The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo Book 5) (The Trials of Apollo, 5)

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The battle for Camp Jupiter is over. New Rome is safe. Tarquin and his army of the undead have been defeated. Somehow Apollo has made it out alive, with a little bit of help from the Hunters of Artemis. After doing so, it snaps out of a trance and is shot with an arrow and killed. Apollo turns around to see a Germani named Gunther, and a Gaul holding Meg at sword point. It is revealed that Meg and the Gaul, Luguselwa, know one another.

As I read this series, I felt as if I was reading a character that represented my younger self, and when I was younger most characters I read about were people that I wanted to be. People that were so cool and amazing. But Meg is not a typical main character in a middle grade book and I just connected with her so much throughout the series. Not really sure where I was going with this... just wanted all my thoughts written down.

I've had so much fun seeing Apollo grow and become this brave person that I feel like I'll be very proud and sad no matter the ending of this book. It has been a great journey so far and though I still don't like Meg I can't say that I won't miss a little bit... or, at least, her interactions with Apollo. He is funny and dramatic, quite dramatic, and a bit of a fool but, oh my god, does he have bravery and kindness and a heart of gold. And I'm not saying that he is no longer a bit arrogant or vain but it is that he has learned there are other things in life that are also valuable. I loved many things in this book and this isn’t a bad rating at all, especially in my rating system but it wasn’t as high as the previous ones.

The six-month mortality of Apollo is at an end. It's time to unfold the final chapter of ToA, and the entire Camp Half-Blood series (at least for now). The Tower of Nero delivered a great ending to ToA than I had expected. It was satisfying, entertaining and most importantly: felt very complete! WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH WASHINGTON, DC, one expects to see a few snakes in human clothing. Still, I was concerned when a two-headed boa constrictor boarded our train at Union Station. I stood in the aisle, waiting for the blood to return to my numb legs. Whoever invented the human circulatory system had done a lousy job.Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that other than the destruction of my emotions, so I’m not complaining about the pacing. I’m just pointing out that it was very different and it took me by surprise. I couldn't stop myself after I started reading. And that was an issue because I had homework to do and I wasn’t doing it. Inside the camp, they find the son of Hades, Nico, and Apollo’s healer son, Will. Nico guesses that Jason is dead before Apollo passes out. He has a vision of Nero in his throne room proclaiming that he will give Camp Half-Blood 48 hours before burning New York to the ground. Apollo then sees Python who says Apollo will finish Python’s mission himself. Apollo wakes up and goes to the dining hall with more of his children. There, Will tells him that Ncio felt Jason’s death and Apollo knows Nico is slowly losing his sanity after traversing the Underworld so many times. Apollo receives the first part of this prophecy at the very end of The Tyrant’s Tomb before he and Meg set out to leave Camp Jupiter. Ella reads this prophecy to him: Strangely, Nico implies he was at least partly responsible for leaving Bob behind, when in reality it was Percy and Annabeth, though he may simply feel guilty that he's trapped. Apollo asks Meg what she's going to use as a weapon and Meg tells him not to worry about it. Nico is still fighting with the wolf from earlier and the skeleton bull he brought to life had finally collapsed. The germani spills the tray with the rest of the remotes Nero needs to try. As Apollo aims for Nero's chest, one of the three missing Imperial Children stabs him in the ribs. As Apollo struggles to breathe he sees Meg across the room fighting barehanded with Aemillia and another one of the missing demigods. The demigod who stabbed Apollo pushes the knife even deeper. Apollo cannot shake the demigod because he is too strong and as a desperate attempt shoves his thumb into his eyes and breaks free. He does not have the strength to aim another arrow and slips on his own blood.

I cannot say in good faith that this series hasn't been rather emotional and full of very hard and valuable lessons. It has. It more than has. Yet, it wasn't until this book that everything overflowed and we get the brunt of this journey. As much as I loved the way the more difficult aspects of the plot were dealt with I must say that I did find the rhythm a little off. To be human is to move forward, to adapt, to believe in your ability to make things better. That is the only way to make the pain and sacrifice mean something." IN MARK OF ATHENA AND HOUSE OF HADES, THE JASPER WAS SO BEAUTIFUL. AND WHAT ABOUT IN BLOOD OF OLYMPUS WHEN SHE SAYS SOMETHING LIKE “YOU’RE NEVER GETTING AWAY FROM ME, SPARKY”??? WHAT ABOUT THAT??

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Notes: Much fellowship, a tower trip (a Die Hard kind of mission), big melee fights and solo plights, all victories by attrition. Reyna & Thalia: Both of these powerful demigods are still part of Artemis’ Hunters, chasing the Teumessian Fox as it wreaks havoc wherever it goes. I’d also be happy with a standalone about either of these characters or the Hunters in general.