The Last Olympian
Encyclopedia
The Last Olympian is a fantasy
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...

-adventure novel
Adventure novel
The adventure novel is a genre of novels that has adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk and physical danger, as its main theme.-History:...

 based on Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...

 by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan
Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...

, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy of adventure and fantasy fiction books authored by Rick Riordan. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States, the books are predominantly based on Greek...

 series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...

. The Last Olympian revolves around the demigod
Demigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...

 Perseus Jackson as he leads his friends in a last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...

 to protect Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...

. The book received many positive reviews. The title refers to Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...

, the goddess of the hearth, who refers to herself as such in a conversation with Percy on Mount Olympus.

Great prophecy

A half blood of the eldest gods,

Shall reach sixteen against all odds,

And see the world in endless sleep,

The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap,

A single choice shall end his days,

Olympus to preserve or raze"

Plot summary

Percy Jackson, his friends, and the Olympians
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...

, fight in a war resembling the original war between the Greek gods and the Titans. Prometheus notes during a parley between him and Percy, that the battle for Manhattan is like the Battle of Troy, except that now Olympus is Troy.

In order to try to head off Kronos
Cronus
In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...

's approach by sea, Percy and Beckendorf go to blow up his ship, the Princess Andromeda. However, Kronos is not caught off guard, and Beckendorf sacrifices his life to destroy the ship, while Percy dives overboard and is knocked out by the arrow pierced on his thigh. Percy is awakened by his brother, Tyson (a cyclops). He finds that he is in his father Poseidon's underwater palace, which is under siege by the forces of the Titan Oceanus
Oceanus
Oceanus ; , Ōkeanós) was a pseudo-geographical feature in classical antiquity, believed by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be the world-ocean, an enormous river encircling the world....

. Percy wants to stay and help fight with his father, but he sends Percy back to Camp Half Blood. At Camp Half Blood they learn about the mission and Selena, Bekendorf's girlfriend, is in tears. At a meeting Percy hears the Great prophecy for the first time. The Ares cabin is furious that they get no respect, so they wish not to fight in the war. Then Percy mentions that they have a spy. Someone who has been informing the Titans for years, but they put it aside for now. Soon after arriving, Percy leaves again with Nico, son of Hades, to find out how he might stand a chance against Kronos when the time comes. After visiting Luke's mother and talking with Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...

 (who is the Last Olympian), goddess of the hearth and home, Percy and Nico's aunt. Percy procures a blessing from his mother, descends into the Underworld for the second time. Here, Nico betrays Percy for information on his past, but he helps Percy with the original plan and bathes in the River Styx like Achilles and Luke before him.

Percy organizes the demigod campers (minus the Ares cabin), and prepares for an urban battle. They go to Olympus to prepare and meet Hermes, who is furious with Annabeth, who could have stopped the war by helping Luke before he was pocessed. Before the battle starts, New York City is silenced by way of a powerful sleeping spell from Morpheus, god of dreams. Despite being joined by the Hunters of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...

; satyrs; naiads; dryads and other tree nymphs; Chiron's centaur
Centaur
In Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...

 cousins the Party Ponies, automatons fashioned by the late Daedalus; and the hound
Hound
A hound is a type of dog that assists hunters by tracking or chasing the animal being hunted. It can be contrasted with the gun dog, which assists hunters by identifying the location of prey, and with the retriever, which recovers shot quarry...

 Mrs. O'Leary; Percy's forces are consistently forced back by sheer numbers. Kronos is not without losses, as Percy buffets the Titan Lord's brother, Hyperion, into submission, from where Grover's nature powers encase the Titan of the East in a massive maple tree. Annabeth is injured by saving Percy from a sword that would have hit his Achilles Point. The person was Ethan. He asks Annabeth, who has a poisned shoulder, how she knew, but she doesn't know. He trusts her enough and tells her his Achilles Point. Percy has dreams of Kronos' and Kronos questions Ethan on where Percy's Achille's Spot was, but Ethan does not know.

Rachel, a mortal who can see through the Mist, flies from a family vacation to NYC (and strangely does not fall asleep), to tell Percy that he is not the hero of the Great Prophecy, and that it will influence his choice when he turns 16. More than that, she doesn't know. She also informs Percy that the Titans have a monster that only a child of Ares could destroy, and they instantly know that the spy is still informing the Titans because the Ares cabin is still at camp.

They learn that the monster was a drakon, a monster similar but more destructive then a dragon. The Ares cabin comes when it looks like they would lose. "Clarisse" trys to kill it but she is nearly killed. Then a new girl comes on a flying chariot and kills the drakon by herself. They find out that the first Clarisse was Silena, and the new girl was actually Clarisse. Silena admits she is the spy, who had a crush on Luke and because he promised Bekendorf would be fine. When she wanted to quit he threatened to expose her. She dies a hero, and not a betrayer.

Drove back to the blocks surrounding the Empire State building, Percy and his friends fight in a last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...

 to protect Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...

 from the massive army Kronos has amassed. Even when Hades arrives with his army, Kronos still manages to break through and enter Olympus.

Percy and Kronos as Luke battle in the throne room of Olympus, without either side gaining a significant advantage. Ethan Nakamura, the son of Nemesis
Nemesis
Nemesis may refer to:* Nemesis , in Greek mythology, a spirit of divine retribution against those who succumb to hubris* Archenemy, the principal enemy of a character in a work of fiction-Literature:...

, the one who revives Kronos in the previous book
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...

, rebels against him at the last minute when Percy helps him see what Kronos would really do if he ruled the world. He trys to kill Kronos but his sword ricochets back into his stomach. With his dying breath, he tells Percy that minor gods deserve better before falling into a fissure created by Kronos. Luke is shocked back into his nonevil self when Annabeth helps him remember his promise of family to Annabeth, as he brutally smashes her across the throne room. The Great Prophecy hinges on Percy's decision to give Luke Annabeth's dagger rather than attempt to kill Luke himself. Luke injures himself at his mortal point
Achilles Heel
Achilles Heel may refer to:* Achilles' heel, a metaphor for a fatal weakness in spite of overall strength* Achilles Heel , music by Pedro the Lion* Achilles Heel , off Antarctica...

 (under his left armpit) and uses all his power in one strike on Kronos, making Percy become the hero of the prophecy and ending the war on the dawn of his 16th birthday. Before Luke dies, he tells Percy to promise to make sure that demigods wouldn't live unclaimed.

With Poseidon ambushing Typhon at the Hudson River, the Olympians manage to send him down to Tartarus. Returning to the throne room, they grant Percy, Grover, Annabeth, Thalia, and Tyson
Tyson the Cyclops
Tyson is a fictional character in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He is a cyclops and the half brother of the protagonist of the series, Percy Jackson, with whom he shares a father, Poseidon. He first appears as a homeless boy in the second book of the series, The Sea of...

 rewards at the conclusion of their various quests. Percy, refusing godhood for himself, forces the gods to swear on the River Styx that they will recognize all of their children by the time they turn 13, Luke's dying wish. At camp, new cabins are built for every god, including Hades and all the minor gods because of Ethan Nakamura's dying wish. Rachel Elizabeth Dare becomes the new Oracle and speaks the next Great Prophecy, Annabeth is promised that she will be the architect of Mount Olympus in the future, and Grover becomes a Lord of the Wild and member of the Council of Cloven Elders. Tyson is awarded as well, becoming general of the cyclops army and being given a "stick." Later on it talks about Tyson and the cyclops make new cabin for the minor gods and Hades.

At the end of the story, Percy again meets with Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...

, and she gives him a smile and a wink, showing that she was proud of her young nephew. Annabeth kisses Percy. They run into the mortal world with Percy narrating, "For the first time, I didn't look back."

Major characters

  • Percy Jackson: The main protagonist and narrator of the first series. His status as a son of Poseidon, the apparent subject of the Great Prophecy, and yearly quests bring him to Olympus time after time. Like Luke has done, and Achilles before them both, he bathes in the River Styx and become invincible before he leads the Olympian-aligned forces in a defense of Manhattan, fighting on varied fronts the entire time, even bringing down Hyperion, Lord of the East. For his heroism, particularly in saving Olympus from destruction, he is offered godhood, though he declines it in favor of his friends, whom he values before all else. His relationship with Annabeth solidifies against all odds during the battle and is set in stone when they kiss underwater in the lake of Camp Half Blood. Like his girlfriend Annabeth Chase, he is 16-years-old.
  • Annabeth Chase: One of Percy's friends, and by far his most trusted. She is the 16-year-old leader of the Athena cabin in Camp-Half Blood. At the end of the book, she finally becomes Percy's girlfriend, underwater kisses, and is also given permission to redesign Olympus in the wake of Kronos's destruction.
  • Grover Underwood
    Grover Underwood (Percy Jackson)
    Grover Underwood is a fictional character in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He is a satyr, a mythological Greek being that is half goat and half human. He has the upper body of a human and the legs and horns of a goat. He wears jeans or false feet with sneakers when he wants...

    : One of Percy's best friends. He first appeared in The Lightning Thief
    The Lightning Thief
    The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...

    , and Percy has had to rescue the helpess satyr many times. He replaces the deceased Pan as a Lord of the Wild and member of the Council of Cloven Elders. He sets out to restore the Wild at the end of the series.
  • Luke Castellan: A demigod child of Hermes , as well as his father's pride and joy. Though he is the primary antagonist throughout the entire series and even Kronos's helper, he sacrifices himself to disperse Kronos at the end of the book. In a way, he is the actual hero of the Great Prophecy.
  • Ethan Nakamura: The son of Nemesis. He becomes Kronos' right-hand man, but tries to kill him in the end, resulting in his own death.
  • Tyson
    Tyson
    -Surname:*Alan Tyson , British musicologist*Barbara Tyson , Canadian actress*Bill Tyson, Irish writer and producer*Cathy Tyson , British actress*Cicely Tyson , American actress...

    : Percy's half brother. Tyson leads fellow Cyclopes into battle and is rewarded a new stick (club) for his leadership.
  • Rachel Elizabeth Dare: One of Percy's friends and competes with Annabeth for Percy's confused attention. She is a mortal who can see through the Mist. She becomes the next Oracle of Delphi near the end of the book, "dumping" Percy as a result.
  • Nico di Angelo: A son of Hades. Though he seemed quite immature for his age when introduced two books earlier, his current 12-year-old self has matured rapidly over the course of a 2-year course of pain and loss. He is instrumental in convincing Hades to assist Percy in the defense of Olympus, and has become a powerful hero in his own right.
  • Thalia Grace: Daughter of Zeus and leader of the Hunt of Artemis. She and the hunters come to assist Percy in the defense of Olympus, but when Annabeth, Percy, and Grover go to stop Kronos from destroying Olympus, she is trapped under a statue of Hera.
  • Hestia
    Hestia
    In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...

    : Eldest daughter of Kronos, and Goddess of the Hearth and Home. Helps Percy realize the importance of family and to never give up hope. Becomes the protector of Pandora's Pithos and Percy's close friend, instead of just being his aunt.

Critical reception

The Last Olympian received overwhelmingly positive reviews. Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...

 wrote "...fans will not be disappointed" and remarked, "As the capstone to this beloved series, this story satisfies." They praised Percy's "brave leadership" and said that "the final clash would keep a Hollywood special effects team busy for years". Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...

s starred review commented that "...Riordan’s imagination soars in the climactic battle scenes" but said that he manages to "bring the whole series to a satisfying close in the down-to-earth conclusion". It also received a starred review from Kirkus. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...

 gave a very positive review, praising the humor and the action; however, they pointed out that, "the tempo distracts from a few jarring plot points".

Awards and nominations

The Last Olympian was the #1 USA Today bestseller, the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller, and #1 Los Angeles Times bestseller.

Audiobooks

The unabridged audiobook version of The Last Olympian is read by Jesse Bernstein and was released on May 12, 2009 by Random House/Listening Library. It is 10 hours and 50 minutes long. AudioFile
AudioFile (magazine)
-Launch:The publication was launched in 1992 as a twelve-page black & white newsletter with about 50 critical reviews of audiobooks, focused on new releases. In 1997, it switched to a 36-page colour magazine format with about 60 reviews per issue and interviews with authors, readers, and...

 magazine gave a mixed review towards Bernstein, saying, "While his voice is youthful, however, Bernstein lacks the speed and energy to allow listeners to completely suspend disbelief, and his tone lapses into a whining quality that some may find off-putting."

Sequel

Another Camp Half-Blood series has been released, titled The Heroes of Olympus
The Heroes of Olympus
The Heroes of Olympus is a fantasy book series written by Rick Riordan and based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the sequel series to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians pentalogy....

. The Lost Hero is the first book in this series by Riordan, and was released on October 12, 2010. Though it is not directly related to Percy and friends, there are many references and appearances of these characters and it still serves as a sequel. Its sequel, The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series written by Rick Riordan. It was released on October 4, 2011.-Development:...

, portrays Percy as one of the main protagonists.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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