The Battle of the Labyrinth is the fourth of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, following The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, and The Titan's Curse. Several new gods are introduced, and the book picks up an ominous pace as it draws closer to the finale, and the determining battle between gods and Titans.
Percy Jackson has just been accepted to a new school. Again. And despite his every intention not to get kicked out of this one too, being a demigod with Poseidon as your father tends to attract trouble. And monsters, in the form of peppy-but-deadly cheerleaders. After accidentally starting a fire, Percy makes a break for it - along with a mortal girl, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who has the unusual ability to see through the Mist, the substance that usually hides gods and monsters from mortal eyes.
When he finally makes it back to Camp Half-Blood, Percy finds that all is not well there. His friend Grover is in danger of losing his lifelong dream, his friend Annabeth is treating him oddly, and - worst of all - Nico di Angelo, the half-blood son of Hades, is still at large, trying to bring back his dead sister in exchange for another, living soul.
But all of these pale in comparison to the danger of Kronos, whose followers are growing and whose resurrection is now imminent. When Annabeth is assigned a quest through the perilous Labyrinth of Daedalus, she takes Percy along for the ride - as well as Grover and Percy's Cyclops half-brother, Tyson.
This is the most exciting and action-packed book yet, as the darkness closes in. Real losses and horrors are experienced in this one, both private and large-scale. It is clear that the final battle is drawing near, the battle in which - according to the prophecy - either Percy, or Nico di Angelo, will have a pivotal role to play in either the victory or destruction of Olympus and the gods.
Highly recommended.
Rating: Very good
