#Narrative labyrinth

[blueheartbookclub]

"Navigating the Celestial Odyssey: Apollonius Rhodius' 'The Argonautica' in the Lyrical Rhythms of R. C. Seaton's Translation"

"The Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius, elegantly translated by R. C. Seaton, emerges as a literary gem that weaves the tale of the heroic quest for the Golden Fleece into the fabric of ancient Greek epic poetry. This classical masterpiece, written in the third century BCE, invites readers into the mythical world of heroes, gods, and maritime adventures. The title itself hints at the epic journey undertaken by the Argonauts and the rich tapestry of myths that unfold in Seaton's poetic rendering.

Seaton's translation captures the spirit of Apollonius Rhodius' original work, breathing life into the archaic verses while maintaining fidelity to the poetic essence of the ancient Greek epic. The title serves as a prelude to an odyssey that transcends mortal realms, navigating the cosmic expanse and the turbulent seas that define the Argonauts' quest. Seaton's lyrical craftsmanship transforms the narrative into a symphony of words, each stanza resonating with the echoes of antiquity.

At the core of "The Argonautica" is the heroic journey of Jason and his companions, the Argonauts, as they embark on a perilous expedition to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Seaton's translation masterfully conveys the heroism, camaraderie, and divine interventions that characterize this mythic voyage. The title acts as a compass, guiding readers through the labyrinthine narratives that unfold in the wake of the Argo's sails.

One of the notable features of Seaton's translation is his ability to preserve the nuances of Apollonius Rhodius' language, allowing readers to savor the intricacies of the poet's narrative technique. The title becomes a doorway to the ancient Greek world, beckoning readers to immerse themselves in the vibrant imagery, divine interventions, and the cosmic forces that shape the destiny of the Argonauts.

The multifaceted characters of "The Argonautica" come alive in Seaton's translation, each imbued with distinct personalities and motivations. From Jason's quest for glory to Medea's complex role as both lover and sorceress, the title encapsulates the ensemble of characters whose fates intertwine amidst the celestial currents. Seaton's translation skillfully navigates the emotional depths of these characters, breathing humanity into the larger-than-life figures of Greek mythology.

As the Argonauts encounter mythical beings, face treacherous challenges, and traverse uncharted waters, Seaton's translation maintains a delicate balance between the epic and the lyrical. The title becomes a beacon, illuminating the narrative twists and turns that mirror the celestial constellations guiding the Argo through the cosmos. Seaton's poetic rendering captures the awe-inspiring beauty and perilous nature of the ancient mariner's journey.

"The Argonautica" is not merely an adventure tale; it is a tapestry of myths interwoven with themes of destiny, love, and divine intervention. Seaton's translation accentuates the nuanced connections between mortal aspirations and the whims of the gods. The title beckons readers to explore the mythic undercurrents that flow beneath the surface of the narrative, inviting contemplation on the intersection of mortal agency and divine influence.

In conclusion, R. C. Seaton's translation of Apollonius Rhodius' "The Argonautica" is a poetic voyage that resonates with the majesty of ancient Greek epic storytelling. The title encapsulates the essence of this celestial odyssey, promising readers an immersion into the mythical realms that have captivated audiences for centuries. Seaton's lyrical prowess breathes new life into the age-old verses, ensuring that the adventures of the Argonauts continue to inspire awe and wonder in the hearts of contemporary readers.

"The Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius is available in Amazon in paperback 12.99$ and hardcover 20.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 219

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[blueheartbooks]

"Navigating the Celestial Odyssey: Apollonius Rhodius' 'The Argonautica' in the Lyrical Rhythms of R. C. Seaton's Translation"

"The Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius, elegantly translated by R. C. Seaton, emerges as a literary gem that weaves the tale of the heroic quest for the Golden Fleece into the fabric of ancient Greek epic poetry. This classical masterpiece, written in the third century BCE, invites readers into the mythical world of heroes, gods, and maritime adventures. The title itself hints at the epic journey undertaken by the Argonauts and the rich tapestry of myths that unfold in Seaton's poetic rendering.

Seaton's translation captures the spirit of Apollonius Rhodius' original work, breathing life into the archaic verses while maintaining fidelity to the poetic essence of the ancient Greek epic. The title serves as a prelude to an odyssey that transcends mortal realms, navigating the cosmic expanse and the turbulent seas that define the Argonauts' quest. Seaton's lyrical craftsmanship transforms the narrative into a symphony of words, each stanza resonating with the echoes of antiquity.

At the core of "The Argonautica" is the heroic journey of Jason and his companions, the Argonauts, as they embark on a perilous expedition to retrieve the Golden Fleece. Seaton's translation masterfully conveys the heroism, camaraderie, and divine interventions that characterize this mythic voyage. The title acts as a compass, guiding readers through the labyrinthine narratives that unfold in the wake of the Argo's sails.

One of the notable features of Seaton's translation is his ability to preserve the nuances of Apollonius Rhodius' language, allowing readers to savor the intricacies of the poet's narrative technique. The title becomes a doorway to the ancient Greek world, beckoning readers to immerse themselves in the vibrant imagery, divine interventions, and the cosmic forces that shape the destiny of the Argonauts.

The multifaceted characters of "The Argonautica" come alive in Seaton's translation, each imbued with distinct personalities and motivations. From Jason's quest for glory to Medea's complex role as both lover and sorceress, the title encapsulates the ensemble of characters whose fates intertwine amidst the celestial currents. Seaton's translation skillfully navigates the emotional depths of these characters, breathing humanity into the larger-than-life figures of Greek mythology.

As the Argonauts encounter mythical beings, face treacherous challenges, and traverse uncharted waters, Seaton's translation maintains a delicate balance between the epic and the lyrical. The title becomes a beacon, illuminating the narrative twists and turns that mirror the celestial constellations guiding the Argo through the cosmos. Seaton's poetic rendering captures the awe-inspiring beauty and perilous nature of the ancient mariner's journey.

"The Argonautica" is not merely an adventure tale; it is a tapestry of myths interwoven with themes of destiny, love, and divine intervention. Seaton's translation accentuates the nuanced connections between mortal aspirations and the whims of the gods. The title beckons readers to explore the mythic undercurrents that flow beneath the surface of the narrative, inviting contemplation on the intersection of mortal agency and divine influence.

In conclusion, R. C. Seaton's translation of Apollonius Rhodius' "The Argonautica" is a poetic voyage that resonates with the majesty of ancient Greek epic storytelling. The title encapsulates the essence of this celestial odyssey, promising readers an immersion into the mythical realms that have captivated audiences for centuries. Seaton's lyrical prowess breathes new life into the age-old verses, ensuring that the adventures of the Argonauts continue to inspire awe and wonder in the hearts of contemporary readers.

"The Argonautica" by Apollonius Rhodius is available in Amazon in paperback 12.99$ and hardcover 20.99$ editions.

Number of pages: 219

Language: English

Rating: 9/10                                           

Link of the book!

Review By: King's Cat

[aroaceleovaldez]

recurring minor characters not being in s2 of the show does mean that TLO is absolutely doomed now if they ever do get to it, because the weight and impact of characters like Silena and Beckendorf are entirely based on how long they've been around in the books and their longstanding connection to events in the story and particularly Percy (not to mention Beckendorf's importance in SoM specifically but i digress)

HOWEVER. on the bright side: this means they are spared from being in the show for now. so.

[princessofghosts-posts]

Hi random, was reading one of your posts and it hit me, Bryce wasn't the first time Nico killed someone by willing it so. He did it once before when he was 11 (maybe 12) with Daedalus. The situations were different, one soul was willing and the other wasn't and while both would be after he had used a good amount of his power for what he was use to using at the time the Bryce situation would be far worse. But Daedalus would easily be considered the stronger soul being reaped. But I also see it as his acceptance of the role he took and his core value to feed his powers, justice.

Percy's powers are at their strongest when he let's loose and is being a force of nature in the moment.

Nico's powers grow and become stronger when a wrong needs righted ⚖️ or he is fighting for the justice of someone or thing. (Post that got me thinking was the who is more powerful).

But mainly I can't believe i forgot that Bryce isn't the first person Nico sent to the afterlife by telling them they are dead (though Bryce did get the worse afterlife of the two)

Ah BotL my beloved.

I usually never talk much about the first books because I read them a while back and my memories are fuzzy,especially for BotL (and SoM). I actually only remember the scenes with Nico (this is not me showing favoritism,not at all-) and a bit of the start. That's it.

Even tho you mentioned Daedalus (completely fair and I'm gonna talk about him too),he was actually Nico second soul. His first one was King Minos. That's 2 in the same book at only 11 years old and a minimal familiarity with his powers. W for him.

And I personally think (this is subjective so don't worry at all,I'm not saying your wrong or anything) that Minos is a far stronger soul than Daedalus. Nico was inexperienced here,only had Minos as a teacher for a bit and he wasn't that helpful. While Daedalus was still alive when they met,armed with only his brain (for me he is the smartest character of the serie),acknowledge and creativity,Minos had already a superior position with being one of the judges of the Underworld,and the Ghost King himself. He had powers. And some same powers were similar to Nico's,so for banish him he needed to overpower Minos's ability. This is where my previous talk enter the picture. Nico shouldn't be able to use this much power yet at this point,but he still was able too because the books needed him to do so. And beside,he was the one the prophecy talked about:

<< [.....]

You shall rise or fall by the ghost king's hand,

[......] >>

If Nico hadn't helped them they would all be dead. And for helping them he had to take over Minos role,and he did. I know that he banished him in the Underworld to have his punishment enunciated by the other 2 judges,so he isn't technically dead,but we never saw him again and there aren't mentions of him in the following books. So, from a narrative point (not canonically) he is dead,since no one talk about him anymore.

And since you talked about how he embraced his role when he "killed" Daedalus,I want to point out that ever before that,he fully got accustomed to it when he killed/banished Minos. Probably even before that. Nico fully embrace his nature in not even a year,and was probably the first to be so in tune with his powers already,and the fastest yo do so. Friendly reminder that Percy was impressed by his dimostration of strength already at the end of TTC,when he opened the crack in the pavilion and made the skeletons perish. And here was both impressed and scared at the same time.

And that's a way to make the reader realize that Nico was extremely strong for his age,probably even more than Percy when he started. But that's a stretch since Percy found out about being a demigod a 12 and wasn't familiar with his powers for a while,and Nico found out a 10 and spent time with a ghost that focused only on his teaching (and revenge of course). There are some differences here.

Anyway sorry about the rambling about Minos-

Now,onto to the real guy of this post: Daedalus.

The reason why Daedalus death it's never talked about is because Nico technically didn't kill him like he did with Bryce. Daedalus himself surrendered to death and Nico here took Thanatos role: he personally brought Daedalus sol in the Underworld for his judgment,stayed for the process and then went to Percy to inform him of his verdict. He fully embraced his nature as son of Hades,accepting it and himself for it,and probably his newest role as Ghost King too.

Take this as a sort of suicide. Daedalus wanted to get killed so he could to "atone" for his sins,and Nico granted him that,fully taking him under his wings for his journey to the afterlife. Daedalus is the only soul that reserved this treatment from him. And this scene is probably the one where we can understand what Nico character stand for: Justice and respect,especially when it cames to death and the dead.

Nico mentality is quite unique when we compare it to some other character. I think he is the only one that isn't afraid to kill (not taking into consideration monsters and dangerous threats for their life). He doesn't take disrespect and has a very strong sense of white and black type of justice. He isn't afraid to make people pay for your wrong doings,especially if they aren't good individuals (Minos,Bryce and Octavian),but he also know when to draw a line for someone that doesn't deserve eternal punished,based on the weight of their actions (Daedalus). He is literally the rappresentation of justice in the Underworld,if one day Hades will gave him the role as judge too,he will succeed in it without a problem.

Now that I think about it,Nico quite embrace every domain of the gods of the Underworld. He is his father son,Persephone's step-son and Demeter's step-grandson; he has control over the ghosts (Melinoë); he can use dreams as he likes (Hypnos); he has a good sense of balance and justice (Nemisis); he is extremely connected to the death and isn't afraid of it (Thanatos); he embrace the darkness perfectly and can use it without being too much into it (Nyx). And the only connection he has to Hecate it's his sister,but he himself doesn't have a relation to her. I can't remember if he is also able to use the mist or not,but in case he can then we good an Hecate connection too. Nico literally embrace the Underworld in it's whole.

Anyway,Nico is (take this as a stretch because I can't remember much about the first books) the only child of the Big Three that killed people without much of a problem and thought. Nico doesn't look but and doesn't feel guilty about it (No,Octavian's dead isn't him feeling guilty,it's him worried that people would have shunned him away for this).

And about the power bit,that's actually pretty true. Nico had a boost of power both the times he killed someone (Minos and Bryce),but it was mixed to his anger. And we know that when demigods are angry/emotional they are more powerful since their emotions are an integral part of their powers. And Nico sense of justice is extremely important for him and his development,that's an integral part of his values.

Again,Percy is canonically recognized as the most powerful one,but by narrativewise it's Nico.

[tangerinelabyrinth]

Let us talk about how Martha Jones haunts the narrative.

[incomingalbatross]

Sooo... I just watched Labyrinth, and I remember seeing some posts of yours talking about how it's good and similar to other stories (like OTGW). And in some ways, I see that? But also like.... I need a little help making any sense of it, lol

Sorry, I know this is super random, but I was just curious to find out why you like it and what you see in it, so I thought I'd ask!

Of course, I'm happy to talk about Labyrinth! :) Thank you for the ask!

(Disclaimer that I haven't watched it in a year or two, but I still remember it fairly well.)

In terms of similarity to OTGW: both stories center on a teenage protagonist who is a dreamer, but too caught up in themselves, and to some extent running away from their life. This manifests PARTICULARLY in their neglected and/or rejected responsibility to their younger half-brother. They end up in a liminal, otherworldly space that operates on much more narrative logic than they're used to, and can only save their lives/souls and make it home again by saving said younger brothers first.

Sarah rejects her brother at the beginning of her story, while Wirt abandons his care for Greg near the end, but you can see the similar beats there, right? They're both dealing with normal teenage stress + the stress of parental divorce (probably) and remarriage, and seeing their younger brothers as an emblem of Everything Wrong In Their Lives. In reality, their younger brothers are forcing them to live in reality, where they have duties and connections to other people, and can only find maturity/fulfillment through embracing that.

Jareth and the Beast are also very similar figures, I think; Jareth is a more seductive tempter figure, playing to Sarah's ego and to romance tropes, while the Beast plays with hope and despair. But they are both trickster figures who use bargains -- seeming windows of hope -- to entrap vulnerable mortals (Wirt and Greg, in the Beast's case).

AND. Both Jareth and the Beast are defeated by someone calling them out as empty and powerless! Wirt says, "this is dumb," and demolishes the Beast's entire facade -- he's not keeping souls in the lantern, he's the one dependent on the lantern, and he can't keep Wirt or Greg if they're ready to go home. Sarah's "You have no power over me" has the exact same weight -- it's wrapped up in theatrics of these being Specific Magic Words, but it's the meaning of them that shatters Jareth's power and sends her and Toby home.

In both stories, evil tries very, very hard to convince these kids that they need it. Jareth wraps it up in a lot more complicated temptations -- I'll make you happy, I'll make you powerful, I'll give you glamorous parties and material comfort and everything you ever wanted if you fall down and worship me -- while the Beast sticks to a brute-force message of despair, with the crumbs he offers as all that there is -- "There is only my way." But in both cases, the message is: you need me.

And in both stories the protagonists go: No. I don't need you. I don't need anything from you. In fact, you have nothing to give.

At which point it's revealed that evil needed them. Needed them to buy into its strength, its ability, its substance -- or it doesn't have any. It crumbles away, and they go home.

...So! Those are the big similarities between them, I think, for me? I like Labyrinth, as its own movie, because I like the classic fairy-tale structure of "the fairies/goblins/elves took my loved one because I messed up, and now I gotta get them back the hard way." I love the atmosphere of the Labyrinth and Sarah's friends (though your mileage may definitely vary on this movie, depending on your tolerance for Henson Creations ;P). I love Sarah, who messes up, but who is still plucky and brave and kind through most of her trials! The friendship between her and Hoggle (...a Woodsman parallel?) is my favorite. And while I'm very much in the minority of this fandom in not really feeling Jareth's appeal, as a villain I think David Bowie does an excellent, glittery job. And we get music.

[rathayibacter]

hey so reading through disparateum and holy shit how do you come up with this it's insane

main question is though, have you ever played a game/campaign with it? i think i might get my friends to give it a try, but I'm unsure how it might go/how to expand upon the small business campaign, and would love some advice (assuming the seven plays doc is a leanly-written campaign)

thanks a lot in advance and please do keep cooking you're like the christopher nolan for ttrpgs for me <3

hey hey, really glad to hear you're liking it!

I have played Disparateum a few times, not yet for a longer campaign though. the number one thing I recommend is to play with a lassiez-faire philosophy. the rules and setting are meant to be evocative but open-ended, with plenty of tools meant to let you shake things up dramatically. let people propose absurd ideas, and see where they lead you!

as for starting points, you've got the gist! small business is a jumping-off point for a game, aimed a bit more at being a one-shot but you could certainly flesh it out across multiple sessions. once it's done it'll hopefully put you in a good position for a longer game too, since you'll have some characters, settings, and prior jaunts through the Disparateum to pull on for future stories.

Apoptosis, tucked away in the Knick-Knacks & Trinkets folder, is another little adventure module appropriate if you like your surreal adventures more psychosexual horror and less goofy shenanigans. it's very explicitly modeled after Pathologic, but you could also play Disparateum in a more Donnie Darko, Twin Peaks, or Being John Malkovich way too.

you could also just... ignore all that! the Ritual of Beginning is designed to give your group a forward push, and letting the rest of the game play out as it may! the first variation of it (on real-world page 5) gives the Knight a broad goal and then ties the Thief and Seer into their story. the second variation (on page 41) lets the Bard, Scribe, and Mage negotiate a pair of plotlines, with the player who "won" acting as connective tissue between them. both of these give your players a lot of agency, which can be good in that it pulls them in quickly and gets things moving, but bad in that it's harder to prep for and requires your players to come to the table already bustling with ideas. something to consider, depending on the kind of group you play with!

if you do end up playing, I hope you and your friends have a wonderful time, and I'd love to hear how it goes!

[emeraldelysium]

thinking so very hard about an inception house of leaves AU

[faebriel]

love those posts about combining the two current medias you're engaging with. putting ahiru princesstutu into the house on ash tree lane

[calamitycodified]

the story of c!wilbur and lmanburg is a love story if you're not a coward

[elliepassmore]

Within the Sanctuary of Wings review

5/5 stars Recommended if you like: adventure, light academia, dragons, epistolary narrative

A Natural History of Dragons review

The Tropic of Serpents review

Voyage of the Basilisk review

In the Labyrinth of Drakes review

So...I still enjoyed this book, but I'm not totally sure how I feel about the big discovery made in this one. I do think it's a little odd and abrupt, but I can also see how the groundwork was laid in prior books.

This book opens 6 years (I think) after Labyrinth with Suhail giving a talk on Draconean linguistics and translation. The 'Cataract Stone' Isabella found in Mouleen provided a bilingual transcription that Suhail and other linguists were able to use to begin cracking the code of the Draconean language. Since the discovery of the stone and the bigger discovery of the mostly intact ruins in the Labyrinth of Drakes, there has been a huge boom of all things Draconean in Scirling society. For those familiar with the Victorian era, this tracks very closely with the Egyptian boom that occurred and, obviously, the Cataract Stone here is analogous to the Rosetta Stone in our world--Draconean art has always been described in a way analogous to Egyptian art, so I thought this was very nice continuity.

Toward the end of the first chapter, a Yelangese rebel and mountain climber, Mr. Thu, approaches Isabella to tell her about a dead dragon he found in the Mrtyahaima mountain range (i.e., Himalayas). Due to her past with Yelang, she's obviously wary, but it involves dragons, so obviously she, Tom, Suhail, and Andrew take off for Mrtyahaima. Caeligers are much more prominent now and there's even an event called the Aerial War that's occurring concurrently in the world. Thus, traveling to a remote and treacherous mountain range is a bit easier than when Isabella and Tom did it in book 1. Of course, getting to the mountain range is one thing, getting around once there is another.

Suhail's archaeological and linguistic work plays an important role in this book, but Isabella's theory of reproductive lability comes back in a big way as well. I liked seeing the convergence of some of these ideas, and I did appreciate that language was a bigger aspect in this one than in some of the other books (while I did study anthropology and find it fascinating, linguistics is my passion).

It's hard to talk too much about this book without giving away some very big spoilers that have been building for the entire series. I will say though that Isabella spends much of this book separated from her loved ones, and that a lot of her scientific work is done via observation. While this is true of most of the series, we were treated to some of her hands-on work in Labyrinth, so really this is just her going back to her usual style of fieldwork. The discovery and actions she takes in this book are the reason she goes from Dame Trent to Lady Trent, and is essentially a household name in Scirling forevermore.

I will say, for all her grumbling about not being good at politics, Isabella is actually very smooth when it comes to political maneuvering in this book. First she has to convince the Scirling government to let her go to Vidwatha (India) and Tser-nga (I am guessing Nepal) on the word of a Mr. Thu who, in exchange, wants her to pledge support to the revolutionary movement in Yelang. Then she runs into political problems later on with another group she runs across, and then she finds a surprising, but completely Isabella, way of following through on her promise of supporting the Yelangese revolution.

When the whole group is together, I enjoy their interactions and the way they're all familiar enough with one another to essentially read each other's minds. As usual, Suhail and Tom both have academic interest in the same/similar things as Isabella, and so the three of them are excited at the prospect of new discoveries. I like that Andrew has essentially become a member of their little group despite not being an academic. He's able to provide support in interesting ways.

Overall, a good and surprising ending to the series that combines the work Isabella and Tom have been doing for 5 books with Suhail's work. I'm definitely excited to read the spinoff/sequel/companion and see how the discoveries here have impacted things down the line.

[honestlyvan]

(Crossposted to Dreamwidth)

The thing that makes me the most "run around in circles" crazy about Initiation is that Alan wrote the Casey of the Dark Place into the story to help him, and then made it so that Casey knows even less about what is going on than Alan does.

Alan never gives Casey the opportunity to get past step fucking one to help him, explains nothing to him, and Casey ends up with no idea what he's even doing here, no idea what his assigned purpose is, no idea what his narrative goals are. He's an actor given no script, no stage direction, to the point that Casey doesn't even know they're in a story, and it makes him sink deeper into depression with every passing loop with no knowledge to ground him.

And it's impossible to tell if this is because Alan didn't realise that he had the perfect opportunity to write Casey like the Diver, a living repository of Alan's accumulating knowledge about the Dark Place, a seeing-eye dog to guide him through the dark -- or if Alan did try that, and it somehow went so horribly wrong that now he and Casey can't both survive in the same narrative line without trying to kill each other -- or if Alan did try that, and it went horribly right, and now the Dark Presence can't let Casey live because Alan's bespoke perfect little detective is too good at finding out useful things.

And instead, in the story we currently have, Alan made up a guy for a specific purpose of helping him, but because Alan is the protagonist, because it's his story, his fault, his duty and his job to get himself out of it, he doesn't even let Casey fulfil his narrative purpose. What the hell else is Casey supposed to do, Alan, other than the thing you literally made him for? He's the detective -- he's supposed to solve things.

[doublefreegames]

A sneak peek at Lydia's Labyrinth... Mwah Darlings!

It's day 2 of the Spooktober VN jam! Here's a quick image drop to show off the look we're going for in Lydia's Labyrinth!

As always, royalty free photos from pixabay are doing the heavy lifting for backgrounds and graphic design. I add a lot of colouring and effects to make it look more vampy.

I've also started the coding in Renpy and Robert is working on the writing, maze design and sound effects. So it's all go and I hope we can get this dangerous labyrinth finished!

Hope your all having a great Spooktober and keep healthy during the jam!

[princessofghosts-posts]

ToA: Hidden Oracle Opinion (4/4)

Should had done this post yesterday but I fell asleep-

Anyway. Since the last 3 post on this were more about my thoughts on the book and some of the scenes in it,I'm going to focus more on the whole concept and the technicalities here.

Let's start with something easy,the narrative choice.

Since we are talking about a serie of books focused on an ex-god,especially one like Apollo that know everything,it's important to have a narrative structure that allows you to let him develop and run real risks. And that the same time,you also can't let the readers know everything already though the MC,so you need to find a solution to left the mystery and plot twist.

For this reason Riordan made sure that Apollo was like an amnesiac person,one second he remember everything and then he forgot. And that's a double-edge sword type of narration choice: for the readers it can get annoying,especially when there are enough pieces to arrive at the solution to the puzzle on your own. We are talking about history too here,so if you know enough about the roman empire and it's emperors you already have a good idea of who is who based on the few hits the characters give you. And at the same time is dangerous for the characters too,since they can't think about anything to save their life. But it was the only way Riordan could have pulled this off,since otherwise Apollo would have already knew everything and there wouldn't be a mystery at all.

Returning to only having the MC in first person telling the story,instead of continuing to alternate PoVs like he did in HoO,was the best choice he made. He is more comfortable in it and it's show in the writing style,that is similar to PJO,that HoO missed. And it's also more smooth to read since we are following only one person,while the people around him live their life. This also gave Riordan a way out in case he doesn't want to explore more of certain characters,and focusing only on the ones that interact with Apollo the most like he did with Percy and the main gang.

I don't really have much to say,for now,about the narrative style since I only read the first book,but it's better and HoO and I hope it's stay on the same waves in the next books and don't fell off.

Now,let's talk about the characters and their interactions/dynamics.

Apollo is stuck,he keeps going back and forth between 2 emotions and that's it. Either he is despairing and feels guilty about everything and doesn't remember shit,or he has a bit of self-esteem and know things that until then he forgot. That's it (at least for the first book,hoping to see him get better in the next one-),there isn't anything else. His major internal conflict is about Daphne,about how guilty he is for what happened,and how much he truly loved her (and Hyacinth). And I don't like that. There are a lot of more things he needs to focus on,and having the ex romance be brought back so many times,just to make Apollo more miserable is not a good way to make him understand that he need to change. He already knew that deep down. It's fine if he feel guilty about it,and I know that their myth is tragic and Apollo is clearly hurt by it,but in almost every chapter there is always something that brought her up. Where are the real problems at? Why aren't we focusing on something more than make him feel guilty for everything without giving him a development??

Meg is Luke,that will pull a Silena (without dying) and Nero is Kronos. Their dynamic is similar as them,but there is a special factor here: the one-sided emotional attachment that Meg has thanks to Nero's gaslighting. That fortunately Luke and Kronos never had (Silena for Luke on the other hand....). Ah,manipulators. They are the worst and really know how to mess you up. But I'll talk more about them in another post.

Meg herself is a child that got so abused that decided to close herself and believe whatever Nero tell her,because it's more easy that than seeing the truth. Because the truth would kill her. So she decided to believe in a lie and live with it,like it was normal. And it's been years since she is with Nero,so he brainwashed her in any possible way. He let her live in the streets,probably happy to get rid of her in the maintime,and call it love. And she accepted it and believe in this "love language" (read:Stockholm syndrome) of his. She was hurt,she is hurt and will continue to hurt untill Apollo get her out of there. She needs help and someone that let her understand that it's safe to get away from Nero,since he is an abuser,and that she doesn't need to be scared to do so. Victims of abuse are hard to convince to break free from the cicle after all,and it's realistic for her to be scared and unsure.

Apollo and Meg dynamic will surely become a found family one,with Apollo helping her realize that Nero is,in fact,her abuser and not a caring father figure,and to get her away from him. And Meg accepting that,and finally finding someone that will actually care for her,and will not have to live on edge every day of her life. Like Percy did with helping Annabeth realize that Luke was becoming someone she didn't knew anymore.

The parallelism between all of them is crazy here. Right now this is the subplot I'm invested most. Psychological damage is real and I live for it.

Austin and Kayla were a delight. This is the first time I saw them since I have no memory of them in PJO (maybe they were too much in the background-),and they are so sweet and chaotic. I liked how Apollo had bonding moments with them,and most of the time it was about things that regarded his domains: Austin with the music and Kayla with archery (and Will with medicine). They are really similar and the way they were caring supporting of him,even tho Apollo himself never cared much about his children in general,really slapped him with the reality of being a bad dad. And the way he wanted to get them back to safety was everything,he is trying and I like that.

What I don't like is the fact that Will got (again) push in the back. Where is their significant moment? The bonding time he and Apollo should have got? Will is part of the demigods that were there when the gods were neglecting them and Kronos was starting to rise again,so I can't image how he was feeling seeing his father mortal in front of him and living with him. There must be some hard feeling here. And then watching him interact with his siblings but not him? He must have felt like shit,but at the same time happy because Austin and Kayla finally could be close to their dad. He didn't.

I already said this,but having Austin and Kayla dissapeare/being kidnapped,while Apollo and Will were both in distress,was the perfect moment to have them interact. Instead of spending the night with Meg waiting,it should have been him and Will. So that Will could finally let everything out and make Apollo realize really how much shit the gods are to them and he needs to change asap. Yes,another moral slap but it's needed here since Apollo is still in his god mentality of "let the demigods do the job for me while I do nothing. They will probably die but they will die with honor." It also make Apollo realize how much neglected he is of Will,even with him here,and how much Will suffered because of the gods treatment towards demigods in general. And make also realize Will himself that Apollo does care for him,and will try to be a better father. It's not a fast change since he was like that forever,it will be slow,but he will change. And Will is going to help him with that.

Ok,I love to much this type of angst that I got carried away,sorry-

Moving on to Nico. You all know what my thoughts on him are,especially with his powers. It's been 6 months in which nothing happened since there weren't prophecy,and he is still in the condition of fainting for everything. Not even in HoO,when he was dying and fading away,he was this weak. And I'm going to be pissed about this for the rest of the serie,because I know there would be other moments like this and then Rick will go:"Sike!" and have him kill someone with just a touch.

It's probably worst than Apollo being stuck in only 2 moods,because one moment he is weak,the other he is destroying someone. Pick up one Riordan,you can't have him alternating between these 2 states. Nico is strong enough to use his powers without problems after 6 months of rest,let him grow out of this stereotype.

It's ok if he want Will to take care of him,but he can do that without nerfing Nico more than he already was. It's triggering.

I liked how the old campers and characters are doing their own things now,and are growing out of CHB mentality. There is a whole world for them,and of course there are still a lot of dangers,but this isnt stopping them from going on sith their life. I like that.

Having the Seven still in the narrative,as supporting characters is also a good thing since they are there,but at the same time they are also doing their own things and can't really help Apollo. Percy coming to save the day wasn't something I liked because Riordan always use him as a solution for everything. A character is in danger and can't do shit? Percy pull in and save the day with some powerplay moves that only he can do. Let him go man,he needs to live his life after everything,you can use someone else for that now. Having Leo and Calypso as his quest-mates was something I wasn't prepared for,since most of the thing I spoilered myself were about the later books and Solangelo. I really thought Nico and Will were going to be with him most of the time and I was totally wrong. Their relationships are also interesting since Leo felt at ease with Apollo while Calypso and Apollo are a bit complicated. Can't wait to see how they will turn out.

I liked how we got introduced to new campers too. Some of them were already there during the other books,but were most of the times background characters,while others are straight up new. They also hav more diversity and rappresentation and I appreciate that,but after all Riordan is know for having a whole lot of different characters in ethnicity and sexual orientations. This also gave him the opportunity to flesh out more new characters instead of using the same one as always,in case he want to of course (we all know how he is).

Python got introduced too early in it. Apollo already knew what was the problem and who he had to fight even before the race. Untill then Python was a concept like Kronos was before actually taking control of Luke's body. The "meeting" in the Labyrinth was uncalled for. It was too soon to introduce the final boss of a 5 book serie,and the focus wasn't even on him,but on Nero and the emperors. If Riordan wanted to have Apollo getting closer to his identity he could have had done something else about it. It wasn't even after the first 100 pages of the first book out of 5. At least he waited to introduce Kronos in the last chapters of TLT.

I feel like Python is Gaia 2.0 here,he will have an occasion to shine at the end of the last book (probably),while the emperors are the Giants. They are the main problem Apollo and the demigods will focus on for the rest of the serie,even tho they are not the final boss. That's ok. I hope that it won't end up like BoO final battles,those were horrible.

Also,idk if it's true since I never interacted much with ToA material,but apparently the whole conflict against the Emperors will end up in a war? I'm not even sure myself,but if we have another war I might cry. These guys had just won 2 in a row,in not even a year of distance,and now there is another one coming? We need more therapists than Mr. D because these children needs help.

Since we are back in the greek part of the Pantheon,the world building is the same as PJO.

I don't have issues with that since I always preferred greek mythology to everything else,and PJO world building was pretty solid and was the base for HoO's world building.

The only problem I had was the Labyrinth. But it's something that unfortunately happens with every writer and story,and not only with objects but also with characters.

When a main character story end,and the author continue to write and still include them even when it's not their story anymore,they become side characters. Which means that the beloved character we had before totally change since the author needs them to step down and let the new protagonist take the stage. They become OOC,weak,disinterested or non-existent at all most of the time too. The author plays a lot on the nostalgia,that even with just a reference to the old story,can give to the readers. So in a few words their change can be described in: loosing plot armor and their importance to the plot.

That's something done a lot in anime,cartoons or movies,but also in books too since they need to focus on the new guy and the old one become irrelevant,if not an obstacle to the new MC.

Of course this isn't the case for Riordan since for him it's the opposite. Even with a new protagonist,Percy is always relevant or will always be more powerful than the new guy. We saw that with Jason and everyone else in HoO.

The same thing is also applied to some object: since you need to introduce something new or more powerful,the old one loose their importance or their values.

An example of this are Hazel's powers. Once Hecate told her about her mist powers she concentrate on those and trained those,instead of her own powers,since now she has a more powerful "upgrade". Which is something I don't like because even without her ability to control the mist,Hazel is extremely powerful and it's also bittersweet how she favored the mist to her own nature. But that's on me.

The Labyrinth has the same problem. It was introduced as one of the most insane place ever for a demigod to be,and then little by little it got reduced to something simple,because the books had other dangerous place to visit.

Chris went insane there and Dyonosus had to help him out of it. Clarisse turned back from her mission and didn't want to get back in it. Other demigods that went in there either got lost or died with Luke's traps or because of the Labyrinth in general. In HoH Percy and Annabeth told Hazel that they couldn't use the Labyrinth to get the statue back at camp,because it's too dangerous and unstable,especially with Pasiphaë remodelling it as she wanted,instead of letting be like Daedalus created it. And now campers are having a race in it,without even weapons or some protections or some plan to get out of it.

The Labyrinth cannot be controlled and that's something we already understood in BotL with Annabeth. And now they are trying to see if they can utilize it,like,have you all forgot what happened almost 3 years ago?? You had a battle inside there and most of you died,and now you want to do something you already know it's impossible??? Where is the logic at??

Austin justification of this is because the Labyrinth changed and it wasn't anymore evil,but it's still dangerous and can get you in very bad situations (i.e.: Apollo at Delphi). It's still change and it's still a bad place for demigods to be since the Emperors are also using it to move faster in various part of the world from what I understood. It's like Kronos's army all over again. And that was just Riordan trying to save himself here,since he knew he couldn't have them being in the Labyrinth without downplaying it's dangers.

It's unfortunately pretty common tho,Riordan isn't the first and won't be the last to apply this type of choice. Once something served its role they lose their value and the author can do whatever they want with it. This it's also extended to everything: characters,objects,powers,locations,and everything else in between.

Anyway.

I liked the Hidden Oracle,and even if there were a couple of things I don't agree with,it was better than HoO and I hope the quality won't die between the books. I don't think I will be able to read the second one since I need to do a lot of things for school,but I'm going to buy it anyway in these days. I'll probably continue my reading after my high school exam tho,so I'll need to wait to finish the story.

This doesn't stop me from analyze the new characters and their trauma backstory tho :)

[tangerinelabyrinth]

I just know that no other Doctor would have fumbled Martha as badly as Ten did.

I hope it haunts him and keeps him awake at night. (It does)

[repurposedmeatlocker]

It honestly surprises that people are not talking enough about the symbolism of Jareth in Labyrinth (1986) as a form of adolescent sexual awakening, and how Sarah's authority over herself represents the acceptance of maturity and rejection of harmful patterns of escapism.