The Adventure Continues in Book 2 of Rick Riordan’s Trials of Apollo Series, The Dark Prophecy

Fans of Rick Riordan will be delighted by The Dark Prophecy, the second book in his Trials of Apollo series.  As was told in The Hidden Oracle, Apollo, trapped in the mortal body of a teenaged boy named Lester, thought that the best way to get through his exile from Olympus would be to stay quietly at Camp Half-Blood, hanging with the demi-gods in residence there. Instead, he is forced to undertake a dangerous quest to reclaim the Oracles that have fallen into the hands of an evil triumvirate of semi-divine Roman Emperors. Which is how he came to be on board Festus, the mechanical dragon, with demi-gods Leo Valdez and Calypso, on top of the Indiana statehouse. None of them wanted to be in Indianapolis, but that is where one of the Evil Emperors, Commodus, has set up shop in a deranged bid to make it the capitol of his empire, filling it with his armies of monsters and reborn warriors. Along with his fighting ostriches, because that’s the sort of “fun-loving” evil emperor Commodus is. And that’s where Oracle number two awaits rescue.
It’s called the Dark Oracle, because of its tendency to drive visitors mad (and because it’s underground). The keeper of the Oracle, Trophonius, has a rather tangled and tragic history with Apollo. On top of that, Commodus and his army have it firmly in their grip.

But Apollo and his comrades find help, good advice, and vegetarian entrées at the magical Waystation run by two retired huntresses of Artemis, and when Meg rejoins the team of oracle rescuers, she brings Peaches, her ferocious fruit spirit and his friends to fight on their side, along with her own formidable fighting and plant-whispering talents. And an unexpected new ally arrives, who fans of the Percy Jackson books will be very happy to see again! As one expects from a Rick Riordan story, once things gets going it’s non-stop adventure with no rest for the weary ex-god and his friends.
Alongside the monster-slaying mayhem are Apollo’s reflections on his past, which give depth to the story. He has past entanglements with many of the characters, entanglements in which he was not exactly the shining hero he likes to think he is. Apollo still is a bit of an egotistical, obnoxious cad in his second adventure, but he’s growing up, and learning, under the tutelage of the women who run the Waystation, to be a bit more useful in the kitchen. Meg, on the other hand, has still not acquired decent table manners; yet somehow she has grown dear to him…
There’s lots of Riordan’s trademark zingy humor that will make the reader chuckle, lots of life-and-limb threatening action, and lots of interesting characters, new and old, to enjoy spending time with (from the reader’s perspective, at least. The characters themselves are too busy being in stressful situations, like navigating a monster-filled river in a paddleboat or escaping Imperial warriors at the Indianapolis zoo while on a griffin rescue mission, to be really appreciative of bonding opportunities).
And also in Riordan’s trademark style, it ends with a teasing note that will make fans want book three right away!
The Dark Prophecy is on B&N bookshelves now!