The Tower of Review

If you’ve read my previous blog posts, then you already know I love the Percy Jackson series. Or really any of Rick Riordan’s books. The Percy Jackson books were a huge part of my childhood and inspired the love I have for reading and writing. But all good things must finally come to an end, including the stories of mythology by Uncle Rick.

After a multitude of books and stories, Rick Riordan announced that the last book he would write in the Percy Jackson universe was the final installment of the Trials of Apollo series, The Tower of Nero. The Tower of Nero being the last book to be written in the Percy Jackson Universe was a bittersweet thing for me; which is why I preordered the book as soon as I could, but never actually read it until a week ago. Why did I finally read the book a week ago if I was scared before? Well because Uncle Rick has announced not one, but two more Percy Jackson books, meaning my childhood isn’t quite over yet. Also meaning I could read The Tower of Nero without fully sobbing.

This book and all the books in the Percy Jackson universe mean a lot to me. I’m saying this all because this review is biased. Because of the attachment, I have to Rick Riordan’s characters, writing style, and books I know that I enjoyed this book more than you might. Does this make this review untrustworthy? Of course not, but it might mean that my enjoyment is higher than your level of enjoyment simply because of my personal emotional attachment.

Without more to say, it’s time to review The Tower of Nero by Rick Riordan.

Characters:

If there’s one thing that Rick Riordan excels at, it’s writing amazing characters. While no character will ever beat the Percy Jackson in my eyes, Apollo is pretty close. In terms of character development, Apollo is the best example of it. He starts off the series, for lack of a better term, as a complete arrogant prick. However, you get to see through his point of view, how being a human and going through trials changes him. It morphs him into a better person and makes the book much more impactful.

Not only does Apollo have amazing character development, he is a hilarious character who adds a lot of entertainment value to the book. His many character quirks, including sarcasm, make The Tower of Nero stand out.

Meg is Apollo’s sidekick, but in reality it’s the other way around. Meg, like Apollo, undergoes a lot of character development. She starts the series recovering from a manipulating tyrant who tried to play a father figure in her life. However by the end of the series and through The Tower of Nero she is a strong, independent character. Meg is not powerful and strong,  but she is caring. She and Apollo have a strong friendship that is highly enjoyable to read about.

Along with the dynamic duo of Meg and Apollo, The Tower of Nero features many other side characters. Some of the main side characters are Will, Nico, and Rachel. I love all of these characters. They each have their own, amazing personality that not only helps the story but makes it worth reading. Will and Nico are the definition of grumpy and sunshine trope that is perfectly executed. All of the side characters make the story way better.

The main villain in The Tower of Nero is Nero, who is easy to hate. He not only adopted Meg and manipulated her through her childhood, but is trying to rule the world. He is a great example of a power-hungry, crazy, and manipulative villain. His dynamic of being a master manipulator adds a lot to the impact of the book.

For characters I rate The Tower of Nero a 9.5/10.

Plot:

Rick Riordan is not only great at making characters but knows how to create great plots. Meg and Apollo journey to stop Nero with the help of Camp Half Blood. The Tower of Nero is full of action, heartfelt moments, and funny moments. The plot is, in my opinion, the perfect pace, not too slow yet not too fast. It is never too predictable, yet is perfectly reasonable. Nothing seems unlikely to happen or too unrealistic, well for a fiction story about Greek Mythology. 

This plot incorporated a lot of inside jokes from the original series as well as bringing a lot of new elements to the table. It was nostalgic but not redundant, the perfect combination.

For the plot of The Tower of Nero I rate it a 9.5/10.

Enjoyment:

Like I mentioned in the plot section, The Tower of Nero perfectly combines elements from the past books and brings in new references and jokes. Sometimes I would catch myself smiling just because of the joy I got from reading The Tower of Nero. The dialogue between characters was funny, but also added a lot of emotional value to the story. Apollo’s inner dialogue created meaning and themes, but also is hilarious to read. I was constantly entertained while reading and I found it extremely hard to put the book down. Granted it was not my favorite book, but it was amazing and truly enjoyable.

The characters and the plot truly make an excellent book. If it was the last book in the Percy Jackson universe, it would be a great ending installment.

For enjoyment I rate The Tower of Nero a 9.5/10.

Overall:

Overall I rate The Tower of Nero a 28.5/30! 

I definitely recommend reading any of Rick Riordan’s books, including The Tower of Nero. If you would like to learn more feel free to click here!