Seen from below, the Twilight of the Gods is neither tragic nor noble—it’s long overdue.
Mum’s a giantess, Dad’s a trickster god, and her brothers are fated to play major roles in ending the world; trapped in her fetid underworld, Hel (aka Goddess of the Dead) has had enough eternity, thanks, and she’s about to tell you why.
Jotunheim, land of the giants, leaves plenty to be desired. Snow, sleet, and howling winds scour the mountains. It’s no Asgard. A seemingly ordinary girl on top, Hel’s legs are in a permanent state of decay—blotched with gangrene, wrapped in bandages. Her father, Loki, rarely visits the family cave. But then the children are kidnapped and brought to golden Asgard, as Odin hopes to render her ill-fated brothers harmless, at least for now. At first overlooked, narrator Hel develops a huge crush on Baldr, a beautiful, kindly—and married—god, before Odin hurls her to Niflheim to rule over the dead. This permanent teen doesn’t take her fate lying down—at first. Failing to escape, she occupies herself constructing a palace for the dead and dreams of Baldr, fated to die eventually and come to her. But as years pass, she grows bitter and vengeful, and she doesn’t hesitate to tell readers: “I have no friends. I don’t want any friends. I’m fine by myself. I am cradled by hate and fury; I need no one.” Hel’s persuasive, compelling, brutally grim, and very funny voice drives the narrative.
Seen from below, the Twilight of the Gods is neither tragic nor noble—it’s long overdue. (Fantasy. 12-16)Pub Date: June 6, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-571-33027-0
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Review Posted Online: March 14, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 2017
The satisfyingly cataclysmic showdowns yield to peaceful resolution at last; here's hoping it holds this time.
With just 12 days to go until Gaea awakens fully on Aug. 1 and brings an end to the world as we know it, two groups of demigods struggle to stop her.
Aboard the Argo II, Percy, Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel and Leo race to Athens for the final showdown. Meanwhile, three formerly supporting characters struggle to haul the ancient and massive Athena Parthenos statue from Europe to Camp Half-Blood: son of Hades Nico di Angelo, daughter of Bellona Reyna Ramírez-Arellano (and former praetor at New Rome) and satyr Coach Hedge. Coach Hedge is there mostly for comic relief, but his anxiety for the welfare of his very pregnant wood-nymph wife at Camp Half-Blood, where rogue New Rome augur Octavian has massed his armies to attack on Aug. 1, is touchingly genuine. The story of the demigods headed to Athens focuses on Jason, Piper and Leo and offers what Riordan does best: comedic, action-packed encounters with deities most readers—and sometimes characters—have never heard of. Goddess of victory Nike is particularly funny as she rails against "namby-pamby ideas of friendship and everybody wins participation awards." The story's emotional heft mostly comes from Nico's and Reyna's arduous and heartfelt journeys to self-acceptance. Readers who haven't made a point of revisiting The House of Hades (2013) before starting this may find themselves wondering just why each group's mission is so important, but there's no questioning that the characters think they're vital. And ultimately, any prophecy-driven adventure is at bottom arbitrary anyway. The story's occasional ventures into romance are stilted and awkward, but fortunately they are brief.
The satisfyingly cataclysmic showdowns yield to peaceful resolution at last; here's hoping it holds this time. (Fantasy. 10-16)Pub Date: Oct. 7, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4231-4673-5
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Review Posted Online: Oct. 18, 2014
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Prophesied savior meets eco-thriller in this too-long apocalyptic adventure. Thirteen-year-old Eli is destined for a cushy job at InfiniCorp, his grandfather’s company; all-powerful InfiniCorp runs the domed cities that house the remainder of human civilization. From the Department of Painless Dentistry to the Department of Cool and Comfortable Air, InfiniCorp reassures the citizens that it’s taking care of everything. Eli bucks the system and his own family’s trust by questioning the glitches he witnesses in the dome. It’s not long before he’s roped in to the plots of the Outsiders, barbarians who inhabit the hellish desert outside the domes. Eli’s adventure occasionally descends to proselytizing, with wise mentors explaining the dangers of climate change and consumerism. As homily it fails: Why learn about climate change if salvation lies in a predestined child of privilege leading the suffering masses to the Wild Orange Yonder? Nonetheless, there’s enough excitement in this story of gadgets and intelligent animal sidekicks (Eli’s pet mongoose, Marilyn, communicates with him telepathically) to keep readers turning pages—though possibly not enough to make them seek out volume two. (Science fiction. 12-13)
Pub Date: Aug. 24, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-385-73708-1
Page Count: 416
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: July 1, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2010
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