Wednesday, May 6, 2026

Review: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

Title: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods

Series: Part of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles

Author: Rick Riordan

Genre: Middle Grade, fantasy, Greek mythology

Publication date: January 2014

Published by: Disney Hyperion

Source: Purchased hardcover

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Synopsis: Who could tell the origin stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? PERCY JACKSON provides an insider's view with plenty of 'tude in this illustrated collection.

A publisher in New York asked me to write down what I know about the Greek gods, and I was like, "Can we do this anonymously? Because I don't need the Olympians mad at me again." But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week.

So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic—and sarcastic asides—to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like lots of lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that."

Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume—a must for home, library, and classroom shelves—as stunning as it is entertaining.

My rating: ★★★★★

This book was so fun! Right from the start, I loved it! Especially because Percy purposefully did NOT start the book off with Zeus 😂 His sassiness is one of my favorite things about him 😂 Anyway, this book talks about some of the major Greek gods, and because this is middle grade, the myths were consumable, even when it came to those darker myths. And the myths were also pretty concise, which I appreciated.

Tuesday, May 5, 2026

Review: The Ragpicker King (The Chronicles of Castellane #2) by Cassandra Clare

Title: The Ragpicker King

Series: The Chronicles of Castellane #2

Previous book in this series: Sword Catcher

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Adult, high fantasy

Publication date: March 2025

Published by: Del Rey

Source: Won in a giveaway

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Synopsis: Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I really enjoyed this book! I tend to enjoy anything Cassandra Clare writes, though 😆

Sunday, May 3, 2026

Sunday Post #502: Not Again...


Welcome to The Sunday Post hosted by Kimba @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where I talk about what is going on in life and the blog, and show you all the bookish things I got that week!


Saturday, May 2, 2026

May 2026 TBR


April was a rough month when it came to completing my tbr. But I honestly saw it coming. Lol.