The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio CD)

by Rick Riordan (Author), Jesse Bernstein (Reader)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5–9—The battle starts, literally, with an explosion and doesn't let up. After Percy destroys the high school band room battling monsters called empousai who have taken on the form of cheerleaders, he has to hide out at Camp Half-Blood. There, Grover's searcher's license is going to be revoked unless he can find the god Pan in seven days. An entrance to the Labyrinth has been discovered, which means that Luke, the half-blood turned bad, can bypass the magical protections and invade the camp. Annabeth insists that she must follow a quest to locate Daedalus's workshop before Luke does. Percy is disturbed by visions of Nico, the son of Hades, who is summoning forth the spirits of the dead with McDonalds Happy Meals. Percy, Grover, and Percy's Cyclops half-brother follow Annabeth into the maze not knowing if they will ever find their way out. Riordan cleverly personifies the Labyrinth as a sort of living organism that changes at will, and that traverses the whole of the United States. Kids will devour Riordan's subtle satire of their world, such as a Sphinx in the Labyrinth whose questions hilariously parody standardized testing. The secret of Pan is revealed with a bittersweet outcome that also sends an eco-friendly message. Like many series, the "Percy Jackson" books are beginning to show the strain of familiarity and repetition. However, the overarching story line remains compelling, and the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers breathless in anticipation of the fifth and final volume.—Tim Wadham, Maricopa County Library District, Phoenix, AZ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Description
Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to worse.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop the invasion, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth–a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this latest audiobook promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Audio CD
• Publisher: Listening Library (Audio); Unabridged edition (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 073936474X
• ISBN-13: 978-0739364741
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 5.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (128 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #87,702 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 4 in The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heavens to Percy!, May 25, 2008

By	Amanda Richards "Modest to the extreme" (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) (Hardcover)

This is book four of the Percy Jackson series, with only one more installment to come. Readers from around ten years old will be thrilled by the adventures of the teenaged hero who just happens to be the son of Poseidon, God of the Sea, and all his friends, most of whom are the children of the Olympians from Greek Mythology.

In my opinion, it would be better if you read the series in order, and the three previous books are:

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1)
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 2)
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3)


In "The Battle of the Labyrinth", Percy and three friends set off on a quest through the treacherous labyrinth, in search of the inventor Daedalus, hoping that he will help them to defeat the army being assembled by Luke, son of Hermes. The thing is - Luke is just the messenger, and the evil he's about to unleash can bring down Olympus itself.

Although still clueless about girls and relationships, Percy starts developing and unleashing his powers, and surprises even himself when he attempts to repeat Hercules' great stable cleansing project. Other demi-gods also come into their own in book four, and a mortal girl proves to be just the ticket, and in the nick of time too. In a related sub-story, the search for Pan reaches an exhilarating climax.

Packed with monsters of all persuasions, gods and demi-gods, rescues, battles and side trips to Alcatraz and Mount St. Helens, this is by far the most exciting book of the series so far.

Amazingly imaginative, thrilling and funny, this series by Rick Riordan continues to be a front runner in children's fiction, and I recommend it without reservation.




Amanda Richards, May 25, 2008

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well worth the wait, May 17, 2008

By	Haley "knutty knightingale" (West of the Horizon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) (Hardcover)

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

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Installment So Far!!, May 8, 2008

By	MovieExplorer - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 4) (Hardcover)

This is the fourth installment of the Percy Jackson series, and the most engrossing since the first one. Percy Jackson and his friends try to explore the Labyrinth in order to find the inventor Daedalus and prevent Kronos from controlling the Labyrinth. This book has a lot of the humor of the first three installments, but it does take itself serious at times. A lot of the plot threads like Pan finally come to end. I am glad that the series has not run out of steam, and I wait steadily for the final installment.