Rick Riordan continues his return to Percy Jackson’s world with another stand out, first rate narrative about growing up and moving on with Percy Jackson and the Wrath of the Triple Goddess.
Percy is desperately trying to finish high school in New York, and when he has an opportunity to earn his second godly letter of recommendation for New Rome University, the demigod has no choice but to accept the task.
Hecate, the triple goddess of magic, sorcery, and the crossroads, wants Percy to pet sit her hellhound Hecuba, and her polecat Gale. He’s allowed to bring his friends Annabeth and Grover, but Hecate warns the hero that if he displeases her in any way, she will incinerate him. With a pep talk like that, Percy, his best friend Grover and his girlfriend Annabeth meet up for a week of pet sitting that will be like no other.
It may seem like a simple task, take the animals for a walk, feed them, and don’t destroy the house, but when Percy has a task before him laid out by a Greek god, there are multiple levels of problems just waiting to be unleashed at any moment. When pandemonium breaks out at Hecate’s house, Percy must rely on his friends, his intelligence, and an army of ghostly contractors.
How Rick Riordan has managed to continue to evolve and grow Percy is incredible. When we first met Percy in The Lightning Thief, he was a young boy who was just beginning to learn about his demigod status, and the role of the Greek gods in the world. Now in this new trilogy of books, it’s an older, wiser, more thoughtful Percy that thinks first before he resorts to pulling out Riptide and vanquishing enemies.
Percy Jackson and the Wrath of the Triple Goddess is a rare feat in literature because it manages to take the themes of The Chalice of the Gods, incorporate the mood and feelings, but then flip them on their head. We originally see a Percy who is nervous and unsure about his decisions, but he comes to accept and embrace the challenge of the future. Now, with The Wrath of the Triple Goddess, we get to see how his life choices are going to affect others, particularly Grover.
Unquestionably, Grover Underwood is the best friend that everyone dreams of having. He’s loyal and true, and someone who will always be there for you. To Percy, he’s literally been the only friend he’s had for many years, and that friendship is on display here in this book. Readers will empathize and see how the thought of Percy and Annabeth going to New Rome University will alter Grover’s world completely. We get to watch how Percy and Grover reconcile the fact that life is changing, and even though they are going to be in different parts of the country, they will always be best friends.
From Grover, Percy gains appreciation of the value of his friendship, but it is with Annabeth that Percy builds a strong, lasting loving relationship with someone else. Annabeth has always been the brains and Percy has usually been the person who jumps into the battle instantly. Percy comes to recognize how much stronger he is because of his healthy and balanced relationship with Annabeth. The respect they show for each other and for what each offers the relationship is an excellent model for readers. To be in a healthy and happy relationship and to celebrate the strengths of your partner is what makes Percy stand out, and in Percy Jackson and the Wrath of the Triple Goddess, Percy shows how much he loves and respects Annabeth.
Percy may have a great appreciation of his best friend Grover, as well as the respect and care for his girlfriend Annabeth, but it is his first most important relationship with his mom Sally that helps to guide him in the right place. Sally is pregnant, and she and her husband Paul are getting ready to be parents. Everyone is moving on in a new direction, and for a moment, Percy has come to suspect that his mom might have some regrets.
There is nothing sweeter and more heartwarming than watching Sally embrace her eighteen-year-old son and telling him that he may have seen the ghosts of her past, but they are only memories and not regrets. Having the reaffirmation that you are loved and will always be cared for is one of the cornerstones to success for everyone. Percy gets that in multiple forms from his friends but hearing it from his mom is the most special form of love.
Rick Riordan may be showing love for his main characters but the new additions to this story also benefit from the fact that Percy Jackson is a special kid who can see through the monsters and myths and connect with the person inside. Riordan literally has Percy connect with Hecuba to the point that he experiences the trauma that she endured at the fall of Troy. Thanks to Percy being able to appreciate Hecate’s experiences, it reminds viewers that trauma never goes away, the hurt will always be present.
Hecate may be the goddess of the crossroads, and this is precisely what The Wrath of the Triple Goddess presents to readers. We all face a crossroads in our lives, and sometimes the decisions we make are just as important and valuable as the ones that we don’t make.
Riordan has peppered his latest action-packed story with a humanity that is evident from the first to the last word. Readers will enjoy spending time with old friends like Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, they will love the ghostly battle against a long dead New York architect, and the lessons of the story will stay with readers long after they place the book back on the shelf.
https://youtu.be/k8yUDhwk6lc
Percy Jackson and the Wrath of the Triple Goddess is an incredible character-based tale of humanity and the art of growing up with intelligence and grace, and not to mention, some incredible battle sequences to boot!