The Heroes of Olympus #2: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Published: 2011
E-book, English edition, 521 pages

Blurb:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, 
To storm or fire the world must fall. 
An oath to keep with a final breath, 
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.

Review:

Sekuel ini sama panjangnya dengan buku pertamanya. Setting waktunya bersamaan dengan The Lost Hero, tapi menceritakan tokoh yang berbeda. Sama seperti buku sebelumnya juga, buku ini menggunakan sudut pandang orang ketiga dan multiple pov. Tokohnya adalah Percy, Hazel, dan Frank. Yeah, there’s Percy! [Aku kangen Percy! Woohoooo! *abaikan*] Bedanya, masing-masing mendapatkan empat bab berurutan.

Seperti buku-buku seri Percy Jackson and The Olympians, karakter yang dimainkan ada bejibun. Kalau The Lost Hero karakternya hampir semua pernah dimunculkan, maka The Son of Neptune memunculkan seabrek karakter baru. Dewa-dewi serta si ini dan itu mungkin pernah muncul di buku sebelumnya, tapi di buku ini, semuanya pakai nama baru. Kalau semua tokoh dirangkum, maka akan jadi satu buku sendiri.

Buku ini mengingatkanku pada Harry Potter. Terutama karena banyak sekali istilah dan nama-nama latin. Jangan kaget kalau basilisk muncul disini. Pengetahuan tentang Romawi Kuno lebih banyak diceritakan di sini, dibandingkan dengan Yunani Kuno. Tapi untuk yang sudah pernah membaca buku sebelumnya pasti sudah familiar dengan Yunani Kuno.

Camp demigod Romawi di sini luar biasa. Kalau dibandingkan dengan Camp Half-Blood Yunani, camp ini tiga kali lipat besarnya, dan tiga kali lipat jumlah orangnya. Dan lagi, kedua camp ini juga sama tapi beda, atau beda tapi sama. Tapi secara subjektif, aku lebih suka Camp Half-Blood Yunani.

Pertarungan dan quest-nya masih sangat seru dan mendebarkan. Pembukaan kisah pun diawali dengan pertarungan. Percy juga masih tetap lucu. Dan Frank yang minderan, suka bikin gemes antara minta dipuk-puk atau diuyel-uyel (hahaa^^). Hanya Hazel yang agak sulit dimengerti. Lalu pertarungannya seringkali membuatku cekikikan.

Aku tahu, para tokohnya sedang mempertaruhkan nyawa, tapi tetap saja penulis membuat gambaran yang bikin ngikik. Sepertinya penulis sedang memberikan petunjuk agar pembaca berpikir positif tentang akhir pertarungannya. Juga membuat penasaran dengan apa yang akan terjadi selanjutnya. Misalnya, kayak apa jadinya kalau Percy ketemu Jason. Walaupun begitu, aku juga jadi kangen dengan karakter-karakter lama kawan-kawan Percy seperti Grover dan Tyson. Mari lanjut ke buku selanjutnya biar nggak penasaran. Hahahaa...


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in San Antonio, Texas, The United States