More in the "not sure if want" tag...

[taotrooper]

So I just heard today that Rick Riordan is writing a sequel series for Percy Jackson, called Heroes of Olympus. Not the one with Egyptian setting, but another one in LOLGREEK that actually takes off from the open oracular cliffhanger by the end of the book.

So in my search I'm first directed to the Amazon page (ah, it's about a new trio of demigods :oo ), then the cover (OMG MECHA DRAG-- wait, which one is Jason and which one is Leo? No wait, what do you mean 'familiar demigods'? Oh brother). Finally, a link from the author's blog to the first two chapters (*reads blog post* ...seriously? bummer!)

SO, IT'S PRETTY MUCH APOLLO JUSTICE BUT WITH SHOUNENTARDS INSTEAD OF LAWYERS*.

No, think about it. Set in the same universe and premise. Sequel. The main character isn't the title guy from the first series, yet the plot still revolves more about him than our new lead. I'm sure Percy will steal Jason's spotlight harder than Phoenix as soon as he appears (or even before; hell, even Annabeth popping in for two pages and not doing anything stole the show.) Especially since Jason is SO BORING, YOU GUYS.

I mean yes, he has amnesia, but that doesn't excuse how dull he was (if anything, it makes him duller). I'd much rather have Piper or Leo as the main lead. I'm at a lost about who could be Piper's mom (as I guess her dad is the mortal one), but so far she seems badass and I like her. Leo is the one showing more personality of the trio and I'm really liking him the best. Plus now I bet Jason is the remaining blond kid in the cover, and that annoys me so much and makes me crave more for the other two to be the real protagonist, since Piper is half Cherokee and Leo half Latino and you're ruining the chance to have a non-white-boy lead nnnnng raaaaaah.

But back to Leo because I have to add something. The Amazon summary mentions that his cabin has a lot of tools and he could build shit, and I was all "dude, wouldn't it be cool if he was a son of Hephaestus?!" PJO wasn't kind to him, so that's a nice change of focus. But now after reading the chapters and knowing him, naaaah fat chance, I was all "LMAO ttly Hermes' kid like whoa". I'll eat a hat with wings if he's not Cabin Eleven. From the physical description to the personality. And I actually love the idea of having a son of Hermes who a) doesn't have such a complicated fate of doom (I-I guess?), and b) isn't a Weasley twins ripoff. Plus, after the shit ton of development Hermes got in PJO5, it would be bittersweet to see if they can retake where he stands now with another child of his, after that talk with Percy. Seriously, why isn't Leo the lead? Most personality from the three, a strong sense of humor, is a POC, might have a deity parent the old readers are familiar (Jason is probably Zeus', how meh), and so on.

So, um. I have no idea. I'll still read it because I enjoyed the original series so much, but I don't think I could like it better than the Percy story. But like I was telling fujurpreux on Twitter, I would've preferred a sequel that took place one or more generations later, that we wouldn't have them dealing with this prophecy and let seven new kids shine alone. But now I bet this is going to be four old characters (I'm betting Percy, Annabeth, and either Clarisse, Nico or Thalia) + these three new ones. That's just tacky.

On the other hand, I was curious about post-canon Rachael!



*And mind you, I fucking love Apollo Justice. Then again, Apollo was likable and Jason is a walking cliché of dullness.

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

He is based on JASON. Like, Is there a more annoying Greek hero? I totally lost interest when i learned the hero was nu!Jason. Especially since, like, Percy was Perseus because Perseus was as non-douchey as the Greek heroes got?

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I don't know, the amnesia silliness and whatever it's making the others believe they're his girlfriend/BFF when they're not (yet) makes this Jason more annoying and dull than myth!Jason. I do like Percy much better than Perseus, because while they're both not too clever the former was sarcastic. So even separating the main characters from the counterpart they represent, Jason is still so lame by himself.

The girl at least could have potential to kick ass although it's too early to tell in personality and she's not as great as Annabeth yet. I just hope she's not just there for love interest, bleh.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Percy is way more fun than Perseus. Sarcastic!

Also, one thing I really appreciated was that, while Percy still had the whole "destined and superpowerful" thing going, it didn't do him much good a lot of the timne without experience, and training and experience frequently paid off, and he regularly had to be rescued by people who knew what they were doing. It doesn't sound like this is maintaining that tradition.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

It's kind of a trope for a teen hero to be constantly helped by friends and more capable folks (and sheer luck sometimes), but it's true he did his best to improve himself in a realistic way (never being as good as ---- with the sword, being in the verge of death in almost every fight) and recognizes the facts. Plus not even gods were perfect in battle, so obviously a demigod wouldn't. I also really loved that his OMGProphecy!1! was misleading and his role wasn't what anyone expected (even Annabeth's role was much more meaningful, IMHO).

I don't know. I'm not too critical of this series as it hits many of my buttons, but it worries me more how this Jason kid seems so bleh when Riordan has written well-thought characters beyond cliches before. I hope this will change later, or this will affect the book(s) a lot.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Actually, most male teen heroes only need help until they discover their Special Power/Skill and suddenly they're super brilliant and amazingly good and gifted and no one else comes close. Which would be a large part of why I shun most fiction about male teen heroes (who also frequently get rewarded for lying and breaking the rules).

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I normally avoid those kind of teen male Shounen Jump-like heroes like the plague (ugh, so boring), so most of my fandoms and things I read/watch deliberately have the kind of leads who do need much help from friends and mentors regardless of their levels (even if it's of the "clap your hands if you believe" variety for the more godmods/perfect). I'm happy in my little niche and with my Fullmetal Alchemist volumes.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Yeah, shounen manga bigtime, but since we're talking YA, I was thinking more Eragon and Harry potter.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

The weird thing about Harry Potter is that he wasn't even that good at magic, or even smart to compensate. Book after book, he wins because someone helped big time or he just had dumb luck or he managed to escape in time. He literally beats Voldemort by bouncing a death curse of his with the easiest spell ever (technicalness of the MacGuffin Wand, but still, it was sheer luck he didn't die that night... er, again).

Potter is a case where he's still helped and saved all the time by everything and everyone ever. But unlike Percy, he never truly does anything on his own (he moves with the plot) but is still fixed in the Hero Role. Jackson takes it with humor, is aware of almost all his flaws, appreciates more the help he gets, and isn't the absolute hero. So, it's easier to like him better. Plus, the action pacing is better in PJO than HP.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I'm reading HP right now because we have it at work (legally on the shared drive) and there isn't much left for me to read (this is also how I read PJO, but I enjoyed those and need to get the books). Harry is immediately loved and the hero for, uhm, doing nothing (and treated like he deserves it) and immediately good at "cool" things, like the flying, which makes him the sports superstar within 5 seconds, and while he's basically an incompetent who constantly breaks rules it's dangerous to break and lies to the teachers, he somehow always saves the day while others are conveniently out of the way, and then gets rewarded for, essentially, being an idiot.

But my coworkers are pretty much all in general agreement that PJO is better because, well, it is.

(Also, I have such severe issues with how "Muggle" is essentially a derogatory racial term that's supposed to be cute and ironic.)

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Just like real life, being famous and good at sports and having people doing the stuff for you will make you awesome or something!

I did like the first five books at the time, regardless of his lameness as a hero. But I really find PJO far superior and not only because of my fondness for mythology butchery makes me forgiving. Which is why I really hope this Jason kid gets better when he gets his memories back, since the author was really decent at writing main and secondary characters and more consistent than Rowling. It's sad that he's milking the cash cow.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

*nods*

I get why kids, and people who started reading it at 10-14 like it, but how adults who first encountered it as adults can like it is beyond me. (For that matter, I wonder how people with options survive the tedium of the first book until Hagrid shows up. Hagrid and Professor McGonegal-I know I misspelled that-are the only characters I really like as of mid-book 3. I also like Hermione a lot, but I suspect that's mostly for charactertype. The Weasley's are fun individually and together,but don't grab me. Everyone else I either forget unless they show up, or am annoyed by, except for enjoying Snape and Draco's irrational hatred of Harry.)

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I happen to like children's literature and soft fantasy better than serious books, so it helps. And I started to read Harry Potter when I was about 19 (then again, I picked up Percy Jackson in my mid twenties, soooo).

Then again, most of my fun was to pretend that the Potters descended somehow from Clow Reed, a la Watanuki (obsessed with Cardcaptor Sakura at the time). McGonagall and Hagrid don't get enough spotlight later on, though. More adults start to show up later or get a bit deeper, but I really don't know if you'll grow fond of any.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

(even Annabeth's role was much more meaningful, IMHO)
Agreed \o/

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

It just shows you don't have to go ultimate badass fighter to be a strong character. If anything, from the three demigods standing, Percy did the least -kinda the equivalent of passing the ketchup.

And I loved how Percy told Hermes that Annabeth DID ---- ----. Just not in the way he hoped.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

LOL yes.

Percy telling things to Hermes in the last book was so awesome. I loved those parts.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I think it was more awesome that he figured that Percy had a very valid point about everything. Considering he was still a Greek god who happened to be Very Angry and Sad at the time, and yet he listened without smiting the insolent mortal who was poking at him! I just love that scene so much, between Percy's balls and Hermes dealing with those feelings. Which is why this Leo kid should be his son to continue this subplot, really.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

/will wait to see what happens. ;;

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

A todo esto, ni sabía que habías terminado de leerlos. O-o no lo hiciste y te spoilereé? ;;

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Los terminé la semana pasada. A-aunque sólo hice un comentario rápido en Dreamwidth. o/;; Y aún quiero hacer una análisis de que PJ No Es HP Ni Ladeando La Cabeza Y Entrecerrando Los Ojos.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

Siempre se me olvida revisar mi flist de DW |D

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

LOL No problem. No puse mucho tampoco y esa semana tuve un BSOD vi varias cosas :D Aquí, si quieres ver: http://alcesverdes.dreamwidth.org/57201.html

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Not sure if want indeed DDD'|

I would've loved if Chiron's words had held truth and the new prophecy hadn't happened during Percy's life. :|

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

THIS.

Hell, even a timeskip of ten years would've been decent, with them being the mentors or whatever. But apparently, the most time that happened between this and the last book is 1-2 years. And considering the "lost hero" is Percy, that means HE'S STILL THE ONE IN THE FUCKING TITLE. This is not nextgen, it's the same fucking story but pretending it's not by following the new part of the cast.

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

IT'S ALL MARKETING! PERCY ALREADY HAS A FANBASE! DDDDDX /conspiracy theories

I'll still read them, 'tho :/ At least the first one.

Edited for appropiate icon

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

I just read in his blog that he was imagining the sequel before finishing the main series. RIORDAN, YOU BITCH. Couldn't you finish your Egyptian series thing first, then cash in the old cows?

I-I know I'll still read them and stick around by principle. Even if it's just to check out if my theories are right. And because I'm weak and WHY THE HELL ARE CELESTIAL GODS HAVING BA-- wait, wrong WTF sequel to dread. Nevermind!

[fujurpreux.livejournal.com]

Y-yeah, seriosly. |'D


LOL Kiri socute *climbs on*

Re: Edited for appropiate icon

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

What's the wrong sequel?

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

For a silly but cute action-adventure video game called Okami (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckami). I'm probably one of the five people in this fandom who's terrified at the next gen sequel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%8Ckamiden:_Chiisaki_Taiy%C5%8D); the rest are all cooing at the wolf cub. I'm all "HOW DOES THAT EVEN WORK" and "how is this going to break canon?" at it.

[strandedthought.livejournal.com]

I would like to have seen an Older Percy, Annabeth, and Rachael tackling guiding/helping the flood of new heroes. *shrugs* Maybe in the future...

I hope we'll see some of the children of minor gods and goddesses, that would be fun.

[rainmage.livejournal.com]

They don't seem to be that older in this book, however.