Review: #787
Title: The Dark Prophecy
Series: The Trials of Apollo - 2nd book
Author: Rick Riordan
Comments: While The Dark Prophecy bears all the hallmarks of a Rick Riordan book being a deadline, a prophecy, pop culture references and a very predictable structure, this is still a fun adventure. Lester, the human mortal form of the god Apollo, arrives at Indiana to search for the second ancient Oracle. Of course, he is targeted by the second Emperor who wants to kill him. There are plenty of clichés here, such as withholding names until later in the book (but constantly teases you about it), puns and other jokes that misses their mark and feels like the author is trying too hard, and the tendency to force characters upon the viewer even if they were not strong or likeable. Having so many books in the series, there are only so many well known gods you can pull out, thus there are so many minor gods and lesser known characters that viewers don’t get the same enjoyment of “seeing” a familiar face. It really feels like the author is starting to clutch at straws. It doesn’t help that the ending is so predictable, setting up for the sequel. In terms of the actual story, it’s interesting to realize that it all takes place in the one city but at the same time highlights the fact that there’s a lot of padding. In the end, while still feeling familiar, it is a solid story.
Rating: 7/10