Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods by Rick Riordan
Review by Anar M, Youth Reviewer
Reading Rick Riordan’s “Chalice of the Gods” is, for me, a blast from the past. I read all of Riordan’s books that were out at the time in quick succession when I was ten; since then, I’ve kept up with new releases, but “Chalice of the Gods” is Riordan’s return to his original series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, and it’s the first book since The Lightning Thief that just focuses on Percy, Annabeth, and Grover.
“Chalice of the Gods” takes place after PJO and HoO, when Percy is trying to get through his last year of high school so he can apply to New Rome University with Annabeth. In my mind, the premise is the weakest part of the book: Percy needs to get three recommendation letters from three different gods in order to apply to New Rome, because the gods are still mad that he was born when his father had sworn not to have any more children. (I’d thought that issue was resolved at the end of the fifth PJO book, and Riordan’s published something like sixteen Percy Jackson books since then, but apparently not.) The reference letters seem like a not-particularly-creative excuse for Percy to go on more quests.
I do appreciate that Riordan didn’t try to give Percy another world-ending problem, though — he’s saved the world twice over already, and Greek mythology only has so many potential apocalypses. And the rest of the book is as funny and well-written as any of Riordan’s others. It’s nice to read about Percy, Annabeth, and Grover again — the original trio — and I hope we’ll get more about them in future books. (Percy only gets one letter of recommendation in “Chalice of the Gods”; the other two, I assume, will come out soon.)
As a high school student myself, reading about Percy’s high school (and university application) experience is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, it’s relatable; on the other hand, I spend so much of my life worrying about school — I don’t need to hear about it in the book I’m reading for fun!
All in all, “Chalice of the Gods” is a fitting return to the world of Percy Jackson. I recommend reading it.
Find “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Chalice of the Gods” at the Kitchener Public Library!