The Titan's Curse

The Titan's Curse
The book's cover, which depicts Percy riding Blackjack, a pegasus.
Author(s)	Rick Riordan
Country	United States
Language	English
Series	Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Book 3)
Genre(s)	Fantasy, Young adult, Greek mythology
Publisher	Miramax and Hyperion Books for Children
Publication date	May 1, 2007
Media type	Print (hardback and paperback), Audiobook
Pages	312
ISBN	9781423101451
OCLC Number	76863948
LC Classification	PZ7.R4829 Tit 2007
Preceded by	The Sea of Monsters
Followed by	The Battle of the Labyrinth

The Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters. It charts the adventures of the fourteen-year-old demigod Percy Jackson as he and his friends go on a dangerous quest to rescue his friend Annabeth and the Greek goddess Artemis, who have both been kidnapped.

Mostly well-received, The Titan's Curse was nominated for numerous awards, winning ones such as the #1 The New York Times children's series best seller^[1][2] and Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick for 2007.^[3] It was released in the United States and the United Kingdom on May 1, 2007.^[4] The novel was also released in audiobook format, read by Jesse Bernstein.^[5][6]The Titan's Curse is followed by The Battle of the Labyrinth.

Synopsis

Like the other books in the series, The Titan's Curse is of the fantasy genre, using the concepts of ancient Greek mythology in a modern setting. "Five shall go west to the goddess in chains,

One shall be lost in the land without rain, The bane of Olympus shows the trail,

Campers and Hunters combined prevail, The Titan's curse must one withstand,

And one shall perish by a parent's hand."^[7]

Plot summary

Annabeth Chase, Percy Jackson, and Thalia Grace go to Westover Hall in Maine after Grover Underwood discovers two half-bloods, two siblings named Nico and Bianca di Angelo. They also narrowly escape an attack by a manticore named "Dr. Thorn," with some help from Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, and her hunters, which include Zoë Nightshade. Though they survive the attack, Artemis and Annabeth are caught by Dr. Thorn and several henchmen sent with him.

Percy and his friends must look for Artemis before the winter solstice meeting of the Olympian council, when the goddess's influence could change an important vote on the war with the Titans. Percy joins Thalia, Zoe, Bianca di Angelo, and Grover on their dangerous quest. They also are searching for a rare monster that Artemis was trying to hunt down when she went missing; it is so strong that it can obliterate Olympus. Percy is called by a hippocampus (mythological sea-horse) to rescue a marine cow-like creature trapped in the Long Island Sound called the Ophiotaurus, whom Percy names Bessie, not knowing it is male.

Percy is forced to trail slightly behind the rest of the travelers, catching up with them by flying Blackjack, a pegasus he liberated in The Sea of Monsters to Washington, D.C.. He also spots Dr. Thorn there as well, and follows Dr. Thorn into a private meeting at the National Museum of Natural History, which Percy infiltrates by using Annabeth's invisibility baseball cap. As he watches, Dr. Thorn is severely berated by a man known only as "the General," who uses dinosaur teeth to grow skeleton warriors trained to track down and kill the hunters. Percy races across to the National Air & Space Museum to warn the others, but just as soon as he arrives, the museum is attacked by the Nemean Lion, which they manage to subdue and defeat. When they spot a helicopter following them as they flee, they enter the Washington Metro to throw it off their trail.

Apollo finds them at a freight yard and supplies them with a way to Cloudcroft, New Mexico - hopping into cars on an autorack freight train, which delivers them to Cloudcroft the next day. In Cloudcroft, Grover senses the presence of Pan, the Greek god of nature, and a wild gift from him, the giant Erymanthian Boar, comes to carry them further on to San Francisco. It takes them to the junkyard of the gods, and Percy meets Ares and talks to Aphrodite, at which point it is hinted that Annabeth and Percy will most likely have a romantic future. Eventually, the group enters the junkyard, where Bianca tries to steal a statue for her younger brother. She accidentally awakens a prototype of Talos, a giant man of bronze, and dies after being inside the metal giant while it was shocked by telephone poles, but still successfully destroyed it. While being attacked by skeletal warriors at the Hoover Dam, Percy meets Rachel Elizabeth Dare, a girl who can see through the Mist. She saves Percy by confusing the skeletons, allowing Percy and his friends to escape after another ambush by praying to Athena to animate two angel statues on the terrace, which take them to the Embarcadero in San Francisco.

In San Francisco, they learn that Bessie (Bessie is what Percy named the Ophiotaurus, thinking it was a female) the Ophiotaurus is the monster they seek and contains an important secret, because (according to the original myth) sacrificing it and burning its entrails will give them (Thalia that is) the power to destroy Olympus. They go to seek the help of Annabeth's father; who, after a brief discussion, lends them his car and plane. They travel to the Garden of Hesperides, where Zoë meets her sisters and is bitten and poisoned by the dragon Ladon while trying to help Percy and Thalia pass. They continue to the Mountain of Despair on Mount Tamalpais up in Marin County, where Mount Othrys, the Titan capital, is now located. From the top of the mountain where Atlas held up the sky, they see Artemis taking on his burden. Annabeth is held captive by Luke, and has been handcuffed and gagged. Realizing that the prophecy made by the Oracle involves him, Percy takes the burden—the Titan's curse—from Artemis. In the ensuing fight, Annabeth's father helps by flying his Sopwith Camel (a biplane) and shooting celestial bronze encased bullets, and Atlas (the General of the Titans) throws his daughter Zoë, slamming her against the rocks. Artemis tricks Atlas into taking his burden from Percy. Zoe dies (because of the poisonous bite from Ladon and the impact of the rocks(caused by her father)) and Artemis turns Zoë into a constellation, in memorial to her. During a battle between Thalia and Luke, Luke falls off a cliff and Percy assumes that Luke is dead. Later, Percy is told by Annabeth, and confirmed by Poseidon, that Luke has survived the fall, and Thalia is asked by Artemis and agrees to join the Hunt to become safer and prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled.

Back at the camp, Nico searches his sister on the council. After Percy tells him what happened and gives him the statue Bianca stole, he becomes angry. Then, some zombies attack them, but Nico tells them to go away . Afterward, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover know Nico and Bianca's godly father is Hades. They keep promise to hide this fact from everyone else especially the Titan's army or they'll recruit Nico to join them. ^[8]

Major characters

Main article: List of characters in the Camp Half-Blood series

• Percy Jackson: Percy, a 14 year old demigod and son of Poseidon, is the protagonist as well as the series' narrator. He embarks on a journey to save Annabeth (his girlfriend) and the Greek goddess Artemis, who have both been kidnapped.
• Thalia Grace: Thalia is a 15 year old demigod and a daughter of Zeus. Though she appears in Percy's dream in the second book, she makes a full appearance at the end of The Sea of Monsters and is given a greater role in the third book. Thalia is described as looking very punk, with black clothes, spiky hair and eyeliner. Her personality is often described as "independent and many times sarcastic." Thalia is a lot like Percy and consequently, they often butt heads. She is heartbroken by Luke's betrayal, as he was once like a brother to her. She is also afraid of heights, which she reluctantly admits to Percy, despite the fact that she is daughter of Zeus, God of the Sky.
• Annabeth Chase: Annabeth is a 14 year old demigod and the daughter of Athena. She is friends with Percy, Thalia and Grover. She is kidnapped along with Artemis by the Titans. She has a great passion and interest for architecture and she wishes to be an architect when she is older. Although she is Percy's love interest, her feelings for Luke remain a problem between the two.

• Grover Underwood: A large-hearted satyr whose favorite foods are aluminum cans and cheese enchiladas. He is 28 years old, yet has the appearance of a teenager due to the satyrs' slower growth rate (half that of humans). He wants to become a searcher for Pan, the satyr god of nature and the wild, who fell into a "deep sleep" due to the humans' pollution of the world.
• Bianca di Angelo: Bianca is a 12 year old demigod and the daughter of Hades. She and her ten year-old brother Nico were trapped in the Lotus Casino, where time is slowed down, but in the beginning of the book, they were released and attended a military school. Bianca later joined the Hunters of Artemis, but was killed in the quest in the "Junkyard of the Gods". Her death greatly upsets her brother, Nico, who is quick to blame Percy for it.
• Zoë Nightshade: Zoë is the daughter of Atlas, a banished Hesperid for helping the hero Hercules, and the first lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. She often has trouble updating her language and uses Old English. She dies after being bitten by Ladon, who protects the immortality-giving golden apple tree, and after her father Atlas, throws her against a pile of rocks. Artemis turns her spirit into a constellation soon after her death for remembrance. She and Thalia developed grudges against each other after Thalia did not want to join the hunters, but they get along when they do not think about it.
• Luke Castellan: The demigod son of Hermes, Luke is the main antagonist of the series. He is the sidekick to, Kronos; Kronos' followers and army gather on a ship called the Princess Andromeda.
• Nico di Angelo: The 10 year old demigod son of Hades and younger brother of Bianca di Angelo. He and his sister are rescued from a manticore by Percy, Annabeth, Thalia, and Grover. He is left at camp during the quest, but stays in the Hermes cabin because his parentage has not been discovered. He leaves camp after hearing Percy broke his promise, letting Bianca die. Before he leaves, he sends an army of skeletal warriors into the underworld.

Critical reception

"The Titans Curse" is received relatively positive reviews, which often lauded the humor and action in the story. Children's Literature, which commended the book's fast pace and humor, wrote, "Readers will relate to good natured Percy, the protagonist."^[9] Kirkus awarded it a starred review with, "This third in the Olympians series makes the Greek myths come alive in a way no dreary classroom unit can ... will have readers wondering how literature can be this fun. This can stand alone, though newcomers to the series will race back to the first two volumes and eagerly await a fourth installment."^[10] School Library Journal praised the "adventurous" plot as well as the book's appeal: "Teachers will cheer for Percy Jackson and the Olympians as they inspire students to embrace Greek mythology and score the ultimate Herculean challenge: getting kids to read. All in all, a winner of Olympic proportions and a surefire read-aloud."^[6] Booklist's starred review approved of the novel's humor action, and plotting: "The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series is built around a terrific idea—that the half-mortal offspring of Greek gods live among us, playing out struggles of mythic scale—and Riordan takes it from strength to strength with this exciting installment, adding even more depth to the characters and story arc while retaining its predecessors' nonstop laughs and action."^[6] Kidsreads raved, "Rick Riordan's Olympian adventures have gained great popularity thanks to their combination of humor, adventure and a winning hero ... Readers who are familiar with ancient mythology will enjoy Riordan's tongue-in-cheek approach; those who aren't just might be tempted to go to the original sources to learn more."^[11]

Awards and nominations

The Titan's Curse received several literature-related awards, including: number one The New York Times children's series best seller^[1][2] and Book Sense Top Ten Summer Pick for 2007.^[3] It was also a Quill Award nominee.^[12]

Audiobook

An eight hour and forty-eight minute audiobook^[13] read by the actor Jesse Bernstein^[14] and published by Listening Library^[15] was released on 24 April 2007.^[5][16][17]

AudioFile Magazine lauded Bernstein's interpretation, writing, "Sounding alternately young, or old, or really scary, Jesse Bernstein ... effectively voices the confusion and loss the team experiences."^[14]

Sequel

Main article: The Battle of the Labyrinth

In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Annabeth and Percy find an entrance into the Labyrinth during a game of capture the flag. Percy soon learns that Luke had used the entrance and will lead his army through the Labyrinth straight in to the heart of camp. To get into the Labyrinth, Percy has to find the symbol of Daedalus, the Greek letter delta, (Δ) on a passageway, touch it, and then enter the Labyrinth. Using the Labyrinth, Percy tries to find Daedalus so Luke cannot get Ariadne's string, thereby foiling Luke's invasion.^[18]

See also

Novels portal

• Mythology
• Greek gods
• Mount Olympus
• Greek mythology

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Thomas, Mike W. (June 1, 2007). "Local author's fantasy fiction has made him a best seller". San Antonio Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/stories/2007/06/04/story3.html. Retrieved January 18, 2010. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Bass, Deborah (May 5, 2009). "Hugely Anticipated Finale to Blockbuster Percy Jackson & the Olympians Series Goes on Sale Today". Disney Book Group. http://www.smartbrief.com/news/aaaa/industryBW-detail.jsp?id=9436870C-395E-4647-A34E-EEBB11C53DCA. Retrieved January 18, 2010. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "The Summer 2007 Children's Book Sense Picks". American Booksellers Association. http://news.bookweb.org/booksense/5273.html. Retrieved January 18, 2010. 
4. ^ "The Titan's Curse". Rick Riordan. Archived from the original on May 8, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080508070628/http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "The Titan's Curse". Random House. http://www.randomhouse.com/audio/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780739350331. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
6. ^ ^{a b c} "The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) (Hardcover)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1423101456. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
7. ^ http://camphalfblood.wikia.com/wiki/The_Titan's_Curse
8. ^ Riordan, Rick (April 1, 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423101451. OCLC 76863948. 
9. ^ "The Titan's Curse: Barnes & Noble". Barnes and Noble. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Titans-Curse/Rick-Riordan/e/9781423101482. Retrieved April 12, 2009. 
10. ^ "The Titan's Curse review". Kirkus Reviews. 1 April 2007. http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/childrens-books/rick-riordan/the-titans-curse/. Retrieved 16 January 2011. 
11. ^ Piehl, Norah. "The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book Three". KidsReads. http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews/1423101456.asp. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
12. ^ "The 2007 Quill Award Nominees Are...". New York: WNBC. July 5, 2007. Archived from the original on July 20, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20080220114638/www.wnbc.com/thequills/14078987/detail.html. Retrieved January 23, 2010. 
13. ^ "The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3 (Unabridged)". audible.com. http://www.audible.com/adbl/site/products/ProductDetail.jsp?productID=BK_LILI_000585&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
14. ^ ^{a b} "THE TITAN'S CURSE: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3". AudioFile. September 2009. http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/dbsearch/showreview.cfm?Num=30633. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
15. ^ "The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 3". booksontape.com. http://library.booksontape.com/bookdetail.cfm/YA1227ACD. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
16. ^ "The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 3) [AUDIOBOOK [UNABRIDGED] (Audio CD)"]. Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0739350331/. Retrieved November 12, 2009. 
17. ^ "The Titan's Curse Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series, Book 3". Listen Up! Vermont. http://www.listenupvermont.org/3826EB5A-58C2-465E-9325-F11801F0CA6A/10/434/en/ContentDetails.htm?id=%7BFA445361-7E59-45D4-A024-26530F7CC8AD%7D. Retrieved January 16, 2010. 
18. ^ Riordan, Rick (May 8, 2008). The Battle of the Labyrinth. Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423101468. OCLC 180753884. 

External links

• Rick Riordan official website
• Percy Jackson U.K. website
• Percy Jackson official US website
• The Titan's Curse publication history at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database