“And for once, I didn’t look back.”

The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan

I’m so behind on reviews.

December was a whirlwind. Isn’t it always? I didn’t drink a drop of alcohol, and yet I feel like I still have a holiday hangover.

That’s to say, I finished The Last Olympian almost three weeks ago … oops. I just haven’t been able to find the time or energy to write a review, so I apologize in advance for *hand gestures* all of this.

The good thing is I did keep notes on my phone of all my thoughts, which definitely helps.

Okay, so let’s break this down.

Overall, TLO is one of the best finales I’ve ever read — across all genres. Genuinely. It wraps up the story so well. Kronos is defeated, Olympus is saved, Percy tries to hold the gods responsible to prevent another war. But also, Riordan completes Percy’s hero arc so neatly. TLO is the culmination of everything he’s been forced to learn. How to lead and earn respect, when to fight and when to step aside, what it means to be a hero and a demigod.

I think that last point is such a major theme in TLO, also. Starting with Charlie Beckendorf’s death, readers are repeatedly reminded what demigods risk in the name of their godly parents. I found myself wondering: why? Why risk your life for Olympus? And Riordan answers that in his narrative. These demigods made a family, a home, within one another. They’re not just fighting for the gods; they’re fighting for each other. They believe in humanity. That’s what matters.

I also thought so much about Luke during this reread. How could I not? As much as this series is about Percy, it’s also about Luke. They are two sides of the same coin, after all. When you get down to the nitty gritty, Luke starts this story. He steals the bolt before Percy even finds out he’s a demigod. He kicks the narrative into motion, but he also drives it forward with every decision he makes in his quest to raise Kronos. Every action Percy makes is in response to Luke. 

That’s what makes Percy giving Luke the dagger even more potent. Percy hands the reigns back over to Luke after grappling with them for so long. It’s allowing Luke to end the story he began all those years ago. It reminded me of something Sally said in The Lightning Thief. She tells Percy if her life is to mean anything, she has to live it herself. Luke has to right his wrongs. It’s his decision to make.

(A little side note before we jump into my thoughts: I was initially going to reread ALL of Rick Riordan’s books. However, now that I’m done with the original five, I don’t think I care to read anymore right now. I never enjoyed Heroes of Olympus all that much, except for The House of Hades. So I’m going to take a break from the Riordan reread for now. Maybe later this year I’ll get back to it and start The Lost Hero, but for now I want to discover more new books rather than revisit old ones.)

Here are all my thoughts while reading The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan.

• I love that Paul trusts Percy enough to take the car for a spin. It just shows how he has perfectly melted into Percy’s life. So much different than smelly Gabe.
• Percy having mortal friends like Rachel feels so important. A reprieve from the chaos but also she knows enough about his other world to vent and be understood.
• Oh no, Beckendorf. I remember SOBBING as a kid reading it for the first time. But also realizing how that’s the tipping point. The war begins with his death. It exemplifies the sacrifice demigods make. How they risk their lives for the gods and are willing to test their mortality in the name of immortals.
• I wonder what it was like for Luke to visit his mother one last time. To see the stacks of peanut butter sandwiches. To feel his mother’s desperate fingers claw at his skin. To hear the begging of her voice. To see his own reflection in the living room of mirrors. Did he ever stop and think of turning back? Or did it only validate his disdain for the gods? He was just a boy. Now he’s a man. What has he done? But what all was done to him? To his mother? Who will pay?
• Hestia foreshadowing Percy having to yield is so good. A reminder that what is important is not glory. It’s home. 
• I will never not cry over Nico. How he just wants to know who he is, or who he was. The memories and the people and the love that was taken from him. He’s still so young, and yet he’s been through so much.

• the vision of Annabeth pulling Percy out of the River Styx is so good. A realization for Percy. She’s been there from the beginning with a hand to help. Keeping his feet on solid ground when he feels like he’s floating. 
• How did I not realize Silena was the spy my first read-through? It seems so obvious now. Especially with how she’s the only one to try and protest staying to hear what Percy wants to say to Hermes. And then her knowledge about the magic spell. Girl, you ain’t slick.
• I love seeing Percy’s heroism crest in TLO. It really peaks his character development from the series as we see him become such a respected leader in this war. He didn’t want to be a demigod, but he is. And if he has to be a hero, he’ll do it right.
• The action is this book is so badass, even reading as an adult.
• “No one touches her.” YES! Love this moment. How terrifying Percy must’ve looked.
• Kronos strolling casually toward Percy is so chilling.
• Oh Michael Yew. I think what TLO really shows is just how much demigods risk. How willing they are to die. It’s their duty to fight for the gods. But also for each other and the family they built. They’re willing to risk it all. 
• Percy and Luke as children born with set fates. How they adapt to knowing the truth. How Luke lets it define him. How it molds him with bitterness and hatred. And how Percy defines his own fate. How he molds it to his choosing with love and understanding.
• Prometheus giving Percy Pandora’s jar is just so good. The idea of physically letting go of hope. The last bit of humanity giving way to the age of the titans. And having it keep showing up when Percy is at his weakest to show hope slipping through his desperate fingers. He’s fighting so hard but still, still sometimes it’s hard to hold onto hope.
• Something about Dionysus admitting to Percy that the gods need heroes. How it shows his desperation, but also his softer side. He’s seen firsthand what heroes endure. He knows when to give after taking so much and asking a lot more. The gods are a manifestation of the culture humanity built, he says. Their existence depends on humanity. 
• Oh, Rachel telling Percy he’s not the hero. How that affects his mentality. Because all this time he’s put this war on his own shoulders. Olympus will rise or fall by his hand. But if that’s not the case, where does he stand? How does he fight? It’s not about glory, it’s about responsibility. And what is he responsible for if he’s not the hero of the prophecy. But also who is he? It’s been his identity for so long. He’s trained for it. He’s accepted it. So where does he fall without it?
• Now that I’m older, I have to think if Silena truly righted her wrong. She allowed for countless demigod deaths, including Charlie’s. Is that all forgiven because of one act of bravery? Because she decided at the last second it wasn’t worth it to be a traitor? She says Luke told her it would save lives, but how does she justify that to herself? Where’s the proof? It just doesn’t add up to me. 
• Nico’s entrance into the Battle of Manhattan is so badass. He’s only 12! And he summons an army of zombie warriors! This kid is terrifying. My hot take is that Nico is more powerful than Percy. I think he’s a bit more … wild in his powers. He wasn’t trained like Percy. He didn’t have the same guidance. It’s untethered power. 
• Annabeth almost falling on the disintegrating bridge to Olympus … how Percy catches her but begins to slip. How he thinks they’ll both topple over. How they’ll both fall. … seems familiar
• After four years of learning to be a hero, Percy has to step aside. He has to trust Luke to be the hero. Luke has to finish what he started. But then again, Percy never wanted to be a hero anyway. It’s never been about glory for him.
• “The world was collapsing, and the only thing that really mattered to me was that she was alive.” My heart 😭
• Hermes giving Luke one final blessing. A kiss on the forehead to say farewell to the son he couldn’t save. I teared up. 
• Nico sitting cross-legged at the foot of Hades’ throne is so adorable. He just raised an army of the dead and now he’s just a little boy so happy to have pleased his dad.
• Percy turning down immortality because he wants to live the life he fought for. But also how accepting would’ve been so out of character. Accepting would be taking all the glory, and he was never searching for that. 

• Something about the demigods at CHB still burning shrouds for both Silena and Ethan. How even after all the harm they caused, they’re forgiven … or at least understood. Because there’s a certain bond between demigods. A respect for their role in this world. An understanding of why and how they chose to turn and betray. 
• I’m gonna say it, I don’t care about Rachel lol also don’t really like that she gets absorbed into the godly world because she was a tether to the “normal” world for Percy. She helped him escape his demigod problems. 
• The first kiss is so sweet. A moment of peace after the dust settles. The beginning of the life in the world they fought for.
• Also love the little scene of Clarisse finding them. It kinda shows how she’s grown to respect Percy after their rough start. 
•  Percy thinking they can just kickback and relax lol you wish, bucko 
• “And for once I didn’t look back” 😭

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