SWEET LEGACY

Greek mythology comes to life in this action-packed third installment of the Sweet Venom series, with paranormal 16-year-old triplets fighting the ancient-but-not-dead Olympic gods and monsters in contemporary San Francisco.

Beginning in the middle of a fierce battle in the Abyssos, the realm of monsters, this story abruptly picks up where the second book left off. Triplet descendants of Medusa, each endowed with a different supernatural power, Gretchen, Greer and Grace fight their way to Mount Olympus to rescue their Gorgon aunts, Euryale and Sthenno. Once they’ve rescued their supernatural relatives, they search for the door that opens the Abyssos, which, as the Key Generation, they are destined to open lest all the monsters die. Most of the gods oppose them, but a few nicely quirky monsters help the girls, especially cute Sillus, a monkey creature with a limited vocabulary and a comic touch. Three possibly untrustworthy boys enter the mix to add the briefest touch of romance. The story is told in first person in alternating chapters dedicated to each girl, and readers will have to pay attention to the chapter headings, as all three girls speak with identical voices. The ending leaves the door slightly open for another sequel but supplies enough satisfaction for fans.

As a whole, this series is a decent bet for teen girls graduating from Rick Riordan.