I laughed so much whilst listening to this, & the previous books in the series, I had to stop myself from playing it in public, since people on trains & buses tend to look at you askance when you break into helpless fits of giggles with no prior warning & no visible excuse. ĭid you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry? I was very disappointed to learn the last 2 books are read by someone else.

He really seems to 'get' the material, & relish reading it, which makes it a joy to listen to. Everyone has their own 'voice' and attitude, which he conveys brilliantly though my favourite has to be Leo Valdez, for whom Swanson affects a lovely wry drawl and strong Hispanic accent. Joshua Swanson is one of the best narrators I've come across in all my Audible adventures: he has such an engaging style, great charm and a gift for characterisation that's second to none. What does Joshua Swanson bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

' & his initiation into the world of half-bloods, monster-fighting & ridiculously dangerous quests. if you don't feel you can spare time -or credits- enough to go all the way back to Riordan's first opus, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, which details the early adventures of 'just your average Son of Poseidon. This is the 3rd book in a 5-book sequence, & I strongly suggest you begin at the beginning with book 1: The Lost Hero. What other book might you compare The Mark of Athena to, and why? Which is where you'll want to be, after only a few chapters. Riordan writes with such charm, wit and humour you can't help enjoying yourself, & the cameo appearances of various gods and monsters (a slurring Bacchus and Leo's hysterical encounter with Narcissus and his fan-club being particular highlights) serve to draw you ever deeper into the crazy world of his ADHD demi-gods.

(No mean feat, since he is rather annoyingly perfect.) The plot careens along at Riordan's ubiquitous hair-raising pace, the narrative leaping from character to character every few chapters, which could have been confusing, but instead brings a breadth and depth to the tale it wouldn't have had otherwise allowing you to experience the goings-on from multiple viewpoints. If you know anything about the genre, or his previous books, you'll have heard of Percy Jackson & his 'scary Athena girl' Annabeth, but the newcomers in this 5-book adventure are as vivid and unique as any we've met so far & I soon found myself rooting hard for Leo, Piper, Frank & Hazel even developing a soft-spot for Jason as time went on. There is so much about this series I like, I don't know where to start. What made the experience of listening to The Mark of Athena the most enjoyable?

The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan