#elfgrove reads percy jackson

[elfgrove]

So I've been audio-booking my way through the Trials of Apollo novels, and I just got to the bit in the Burning Maze novel I knew was gonna piss me off.

Yep. It pissed me off.

And the narrative voice the Trials of Apollo are written in works really well. The sniveling self-centered god who is protected by the narrative the same way Percy was through all the prior books fits. And he very much is protected by the narrative, so it takes out some of the tension because like Percy, RR isn't really going to let anything permanent happen to him. The audience knows that, and that's fine for a YA book to do.

Here's the thing.

How RR handled the Solace/Di Angelo get together made no sense. It was poorly written. You don't put a character through the absolute abusive/neglected hell he did for Nico then pair him up romantically with a character he has had zero interaction with beyond that character telling him he was exaggerating all his troubles and just being "emo" about it unless you plan to make that story arc about bad relationships where one partner constantly belittles the experiences of the other or it's gonna be about the dismissive partner learning to listen and be empathetic to lived experiences outside their own. Reading Trials of Apollo, Nico is basically a fresh slate acting as a brand new teen character as if his past experiences hadn't happened or having a boyfriend really did magically fix him into a standard goth teen. It's NOT good.

RR never handled the entire wind wipe, fake memories, and charm speak mind-controlling that littered Piper and Jason's relationship. And I like both of those characters.

You take an insecure, hormonal teen girl, put her in the middle of traumatic events, mess with her brain, give her magic mind control powers and no training about ethical use of said powers, of course she's gonna misuse them to try to ease her circumstances. It doesn't make it right, but it's understandable character behavior. What isn't right is no one ever calls her out about using mind control on her kidnapped amnesiac boyfriend or using it in situations where it's not needed just to get her way. She never develops a moral code about when it is or not okay to mind control people. In Trials of Apollo she regularly uses the mind control to steal cars from her neighbor because they don't like each other and gets the car in regular legal trouble. They're both rich assholes. She minds controls people over minor shit because she can. I am glad once Trials hit that she and Jason broke up. That it's because she realized she doesn't know who she is outside the emergency and the influence of the gods? Good. That the relationship was founded on mind manipulation could have stood to be a bigger factor, but that would require Piper an RR to examine how she uses her power too, something he's clearly not about to do.

The novels never really work through the fake memories & fake relationship part of the equation.

So you have Jason Grace who has almost as traumatic a story as Nico, but in different ways. The boy deserves some respite and a happy ending or at least a future. He got the romantic mind control form multiple sides. That's never worked through. He was kidnapped form the only home he recalled and his memories wiped. His ties to New Rome were never really properly addressed/explored. We got some tell rather than show that he felt torn between camps and chose to belong to both. We don't get his perspective on the break up with Piper or the manipulative mess that romance was. It's just Jason is (comparatively) well adjusted and does what the narrative needs the doll to do.

So in this book about Apollo, RR brings in Jason for a single book cameo, focuses entirely on Piper's side of the narrative equation, then kills Jason off dramatically. No narrative closure for him. He's killed to further Apollo's story and to traumatize Piper. It's shitty to put the character through all he's ben through and kill him off to protect a character with narrative immunity. And to follow up that death with lines about oh yes death is often unreasonable and good people die unjustly while bad people live does not sit right when you have Apollo and Percy Jackson who are never at risk of death despite having been in numerous situations that should have killed them. You don't get to play the oh no death is often unfair and not a good/reasonable story when you have 10+ books of Percy Jackson the narratively immune to all fucking consequences.

UGH. I fucking hate how RR treats characters that by all rights should have more nuanced stories or the same narrative immunity his other leads get.

#RANT #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog #elf sideeyes RR the blog #elfgrove reads trials of apollo #spoilers

[elfgrove]

I have no plans to read the Apollo story because I am not down with how the Nico and Will thing was executed and I do not need one more minute of Percy’s POV in my life. 

#elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog #elfgrove reads heroes of olympus #elfgrove reads magnus chase

[elfgrove]

I’ll admit, there is a small part of me tempted to get the Magnus Chase book and do screeching furious live blogs of it. To continue the set, you know.

On the other hand, I need to collect candy from Pumpkin Hearts on Tsum Tsum.

#shut up elf #elf sideeyes Percy the blog #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elfgrove reads heroes of olympus #elfgrove reads magnus chase

[elfgrove]

The final book of the Rick I took a fun concept and then stomped it into the ground until I reached a septic tank and proceeded to gleefully wallow in the shit I found there Riordan comes out in 4 days and then I can find out the fate of the children I actually care about, bitch about his terrible narrative convenience/favoritism shit writing for one more series of liveblogs and be done with it.

I WILL BE A FREE ELF. 

I've read (listened to) 9 out of 10 books and relished the throwing of that asshole protagonist down a pit. However, even throwing the child into actual hell did not punish him for his wrong doings nor his lack of plot-effective activity there make him take up less narration, because these books are terrible in execution. Imma get my shitty damn ending so I can walk away knowing how it all ended at least.

#elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog #elfgrove reads heroes of olympus

[elfgrove]

Nico was only ten, or maybe eleven by now, but he looked older. His hair had grown longer. It was shaggy and almost touched his shoulders. His eyes were dark. His olive skin had turned paler. He wore ripped black jeans and a battered aviator’s jacket that was several sizes too big, unzipped over a black shirt. His face was grimy, his eyes a little wild. He looked like a kid who’d been living on the streets.

...

“An exchange,” the ghost said. “A soul for a soul.”

“I’ve offered!”

“Not yours,” the ghost said. “You cannot offer your father a soul he will eventually collect anyway. Nor will he be anxious for the death of his son. I mean a soul that should have died already. Someone who has cheated death.”

Nico’s face darkened. “Not that again. You’re talking about murder.”

“I’m talking about justice,” the ghost said. “Vengeance.”

“Those are not the same thing.”

The ghost laughed dryly. “You will learn differently as you get older.”

Nico stared at the flames. “Why can’t I at least summon her? I want to talk to her. She would…she would help me.”

...

Nico was alive. He was trying to bring his sister back from the dead. And I had a feeling I knew what soul he wanted to exchange—someone who had cheated death. Vengeance. Nico di Angelo would come looking for me.

...I don't think Percy and I are hearing the same things here.

 It was the same ghost I’d seen Nico with before, the faint shimmering image of a man. “But, my lord, I tell you, this is unnecessary. You already have me for advice.”

“I want a second opinion!” Nico snapped his fingers, and the digging stopped. Two figures climbed out of the hole. They weren’t people. They were skeletons in ragged clothes. “You are dismissed,” Nico said. “Thank you.” The skeletons collapsed into piles of bones.

“You might as well thank the shovels,” the ghost complained. “They have as much sense.”

Nico ignored him.

...

 “In my day, we used animal blood,” the ghost mumbled. “It’s perfectly good enough. They can’t taste the difference.”

“I will treat them with respect,” Nico said.

...

The dark made me think about the visions I’d seen of Nico di Angelo, and suddenly I realized something.

“Nico is down here somewhere,” I said. “That’s how he disappeared from camp. He found the Labyrinth. Then he found a path that led down even farther—to the Underworld. But now he’s back in the maze. He’s coming after me.”

Annabeth was quiet for a long time. “Percy, I hope you’re wrong. But if you’re right…” she stared at the flashlight beam, casting a dim circle on the stone wall. I had a feeling she was thinking about her prophecy. I’d never seen her look more tired. 

I really do not get the conclusion Percy has jumped to here. I really do not. A 10 year old child who you had just told his sister (his only living mortal relative) died despite your promise to protect her, and in grief and rage the child said that he wished you were dead instead. He then ran away -- with no training nor survival skill when his own powers scared the hell out of him -- powers he used to stop Atlas-sent skeleton warriors that had been chasing the quest for half the book from killing you. Somehow this means YOU have the victim complex in this relationship? And the kid that's 4 years your junior is going to murder you? The kid that seems pretty adamantly against murder and instead pre-disposed to self-sacrifice, if you paid any attention. Right Percy, YOU'RE the endangered one.

Before the three-bodied man could respond, Nico di Angelo came out of the glass doors onto the porch. “Geryon, I won’t wait for—”

He froze when he saw us. Then he drew his sword. The blade was just like I’d seen in my dream; short, sharp, and dark as midnight.

Geryon snarled when he saw it. “Put that away, Mr. di Angelo. I ain’t gonna have my guests killin’ each other.”

“But that’s—”

“Percy Jackson,” Geryon supplied. “Annabeth Chase. And a couple of their monster friends. Yes, I know.”

“Monster friends?” Grover said indignantly.

“That man is wearing three shirts,” Tyson said, like he was just realizing this.

“They let my sister die!” Nico’s voice trembled with rage. “They’re here to kill me!”

...

Nico hesitated. He looked thinner and paler than he had in the Iris- messages. I wondered if he’d eaten in the last week. His black clothes were dusty from traveling in the Labyrinth, and his dark eyes were full of hate. He was too young to look so angry. I still remembered him as the cheerful little kid who played with Mythomagic cards. Reluctantly, he sheathed his sword. “If you come near me, Percy, I’ll summon help. You don’t want to meet my helpers, I promise.”

Those are definitely the words of a 10-year-old bent on hunting you on and killing you. Not one terrified of you. Sure thing, Percy.

I don't think I speak the same language that Percy Jackson does.

#elf sideeyes Percy the blog #elfgrove reads Percy Jackson #elfgrove reads

[elfgrove]

scarletsunshine replied to your post: scarletsunshine replied to your post:...

GAH DON’T REMIND ME

NO. nononononono. You don't get to avoid that. Six books in, that was what caused me to scream "WHO TOLD ME TO READ THESE BOOKS?"

Your fault. Frank and the stick being in my knowledge base is your fault.

#scarletsunshine #replies #elfgrove reads Percy Jackson

[elfgrove]

Continuing adventures of ElfGrove reads that teenage demigods series thing

Also, on the entire Luke thing. Luke made some horrible choices and he, momma Mae, and papa Hermes are responsible for how his life went down. A lot of that falls on Luke though because bad situations make bad decisions sympathetic, it doesn't make them right. I wish we'd had a clearer view of who he was before the Titans and his life jumping completely over the bad decisions shark (sounds like some of that might be in the demigods companion book I skipped). I'm glad the book went to him saying it wasn't Annabeth's fault, but his own -- because Hermes making that accusation really chafed my hide.

Going into the Heroes of Olympus series, as I said I'm ingesting via audiobook, the narrator changed. Overall so far I think I like this narrator better, we'll see. The character voices seem a lot more unique and more consistent than the voices being used in Percy Jackson where character ages portrayed in the voices would seem to shift drastically even within the same chapters. There were times when "Nico" sounded like he was in his 20s and then it would shift back to 10 and it wasn't other voices were supposed to be speaking through him, it was just inconsistent. On the other hand, new narrator's Chiron and Annabeth sound signifigantly older than the prior book aver put them, and it's taking some adjustment. I'm unclear how old Annabeth is meant to be here, but I think 17~18 is about right, but the narrator's voice for her is older. The new Chiron voice is in in old man territory, which is at odds with the physical description of middle aged. -- I'm adjusting.

Not much to say so far. Clearly Jason is somehow related to the Roman aspects of the gods and not to the Greek aspect we've seen portrayed as parent to every other halfblood. I'm curious about how that's going to work out. I'm going to put initial bets on Jason being either a son of Jupiter/Zeus or Juno/Hera. Juno would be a very interesting call, but I pretty much doubt the book will do that since it goes against the no Hera-born demigods universe rule.

The idea that Charlie has somehow cursed/haunts the Hephaestus cabin is kind of upsetting and I'd like that cleared up soon. Oh Leo, bless his trickster child heart, is one of those too powerful Vulcan babies. This'll be fun.

I'm worried about the portrayal of Drew and the girly stuff == bad being a continuing message Re: the Aphrodite cabin. Can we not?

I wonder what Piper's going to end up doing now that she's evidently on the Team Rescue Juno roll call. 

#elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads Percy Jackson #elfgrove reads heroes of olympus #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

Continuing adventures of ElfGrove did you finish reading those Percy Jackson books yet?

So, as far as the ending went... I just feel kind of lackluster about it? SUPERMAN MOVIE LOVE CRUSH BOOKS LIKE PUNY BUG. Everything kind of played out more or less exactly as expected, saw everything kind of a million miles off and the writing still had some really stilted feeling points. On the other hand, most of the stuff I was griping about was intentionally being presented as bad and was commented upon in some fashion if not actually addressed by the end of the book. I really appreciate the addressing with the cabins and minor gods problems, it being acknowledged that shitty parenting from the gods actually caused the problems of these 5 books, and one of the gods openly saying yeah, we'll try to keep our promise, but you've seen how well we actually fucking do that shit, so y'know. BUT WE'LL TRY.

I found it a bit unsettling that everyone who wasn't endgame romance had it tied up with a "what we had wasn't really romantic love" -- it was sibling love, or I was just attracted to my fate via you, or I thought it was love but it wasn't really, this is my real love... No. You can love multiple people. They're teens. I expect them to fall in and out of love. It doesn't make the earlier love "not real love", and I wish books would stop perpetuating this idea to kids that only one love in your life counts as "the real thing."

I'm enjoying the new book so far. --I just left off this morning with Piper passing out in the Hera cabin after meeting Rachael for the first time-- Jason, Piper, and Leo seem interesting. I really appreciate the book doing perspective shifts between the characters so you don't get overburdened by one teenager's perspective -- also diversity of viewpoints, life experience, and opinions is good. It adds pleasant variety. Seriously though, I'm already liking Piper and Jason better because their reaction as shit really starts to hit the fan is screw this, maybe I should tell someone about my-memory-loss/these-dreams-and-kidnapped-dad problems. Jason got to spit it out. Piper got cut off by Oracle-time, but I appreciate that the more the gravity of the situation hit her, she starting thinking she should talk to someone. Not sharing information, concerns, and suspicions was consistently one of the biggest mistakes Percy kept making throughout the first books series, and when it came back to bite him in the ass every time, even more frustrating because he never seemed to learn better.

I am also interested in the big tough son-of-Iris with his rainbow tattoo and "YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH RAINBOWS?"

#elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads Percy Jackson #elfgrove reads heroes of olympus #YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH RAINBOWS? #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

I agree that Percy Jackson as a series has some major flaws, but I have an even more major soft spot for it, just *because* it actually embraces the original myths and personalities of the gods. I get so tired of the high-and-mighty Greek dieties presented in most media. I want to see my Greek gods acting like the middle school level asshats they are! And to bring lesser-known myths to the surface. And that Greek heroes are also pretty asshatty. So Rick Riordan's take was kind of refreshing.

That is actually one of the things that — despite my grumbling about them being horrible “people” — I love that they kept this pantheon is pretty much a collection of super-powered assholes who can’t control their tempers or libidos. The Greek gods aren’t perfect, most polytheistic faiths don’t have perfect, omniscient gods, and that appeals to me. It is good to see that played out properly instead of trying to make them “good guys” or ignoring the adultery that produces demigods. I like that  the books even touch on that the Greek heroes were more revered for being crafty bastards than being “good”. I love ya Disney, but…

Yes. Lesser known myths also good.

#brikit #QandA #elfgrove reads #ElfGrove Reads Percy Jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

osheamobile replied to your post: The next installment in ElfGr...

This makes me think you’ll love Monstrous Regiment (Terry Pratchett, Discworld, standalone book)

I should go back to continuing to read Discworld. It's good and actually well-written, but somehow never really grabbed me in any sort of I need to know how this continues way, so I don't feel rushed to get back to it.

scarletsunshine replied to your post: The next installment in ElfGr...

“THIS CAMP NEEDS AN ACTUAL COUNSELOR” THIS SO MUCH. nd ahhhh the whole ‘beth vs rachel thing is SO UNNECESSARY i seemed to have erased that from my mind because UGH

YES. All the things.

I keep forgetting to add this, but Percy needs to start telling people things instead of assuming they know -- like oh hey you can't get a new Oracle of Delphi host because Hades cursed the last/current one to never change hosts, so please stop burning out nice regular mortal girls in the futile attempts until you fix this shit with Hades. I feel like there's a lot of background lady fridges or almost-fridges around these books and if they put Rachel in one to solve the Rachel/Percy/Annabeth love triangle I am going to be ill.

#osheamobile #replies #scarletsunshine #ElfGrove Reads Percy Jackson #elfgrove reads #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

The next installment in ElfGrove Reads Percy Jackson

We captured a fire Titan in tree. A tree made of wood. A thing that burns. Someone explain to me how this works?

Chapter 16 -- in which Percy is actually a petulant toddler. "Why does everyone keep telling me to go to sleep? I don't need to sleep!" "You look like death warmed over, take a fucking nap Percy."

The Annabeth versus Rachel thing I really don't get. They had about 2 scenes in the labyrinth book where they seemed to realize that animosity for liking the same guy accomplished nothing and were actually getting along. But now I swear, full on catty teenager syndrome and I'm not quite getting why they're mad at each other (it's mostly from Annabeth too, who should be the logical one). Any issues should certainly be on Percy for trying to hide them from each other, and I don't get why on that because he doesn't seem to be actually dating either of them. You are allowed to have multiple friends of the opposite gender books.

Percy, your hormones are why you get all pissy about Annabeth and Luke. GEEZE LOUIZE THIS CAMP NEEDS AN ACTUAL COUNSELOR.

I'm kind of grudgingly liking Dionysus more and more. Actually giving a shit about the fate of his kid enough to ask after him and the public anger and hurt over the loss of the other twin before. Of course, he's not really acting on the caring much, so it's not like he's really doing "good" per say, it's just the other gods have set such a low bar that openly showing concern is putting him ahead of the others. Also, I totally get the intentional mis-naming thing. You can summon things in these books by calling their names, and it's likely as a god, his voice is that much more effective on that count. Mr. D is aware of this. It's a kind of kindness that he doesn't call their names properly.

"Percy you are not the hero." I shouldn't be seal clapping with glee over that sentence, but I am. PLEASE LET ONE OF THESE TYPE OF BOOK SERIES ACTUALLY BE DOING THE CHOSEN ONE IS NOT THE MAIN CHARACTER/GUY EVERYONE THOUGHT WAS THE CHOSEN ONE. Because yes, please go there.

#ElfGrove Reads Percy Jackson #elfgrove reads #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

Basically, all of the Greek Gods and Titans are assholes and terrible parents. This isn't news or anything, I read the mythology a lot in middle school; I'm just amused at how fully the books are embracing this.

Wow, Hermes shut the fuck up. It is not on Annabeth to give up everything in her life to save you and Luke from the results of your terrible choices and terrible relationship.

I feel a bit bad for Hades RE: Maria. It seems like he really loved her (seriously, how many gods stick around long enough to have two kids with the same mortal AND try to save her from her fate) and what a dick move by Zeus on that flashback. On the other hand, I wish some of Hades' compassion for Maria had spilled onto the children as people rather than treating them as tools.

Prometheus, I was wondering when he'd show up. He has some valid points, but he doesn't seem any better than the gods for manipulative asshat points. Seriously though, if you know Percy's prophecy, you know he's "fated" to die regardless, not much incentive to give up his honor/loyalty knowing death awaits anyways.

#elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

If I was his friend though, I would call that little shit "Perseus" every time I was annoyed with him. Why are more of these demigod kids not running around with old school Greek/Roman names though? It seems like the mortal parents generally know the score, seems like more than just Sally would do the smart ass thing in naming the kid.

#elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

elfie that's because you haven't read heroes of olympus yet XD

There’s a what?

#scarletsunshine #QandA #elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

sunshinepatch replied to your post: WOW. Percy Jackson you have terri...

everyone’s unaturally attached to nico. it’s a fact

How can anyone not be? Precious lost baby ghost prince.

scarletsunshine replied to your post: WOW. Percy Jackson you have terri...

sob luke your absolutely incredibly terrible life choices

I was actually referring to Percy's terrible life choices, but yes, Luke made the same ones.

#sunshinepatch #replies #scarletsunshine #elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads percy jackson #elf sideeyes Percy the blog

[elfgrove]

WOW. Percy Jackson you have terrible decision-making/listening skills. "This entire things sounds horrible. I don't want to do it." "You should not do the thing. It could kill you." "I seem low on options and I can't just not fight." "Look for more options that aren't this or a vacation in the tropics then." "I'm going to do the thing." "Don't do the thing, it is a bad plan and probably won't work." "Also it will probably kill you." "DON'T DO THE THING, IT IS A CURSE." "Hey Percy, I know this was my idea but it is seeming  like a terrible one now maybe we should not..." "I AM DOING THE THING."

And yes, that kid who has been all alone in the world with zero support structure took a chance on getting more info on what family he might still  have, got promises of your safety, only omitted that he was bringing you to talk to someone before executing the terrible plan, still intended to go through with the plan. Even the betrayer was like, LOL this innocent honest kid really believed this would all be just talking. And hie is visibly upset at having been lied to and then does all this stuff and takes a huge risk rescuing you and doing the plan he promised you anyways.

I AM NEVER TRUSTING HIM AGAIN. GO BACK "HOME" TO THE CREEPY ABUSIVE PERSON WHO BETRAYED HIS TRUST I HAVE CERTAINLY NEVER LIED, OMITTED INFORMATION NOR TRUSTED THE WRONG PERSON. You are kind of an asshole Jackson. I mean, you are also 15 so I get that, but the one thing these books fail pretty regularly at (aside from subtlety) is writing things with respect to the supposed age of the characters involved -- it just randomly hand waves it with "demigods, age is irrelevant", but these kids spend like the majority of their year in a normal mortal setting so they aren't going to be that far out of their age range behavior.

Okay, so the Achilles Dip does not just do invulnerable with one deadly flaw, it also extreme-izes existing personality flaws and strengths. this explains Luke so much. Luke was protective of Annabeth and Thalia, and disliked his godly dad because of never visited and whatever happened to Luke's mom. Turned up to 11 on the personalty volume, he makes great asshole moves to get Thalia revived and never does anything to directly harm Annabeth, even seemingly tries to reach out to her, and his I really kind of hate my Olympian Dad becomes destroy Olympus that seems to have caused everyone important in my life pain anyways.

#elfgrove reads #elfgrove reads percy jackson #book 5 #unnatturally attached to Nico #elf sideeyes Percy the blog