Deus ex machina

Deus ex machina

I just like this phrase. I will tease you with this phrase. At one point in the book "Ready Player One" this comes into play. I recently listened to the book on CD version of this with Wil Weaton as the narrator. He does a pretty good job, but I would have preferred a full cast recording with sound effects by the BBC Radio. Did you read that BBC? Get on that.

I was also thinking about the Percy Jackson series and how the gods sometimes tweak the outcome of events.

Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 3)

Titan's Curse
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 3
by
Rick Riordan
children's fantasy fiction, ages 9-13

In the third book of the Percy Jackson tales new characters are introduced and others are out of the picture. I would say that they died, but in a fantasy series that features Hades and the Underworld, who can say that they are dead for real? Let's just say some characters "exeunt". There are some hints of future and past romances. Hard decisions are made about being on the side of the Olympic gods or on the side of Kronos who is gaining power. Obviously these actions are leading up to a dramatic finish in the last two books in the series - "Battle of the Labyrinth" and "The Last Olympian".

There are a bunch of gorgeous but deadly maidens who follow Artemis on the neverending hunt to extinguish monsters. I don't think there is anything wrong with using the word "huntresses", but the author calls them hunters. I think huntresses sounds better and is more accurate. Apollo delights in harassing them and his sister (Artemis) as brothers often do. It seems like the Artemis girls could have their own spin-off series.

This is a good read, but is obviously a "middle of the series" book. It would be confusing to read it without reading the other books in order.

http://percyjacksonbooks.com/

Sea of Monsters

Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book Two
by
Rick Riordan
children's fantasy fiction, ages 9-14

This book follows up on the first book and the series is best read in order. Percy is a seventh grader with a few more problems than the average tween. Once again he is stuck in the middle of the bickering Greek gods' constant games with each other and with mortals.
Percy sticks with his friends from the first book and is challenged to see the good in some new friends (or are they enemies?) such as a cyclops. Riordan throws in a whole lot of action courtesy of Ares and the other gods and introduces some surprising anachronisms - how about enlisting some dead Confederate sailors in a quest? Why not?

I have already checked out the next book in the series ("The Titan's Curse") and a book of short stories about Percy Jackson ("The Demigod Files"). I am assuming that the second movie is somewhere in the works.

After I read what I have checked out, I might try a book from a different series by the same author just for a change-up.

Lightning Thief

Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson & the Olympians Book 1
by
Rick Riordan
Children's Fiction, ages 9-13

I was not familiar with the Percy Jackson books when I went to see this movie in the theatre. I enjoyed the film then decided to read this book. I had seen it on a list of "If you have read Harry Potter books, then read..." books.
Twelve year old Percy Jackson knows that something is different about him. Sometimes things happen that don't make sense. Like Harrhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gify Potter, an event causes him to leave home and find a new residence with others of his kind. In this case, Percy is not a wizard but a demigod. He is the son of Poseidon. There are other "half bloods" like him at the demigod training camp.

From there he and his demigod friends have adventures. In this first book Percy and his friends must find out who stole Zeus' lightning bolt and make amends to stop the Greek gods from waging a war. A good blend of ancient Greek mythology and modern storytelling make this book highly readable for children, teens, and adults.

I look forward to the next book in the series - the Sea of Monsters.

http://www.rickriordan.com/home.aspx