Rick Riordan surprised fans when he chose to continue his Camp Half-Blood books with its third series: “The Trials of Apollo,” which, much to fans’ chagrin, would be the last series coming from that world. Riordan went on a virtual book tour, “The Trials of Uncle Rick,” from Oct. 7 to Oct. 14 to promote the final installment in the series: “The Tower of Nero.” I read the book after the Books of Wonder event on Oct. 8. “The Tower of Nero” was a bit predictable, but the lovable, familiar characters made visiting this world one last time enjoyable.
“The Tower of Nero” serves the finale that the series has been building to: the big battle between Apollo, Nero and Python, and the verdict on Apollo’s godhood. The novel is told from Apollo’s point of view, who, at the start of the series, was cast off Olympus and into the weak, mortal form of Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his godhood, he has to free the oracles and slay Python, his enemy from when he was a young god. “The Tower of Nero” follows Lester and his demigod master Meg McCaffrey, as they follow a prophecy uncovered by Ella the harpy. Meg will have to confront her father and Apollo will have to use all the skills he has gained over the past six months to face his archnemesis.
Character growth is one of the strongest components in the series. At first, Lester is a whiny, self-centered new mortal, which is understandable considering he spent four millennia as a god. Over the course of the series, Lester learns the value of life, what it means to be human and to sacrifice oneself for a greater cause. The quests humble Apollo by knocking him down a peg and force him to appreciate everything the demigods go through. Lester’s character arc is one of the best Riordan has written because of the character’s complete transformation — it forces Apollo to question his immortality.
Courtesy of Rick Riordan
Lester’s demigod master, Meg, who is forced to confront her past and face her adopted father, also undergoes significant growth during the series. Her inner turmoil explores parental abuse in a novel manner: from the outside perspective of Apollo as he wonders where Meg’s loyalties lie.
The side characters are no less memorable in this book. Riordan brings back some fan favorites such as Nico di Angelo, Will Solace and Rachel Elizabeth Dare. After watching Nico struggle for much of the series, it was rewarding to see him take charge and assess his power and worth. We finally get to see Nico and Will’s relationship in all its adorable glory: from their contrasting personalities to their lively banter.
Demigod Will and his awkward relationship with his father, Apollo, alludes to the distance between gods and their children, culminating in a real connection as they fight for their lives toward the book’s end. Considering how many children Apollo has and the constant neglect demigods experience, it’s comforting to watch one of the gods actually be able to bond with his son. Rachel, the mortal oracle of Delphi, is one of the strongest characters from the original series, who with “the sight,” is able to see through the “Mist” that clouds mortals’ eyes from seeing monsters. However, that doesn’t stop her from fighting monsters and embarking on a quest to save the world.
The plot of the book is packed with action the whole way through. Riordan does a sufficient job of adding creative enemies for the heroes to face and complex monster allies to aid them in their quest. The fight scenes are well written, easy to visualize and culminate in a satisfying way. While I enjoyed the battle scenes, the overarching plot of the book didn’t blow me away and most of the conclusion seemed predictable, leaving not much to surprise.
Riordan addressed during his book tour, “The Trials of Uncle Rick,” that there would be no more series in this world, but he hinted there could be the possibility of some standalone novels.
“There’s definitely a Nico novel that could be written,” Riordan said.
In addition to his idea about a novel from Nico’s perspective, Riordan has also diversified his recent books, creating a well-rounded cast with many characters of color and LGBTQ+ characters, such as Nico and his boyfriend Will. As a former teacher, Riordan is well acquainted with the age group he writes for and he wants to show that “anyone would be welcome at Camp Half-Blood.” He admitted that, though wasn’t originally perfect at representation, he has been trying to expand his world views and learn from his mistakes.
“The Tower of Nero” includes tons of easter eggs for fans to find and enjoy throughout the novel, and it was nice to be reminded of the 14 previously published books and the journey that fans have been through with these characters. I especially appreciated Riordan’s humor, as he always hits it out of the park with timely jokes and well-integrated references to pop culture. While I’m sad to see this series end a chapter of my life, I’m also glad for the opportunity to reminisce with all the characters we love so dearly one more time. “The Tower of Nero” is a fitting conclusion to the Camp Half-Blood saga that any fan of the series can enjoy.
Grade: A-
Bridget Barnsley (20Ox, 22C) is from Orange, Connecticut, double majoring in English and creative writing and film and media management. Her hobbies include books, movies and TV, and she can be found online discussing all of the above. She also works as the book reviewer for the independent e-zine, The Elephant Ladder. Contact Barnsley at bridget.fiona.barnsley@emory.edu.
