The Trials of Apollo is Underrated; WHY?

[@moxiehokutika911]

Honestly it's amazing how his inner monologue goes from "I'm the best, why *shouldn't* everybody die for me?" to "This is all my fault, crushing guilt, everything sucks, me worst of all" to a strange sense of...peace, and determination to not forget.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah he has some of the best character development in the Riorsanverse.

[@moxiehokutika911]

@@TheDemigodLover agreed. I think part of the reason was he was allowed to be a terrible human being at the beginning. Most of the characters started out generally good. They were scared, yes, and inexperienced, but never really callus that I can remember.

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@moxiehokutika911 Yeah I agree

[@sohamacharya171]

Sorry underwear

[@poseidons_child.]

I loved it 😢

[@sakshibhattacharya3087]

I love trials of Apollo. Lester’s narration is HILARIOUS along with his childish tantrums about well- everything

[@TheDemigodLover]

Ikr

[@kristi4113]

I absolutely loved the Trials of Apollo series. Apollo really finds out how flawed he was as a god, and how it all can come back to bite him in the butt. I think I enjoyed the humor, there was so much more than in the two other series, and it is brighter in his friendship with Meg.

[@cabbagemerchantt]

The Lightning Thief: the most interesting The Sea of Monsters: the most humor The Titans Curse: the most dark The Battle of the Labyrinth: the most adventurous The Last Olympian: the most action The Lost Hero: the most curious The Son of Neptune: the most world building The Mark of Athena: the most reuniting The House of Hades: the most serious The Blood of Olympus: the most romantic The Hidden Oracle: the most unique The Dark Prophecy: the most diverse The Burning Maze: the most depressing The Tyrant's Tomb: The most character development The Tower of Nero: the most wrapped up

[@TheDemigodLover]

True that

[@Leo_Valdez69]

Can totally see The Burning Maze is most depressing

[@poseidons_child.]

The misery love trauma beauty and humor in these books

[@janhedani1759]

Trials of Apollo is like the kinda depressing but realistic, true, and fulfilling end to the Percy Jackson Universe.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yep exactly!

[@filipgajic9212]

Tis not the end. Rick Riordan is writing side novels.

[@filipgajic9212]

and he left his last book on sort of a cliff hanger.

[@saturnisgay69]

@Maxwell Kendall why are you saying this here?

[@saturnisgay69]

@@filipgajic9212 that’s literally what i thought at the end of the books

[@keera6778]

I think it's uncle rick's way of revenge. 'You don't like Jason much? There I've killed him, hope you like him and mourn over him now.' -- Uncle Rick

[@TheDemigodLover]

Honestly I think you're right.

[@zazi5094]

LOL! Yup!🤣🤣🤣🤣👌

[@kirbyfazendoummoonwalk9214]

Thats exactly what Happened to me

[@geminijesus13]

I was not effected I didn't like Jasons character of course this my opinion but in the new characters I feel like his fatal flaw never needed to be overcomed like piper and Leos feeling of being overlooked and powerless franks need to release himself from destiny same with hazel and well you know Percys and annebeths I mean it is not clear what his fatal flaw is like a need to lead loyalty but he was never tested everyone else was tested but I think Hera crying over him was a nice touch

[@javencummins1426]

Yeah. I was crying when I read his death scene. I was so shocked, and I didn't have much connection to Jason's character at all.

[@faexxii]

I absolutely agree. Trials of Apollo is SUCH a good series. What you said about Lester not having any love interests really does make sense. Me and my friends aren't "crazy shippers" but we do like to ship the relationships that are already there. It does make it better that Lester doesn't have any love interests cause it would distract him and us from whats happening in the quest. If you look at the backstory of Apollo he really does seem to get attached do past lovers. Aka Hyacinthus and Daphne. Nico and Will are some of my favorite characters so I can't wait to see the role they play in "Tower of Nero". I read the "sneakpeak" of the next two chapters and my gods, they are good. Love your channel!

[@TheDemigodLover]

Ikr I'm so excited for Tower of Nero to come out (and thanks)!

[@chaeryqfx]

I also love the fact that both Apollo and meg don't have love interests and it just gives the story a whole new feel cause that's different from anything that uncle Rick has created.

[@poseidons_child.]

I ship Hyacinthus and Apollo.

[@lizzie8974]

My favorite part of this series is that Solangelo became cannon. As you said, we are HUGE shippers. We can't stop.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Lol I can't judge I'm a huge Solangelo shipper too

[@genderfluidandverysad]

@@TheDemigodLover aren't we all

[@polariskamaboko5781]

Y E S

[@saturnisgay69]

same, also the ace/aro representation (+more other lgbt representation)

[@meghanarao8687]

I love solangelo im happy it became a thing

[@julianjanus6824]

Totally agree. I think trials of a Apollo is a fantastic series. I love Lester's growth throughout. And I love the tragedy. It reminds us that all of these characters are human. They make mistakes, they grow and change, and sometimes, people die young. I love that Rick isn't afraid to talk about this stuff. Jason's death was sort of a reality check, and if we look over at Magnus Chase, right before the final battle in book three, Alex and Magnus both hear the voices of their dead loved ones calling to them. Alex said that she heard her grandfather's voice and the voice of friend that committed suicide. Rick likes to remind us that tragedy makes heroes. All these heroes have messed up pasts, things that give them the motivation to be heroes and I think that's so important. I also think that The Son of Neptune is super underrated, and more specifically, Frank and Hazel. They are two incredible characters with very interesting outlooks on the world, they are both very real people, they are both blunt and amazing fighters. And some how Frank and Hazel are very positive people. They have been through so much, and still manage to look on the bright side. Those two don't get enough credit if you ask me. I really like your stuff by the way :) can't wait to see what's next!

[@TheDemigodLover]

Thank you! :D

[@ultragalaxy06]

Trials of Apollo was my FAVORITE saga in the Percy Jackson Greek and Roman universe. The narration for Apollo/Lester was absolutely brilliant. It made me laugh out loud many times, but other times, it hurt, and made me question myself too. his character development was perfectly paced, and I related to Lester and megs struggles more than I can even count. It made me go through so many emotions. I love that Apollo came back from this one of the best gods in the series, arguably my favorite one, and chose to go back and visit the demigods, and the others of the cast. I loved how the dynamic between he and the rest of the cast never changed after he “jived”. Thank you so much for this masterpiece, Uncle Rick.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Ikr ToA is SO GOOD.

[@a.h.2615]

I've heard a lot of people saying that they hope Jason will somehow come back to life. I ... don't. Up until now we thought that the main characters were safe. Sure, there were a few major character deaths, like Silena, Beckendorf, Luke and more. But we never really thought Percy, Annabeth or Grover, etc. would die. Even Leo came back to life eventually. From a story telling perspective, Jason's death raised the stakes so much higher, for the readers and for the characters. Yes, we were always aware that they were in life threatening situations but know it is real, someone, and not just someone but Jason, who was a main character over the course of five books is dead now. And I don't think he will come back because this is just not how things work. I think Rick Riordan did an amazing job in portraying the grief of the characters upon realizing that there's no coming back from the dead this time. It shaped a lot of the ToA characters and completely changed their views in Apollo's case. Just taking him back wouldn't exactly "undo" that but letting him stay dead shows that there are consequences in your actions, big and terrifying consequences even and that is extremely important This isn't a kid series anymore and grief and loss of a "main character" in our life is something we all have to go through at some point in our life. I also completely agree with everything you said in this video and I think people should at least give ToA a chance because it truly is an amazing book series and gave a lot of our favourite characters so much more depth

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, as sad as losing Jason was, it taught us all an important lesson about loss and grief. Part of that lesson is that there's no coming back.

[@chaeryqfx]

you literally took the words from my mouth couldn't have said it better myself also Jason dying really changed Apollo a lot and even into The Tower of Nero he still holds on to Jason's wish to remember being human and every time I read burning maze it just makes me appreciate him even more.

[@berengustav7714]

Undoing an important death would just prove the elitists who dismiss these stories as "dumb fun for kids" right. A la Marvel.

[@polariskamaboko5781]

I was surprisingly sad about the other death in ToA, but not Jason. *I am sorry Jason lovers*

[@robknight666]

But if you think about it, his death has no greater consequence than him not being able to fight monsters and protect other people. Now he's just chilling in the underworld waiting for the others. He's not really gone. There is no need for grief.

[@kenleyyy_16]

When I saw that Jason ( oh I can’t say it) when Jason um let’s say disappeared I CRIED so much he was one of my fav characters in HoO and I wanted him to come back alive but sadly that did not happen.

[@TheDemigodLover]

It was so sad 😭😭😭

[@Hi-ty7tk]

Yeah same i literally started crying and maybe, possibly, started calling uncle Rick names...

[@juliamarques4404]

1. I couldn't have said it better about Percabeth! I saw so many people saying they wish Percy and Annabeth play a big part in ToN and save the day; seriously, it wouldn't make any sense! They were not a big part of Apollo's journey through the series, it's time for other characters to have the spotlight now. 2. Thank the Gods Lester doesn't have a romantic interest! I actually think there are too many couples in HoO (it's so unrealistic that at age 15/16 all main characters are dating the love of their lives). I hate how Leo was so obsessed with finding a girlfriend, this makes his relationship with Calypso seem kind of forced. The whole deal with Reyna's romantic life was also really unnecessary; she is such an interesting character and it looks like the drama Rick tried to create around her love life is just there to send the message "women can't be happy if they don't date or join a group of maidens!". I think she really fits in the Hunt (even more than Thalia, of I dare to say) but at this point I just wanted to be happy on her own. 3. Rick's relationships, both friendships and romantic ones, either have so much chemistry or no chemistry at all. It's kind of frustrating lol

[@berengustav7714]

Yup, reading these books gave me the expectation that I would fall madly in love with an extraordinary woman as a high-schooler.

[@moxiehokutika911]

I didn't really enjoy Calipso and Leo's relationship but I think the Waystation really fits Leo. Like, I could not image a better place for him to be. Camp Jupiter is much to straitlaced and Camp Halfblood is a bit...restricting? Like, your in camp, or your on a quest, or your in school...I'm not explaining this well, I liked his ending is what I'm saying.

[@ackermanteashop2930]

I agree! I didn’t really see much chemistry between Calypso and Leo. And, I don’t want to get attacked but- Nico and Will didn’t have much chemistry either. Cute ship nonetheless though.

[@zillagrilla315]

@@ackermanteashop2930 I disagree with your statement. The chemistry between Leo and Calypso is there but the problem is we don't have full books with their interaction/relationship building. All the couples in Rick's books have at least 1 or 2 books with the couples interacting building up to their eventual romance. With Caleo we have what 3-4 chapters with them talking before Leo left to return to the fighting. There was no life or death scenario which solidified their feelings for each other. As for the couple themselves I think they compliment each other nicely. Leo is someone who understand Calypso loneliness. Hell when he realized that Calypso was all alone on the island he didn't want to leave her because he understands that solitude is the greatest punishment. He wasn't able to leave until he learned that had a way to return for her.

[@jackofclubs6229]

Okay, hold the fuck up. Keep in mind that, while Leo had flirted throughout the series, he stopped seriously doing it after Echo kissed him, which brought him back down to earth. He was forced to see that the only girl who had ever actually had a semblance of romantic interest in him was in love with a guy who is the origin of the word Narcissist. He saw everyone else around him in love. The only people who weren’t as obvious was Frank and Hazel, the latter of which was mainly only curious in him because he looked like someone she used to love, and to him, that fleeting curiosity ended when he realized that the guy was his grandfather. Leo would go on to ‘flirt’ in later books, but only as either a self-defense/coping mechanism or as a distraction. Eventually, when he came to Ogygia, the Isle of Calypso, the first thing he sees is a beautiful woman who instantly starts cursing the gods that they brought_ “someone like him to make her suffering *worse”*. _What does he do? He falls back on his coping mechanism to ease the pain her statement caused him and to try and let her know that it’s fine, only to see her actually seem _insulted_ that he both wasn’t as offended by her comment and actually was semi-smooth. Leo basically said, “I know you hate everything about me and that you can’t imagine the thought of even liking me as a friend, so I’ll stay far out of sight so that you don’t have to ever look at me in disgust.” And it still took weeks for him to make a working raft. She only helped to get him off the island faster, and Leo actually noticed her goal and was saddened by it as he had grown to like her. It was only when she kissed him that he truly fell in love and promised to return. The rest of the Seven all mentioned how Leo had VISIBLY changed in personality and stature, commenting how he’s much more quiet and somber. From the beginning, Leo was forced to stay with 6 teenagers who were all paired off and in love, leaving him to just sit at the wheel in silence, with only his own thoughts to keep him company. From what I can tell, Leo flirted because he was truly afraid that he wasn’t good enough. Everyone else had found love, but he never could. In fact, it seemed everyone either found him annoying or considered him a little brother. Leo ‘McShizzle’ has MAJOR self-esteem issues. I think that that was why he was so okay with his final plan in BoO. Either he’d save the only girl who has ever truly loved him, which would mean defying the Fates (meaning the entire universe was LITERALLY AGAINST HIM FINDING A PARTNER TO SPEND HIS LIFE WITH), or he would simply die and his solitude would end, as everyone else has someone to come back to, someone who would miss them with their heart and soul. Imagine if it was Percy, or Jason, or Frank who had executed the plan and died. Their partner would be depressed for years. Leo had no one who was attached to him in that way, to the point where the other 6 were content to wait on him, dealing with their own things in the meantime. Percy went to freaking REDO SCHOOL and GRADUATED. And yeah, they lined up to punch him because they DO care about him deeply, but even if he HAD died, they all have someone to anchor them down and keep them going. Leo didn’t. If anyone else had died, Leo at best would’ve lost his Mischief and most of his humor and at Worst given up on practically everything, maybe even given up on living. This was Leo’s Hail Mary to find someone who would put his needs above anyone else, someone who would stay by his side for the rest of their lives, someone who gave him what was missing from his life. But enough about Leo. Let’s flip the script and see things from the other perspective, shall we? Calypso had been in solitude for ages. She was placed on the island and imprisoned there for centuries. She had met countless heroes and each and every one had abandoned her because they all had someone waiting for them at home. They all had someone they couldn’t live without, and knew they had to leave. Even our main character and beloved demigod, Percy, had left, although not without promising to help her be released. And he DID try. He told the Olympians to free her and all the other peaceful Titans. But he never checked. He took the word of a group that had lied to him and had threatened his life more times than he can count, and because of this, Calypso was led to believe even Percy, the nicest person she had encountered, had abandoned and forgotten her. She cursed whoever he loved in her sorrow. Then one day, she hears a new arrival. It’s been only a few years since Percy had washed up, so she likely thought maybe this was him checking to see if she was still there, or maybe even to rescue her from her prison. Instead, she sees a crater on her formerly immaculate beach and within it, a short, unattractive, boy who looks nothing like a hero. She gets angry and curses the gods for messing with her like this, for making her think Percy, her most recent love, had truly cared about her, only to give her this tiny gremlin. The same gremlin who just lightly flirted with her and informed her that he has no one special (romantically) waiting for him back home, just like what she’s always wanted from those who she had fallen for over the years. She gets angry at the irony and storms off. Eventually, the elfish Latino boy tells her that he will do his best not to bother her. And he doesn’t for the most part. But the raft still hasn’t even shown up. Leo, as that’s what the gremlin calls himself, claims he will make his own. Calypso mocks him for thinking he can escape if the Fates don’t want him to, and he rebuked her. She storms off again, and only later sees him messing with celestial bronze. She sees him digging pieces up and decides to help him get what he needs, if only to laugh when he inevitably fails. As the days go by, she finds him less of an annoyance and offers him meals using the servants. A mishap with her fountain reveals that Leo is actually a really good handyman. She calls him over to fix things more and more often and realizes he actually might be able to escape. Calypso has also started to slowly fall in love as she watches him work with fierce determination, which makes that revelation all the worse. One day, they grow closer than ever, and right before she can ask him to stay, the raft shows up. Leo is confused and wonders why he can’t just wait for the next one, as she WAS in the middle of something. Calypso laughs at both his confusion and obliviousness, then cries at the fact that she must send another love away forever, never to be seen again. She kisses him, and right before he is gone, Leo promises her that he will return. She is shocked, but sadly laughs at how that will never happen. One day, however, an even louder crash is heard, and she rushed out onto the beach, only to see a giant Bronze Dragon in pieces and a very familiar gremlin lying on the ground with a needle retracting from his arm. The body gets up, and after a touching reunion, Leo finally does what she’s wanted all these years, and brings her away from the island. Leo shows her the world, which for someone who has only lived on a tiny island for centuries with no outside access, means that even a different tree is breathtaking. Leo promises that they will have their own workshop, where they can just be around each other all the time. Once again. How DARE you relegate the relationship between Leo and Calypso as “forced.”

[@commandertoast9763]

I totally agree with what you said about Jason dying. When I read that part i remember thinking "that didn't seriously just happen" .

[@isabellefitt9042]

i think *his* death was important because it’s always drilled that demigods r never safe and u can die at anytime but we’ve been safe (like 3 of these literally survived hell) until now and it makes it a whole lot real. it also matured the series a lot more especially how lester and everyone deals with it

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah it was hella sad but really important to the story.

[@evelove879]

I enjoy the Trials of Apollo so so much, I actually got the audio books and let me just say the narrator was AMAZING he gave me so many Apollo/Lester vibes and had different voices for every single character who came up, he also displayed so much emotion during… the tragedy. It was amazing. Also I think that the Tyrants Tomb is deeply underrated, it made me feel things also the scare with Frank made me cry so freaking much and that second hand quote we got from Mars “Life’s only precious because it ends kid.” Was amazing, I tear up whenever I see it.The side character deaths that we experienced during the main battle were actually really sad even though we’ve only known them for a little while. It also rubs in… the tragedy even further with the death of Jason Grace (A ballad Apollo sings to the 12th legion) and Jason’s funeral.

[@sohamacharya171]

Also, i think Rick manages to put importance to all the villains as well. The only issue was that he chose to keep Tarquin for the climax. A sinister six like matchup would have been a far more interesting and amazing climax.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, ToA is so emotional and awesome. I've never heard the full audiobooks, but maybe I'll try to find them now.

[@warriorsworld4638]

When Jason died, I was anxious for Pipers, Percys, Thalia thousands more lol. When the Tyrants Tomb occurred, I was like, "Reyna's gonna break down" Spoilers VVVVVV But knowing Reyna, of course she didn't. Before Frank "died", I thought back to Jason, as we all did. Caligula took away one friend, but not a second. (School in a nutshell) When Commodus walked out alive, I got hope for Frank. I was ready for Hazel to break down. I got my eyes ready. But, in a Ricky Ticky Plot Twisty, Frank came back. *sighs of relieve intensify*

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, thank the gods Frank didn't die!

[@grackenthekracken8019]

I think if Riorden spent more time developing friendships with the 7, we would lose the development between him and Meg. Apollo isn’t really supposed to be best friends with them as much as he is just supposed to appreciate all these people around him to took for granted.

[@TheDemigodLover]

That's a very good point actually...

[@hariharanj536]

I feel like however sad Jason’s death is they should not bring him back to life in anyway because then we won’t get the point that people don’t always come back Once they are dead there is No going back

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, that's the entire message so it is important that he stays dead, sadly.

[@maaheen.ghumman]

I love Trials of Apollo to PIECES. It's probably my favorite series.

[@TheDemigodLover]

It's soooo good.

[@maaheen.ghumman]

@@TheDemigodLover yessss

[@saturnisgay69]

same, although i also like MCGA

[@eugeneimnotgonnatellyoumyl5513]

I love all of Uncle Rick's books ALL OF THEM

[@TheDemigodLover]

How is it even possible not to? :D

[@saturnisgay69]

same, some i don’t like as much as the others (like TKC) but i still love them

[@FireAlder2005]

ToA is my FAVORITE of the universe and people are SLEEPING on it's ARTISTRY And on the romance bit, you gotta admire the way Apollo's former romances were written about. How they and his actions have haunted him since day 1. How they still have such an EFFECT on him...peak cinema.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah. So for people who really do like romance they can still enjoy Apollo talking about his past relationships in book 1.

[@willow.tree1192]

I honestly love The Trials of Apollo series. I think it's the most relatable for the audience and is(excluding individual books) the funniest series. I do wish there were more side characters that help out the plot and made more appearances throughout the books rather than only appearing in the first one. I believe one of the reasons this series is given so little attention is not because of scenes or anything you mentioned. I believe it's because of well, how it wrapped up the story for all our favorite characters. The reason why all the other series are so widely loved and talked about is because it's easy to imagine it continuing. At the end of The Last Olympian if you knew nothing else about Heroes of Olympus or anything you can come up with thousands of stories of what could have happened afterwards. Same with The Blood of Olympus. With the Trials of Apollo series it's harder to imagine a story for Percy and Annabeth(Example because Piper would've made me sad) their story has been wrapped up with them going out and living their lives. Theres only so much you can do with characters whos stories that have already been wrapped up neatly with a ribbon.

[@TheDemigodLover]

That's also very possible...

[@vijaythesnakeking]

Trials of Apollo is my favorite series even though Percy is my favorite character

[@creativethingsbyavani]

I think Trials of Apollo was awesome It gave us a new perspective, major character development, and it gave some side characters spotlight. Plus , Lester doesn’t have a love interest, which is noce for a change

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah I agree 110%

[@ecosan8914]

When I first go in contact with ToA, quite frankly, I couldn't read it at the moment. I just couldn't stand how self absorbed, egotistical and prideful/insecure Apollo is.... But a few weeks ago I re-read the series from the Lightning Thief and decided to give it a go. As of right now, I can tell that's precisely the point, and I quite enjoyed the series. Not gonna lie: I really didn't care about Apollo until Tower of Nero, which actually surprised me when. I mean, it was surprising to find out I now actually cared of what happened to him. I decided to read ToA because I heard this series would give a closure to "the seven". I finished Tower of Nero two days ago, and I got to say: I LOVED the closure given to them (for the most part). While I was a bit sad my favourite character, Annabeth, practically didn't appear in it, I still really liked that she and Percy finally got to "retire" and enjoy together as a couple. It was a bit of a bummer Leo's always the seventh wheel, but his relationship with Calypso was kinda forced. I loved Hazel, Lavinia, Nico and best boy Will, as well as seeing Frank grow as a character, though I have my complainment on him. SPOILER OF TYRANT'S TOMB AHEAD: The thing I do dislike, however, is that Frank didn't actually like. Lemme explain: since he was introduced, we were told his life would end once his stick were burnt. Turns out it burnt but he didn't die. We were given an explanation of why that may be... But frankly, it felt like an asspull to me. I would've prefer for him to die, or to get a proper explanation of hint about it. Of course, this doesn't ruin the character to me or anything. I just simply didn't like that that much. With Reyna, I loved her development. I didn't like her joining the hunt because of the hunt itself. Had she gone to he Amazons and it'd be fine with me xD (dunno, it just seems to me that badass female characters always join the hunt). END OF SPOILER. In general, I'd say the closure for everyone was pretty much perfect. And then again, I even ended up liking Apollo at the end, and felt bittersweet about him turning a god again.

[@filipgajic9212]

Around 8:00, the wise words, you do not care for something until it is dead.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Sadly 😭

[@geminijesus13]

I must say that it is such a fulfilling end I mean like it left no hole in my pjo heart it was so bittersweet and I can't I finished tower of Nero yesterday and I am still not over it and also please do a ToA in a nutshell like and the line "meet my glow in the dark boyfriend" had me rolling on the floor overall it was great and amazing loved ittt

[@TheDemigodLover]

Lol yeah I plan on making ToA in a nutshell

[@kwhatever5806]

Most people I know didn’t read it because they knew Jason was going to die lmao but I persisted for Solangelo.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Nice :)

[@poseidons_child.]

***SPOILER ALERT*** I love Trials of Apollo. It gave me the trauma I have. The Hidden Oracle was hilarious. I loved how Lester was so self and Meg turning out the end it was shocking. When Solangelo appeared i was so happy. I loved it. The Dark Oracle was amazing. Leo finally had someone and he was no longer the seventh wheel. Calypso was freed and it was beautiful. I love Waystation. I wanna actually live there. The burning maze, I actually paused from right after Piper and Jason broke up. When I picked back up. I was so pissed at Jason for breaking up with Piper. When he died I was so upset about being angry at myself for being angry at him. The Tyrant’s Tomb was awesome. I love Lavinia and Posion Oak (hence the profile picture). Reyna laughing in Lester’s face was priceless. I also loved when Reyna kicked Lester in the face. It was amazing. The Tower of Nero was kinda the absolute best closure for the series. Lester’s development was amazing. Meg as well. And the cliffhanger at the end. Beautiful.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, I love ToA. It's so weird how it can hilarious and have so many happy endings while also completely CRUSHING your heart with what happened to Jason.

[@poseidons_child.]

@@TheDemigodLover Yeah. I hate when people hate on it like this book have me trauma. That means it’s good

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@poseidons_child. Yeah. ToA definitely needed to be REALLY sad in order to make an impact.

[@poseidons_child.]

@@TheDemigodLover Fr

[@Tvgirlsolos4]

Toa is forever my favorite series, to the humour the character development and ofc meg and Apollo's dynamic-♥️♥️♥️♥️ I literally cried when I finished it😭😭 Edit: also who else just adores Apollo and meg's relationship?

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah Apollo and Meg are awesome. Idk if ToA is my fave, but it is amazing.

[@caitlxn]

Completely agree. The angst is my favourite part till now honestly.. and wow Apollo’s character development is massive-

[@TheDemigodLover]

Haha yeah, Apollo's the best, from his humor (both on his own and playing off Meg) to his character development.

[@caitlxn]

@@TheDemigodLover frfr

[@shahanahsan05]

TOA is the perfect ending to the Percy Jackson universe

[@TheDemigodLover]

Agreed.

[@safaaaa_004]

Trials Apollo is probably my favorite series from the riordanverse ngl

[@TheDemigodLover]

It's sooooo good

[@lavahound360]

Nobody really liked Jason until he died. But i always thought he was cool.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Same

[@aminahahmed3155]

Me to! Like seriously people saw Jason as idk bland. But I always liked him

[@saturnisgay69]

same, like, a lot of its cause of Nico, but still

[@doctoquack7829]

Despite all the tragedies that took place within Trials of Apollo. It brought Mr. D. back to Camp Half-Blood, what more could I ask for.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, that was one awesome thing about book 5.

[@doctoquack7829]

@@TheDemigodLover I just wish he got one final moment with Percy as I've always loved their dynamic.

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@doctoquack7829 Yeah, that would've been awesome. But he did get some great interactions with the Tower of Nero characters, so I'm happy.

[@ariannawills854]

I like all the books. I don’t get it. Why do people hate this books?

[@TheDemigodLover]

Idk, I love them!

[@ElanieBellanieArt]

idk man, I found ToA a lot easier to read than HoO, I love the books

[@jeyoonlee2819]

I love you and your videos. You remember almost everything (unlike some KZbinrs) and you trigger so much SYMPATHY! P.S I cried for 2hours when Jason died. Now I’m over it. But I still cherish ToA.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Aww, thank you so much! I'm so glad you like my videos :)

[@mendaciousphooka]

That dislike is from Nero

[@aakashpawar6195]

Caligula disliked it too now

[@saturnisgay69]

lmao, Commodus doesn’t have a yt acc

[@adina4718]

you should add Grover and Rachel dare to or into thing

[@moxiehokutika911]

AND THEN WHEN FRANK WAS ABOUT TO DIE I WAS LIKE NOPE, DON'T DO THIS OH GOSH DON'T DO THIS HAVEN'T YOU HURT US ENOUGH OH GOSH!

[@TheDemigodLover]

DON'T KILL OFF FRANK-

[@bookish_editz]

Honestly this is the truth. And as hard as it is to read the message is really important.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah

[@frankyquilavafireblast895]

I am currently waiting for someone who is reading out the tyrants tomb as an audiobook on KZbin to finish up before I continue the series. I just love how Trials of Apollo is basically the biggest case of character assassination done for the better. It shows Apollo in the absolute worst way possible as well as attempting to show how he can be somewhat redeemed, but for the most part it’s just astounding how much shit is thrown on him and how much more somehow manages to keep being thrown at him. Apollo is not a likable person in theory he’s just like because he’s a God and that’s just astounding. He does have his moments where he shines and can be seen as a likable person but it’s just, wow…

[@april_eclipse_studios]

I need to read these books. I read the first one 2 years ago then went out of Percy Jackson until now

[@lelegus7732]

They could develop Juniper, she is amazing but she is only Grover girlfriend. I wanna Inge development to. In Nordic mythology huldras are very powerful, it wold be cool seeing that.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Both good ideas.

[@WiseGirlAnnabeth2425]

I foresee a challenge to Blitzstone from this trail of thought

[@copito42]

Rick Riorden: Hey WhO DOnT I HAvE A Cople For???? Reyna? Thalia Hmm Should I make Them Gay? Nah HUNTERS ARRIVIN

[@saturnisgay69]

She’s ace/aro, representation for them is important

[@saturnisgay69]

sorry if i’m not getting something, it’s 2AM rn

[@barnashunter1287]

@@saturnisgay69 Do you mean thalia?

[@saturnisgay69]

@@barnashunter1287 no, Reyna

[@saturnisgay69]

@@barnashunter1287 have you not read the tyrants tomb?

[@goatplaysguitar]

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods: “Helios thought he looked pretty hot, and he had an annoying habit of calling the sun chariot his ‘chick magnet’” Me: So Helios seems like a pretty laid back guy, like Apoll- TOA book 3: No

[@rosebetts83]

I love trials of appolo

[@TheDemigodLover]

Same

[@poyrazcoskun]

The DemigodLover: What more could u possibly do to Percabeth? Uncle Rick: Is that a challenge?

[@TheDemigodLover]

Wait no Uncle Rick please don't-

[@TheRaven5138]

Well I like house of hades because of bob Percy and Ana Beth could’ve not been alive as long as bob still said “tell the stars hello for me” Edit: JASON

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah it's a really good book, I was just saying one big reason why it was so popular was because of Percabeth.

[@celestialaltair101]

It's pretty obvious that Rick intend to make Apollo unlikable for the first few books. Afterall, he is god and can get pretty vain and prideful. You also need to read the entire series to truly appreciate Apollo as a character. His development in the series is extremely good and I generally love how pessimistic he is at times. He gives off a lot of Gen Z vibes during certain scenes and it is pretty funny.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yes he absolutely has Gen Z vibes because he won't take anyone's schist 😂

[@axelvaughn2374]

Can you do trials of Apollo in a nutshell I love those vids

[@TheDemigodLover]

I plan to, don't worry :)

[@axelvaughn2374]

@@TheDemigodLover Ok good to know. Also i love our vids

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@axelvaughn2374 Thank you

[@poyrazcoskun]

The DemigodLover: People didn’t like ToA bc Percabeth wasn’t in it. Me: Umm… No, I was glad that they weren‘t in danger anymore.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Good point...

[@chesschamp64]

Sometimes, there are things you just couldn’t beat. I play chess as you can see from my name. Occasionally, I can beat someone superior by far, with them not being at their prime. For example, they were drowsy, overconfident and slip up in the end (hubris like Annabeth) thinking they got this to save a pawn (the least important) because they didn’t want to cut a loss (Percy not knowing when to give in). However, in the end I cannot defeat someone mildly more seasoned and skilled than me while they are playing solidly and tactically. This was the same in The burning maze. A restrained goddesses (khione in TLH) Jason survived. An overconfident Tartarus with many monsters only slightly inferior to Percabeth who can’t cooperate and jeopardise themselves. Medea having to capture them. Weakened giants who were overwhelmed by friends. Or fully fleshed out one who were overpowered by literal gods. Gaia had an Achilles heel in which she must touch the grounds and took literal Millenia to wake. However a solid better warrior and more powerful being will defeat Jason in a 1on 1 circumstance without will beat Jason.

[@TheDemigodLover]

I see what you mean. Even someone who is very skilled will lose sometimes.

[@thekingturtle7082]

I wish Leo Valdez could have been in more books cause he’s my favorite Demigod ever

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah he's awesome

[@firewingy]

Do one of these for Kane Chronicles too please

[@TheDemigodLover]

True, TKC is underrated too, maybe I will.

[@jeffreybyrd2081]

Let's be real Apollo's loves tend to end in tragedy so the shipping thing is ridiculous

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah

[@kirstenschlaegel701]

Read pages 124 and 125 of the tower of Nero. Rick Riordan left references to the Kane Chronicles.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yep. He also confirmed there might be a crossover series.

[@kirstenschlaegel701]

Actually, there is. It started as miniature electronic reads only but then it was released as a book of short stories called Demigods and Magicians.

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@kirstenschlaegel701 I know. i meant like a crossover between all three franchises.

[@Mal_Melody266]

In terms of like depth and growth, honestly the tower of nero was my absolute favourite in the entirety of the riordanverse universe.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah the character growth was so great

[@Mal_Melody266]

@@TheDemigodLover can you do a video of top-ten lester and meg brother-sister moments. They’re sooooo cute.

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@Mal_Melody266 That's a good idea, maybe I will.

[@mtfan3457]

I love trials of apollo but i do kind of wish percy and annabeth made an appearance together kind of like how they appear in Magnus Chase but i can live without that

[@TheDemigodLover]

I honestly like Percabeth being taken out of the spotlight. As awesome as they are, a few cameos is as far as their appearances should go after PJO and HoO.

[@heiheithechicken7713]

I struggle reading the first 2 books after I get after 2nd book I can read them really quick. It took me 2 years nearly to read the 2nd book

[@bobbysmith8095]

Apollo, imo, wasn't suppose to have close relationship of any kind. He is a god and once he return to god, it will just complicate thing. He can;t get attach hence god fate. He will stop doing his job properly and favorite people and changing the fate. I think that one reason Rick didn't really developed his relationship as deep. Even with Meg, I feel it wasn't that deep like how close Nico and Jason was or Hazel and Nico was. He does care for her a lot but there still that next level their relationship never reach. I think that a good thing cuz he can only watch from afar now that he is a god. He will soon forget and it would be less painful for Meg. So when she do meet people who she developed deeper feeling for, it will be easier for her and Apollo will simply be a good memory. Which is the only thing that can come from being friend with a god. Everything with Apollo is depressing lol I personally think people don't like the book as much just like you say: It depressing, no romance, and no happiness. Everything is just bittersweet. I wish I saw this video when I read the book cuz it did annoy me people didn;t like it. IMO it is better the the HOO but not as good as Percy Jackson. In term of all Rick book I would rank it #2 after Percy series.

[@TheDemigodLover]

I do actually think Apollo and Meg reached a really deep level of friendship and I liked it. But I see what you mean and I thought it was good storytelling to make it so that Apollo didn't interact with the demigods, like, daily.

[@hassan55055]

I really didnt enjoy TLH or ToA but but i reread TLH and to my surprise it is actually good. Its not bad. The first time i read this book i was constantly grappling about who jason is but now that i read it again i realise how well the mystery is crafted. I also started liking the trials of appolo after TBM. Jasons death was sad but it showed that there are supposed to be endings that we should except. And i loved how much character development appolo had after the death of jason. And the tower of nero is the hest wrap to the series. It parallels the mark of athena and the quest annabeth took to get the athena parthenos the same way appolo liberated the oracle of delphi

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah, Trials of Apollo definitely gets better after TBM, even though I liked the first two books too.

[@hassan55055]

@@TheDemigodLover yeah true. Im currently rereading THO and its better than i expected.

[@jarod4135]

I want to know what Rick will do with Percy though... he made Percy in the image of his son... but I'd like to know... Rick seems to have a liking for killing off main characters... (wink wink, "the tragedy!"). And is Trials of Apollo done? Did he finish the series, or is he still working on it?

[@TheDemigodLover]

Trials of Apollo is officially the final series in Percy's world, Rick Riordan is only ever going to be writing standalone novels from now on with the Camp Half-Blood characters. And I doubt he would kill off Percy in a standalone novel so...

[@jarod4135]

@@TheDemigodLover Wait... so is he done with Trials of Apollo...? I only read until The Burning Maze... I didn't read the one with Reyna yet. And I hope I'm not the only one who want more of Magnus and Alex!!

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@jarod4135 After The Burning Maze, there's The Tyrant's Tomb and The Tower of Nero, which have already been released. And then it's done. But Magnus and Alex are from a different series of books entirely, so maybe we'll get another series/more books on them in future but idk obviously.

[@jarod4135]

@@TheDemigodLover idk... you seem like a Rick Riordan fanatic... is there a Rick Riordan patreon to be a part of? I'll join if there is🙃🙃

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@jarod4135 I don't think so.

[@nghydrox7004]

Can you make the trials of apolllo in a nutshell pls?

[@TheDemigodLover]

I plan to, don't worry :D

[@nghydrox7004]

Ok

[@baronsamedi4603]

This is the first video I've ever seen where she's shown her face or where I've ever seen her face and she looks familiar and I feel old cuz everybody looks familiar now

[@TheDemigodLover]

Welp 😂

[@golden_tonk8169]

can we talk about how there would be like, 0 danger if Percy was here? Literally every villain there could probably die if Percy went, haha water go brrrrr.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Welp :P

[@danielladixon8129]

2 dislikes hmmmmm The emperors share advice and python has his own

[@dxhumann4322]

I would just like to say that they could still be some character development for Percy and Annabeth

[@TheDemigodLover]

Honestly, I personally don't think so. I think Rick Riordan took these characters as far as he could and there's just nothing more to be done with them without repeating the stories of other characters or just being redundant.

[@saturnisgay69]

@Super Greyflash **cries in solangelo shipper that hates the fangirls s3xualising them**

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@saturnisgay69 Oh my gods, I know right? Aside from Frazel they're the youngest demigods in a relationship but it feels like people always s3xualise them just because they're gay. There are a lot of good fanfics out there that aren't s3xualized, but there are so many that are too and it's so infuriating.

[@saturnisgay69]

@@TheDemigodLover yeah, like, a lot of the time you don’t even know when it’s gonna happen, like i was just watching a random Percy Jackson incorrect quotes/memes gacha video and one of the things was just waayy too s3xual and implied that they had done it like, they’re like 15! another time someone made one and just ended it with Jason saying he was reading Solangelo $mut-

[@saturnisgay69]

@@TheDemigodLover also, random thing, but i was literally ranting to my friend about that just a few minutes ago lol

[@colpizza679]

trials of apollo is my favourite series out of all, dont get me wrong, i love all alot, but trials of apollo is more interesting to me, idk i think its cause i like the gods more than the demigods, like most of my favourite parts is when the gods show up haha..

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah those parts are good :)

[@FireAlder2005]

SAME ToA gives us insight to the gods - Hades sneaking up on Apollo and making his shot go wide (combined with other instances, we can infer Apollo may be Hades's favorite nephew :3), we get the idea that Ares & Apollo have that typical older-younger brother dynamic where they pick at each other (Apollo posting a video of Ares failing to do a roundhouse kick, Ares acting bored when Apollo attempts to explain proper musical battle formation, ect lol), Dionysus is literally called 'that little brother who copies everything you do' lmao XD i am here for the gods and their messed-up lives :3

[@JustanormalOof-em4eh]

When I started the books I knew right at the start Apollo ego was going to have to deflate like a balloon.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yup 😌

[@zachapack4624]

When you say the burning maze is a tragedy do you mean the maze or the entire book?

[@TheDemigodLover]

The book

[@Auroxen]

[I HAVE NOT READ THE TOWER OF NERO YET, PLEASE DON'T SPOIL IF YOU ANSWER] Watching this video was very interesting, I clicked on it because I am so far a bit disappointed in the series and I hoped this video would change my mind Funny thing is that you talked about the things I like, it seems that the things that are considered controversial are actually the few I like about this series xD I basically agree with every point and I already did before watching the video, The Tragedy is one of the best things Riordan wrote (and no, I don't hate Jason, I actually liked him in the Heroes of Olympus itself!! Didn't even know he was not popular!! His death was just a real game changer and it shocked me in a way that is rare, it was well written and I respect Riordan for it), the lack of ships is something I like (I am not a huge shipper at all, I think the only one I somewhat care for is Nico x Will and that's mainly because Nico deserves some happiness) I also LOVE that Apollo is the main character, his point of view is one of the most interesting ones IMHO, I love when he gets confused at human stuff and when he compares modern stuff to stuff he vaguely remembers from ancient times, I love seeing him realizing the poor condition the demigods live in and I REALLY hope he does something about this at the end of ToN I also actually like that Apollo is less personally connected to the demigods we know, he is a god who is now not a god, I feel like the characters have good reasons to not like him that much and Apollo struggling with that is part of what I like And yes I agree that Percy and Annabeth have the climax of their story in The House of Hades, give them some rest now, they deserve it after Tartarus itself Then why do I find the series disappointing, if I already agree with every point you made? I think personally it's the... "de-escalation", for lack of a better word First series was the Titans, second series was the Giants and Gaea herself Having the third series be about Roman Emperors feels a bit lame to me I feel like this series lacks the epicness of Heroes of Olympus, the grand feeling of the Argo II flying and so many characters interacting I guess I was a bit disappointed that the series that stars a GOD has the less conceptually grande villain That is NOT to say that Nero is not intimidating, he is by far the most personal of the villains, he is an abusive father to Meg and I really want to see him get taken down when I read the final book The disappointment comes from the mythology itself, from the de-escalation in a mythological sense, Nero might be the most personal and "real" of the villains but, well, being "real" also makes him less larger-than-life and I guess that's something I really liked about the series I was also slightly disappointed that the book that starred Leo was more about Calypso (or at least it felt that way to me) because Leo is one of my favorite characters but I admit that this is a minor thing overall, I think if this was my only qualm with the series I would have no problems with the series overall I think I would have actually preferred if Leo and Calypso splitted up, it would have been fitting with the whole "what comes after the ending is not necessarily happy" and their relationship looked really disfunctional, I thought a break up was being built up honestly All of this said tho I have HIGH hopes for Tower of Nero to be honest, Rachel and Nico are among my favorite characters overall and if I recall correctly I read that they are main characters in this one so I might end up loving it anyway I don't know my opinion about the whole series tho Nice video tho!! I don't mean to sound like I am insulting your video or something, I liked it and as I said I agree with what you said, these are just not my personal problems with the series (Sorry if my English is bad, it's not my native language)

[@TheDemigodLover]

All good points. I don't necessarily agree, I kind of see why Riordan wrote it the way he did, but I see where you're coming from.

[@berengustav7714]

Power Creep is a huge pitfall,were each villian is more powerful than the previous one. Real people are honestly scarier than myths,Caligula and Nero really did do depraved real stuff that would get me banned for describing it.

[@dxhumann4322]

I’m OK with less than not having a relationship

[@Lila25320]

I love the trials of Apollo series but when I forced my friends to read it they hated it. I was a bit disappointed that Annabeth wasn’t in the books and Percy was barely in it, but that doesn’t mean it is a horrible series.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah it was good. I don't understand why anyone would hate it.

[@booklover3008]

@@TheDemigodLover Only 2 of my friends agreed to read it. The other 4 said that after it they would never look at the series the same way and didn't read it. My 1 of my friends that did read it read half of the first book and hated it. The other one read the entire first book and hated it. I tried to get them to read the next 1 saying that that was the worst book and they got better but they didn't believe me when I said that they got better.

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@booklover3008 Wow. I get why people wouldn't like it as much as Riordan's other works (even though I personally disagree) but they're certainly not hatable and are definitely worth the read.

[@alpacasuitcase4629]

PREE-tor

[@TheDemigodLover]

Ok idk how it's pronounced

[@n7elite259]

I'm glad I'm getting spoilers, I want more. Because I'm half way through the second book and I just gave up. Apollo is extremely unlikeable and unrelatable to me. I understand he's arrogant that's his personality but I can't stand listening or reading from someone like that's point of view. I was extremely bored and I would much rather somebody give me a run down of what happened because it's painfully boring to read or listen to.

[@TheDemigodLover]

I see where you're coming from, but if I were you, I would try to laugh at him more than attempt to relate to him. He gets more selfless as the series goes on (especially in the middle of book 3), but for now, just enjoy the show of him making of a fool of himself 😂

[@poyrazcoskun]

3:55 Of Course we remember, we wouldn’t be good Percabeth shippers if we didn’t.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Right of course :D

[@anonymous-d6q]

jason noooooo :((((

[@TheDemigodLover]

Sadness

[@warriorsworld4638]

Clearly people don't simp him enough. I'm not even simped at school..... Wait hold on... U telling Jason is ugly? Nah screw that. Then I would! (Seriously, if u see my face now, I'm literally Jason without glasses and that scar)

[@TheDemigodLover]

Lol I'm sure you're not ugly and neither is Jason

[@Juli_luvskituhhh]

I have the hard cover of the book

[@TheDemigodLover]

Noice

[@Coolkidsinthehouse_1]

CAN U PLEASEEEEEE DO A TRIALS OF APOLLO IN A NUTSHELL PLEASEEE PLEASE

[@TheDemigodLover]

I plan to :P

[@Coolkidsinthehouse_1]

AYEEEEE YESSSS ALSO TY FOR THE REPLY IVE BEEN WATCHING ON MY SCHOOL COMPUTER AND JUST RECENTLY GOT A PHONE SO NOW I AM ABLE TO SUBSCRIBE

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@Coolkidsinthehouse_1 Nice :)

[@sheasheep3341]

Me watching this 2 years later : Hmm i wonder if they have ESTABLISHED THE PRAETROIAN GUARD TO PROTECT THE GOD DANG PRAETOR

[@TheDemigodLover]

Hmm... that is a random (but very good) point

[@sheasheep3341]

@@TheDemigodLover lol

[@someinteresting]

I'm not sure the not close friendships is something bad. He is a god, he knows those people aren't immortal so a bit of distance is healthy.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Maybe...

[@helenazanin931]

Make trials of Apollo in a nutshell

[@TheDemigodLover]

I plan to

[@minyeongyoon7200]

I was more sorry for Dawn the fawn.

[@TheDemigodLover]

😢

[@rice2240]

I legit cried when he died

[@Benvii]

Hidden oracle and tower Nero good Other three just aight

[@TheDemigodLover]

Yeah I liked the other three a lot but The Hidden Oracle and The Tower of Nero were definitely the best (maybe I'm just too much of a Solangelo fangirl lol).

[@jessicamartin6077]

I like leo

[@TheDemigodLover]

Lol who doesn't :)

[@trseanthomas2938]

If the 'tragedy' mean Jason then yeah

[@TheDemigodLover]

Very much so

[@Emirhys813]

At least its not as underrated as The Kane Chronicles.

[@TheDemigodLover]

For real

[@flamingtiger5673]

Why does percabeth matter

[@flamingtiger5673]

Im not a shipper i dont care

[@TheDemigodLover]

It matters because people like it and people are fangirls.

[@hubertdenise3100]

I don’t like Meg, because to me she’s just not a good character.She has no real reason for being given powerful, she isn’t a hero at all, and I hate how they shit on Apollo so much, because the female characters seem to have no flaws, while they killed off Jason and reverted the idea of Union between greeks and Romans by breaking up Piper and Jason.

[@TheDemigodLover]

I personally disagree. The Greco-Roman union extended beyond Jason and Piper and honestly that never seemed connected to their relationship that much. Meg is a powerful character who overcomes abuse and I think she has great development. I definitely think she's powerful & a hero. While I see what you mean about the girls being portrayed as more perfect than the boys and I kind of agree, in Apollo's case, it had more to do with the fact that he was a god and needed to realize the harm of his actions.

[@FireAlder2005]

@@TheDemigodLover Plus Meg is a daughter of *Demeter*, one of the eldest gods, so I don't see why she CAN'T be powerful. Demeter is a force to be reckoned with, after all. The Big Three are the Big Three yeah but honestly, it's kinda dismissive to write off Demeter just because she's not...well, one of the 'Big Three'. plus she was hardcore trained from the age of 6 in an abusive household so it makes sense why she's extremely good at fighting at 12 ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Meg's also impulsive and acts-first, thinks-later, which does end up having consequences on herself and the people she loves. i love Meg

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@FireAlder2005 Yeah. Demeter's still a first-generation Olympian and one of the eldest Olympians, just because her powers aren't typically considered intimidating doesn't mean she isn't powerful. Meg is so one-of-a-kind and has such a unique personality :)

[@trseanthomas2938]

Trails of Apollo is my favorite book from Rick ridon the only thing I don't like about it is that piper turns gay

[@TheDemigodLover]

I actually didn't mind Piper's *self-discovery* but it was a little forced.

[@christophermitchell9739]

Because it sucks. It's not underrated, it just sucks. The new characters are unlikable, several plot continuations for past characters are just depressing and others make no sense, the enemies are uninteresting, and as a whole I finish each book mad at life instead of happier or excited for what's to come.

[@christophermitchell9739]

And to everyone talking about it being tragic or whatever... yeah, fine that's fair. Real life is tragic. I don't need or want more of it.

[@TheDemigodLover]

Well personally I disagree. If anything, I thought Apollo and Meg were more interesting than most pre-established characters. And I actually like the the villains were made more eccentric, I found it unique.

[@josephkaza704]

It felt way to gay not that I’m against it but a lot of times it just doesn’t feel right and it got annoying

[@TheDemigodLover]

Well, I suppose that's a perspective a lot of straight people have. As a gay Riordanverse fan, I would remind you how important it is for gay kids to see themselves represented in fiction. As opposed to just having one gay character or two, ToA gave us a largely queer character cast, which is meaningful for queer fans on a whole new level. It normalizes queer identities and shows us that we have a place at Camp Half-Blood, not just as one character or two but as a real part of the story. Maybe it didn't feel right to you because you weren't used to seeing it, but all things change and grow. It's still the one and same Riordanverse.

[@josephkaza704]

Yes but pipers sort of didn’t make sense because she wanted to annoy Hera and Aphrodite but by falling in love she’s doing what they want she should have just not fallen in love anymore and all the relationships felt way way to forced

[@TheDemigodLover]

@@josephkaza704 I don't disagree that her relationship with Shel was a little forced, but falling in love isn't a choice. So it doesn't really make sense from a character development standpoint to say "she should have just decided not to fall in love anymore." What she was trying to do by breaking up with Jason was break free from the hetero norms that Hera and Aphrodite imposed on her, which in turn brought her the space and time she needed to self-reflect and realize what she really wanted. Also, I don't see how the other relationships are forced. Why do you say that?

[@josephkaza704]

What I’m trying to say is that it felt more political than actual love besides will and nico in the second series there was a mix wich was fun while in the third all new relationships just happened to be gay without reason for them to be gay but we’re there just to be gay and no other reason

[@TheDemigodLover]

​@@josephkaza704 I'm sure that you don't mean to offend, but I think you would benefit from doing some reflection on this comment. I can see some big bias markers that might have flown under your radar. The relationships "felt more political than actual love"? Queer love is actual love. I would suggest being careful with your words here. How did they feel political? The series never mentioned politicians, laws, ect., and barely mentioned homophobia. The queer relationships simply consist of couples cuddling, kissing, bantering, basically doing normal couple stuff. They do the same things that straight couples do. You probably didn't know, but many queer people have a very difficult relationship with the idea that us being ourselves and being in relationships is "too political." People say that we are being too political simply for existing and doing the same kinds of things that straight people do. Also, if I understand correctly, your argument is that Heroes of Olympus had gay and straight couples, whereas Trials of Apollo appeared to only have gay couples. I would like to remind you that the only gay relationship in Heroes of Olympus is Solangelo, which starts in the last book and has little influence on the overall story. Meanwhile, there are four vastly more consequential relationships (Percabeth, Jiper, Frazel, Caleo) that are straight. That is not equal representation. Percy Jackson and the Olympians has no openly gay characters or relationships. That is not equal representation. If queer relationships outnumber straight relationships in one of Riordan's many series, it's only fair. Straight characters and couples have been in the spotlight for so long all over the media, and the underrepresentation of queer people in media has a major impact on our lives. Representing us and making us important to the story and characters isn't "making characters gay for no reason." It's giving representation to a group of people who need and deserve it.