The Hidden Oracle by Rick Riordan is the first of a 5 book series based around the adventures of Apollo in the Percy Jackson universe. The story begins following the events of The Heroes of Olympus with a bewildered Apollo in a New York dumpster, but he is not fully Apollo. Zeus blames his son for starting the war between demigods, and as punishment, has transformed him into a 16-year-old mortal named Lester Papadopoulos, who subsequently gets mugged and saved by 12-year demigod Meg McCaffrey. In order to regain his godly status, Apollo must serve her indefinitely until she determines his service complete. The two seek out Camp Halfblood, a safehouse for half-god half-human children, visiting Percy for help along the way. They are attacked, but make it to the camp in good shape, only to find out that the oracles have stopped working and kids at camp have started to go missing. Soon after, Apollo and Meg compete in a game searching the labyrinth underneath the camp, but while moving through the maze, overhear plans regarding the capture of the oracles. With new information, Apollo begins to unwind and understand Meg’s connection to the situation. They learn that there is one last remaining oracle, The Grove of Dodona, and the two must learn to work together in order to find it before their enemies, or else once again, the entire world may be at stake.
Overall, this book was yet another great addition to the Percy Jackson universe. While it doesn’t quite match the greatness of the two series before it, it is most definitely a worthy addition to the world many readers have come to love. It successfully manages to keep you engaged and in suspense with tons of action, twists, and funny jokes, all while carrying a genuinely meaningful message. Even with Apollo’s character being much of a comedic one, Riordan once again was able to create a great balance between comedic and serious moments. Not everything is all butterflies and rainbows, and the book makes sure to show us that without being overly dark or melancholy, a task many writers struggle to complete. Throughout the entire book, Apollo is learning about the flaws we as humans have to accept, we are not perfect, nor will we ever be. We cannot do everything no matter how hard we may try, and that is one of the most important lessons in life that we need to understand if we ever want to be happy.
If you have ever read the Percy Jackson books, then this book is perfect for you. It matches the quality I have come to expect from Rick Riordan and with no doubt I can ensure that it is worth the read, all 384 pages. Even if you’ve never read a Percy Jackson book, you would have no problem starting off with this one, although doing that would mean missing out on one of the greatest book series of all time. Ultimately, the story is wonderful, piecing together all the most important parts of writing without one aspect being too strong or one aspect being too weak. I liked it a lot, but I didn’t quite love it like I did some of the books before it. Even so, it is definitely worth checking out from your local library.
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