The story follows Jason Grace, a Roman demigod with no memory of his past. He, along with Piper McLean, a daughter of Aphrodite, and Leo Valdez, a son of Hephaestus, is given a quest to rescue Hera, the queen of gods, from the clutches of Gaea, the primordial goddess of the earth. It is the first book in the Camp Half-Blood chronicles to use third-person narration, switching between the points of view of Jason, Piper, and Leo.
The Lost Hero received positive reviews from critics for its complex and mature plot when compared to its predecessors. Criticism was focused on its stretched action sequences and dialogues. At its peak, the novel has appeared first on The New York Times bestseller list, the USA Today bestseller list, The Wall Street Journal bestseller list, and the Publishers Weekly bestseller list. It was named the best children's book of 2010 by Barnes & Noble and won the Junior Young Reader's Choice Award in 2013.
Plot
Jason Grace awakens on a school bus that belongs to the Wilderness School, unable to remember anything about his past. He is next to Piper McLean, his apparent girlfriend, and Leo Valdez, his apparent best friend. All three are part of a class field trip to the Grand Canyon. After they arrive there, a classmate, Dylan, turns into a storm spirit and attacks the trio and their trip leader, Coach Gleeson Hedge. In the ensuing fight, Jason battles the spirit and surprises everyone with his powers. Hedge is revealed to be a satyr and is captured by the storm spirit as it flees. A flying chariot with two demigods appears on the scene. The female demigod, Annabeth Chase, expresses her frustration upon seeing that her missing boyfriend, Percy Jackson, is not there as she had hoped, as he has been missing for three days without a trace. Jason, Piper, and Leo are told they are Greek demigods and are returned to Camp Half-Blood. There, Leo is revealed as a son of Hephaestus, Piper as a daughter of Aphrodite, and Jason as a son of Zeus. Juno, the Roman form of Hera, appears to Jason and tells him he is also her champion.
Leo, who has the rare ability to conjure fire, does not use nor tell anyone about it out of guilt about his mother's death seven years prior. Meanwhile, Jason finds out about his sister Thalia Grace, a daughter of Zeus and lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. Leo discovers a damaged mechanical bronze dragon in the woods and rejuvenates it. Shortly thereafter, the three are given a quest to rescue Hera from danger. After encountering Boreas, Piper, Jason, and Leo discover that their enemies are working under orders from Gaea, the Greek primordial goddess of the Earth, to overthrow the gods. Throughout their journey, they overcome numerous obstacles and eventually manage to save Coach Hedge, and also meet Thalia and the Hunters, who have also been looking for Percy. Thalia and Jason reunite for the first time since Jason was two, but they are separated on the way to Aeolus's castle. After almost being imprisoned by Aeolus under Gaea's orders, the trio manages to escape and end up in San Francisco.
They defeat the giant Enceladus at Mount Diablo and rescue Piper's father, who was being held captive. After saving Piper's dad, she gives him a potion given to her by Aphrodite and he forgets about the mythical world. The trio, along with the Hunters of Artemis, travel to the Wolf House and defeat the forces of Gaea, saving Hera. They temporarily stall Gaea's plans but are unable to destroy the ancient beings. Meanwhile, at camp, Leo creates plans for a ship that can sail to Greece, and the Hephaestus campers decide to build it, appointing Leo as their new counselor. With part of his memory returned, Jason realizes that he is a son of Zeus's Roman form Jupiter, and a hero from a Roman counterpart camp to Camp Half-Blood called Camp Jupiter somewhere near San Francisco. Hera, known as Juno to the Romans, has switched him with the Greek hero Percy Jackson, who is now at the Roman camp with no memory of his previous life. Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter have had a ruthless rivalry, and whenever they come into contact, things never end well.[4]
Jason Grace – the champion of Juno, as well as the son of Jupiter and Beryl Grace. As the son of Jupiter, Jason can manipulate the air, control the weather, and create lightning. He suffers from amnesia for most of the story.[4]
Piper McLean – daughter of Aphrodite and Tristan McLean, a Cherokee film actor. She is in love with Jason Grace and has a dagger named Katoptris, previously wielded by Helen of Troy. She also has the rare gift of charmspeak.[4]
Leo Valdez – son of Hephaestus and Esperanza Valdez. He has a magical tool belt that will produce any tool that can be found in an average mechanical shop. He can also create fire from nothing, a rare ability sometimes found in Hephaestus's children.[4]
Annabeth Chase – demigod daughter of Athena. She rescues Jason, Piper, and Leo while on the search for Percy Jackson, her missing boyfriend.[4]
Coach Gleeson Hedge – satyr who was assigned to watch over two lovely demigods, Piper and Leo, until they could be safely brought to Camp Half-Blood, and suddenly has to guard a third, Jason. He is taken captive after saving Leo's life twice.[4]
Thalia Grace – Jason's sister and lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis
Composition and marketing
After realizing how many Greek and Roman myths he had left untouched as well as the immense success of the original series, Riordan began writing a second series, using inspiration for his storyline from experiences that he and his children had while playing video and role-playing games such as World of Warcraft and Scion. After creating the storyline, Riordan created three new main characters—Jason, Piper, and Leo—but continued to use the previous main characters such as Annabeth and Grover as secondary characters.[5] Unlike the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series which uses first-person narration solely from Percy's point of view, the second series is told in third-person, with the point of view alternating between various main characters. In The Lost Hero, those characters are Jason, Piper, and Leo. Although initially uncertain how fans would react, Riordan later found that they enjoyed the new format, as it allowed them to learn more about each character.[6]
The novel begins six months after the events of The Last Olympian, which allowed continuity with the first series, so previous characters could be included and readers would not be confused. Riordan says that "it was my way of letting them revisit that world in a fresh twist, but also to catch up with Percy and Annabeth and the rest of the gang from the first series".[6] He also decided to include the Roman gods after many readers requested that Riordan write a new series on Roman gods, who are the Roman equivalent of the Greek gods, with some minor changes in personality. He pondered on how the Roman aspect of the gods would be after moving from Greece to Rome to America. After a while, "playing with that idea gave me the idea for the new series".[6]
Before The Lost Hero was released, Disney-Hyperion released several sneak peeks in an effort to build up publicity for the books release. This included releasing a preview of the first two chapters of the book as well as releasing the book cover. Along with the excerpt, Disney-Hyperion released information about the series and characters, a book trailer, and an event kit.[7] To celebrate the release of the book, a release party took place at BookPeople in Austin, Texas. The party began at 4pm with over 800visitors including Riordan himself. The party featured food, races, and rock climbing. Afterward, over 10,000 joined Riordan on an online webchat where he read the first two chapters and answered questions from the fans. He then signed one copy of the book and announced "that seven 'lucky demigods' will be selected in a sweepstakes to attend an exclusive one-week session at Camp Half-Blood at Bookpeople in July 2011".[5]
Release
The novel was first released in the United States on October 12, 2010: the hardcover had a 2.5million copy first printing, and audiobook and e-book formats were also released. Riordan stated that he intended to finish a new book in the series every year, completing it in 2014.[8]
In the United Kingdom and Australia, English-language editions in paperback were also released October 4, 2012 by Puffin Books.[14] To date, editions have been released in multiple languages.[15] Although many non-English editions used John Rocco's cover art originally created for the US edition, a few–and the Puffin editions–have unique covers by other illustrators.[15]
The book received a Lexile score of 660L, making it age- and difficulty-appropriate for the average 8-11 year-old.[16] On Scholastic, the book is recommended to teachers as appropriate material for grades 9–12.[17] Reviewers for both Publishers Weekly and Common Sense Media gave the book a rating of 10+.[18][19]
Reception
The Lost Hero received generally positive reviews from critics. Publishers Weekly gave a favorable review, stating that "Riordan's storytelling is as polished as ever, brimming with wit, action, and heart".[18]The Seattle Times's Karen Macpherson called the Greek and Roman mix "fascinating" and also said that the "characters are interesting and well-developed, and the richly complex story has Riordan's trademark wry humor and nearly nonstop action".[20]
Few reviewers criticized certain aspects of the novel. Vicky Smith of Kirkus Reviews, for example, wrote that there are "far too many pages of stretched-out action, telling not showing and awkward dialogue" while believing that the novel would be enjoyed by "[d]ie-hard fans". She positively noted that the "Greek-vs.-Roman tension tantalizes" and that "incidental details that bring the gods into the story often shine."[21] Lauren Berkes of The National Post appreciated the novel, writing, "Along the way, the novel has a lot of action, a bit of magic, a freaky security system and a metal dragon" but recommended that readers read the predecessor series first as "it will help you to understand a lot of the concepts in The Lost Hero."[22]
Others were appreciative of the book as an excellent sequel to Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Anita Burkam of The Horn Book Magazine wrote in her review, "Riordan extends the franchise in a logical direction while maximizing the elements that made the first series so popular: irreverent heroes, plenty of tension-filled moments fighting monsters, and authentic classical mythology mixed in with modern life."[23] Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media rated it 4/5 and opined, "Percy Jackson series spin-off is almost as delightful" and observes, "The story set-up isn't terribly smooth, and this is a denser read than the first few Percy Jackson books, but once the action heats up, that's easily forgotten."[19]Voice of Youth Advocates comments, "The tale is longer than the Percy Jackson originals and can drag a bit at times, but fans hungry for further adventures in Riordan's modernized mythological realm will be well satisfied."[23]
Other elements of the novel were also well received. Booklist wrote that "the backstory of a master plan to unseat the gods is complex but is doled out in manageable bits with a general air of foreboding", while also appreciating "[f]lashes of humor [that] lighten the mood at times". They conclude, "[w]ith appealing new characters within a familiar framework, this spin-off will satisfy the demand for more."[23]KidsReads appreciated the book for its knowledge, writing, "I always learn something new whenever I read these books, and it certainly helps that I laugh along the way" and also notes, "this time, they cross over to Roman mythology, and the sometimes-blurred lines between the two cultures are examined in closer detail."[24]School Library Journal wrote that "Riordan excels at clever plot devices and at creating an urgent sense of cliff-hanging danger" and observed, "[t]he young heroes deal with issues familiar to teens today."[23]The Lost Hero won the Junior Young Reader's Choice Award in 2013.[25] It was also named the best children's book of 2010 by Barnes & Noble.[26]
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 American fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first children's novel by Rick Riordan. The opening installment in the series Percy Jackson & the Olympians, the book was recognized among the year's best for children. Riordan followed the novel with various books and spin-off series, spawning the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles media franchise.
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.
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.
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.
Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a fictional character, the title character and narrator of Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He is also one of seven main protagonists of the sequel series The Heroes of Olympus, appearing in every book except The Lost Hero, and appears in the Trials of Apollo series, making him one of the few characters to appear in all three series of the Camp Half-Blood chronicles. He has also been a narrator and protagonist in Riordan's Greco-Roman/Egyptian crossover stories, part of the Demigods and Magicians collection. The character serves as the narrator in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes, also by Rick Riordan.
The Demigod Files is a collection of short stories by Rick Riordan published on February 10, 2009. It is a supplementary book to series Percy Jackson & the Olympians. It mainly contains three short stories, titled "Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot", "Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon", and "Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades". It is set between the fourth and fifth novels, The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian.
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.
The Son of Neptune is a 2011 fantasy-adventure novel written by American author Rick Riordan, based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the second book in The Heroes of Olympus series, preceded by The Lost Hero and followed by The Mark of Athena. The story follows the adventures of amnesiac Percy Jackson, a demigod son of Neptune, also known as Poseidon, as he meets a camp of Roman demigods and goes to Alaska with his new friends Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang to free the Greek god of death, Thanatos, and help save the world from Gaea, the earth goddess. The novel is narrated in the third-person, switching between the points of view of Percy, Frank, and Hazel.
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.
The Demigod Diaries is a collection of short stories relating to The Heroes of Olympus book series.
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.
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.
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods is a collection of short stories about Greek mythology as narrated by Percy Jackson. It was written by Rick Riordan and was released on August 19, 2014. It features Percy Jackson giving his own take on the Greek myths in a humorous way.
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.
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.
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.
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.
References
1 2 3 "The lost hero". LC Online Catalog. Library of Congress (lccn.loc.gov). Retrieved November 9, 2015.
1 2 3 4 Riordan, Rick $0(KCLS)345342; Riordan, Rick (April 28, 2018). The lost hero. Disney/Hyperion Books. ISBN9781423145400. OCLC705917330. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018– via kcls Library Catalog.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
↑ Boche, Benjamin (October 12, 2010). "Kidsreads review of the Lost Hero". The Lost Hero: The Heroes of Olympus, Book One. Archived from the original on May 9, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2012.
↑ "YRCA Past Winners". Pacific Northwest Library Association. Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
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