The Dark Prophecy

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The Dark Prophecy
The Dark Prophecy.jpg
U.S. cover for first edition
Author Rick Riordan
Cover artist John Rocco
Series The Trials of Apollo (book 2)
Genre Fantasy, Greek and Roman mythology, Young adult
Publisher Disney-Hyperion
Publication date
May 2, 2017 (hardcover, audiobook CD, Kindle/Nook eBook)
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardback, paperback, audiobook CD, e-book)
Pages432 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4847-4642-4
Preceded by The Hidden Oracle  
Followed by The Burning Maze  

The Dark Prophecy is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 2, 2017, and is the second book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The book and its cover art by John Rocco were first announced in 2016. It has been published in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. The Dark Prophecy has been translated into seven languages from its original English.

Contents

The book takes off from where The Hidden Oracle ended, wherein Apollo continues his search as a human teenager to restore the Oracles of Ancient Greece that have gone dark in order to regain his immortality. [1] Along with Meg McCaffrey, he journeys to the Oracle of Trophonius in Indianapolis and later settles his personal feud with Commodus, the second Emperor of the Triumvirate Holdings. [2]

The novel received positive reviews from critics for its slow pace, humor, and diverse characters. During its first week of release, The Dark Prophecy sold about 63,000 copies, reaching the top of The New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. [3] [4]

Plot summary

Six weeks after losing Meg McCaffrey to Nero and receiving the first prophecy, Apollo, Leo, Festus and Calypso are headed on a journey to stop Nero, the Beast, from controlling all of the oracles. They are rescued from a group of attacking blemmyae by Hemithea and invited into the Waystation, in the Indianapolis Union Station, where Apollo recalls answering to Hemithea's prayer back when she was a Greek princess and turning Hemithea into a goddess, only to have his gift rejected when she joined the Hunters of Artemis. He learns that she is in a relationship with Josephine and the two of them have sacrificed their immortality as Hunters for love and are living as mortals. Their adopted daughter Georgina went missing after searching for the Oracle of Trophonius to receive a prophecy to prevent the Emperor Commodus from taking their griffins. Instead, she receives a message that damages her mind and causes her to wander away. Britomartis, the goddess of nets and owner of the Waystation, issues Apollo and Calypso a quest to rescue the griffins stolen by Commodus. The duo manages to rescue the griffins but is cornered by Lityerses, Commodus' man and the son of King Midas who holds a grudge against Leo for his role in Midas' second death and Lityerses getting turned into a golden statue. Meg McCaffrey arrives just in time and duels with Lityerses until Apollo releases the rest of the caged animals. Apollo then picks up Meg on his griffin while Lityerses is trampled, and the three go to the Waystation.

Apollo, Leo, and Meg head to Commodus's lair and free all the captured animals and prisoners, including Georgina. They search for the Throne of Memory and find it, but they are discovered by Commodus. They manage to escape with the help of Festus and the Huntresses of Artemis and rescue Lit, who was to be executed. They take everyone back to the Waystation, where Georgina relays a recorded message instead of a prophecy by Trophonius, who is revealed to be Apollo's son. He refers to Georgina as a sister, leading everyone to believe she is Apollo's daughter. Apollo and Meg decide to travel to the Oracle for the prophecy, while the rest defend the Waystation. At the Oracle, Apollo drinks from both the River of Memory and of Forgetfulness to prepare himself for taking the prophecy, but which also makes him lose his sanity for the time being. Meg sings a song of her sorrows which jogs Apollo back to reality and awakens the spirit of Trophonius. Apollo pleads with Trophonius to take him instead of Meg, to which Trophonius agrees in return for a wish, but gives her the prophecy anyway.

Apollo performs CPR on Meg and destroys the Oracle, fulfilling Trophonius's wish. Peaches the karpoi and his friends drive them to the Waystation in time for battle. Apollo finds Commodus fighting Josephine, Calypso, Lit, and Thalia while holding Leo, Hemithea, and Georgina hostage. Apollo feels a surge of godly strength inside him and warns Commodus to stand down. Commodus does not pay heed to Apollo's words. Apollo manages to reveal his true divine form, blinding Commodus and his men who are forced to flee. Meg reveals a prophecy in the form of a Shakespearan sonnet, which tells them that they must warn Camp Jupiter of an attack in five days and will have to travel in the Labyrinth with the assistance of a satyr. Meg summons the closest satyr using her powers, who turns out to be Grover Underwood. [2]

Characters

There once was a god named Apollo
Who plunged in a cave, blue and hollow
Upon a three seater
The bronze fire eater
Was forced death and madness to swallow

Prophecy given to Apollo and Meg by the Grove of Dodona in The Hidden Oracle , which refers to the events of The Dark Prophecy. [2]

Composition and marketing

The Dark Prophecy was announced on Rick Riordan's website on May 5, 2016, two days after the release of The Hidden Oracle.

The cover, illustrated by John Rocco, was revealed on December 22, 2016; [5] featuring Apollo along with battle ostriches and a pair of gryphons. [6] The first chapter was released as an excerpt along with the cover on the same day by USA Today . [5] [7] In addition, a trailer was released on YouTube to promote the book. [8] In March, Riordan interacted with fans and signed about 1700 copies of the book. [9]

Release

The Dark Prophecy was released in the United States by Disney-Hyperion on May 2, 2017. [10] An audiobook, narrated by Robbie Daymond, was published on the same date by Books on Tape. [11] [12] The book was also released in e-book and paperback format. [10] For the first printing, Disney-Hyperion offered different gifts that varied according to where the book was purchased: A Trials of Apollo pen and a pocket journal at Hypable, and Camp Half-Blood sunglasses and The Trials of Apollo beach mat at The Young Folks . [13] [14] [15] The first printing of The Dark Prophecy was 2 million copies in the United States. [16]

In the United Kingdom and Australia, English-language editions in hardcover, paperback, ebook and audiobook were also released on May 2 by Puffin Books. [17] To date, editions have been released in Spanish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Dutch, French, Czech, Turkish, Norwegian, Albanian, Hebrew, Catalan and Vietnamese. [10] Although many non-English editions used John Rocco's cover art made for the U.S. edition, a few – and the Puffin editions – have unique covers by other illustrators. [10]

The Dark Prophecy sold 62,987 copies in the U.S. and 6,419 in the UK during the first week. [18] It was the most-purchased novel in the United States during the first week of May, outperforming second place (Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry ) by almost 15,000 units. [18] Upon release, the book ranked No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list [3] and Publishers Weekly's bestseller list. [19] It remained on the latter for 23 weeks. [20] The novel also placed on USA Today 's bestseller list. [21] [22] It opened at No. 11 on the iBooks bestseller list, [23] but dropped to 18th place a week later and further to 20th after another week. [24] [25]

As of February 2018, the book has sold more than 252,000 copies in hardcover format alone. [26]

The book received a Lexile score of 700L, making it age- and difficulty-appropriate for the average 11-13 year-old. [27] On Scholastic, the book is recommended to teachers as appropriate material for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. [28] A reviewer for Common Sense Media rated the book as 10+, [29] while another reviewer wrote that the book was better suited for a younger audience, comprising 8 to 20 year olds, claiming that older readers would find it hard to believe the exaggerated drama. [30]

Reception

The novel received positive reviews, but overall much less attention than the first in the series. Preeja Aravind of The Free Press Journal opined that the book appeals to Riordan's already established fantasy, with the old characters showing development. While stating the book is a standalone, Aravind recommends reading the predecessor first. [30] Gillian P. of Pikes Peak Library District's Teen Team felt otherwise, rating the book 5/5 and called it "every bit as good as the first book", highly recommending it to fans of Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus . [31]

One topic frequently noted in by critics is the characters and their development. Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media praises the addition of characters such as the ex-immortal couple Emmie and Jo as a way to increase depth. She notes that this novel is more an exploration of other characters and their relationships to Apollo than it is about the god himself. [29] Karen Rought of Hypable states that the author's continued introduction of diverse characters feels completely natural and is never forced, writing it "feels like a truer snapshot of the world than most books ever attempt to display". She finds the relationship between Apollo and Calypso particularly interesting. [14] Pamela Kramer, former National Book Reviewer for Examiner.com , praised the characterization of Apollo as well, calling him "the brightest sun of all." She appreciated Riordan's choice to make the god bisexual. [32] However, not all reviewers thought this character development benefitted the novel.

Reviewers were divided on the subject of the novel's quick pacing. Wheadon of Common Sense Media criticizes the fast-paced action, stating that it causes the reader to forget important details. [29] In contrast, The Times of India compliments the pacing and writes that it gives the reader time to stop and think about the contrast between immortality and a meaningful life. [33]

Hypable's review praises how Riordan manages instill humor in even tough situations. [14] Writing for Young Adult Books Central, Karen Yingling agrees. She rates the book 5/5, appreciating how the descriptions of random facts not important to the plot adds humor. She also appreciates "his inclusion of very obscure mythological characters, and the way that he manages to work their mythological story into his own." [34]

The AudioFile magazine lauded the audiobook narration, writing, "Narrator Robbie Daymond is perfectly tuned in as events take a darker turn in this sequel to The Hidden Oracle.... There's plenty of adventure and humor here, and listeners will finish this installment already eager for the next one". [35]

The novel was nominated for Best Middle Grade & Children's Book of 2017 in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and ended in second place, behind The Ship of the Dead , also written by Riordan. [36]

Sequel

The third book of The Trials of Apollo is titled The Burning Maze and was announced by Riordan on October 17, 2017. It released on May 1, 2018. [37]

See also

Related Research Articles

In Greek mythology, Agamedes was a son of Erginus.

In Greek mythology, Lityerses was an illegitimate son of Midas dwelling in Celaenae, Phrygia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rick Riordan</span> American author (born 1964)

Richard Russell Riordan Jr. is an American author, best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. Riordan's books have been translated into forty-two languages and sold more than thirty million copies in the United States. 20th Century Fox adapted the first two books of his Percy Jackson series as part of a series of films in which Riordan was not involved. Riordan currently serves as a co-creator and executive producer on the television series adaption of the book series that was released on Disney+ in 2023. Riordan's books have also spawned other related media, such as graphic novels and short story collections.

Camp Half-Blood Chronicles is a media franchise created by author Rick Riordan, encompassing three five-part novel series, two short-story collections, two myth anthology books, a stand-alone short story, three crossover short stories, an essay collection, multiple guides, seven graphic novels, two films, a video game, a musical, and other media. Set in the modern world, it focuses on groups of demigod teenagers, and features many characters from Greek and Roman mythology. The first series, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, follows the adventures of a boy named Percy Jackson at a summer camp for Greek demigods. The second series, The Heroes of Olympus, introduces several more lead characters and a second camp for Roman demigods named Camp Jupiter. The third series, The Trials of Apollo, follows the now-mortal god Apollo, with appearances by many characters from the first and second series.

<i>The Battle of the Labyrinth</i> 2008 novel by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth is an American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The novel was first published in the United States on 6 May 2008 by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. It has been published in hardcover, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. The Battle of the Labyrinth has been translated into 29 languages from its original English.

<i>The Last Olympian</i> 2009 fantasy novel by Rick Riordan

The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth novel of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and is the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth. The Last Olympian revolves around the demigod Percy Jackson as he leads his friends in a last stand to protect Mount Olympus.

<i>The Lost Hero</i> 2010 novel by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 12, 2010, and is the first book in The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It is preceded by The Last Olympian of Percy Jackson & the Olympians and followed by The Son of Neptune. The novel has since been translated into many languages and released as a hardcover, e-book, audiobook, and paperback.

<i>The Heroes of Olympus</i> Fantasy adventure series by Riordan about the Percy Jackson universe

The Heroes of Olympus is a pentalogy of fantasy-adventure novels written by American author Rick Riordan. The novels detail a conflict between Greek demigods, Roman demigods, and Gaea. In the fourth book of the series, there is also a fight against Tartarus, which, in Greek mythology, was the darkest and deepest point of the Underworld.

<i>The Mark of Athena</i> 2012 novel by Rick Riordan

The Mark of Athena is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 2, 2012, and is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus series, a sequel to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. It is preceded by The Son of Neptune and followed by The House of Hades. The novel is narrated in the third-person.

<i>The House of Hades</i> 2013 book by Rick Riordan

The House of Hades is a fantasy-adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It was published on October 8, 2013, and is the fourth book in The Heroes of Olympus series, preceded by The Mark of Athena and followed by The Blood of Olympus.

<i>The Blood of Olympus</i> 2014 novel by Rick Riordan

The Blood of Olympus is an American fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. Released on October 7, 2014, the fifth and final novel in The Heroes of Olympus series, and it was followed by The Chalice of the Gods (2023), part of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

<i>The Hidden Oracle</i> 2016 novel by Rick Riordan

The Hidden Oracle is a fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 3, 2016, and is the first book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The book and its cover art by John Rocco were first announced in 2015. It has been published in hardcover, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. The Hidden Oracle has been translated into 19 languages from its original English.

<i>The Trials of Apollo</i> Book series by Rick Riordan

The Trials of Apollo is a pentalogy of fantasy adventure and mythological fiction novels written by American author Rick Riordan that collectively form a sequel to the Heroes of Olympus series. It is set in the same world as Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series and references characters and happenings from earlier stories. A supplementary book, Camp Jupiter Classified, has also been released in addition to the main series.

<i>The Hammer of Thor</i> 2016 book by Rick Riordan

The Hammer of Thor is an American young-adult fantasy novel based on Norse mythology written by Rick Riordan. It was published on October 4, 2016 as a hardcover, audiobook, and ebook, and is the second book in the Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series.

<i>The Burning Maze</i> 2018 novel by Rick Riordan

The Burning Maze is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 1, 2018, and is the third book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

<i>The Tyrants Tomb</i> 2019 novel by Rick Riordan

The Tyrant's Tomb is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was first published on September 24, 2019, and is the fourth book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

<i>The Tower of Nero</i> 2020 novel by Rick Riordan

The Tower of Nero is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was first published on October 6, 2020, and is the fifth and final book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series.

<i>The Sun and the Star</i> 2023 novel by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

The Sun and the Star is a 2023 American fantasy-adventure middle-grade fiction novel based on Greek-Roman classical mythology co-written by authors Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. It is a sequel to the 2020 novel The Tower of Nero in The Trials of Apollo series and was supposed to be the final book of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. The story follows the adolescent demigods and boyfriends Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, the sons of Hades and Apollo, respectively, on their quest into Tartarus to rescue their old friend Bob, who is, in fact, the Titan Iapetus.

References

  1. ↑ "Percy Jackson author Rick Riordan releases second book in The Trials of Apollo series". Hindustan Times. May 4, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Riordan, Rick (2017). The Dark Prophecy. Los Angeles: Disney-Hyperion. ISBN   9781484746424.
  3. 1 2 "The Trials of Apollo Book Two The Dark Prophecy". Frontlist.net. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  4. ↑ "TOP CHILDREN'S FRONTLIST FICTION". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on May 13, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  5. 1 2 "Read an excerpt from Rick Riordan's new 'Apollo' book". USA Today. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017.
  6. ↑ Rought, Karen (December 22, 2016). "'Trials of Apollo' book 2 cover features battle ostriches and a couple of gryphons". Hypable. Archived from the original on August 17, 2017. Retrieved May 13, 2017.
  7. ↑ McClurg, Jocelyn (December 22, 2016). "Book Buzz". Life. pp. 03d – via USA Today.
  8. ↑ "The Trials of Apollo Book Two The Dark Prophecy - Trailershelf - Book Trailers". trailershelf.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  9. ↑ "A Report from Manhattan - Rick Riordan". rickriordan.com. March 10, 2017. Archived from the original on January 11, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "Editions of The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan". Goodreads. Archived from the original on November 22, 2017.
  11. ↑ "The Trials of Apollo, Book Two: The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan - Books on Tape". Archived from the original on August 15, 2017.
  12. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo Book 2) by Rick Riordan". www.penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  13. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy (Trials of Apollo, Book 2) Prize Pack Giveaway". April 28, 2017.
  14. 1 2 3 "'The Dark Prophecy' by Rick Riordan book review and giveaway". Hypable. May 10, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  15. ↑ "The Trials of Apollo Giveaway: Win 'The Dark Prophecy' Prize Pack - - The Young Folks". www.theyoungfolks.com. May 18, 2017. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017.
  16. ↑ "The On-Sale Calendar: May 2017 Children's Books". Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo Book 2) by Rick Riordan". www.penguin.co.uk. Archived from the original on November 21, 2017. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  18. 1 2 O'Brien, Kiera (May 17, 2017). "Children's Charts: May 1 - May 7". The Bookseller. pp. 14–15. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  19. ↑ "This Week's Bestsellers: May 15, 2017". Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  20. ↑ "2017 in Children's Bestsellers". Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  21. ↑ "Book Reviews and Best Selling Lists - USATODAY.com". USA TODAY. Archived from the original on November 13, 2017.
  22. ↑ "The Trials Of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy". USA Today . May 11, 2017. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  23. ↑ "Apple iBooks Category Bestsellers, May 7, 2017". Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  24. ↑ "iBooks Bestsellers: Readers Dive 'Into the Water'". Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  25. ↑ "Apple iBooks Category Bestsellers, May 14, 2017". Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  26. ↑ "2017 Children's Bestsellers: Thriving Backlists, Popular Tie-Ins, and More". Archived from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  27. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy - Lexile® Find a Book - MetaMetrics Inc". fab.lexile.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  28. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy by Rick Riordan - Scholastic". www.scholastic.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  29. 1 2 3 "The Dark Prophecy: The Trials of Apollo, Book 2 - Book Review". Common Sense Media. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
  30. 1 2 "The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy- Review". Free Press Journal. August 13, 2017. Archived from the original on April 14, 2018.
  31. ↑ "Book Review: The Dark Prophecy - PPLD.org". ppld.org. Archived from the original on April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 19, 2018.
  32. ↑ "'The Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophecy' is Fabulous Fantasy Fiction for Young Adults". May 19, 2017. Archived from the original on October 22, 2017. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  33. ↑ "Micro review: 'Trials of Apollo: The Dark Prophesy' is an adventure back to Percy Jackson's world". Times of India. June 2, 2017. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018.
  34. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy". Young Adult Books Central. Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
  35. ↑ "The Dark Prophecy". Archived from the original on April 18, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
  36. ↑ "Best Middle Grade & Children's". Goodreads Choice Awards 2017. Goodreads. Archived from the original on January 19, 2018. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  37. ↑ "Rick Riordan Announces New Books Releasing 2018". Read Riordan. October 17, 2017. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017.
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