I was a bit down on poor Rick Riordan and the dauntless Percy Jackson when I posted on The Sea of Monsters, and I'm fairly certain that its very poor etiquette to speak of a new book while bloging about another. The Titan's Curse pulled me back in somewhat, mainly because the characters were interesting and the pace made much more sense. I can't help but confirm that the Harry Potter conundrum has resurfaced however. Annabeth has disappeared in this tome, and you will recall that Grover was missing in the last one. Remind you at all of how Hermione and Ron both had their moments of solo glory in Harry Potter. I thought so. On the bright side it does bring the scintillating possibility of Percy and Annabeth engaging in some Olympian lovin' if she declines the invitation to the immortal lesbian hangout that is the Hunters of Artemis.Riordan does a deft job of bringing in at least half a dozen story-lines in this book which while still unclear will certainly have a huge impact on what is to come in the future of Camp half-Blood. Straying from the familiar pattern to weave in new elements is always risky, however he has the talent as a writer to tackle it. The Titan's Curse is also much darker, forcing the issue of death, especially the death of the young into focus. Its well handled, and his deference to the importance of loyalty, even after death makes a nice moral grandstand.
The humor is always enjoyable in Riordan's writing, and he take multiple opportunities to bring new major gods and goddesses into the ray, always with a humorous flair. The approach of the final showdown between Percy and his comrades with Luke and Kronos weigh heavily at the book's conclusion, however the narrative arc give a satisfying conclusion for now. On the downside a few elements do leave the reader unsatisfied, even slightly confused. THe biggest disappointment character-wise was the introduction of Dr. Chase, Annabeth's father who is oft mentioned, but is seriously flat and goofy as a character when he actually shows up. Bianca has the makings of a good character, however her brief journey through may also leave you feeling short changed. Finally, the title. Now I know author's seldom have a say in what the title is, and more often are unsatisfied. However they usually make sense, even if they aren't very good. I actually had to sit and think about what the title really meant at one point. It is mentioned (I went back and looked) but its so brief, and so tangled up in the fray at the books epic conclusion, you'll probably miss it. Hint: What did Chicken Little say?
