The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan

Titel: The Mark of Athena
Författare: Rick Riordan
Serie: The Heroes of Olympus #3
Sidor: 574

Spoilervarning! Boken ingår i en serie, spoilers från tidigare böcker i serien, såväl som från serien Percy Jackson and the Olympians förekommer.

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy - after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera - it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can't blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon figurehead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket, Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving command: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find - and close - the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader - but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.

The Heroes of Olympus serien blir bara bättre och bättre, och The Mark of Athena var alldeles makalöst bra, helt klart en av de bästa böcker jag läst i år.

Det fanns tre saker jag älskade lite mer än allt annat i The Mark of Athena och dessa tre var; 
1. Äntligen förenades de sju halvgudarna. Jag hade saknat gänget från The Lost Hero, och jag hade verkligen saknat Percy & Annabeth tillsammans. Jag älskade alla karaktärer tillsammans, och det kändes som en helt annan energi kom in i boken..äntligen kunde det stora äventyret börja. 
2. Annabeths perspektiv. Annabeth har alltid varit en av mina favoriter (allra helst om man dessutom ser till filmen), och så fort jag förstod att böckerna skulle berättas ur flera olika perspektiv har jag väntat på att få följa Annabeth. 
3. Slutet. Som jag älskade slutet..trots att det krossade mitt hjärta en aning. Så vackert, och rörande, och så oerhört hemskt. Nu längtar jag ihjäl mig inför The House of Hades.

Handlingen var nog den bästa hittills, och även om det tog ett litet tag innan den kom igång, så gillade jag alla mindre uppdrag som uppstod innan slutet. Boken var både spännande, actionfylld, rolig och sorglig. Jag kan knappt säga något om slutet utan att spoila, men jag hade verkligen inte förväntat mig detta..

The Mark of Athena berättas ur fyra perspektiv, Percys, Annabeths, Leos och Pipers. Något jag älskade att se var hur Percy och Annabeth beskrev varandra och deras relation. Jag gillade verkligen Leos perspektiv, men jag hade föredragit att få läsa om Hazel framför Piper i denna bok, då jag tror att hennes perspektiv kunnat bidra mer till historien.

Det är jättesvårt att prata om The Mark of Athena utan att spoila något, och det enda jag egentligen vill diskutera är slutet. Därför nöjer jag mig nu med att säga att jag hade ingen aning att jag skulle komma att älska serien på det här viset, och att jag gärna skulle offra hela sommaren för att få oktober och The House of Hades...

Favoritcitat:

“I could have killed you.”
“Or I could have killed you,” Percy said.
Jason shrugged. “If there’d been an ocean in Kansas, maybe.”
“I don’t need an ocean—”
“Boys,” Annabeth interrupted, “I’m sure you both would’ve been wonderful at killing each other. But right now, you need some rest.”
Food first,” Percy said. “Please?” 

“Percy is the most powerful demigod I've ever met. No offense to you guys but it's true.”  

“Percy and Hedge lay on the deck, looking exhausted. Hedge was missing his shoes. He grinned at the sky, muttering, “Awesome. Awesome.” Percy was covered in nicks and scratches, like he’d jumped through a window. He didn’t say anything but he grasped Annabeth’s hand weakly as if to say, Be right with you as soon as the world stops spinning.
Leo, Piper, and Jason, who’d been eating in the mess hall, came rushing up the stairs.
“What? What?” Leo cried, holding a half-eaten grilled cheese sandwich. “Can’t a guy even take a lunch break? What’s wrong?”
“Followed!” Frank yelled again.
“Followed by what? Jason asked.
“I don’t know!” Frank panted. “Whales? Sea monsters? Maybe Kate and Porky!”
Annabeth wanted to strangle the guy, but she wasn’t sure her hands would fit around his thick neck. “That makes absolutely no sense.” 

Markera för spoiler:
“Percy tightened his grip on Annabeth's wrist. His face was gaunt, scraped and bloody, his hair dusted with cobwebs, but when he locked eyes with her, she thought he had never looked more handsome. "We're staying together," he promised. "You're not getting away from me. Never again." 
Only then did she understand what would happen. A one-way trip. A very hard fall. 
"As long as we're together," she said. 
She heard Nico and Hazel still screaming for help. She saw the sunlight far, far above-maybe the last sunlight she would ever see. 
Then Percy let go of his tiny ledge, and together, holding hands, he and Annabeth fell into the endless darkness.”
spoiler slut.

10 / 10