and Percy) realizes that Percy is not really his friend, for he left him in the Underworld without a second idea. The reason Bob thinks Percy is his friend is because Nico (Greek demigod; son of Hades) visited Bob and spoke well of Percy. Ultimately Bob all the same chooses to help the demigods, merely not before Percy is on the brink of expiry. Bob/Iapetus says they need to notice a good giant in social club to save Percy. (Annabeth is like, "Um, there are no proficient giants? Specially in Tartarus?")
ARGO Two
The coiffure see Sciron, a son of Poesidon from mythology who robs people and so kicks them off a cliff. Hazel and Jason (Roman demigod who is struggling considering he actually wants to be Greek; son of Jupiter) take to trick him in order to best him. In doing so, Hazel finally figures out how to dispense the Mist.
Jason has a vision that confirms that Annabeth'southward bulletin got to the Greeks, and the Greeks delivered it to Reyna. Reyna is now on her way alone to the Ancient Lands in social club to notice the Argo II. [The point is, Reyna—a Roman—needs to deliver the statue of Athena from Mark of Athena to Camp One-half-Blood in lodge to finish the demigods from fighting each other. But again, I'm not explaining all that.] Jason knows that Reyna will go to Diocletian'southward Palace in Republic of croatia to look for him, and then the demigods go there in order to get out her a message nearly where to find them in Greece.
Another reason to go to Diocletian'due south Palace is to get Diocletian's scepter, a rod said to be able to summon an army of the expressionless. Nico and Jason become to leave the note and go the scepter. However, the rod is not in the palace. They are taken past Favonius (or Zephyros to Greeks) the Westward Wind to the home of Cupid/Eros, who has the scepter.
Only the Love god is not a cherub; more of a relentless bully. He will non surrender what they want until he practically beats a confession out of Nico: that he has had a crush on Percy Jackson since the commencement. Once Nico admits that, Cupid gives upwards the scepter. When they render to the Argo II, Jason doesn't tell anyone Nico's secret.
PERCABETH
Bob takes Annabeth and the nearly-dead Percy to the giant Damasen. This behemothic is a dandy disappointment to his parents Gaea and Tartarus (yep; Tartarus is a beingness, not merely a place, kind of like how Gaea is besides Earth). Damasen likes peace and healing, but he is cursed to repeat a battle with a drakon every twenty-four hours. He volition heal Percy, but he won't assistance the demigods accomplish the Doors of Death.
ARGO Two
The snow goddess Khione and her brothers take the demigods by surprise. [They are from The Lost Hero, only I didn't mention them in my summary considering they "weren't of import". Oops.] They blast Leo off into who-knows-where and almost destroy the whole crew. Piper alone is able to defeat them. She stabs Khione and saves the rest of the crew, only the ship sustained heavy damage and needs to exist repaired. Unfortunately, Leo is gone.
Leo was flung all the way to the location-less isle of Ogygia; that is, Calypso's island (where Percy once landed in The Battle of the Labyrinth; he left Calypso to be with Annabeth). Leo and Calypso do non hit it off, just Leo cannot go out the island considering the magic raft won't come for him when he calls (like information technology does for all the other heroes who take left Calypso). Leo starts to try to build his ain boat with found parts. He and Calypso somewhen tolerate each other, and then really kind of like each other. Just at that betoken does the raft come for Leo. Leo must return to help his friends defeat Gaea, but he makes an unbreakable vow to return for Calypso. (The navigation device he took from the dwarves earlier will enable him to do this, he's sure.)
PERCABETH
Bob takes Percy and Annabeth to Akhlys, a minor goddess of Misery and controller of Expiry Mist. They need her assistance in order to hide Percy and Annabeth from the eyes of Gaea's monster army that is waiting at the Doors of Death. They lose rails of Bob, and though Akhlys does shroud the demigods in the Death Mist, she also tries to impale them. Par for the course, yous know? She apparently doesn't succeed, but then the teens face a bigger trouble: they come confront to face with Night. Or rather, Nyx.
Percy and Annabeth bluff their way out of a confrontation with Nyx, but they must go through the Mansion of Night in club to accomplish the Doors. Once they are through the Mansion and across the River of Pain (Archeron), they are reunited with Bob. Also, they have finally reached the middle of Tartarus where the Doors of Death are…every bit well as an enormous regular army of demigod-blood-thirsty monsters. Yay?
ARGO II
The demigods try to repair their transport at the palace of the South Wind. Here, Jason has to come face to face with his uncertain identity (Roman or Greek?) and brand a option almost who he wants to be. He effectually sides with the Greeks. Then the lord of the South Wind (Auster/Notus) helps them on their way. They notice Leo on the island of Republic of malta (incidentally where Calypso lived before her punishment). Leo fixes the ship, and the demigods brand the final trek to the House of Hades.
At the House, the demigods travel down and then meet monsters from Gaea's regular army waiting for them. During a violent battle, Hazel and Leo become separated from the residue and have to continue on alone. The others, lead by Frank, who wields Diocletian'south Scepter to summon an army of the dead, battle the monsters.
Hazel and Leo reach the doors where they encounter the giant Clytius and the witch Pasiphaë (the married woman of king Minos and mother of the Minotaur). The witch recreates Daedelus' labyrinth and sends the two demigods into it. Nevertheless, Hazel has learned to command the Mist, and she ultimately out-magics Pasiphaë. In that location'due south still the giant to fence with, though.
PERCABETH
Percy and Annabeth make it to the Doors undetected, but then Tartarus himself rises. Percy and Annabeth lose their Death Mist disguise. An intense battle ensues, wherein the giant Damasen comes to their assist, fighting alongside Bob the Titan. Percy and Annabeth cut the chains from the Doors and so Gaea can no longer release her monsters onto the world. However, in order for the demigods to render to the mortal world through the doors, someone needs to "agree the button" (the Doors are like an elevator) for 12 minutes until the demigods accomplish the surface. Ultimately, Bob (and Damasen) chooses to stay in Tartarus to salve Percy and Annabeth.
Percy and Annabeth sally in the House of Hades, recovering from returning from hell afterwards a few minutes. All the other demigods show up and eventually they all defeat the giant Clytius—with the help of the goddess Hecate. Like all Olympians, the goddess waited until the concluding minute to show upwards and lend a paw.
The novel wraps upward with a picnic on the hills of Hellenic republic. Reyna finally defenseless upwards with the Argo 2, and they all have a confab. Frank is awarded the part of Roman praetor in Jason's identify, who is more Greek now anyway. Nico volunteers to use his shadow-travelling abilities to help Reyna (and Motorcoach Hedge) take the statue of Athena dorsum to Army camp Half-Claret.
At present the Seven demigods of Prophecy have two weeks until the kickoff of August, when Gaea is try to destroy the world.
Considering how the last book concluded, this is inappreciably even a cliffhanger.
The Evaluation
For eight Percy Jackson books, The Titan's Expletive from the original series has been my favorite. Although I enjoyed The Lost Hero, The Son of Neptune, and The Marker of Athena, they never reached the level of The Titan's Expletive.
The House of Hades (HoH), however, is a worthy contender. Definitely highest ranked so far of the Heroes of Olympus series, and at to the lowest degree on par with my original fav.
This book kept the fast-paced, high-action, super-fun, rather irreverent awesomeness of other Riordan books. There's not much more I can say about that aspect that I haven't already said about his other works. At the same time, this novel doesn't shy away from some rather dramatic, deep topics, even more than and so than previous Heroes of Olympus novels. These topics include identity, consequences of past decisions, overcoming emotional burdens, and the power of choices. The concluding topic dominates the entire volume and presents a very important theme for young adults to ingest. (See The Analysis )
Characters as well shone brightly in this installment, as they always have in this series. Hazel and Frank both accept to abound into their consummate capabilities, facing obstacles both internal and external to become what they can and need to be. Their evolution is admirable.
More than anything else, nonetheless, Percy, Annabeth, and their relationship were the stars of HoH. Plenty of moments will satisfy a fan'southward sensibilities, but that's not the end of it. Percy and Annabeth struggle, fight, endure, overcome, and endure side by side. At times they each take to defend or bear upward the other considering one of them is likewise weak or injured or dispirited, and they do so. At times Tartarus is hideously ugly and it rubs off on the demigods, only they stick together.
Ultimately, Percy and Annabeth but survive and succeed because they are together and they resolutely cull to remain together. It is a different take on relationships not often institute in YA lit. Most YA books focus on the "will-they-won't-they" and the story ends with the get-go of a relationship. Information technology's collywobbles and sexual tension and angst and attraction. None of that for Percabeth in Tartarus. Own't nothing beautiful or picturesque of their expedition through hell itself.
Even metaphorically, nearly teens probably tin can't relate to such an intense testing of a human relationship. Many adults in successful relationships, however, can adjure to the fact that there is always a time when partners have to walk through burn down, and they can simply get through it together. Fifty-fifty though this reality may non be immediately applicable to teens, the Percabeth relationship in this novel can withal be inspirational and motivational.
Accept I fangirled over them enough notwithstanding? I'll move on now.
Ultimately, House of Hades was another quality installment in the series. The novel also offers plenty of material for word or reflection. (Come across The Word )
Notes to Parents:
Nico is bullied by Eros, god of Love, into admitting that he has (or at least had) a crush on Percy Jackson and is therefore outed as gay to Jason. It is obvious that Nico struggles with that part of himself. Word of this topic as well equally Nico'due south and Jason's reactions to the access is important.
The book finally explicitly mentions a homoerotic story from Archetype mythology (that of Favonius/Zephyros). Because how much homoerotism abounds in Classic mythology, its rather impressive that Riordan has kept information technology hush-hush for so many books.
Nondescript zombies/expressionless soldiers are raised to fight aslope the demigods in the House of Hades.
T he Analysis
Analyzing a central theme
All five books of the Heroes of Olympus series is ane story. Really, all ten Percy Jackson books (The Lightning Thief to The Blood of Olympus) is one story. Even so, each book has something that united the events of that particular novel into a story worth telling on its own.
For The House of Hades, that something is its focus on choices.
Through repeated examples, HoH demonstrates the theme that you always have a selection, and your choices have power. Characters throughout this book have to make several intentional choices: who will I exist? what will I practice? what path will I take? which side will I choose?
At the very start, Hazel encounters Hecate. She is the goddess of magic only also crossroads. This sets upwards for all the pivotal choices each of the demigods will have to make throughout the balance of the book.
Who Am I Choices
Several characters encounter this choice. Jason struggles with his demigod identity—he has e'er been Roman, merely now he feels fatigued to the Greeks. In the Palace of the South Wind, Jason chooses to be Greek [page 436]. He could not motility on with his quest until he fabricated that choice. And it affects his future. It affects his ability to pb the Roman zombie-soldiers at the end, and it will have further effects in the next book and the futures of the two demigod camps (I'chiliad certain).
Piper too chooses her identity. In the face up-off with the snow goddess Khione, Piper has to realize that even though she is non the strongest or the smartest or the leader, she is non useless. She is not simply a pretty confront. In one case she embraces who she is as a child of Aphrodite and her own abilities (namely charmspeak, in the scene), she is able to save the balance of the demigod coiffure and destroy the minor goddess. [Chapters 41 – 45]
The gentle giant Damasen also makes an identity selection. Although he initially chooses to bow to his curse of being a disappointment to his parents and fighting the aforementioned battle every day, he eventually bucks confronting that. Even though his parents are Gaea and Tartarus; and even though he is a giant, and giants and demigods are enemies; Damasen chooses to come to Percy and Annabeth'south aid anyway. He chooses his ain identity in spite of parentage and curses and feuds. [Affiliate 70]
Bob the Titan experiences this kind of choice more than anyone. Initially, he has no option. He lost all his memories and anybody else is telling him who he is and what kind of person he is and even what his proper noun should be. When he regains his memories, however, he remembers that he isn't Bob; he is Iapetus. He had a whole life as Iapetus. For much of the journey through Tartarus, Bob/Iapetus struggles with who he is and who he should be. In the end, he chooses to be Bob. He makes the choice; he's non listening to what others are telling him about himself. He is making his own stand up. He chooses not to be Iapetus and chooses to exist Bob. And his choice is really what saves Percy and Annabeth and anybody else.
What Path Volition Yous Take Choices
Every interaction with Hecate drives home that at every crossroads, characters must brand a choice, and that option matters.
Jason'due south struggle with his Roman/Greek identity likewise has effects into this kind of choice: if they succeed in stopping Gaea, where is home? Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter? (Earlier tension betwixt the possibility of a Jason-Reyna relationship and the Jason-Piper relationship foreshadowed/emphasizes this choice.)
Leo also has to choose his path. When he makes the unbreakable vow to render for Calypso, he is making a declaration. He is deciding, "No matter where life takes me, it will take me dorsum hither." And Leo did not make this oath/selection lightly.
What Are You lot Going To Do Choices
All the demigods brand these kinds of choices over and over, but some of them have greater weight than others.
Hazel has to choose to go a sorceress or not. Frank has to choose to footstep up to the plate equally a son of Mars in Venice and in the House of Hades. Reyna has to cull to believe Annabeth's message—even though they could be called enemies—and seek peace between the camps instead of war. Bob and Damasen stay and fight Tartarus while Percy and Annabeth escape, choosing to sacrifice themselves and salve the demigods. None of these characters had to brand these choices.
Also, Percy and Annabeth survive Tartarus on willpower (choices) solitary. In spite of pain, despair, hopelessness, fearfulness, and misery, they choose to keep going and that'southward it. And that's all that mattered.
Just at that place is a problem…
I chemical element of the book surprisingly goes completely, explicitly against this theme and feels terribly out of place in the book.
When Jason interacts with Nico at the Palace of the South Wind, Jason is the only one who knows the clandestine of Nico's sexuality. Nico doesn't want anyone to know, and Jason tries to encourage him that no 1 volition judge Nico and if anyone has any problem with it, they will have to deal with Jason himself. (Think captain-of-the-football-team is trying to encourage a really goth drama nerd to accept himself.) Office of what Jason says to encourage Nico is, "Dude! It's not like you've got a choice. Information technology'due south just who you are." [page 428]
Those are his verbal words. In spite of everything else developed in the novel about 1's power and agency to make choices, all of a sudden Nico doesn't take any choice about who he is or what he volition practice.
I'm not pointing this out to make a claim about the morality of homosexuality or the experience of queer people. I'm pointing out that this argument is explicitly out of place in the residual of the novel. I am not referring to Nico's character or identity or sexuality, but this argument in item.
I know why Riordan included it—information technology directly addresses a common chat in our lodge well-nigh whether homosexuality is a choice or an identity. Riordan wants to explicitly say it is an identity, and that is consistent with his other socially-witting elements in his other books (namely Magnus Chase and Trials of Apollo, from what I've heard; I haven't read them nevertheless). And then I'm not saying Riordan shouldn't take addresses this social issue in his book. Yes, accost it!
What I am saying, at the very least, is that this line was poorly executed, and Jason's encouragement (and Riordan's) could take been handled in a way that ameliorate fits with the rest of the book.
I went through that entire schpele to demonstrate how 1 might academically criticize a book and discuss how an element is poorly washed, in spite of what the reader or the writer personally believes. Students should be encouraged to practice this! Just because a book is published—or even a archetype—doesn't hateful it is flawless.
Dive deeper into this theme on your own: How does Percy reverberate on the choices he made in previous books? What does it reveal about his character and how can that aggrandize this theme?
Other avenues for assay:
Connections to mythology—Lots of name dropping in this volume for various creatures and beings in Classical mythology. More specific stories/characters incorporated into this book that may warrant further study are 1) the story of Sciron, son of Posiedon [Chapters 26 – 28]; 2) the story of Cupid/Eros and Psyche [Chapter 36]; and three) the story of Pasiphaë, wife of King Minos, mother of the minotaur that Theseus kills in Daedelus' labyrinth (wow, that sentence is a lot of name dropping in and of itself).
Character/concept study: Observe how Riordan describes Cupid/Eros'due south deportment and appearance. Compare the God of Honey (every bit the novel does) to the description of the God of Death, Thantanos (in Son of Neptune). Why do you lot recall the author described the Love god this way?
Graphic symbol development: Describe how Hazel and/or Frank developed throughout Firm of Hades.
Give-and-take
How exercise Percy and Annabeth react to and overcome the River Cocytus—the river of despair? Also, how did they overcome Akhlys, goddess of misery? How could these situations apply to your own life?
Discuss how Jason responded to learning Nico'south surreptitious. Besides, why do you think Riordan chose Jason Grace to exist the commencement to know?
Discuss how, if annihilation, this novel inverse or affected how you understand Nico's character and deportment up to this betoken.
What did Percy "learn" in Tartarus? How practice you call back it will alter him? Did annihilation that happened affect how y'all viewed Percy's graphic symbol?
Read the review forThe Blood of Olympus(Heroes of Olympus Book v)
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Source: https://theopenbookshelf.com/2020/01/22/long-review-house-of-hades-by-rick-riordan/
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