Wikipedia:PJTF/CC
| The Battle of the Labyrinth | |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Rick Riordan |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Book Four) |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy novel, Young adult, Greek mythology |
| Publisher | Hyperion Books for Children |
| Publication date | May 6, 2008 (US)[1] July 3, 2008 (UK) |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback), Audiobook |
| Pages | 361 |
| ISBN | 9781423101468 |
| OCLC Number | 180753884 |
| LC Classification | PZ7.R4829 Bat 2008 |
| Preceded by | The Titan's Curse |
| Followed by | The Last Olympian |
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. Fictional demigod Percy Jackson, who is fifteen years old by the end of the book, tries to stop Luke Castellan and his army from invading Camp Half-Blood through Daedalus's labyrinth by trying to find Daedalus and convince him not to give Luke Ariadne's string, which would help Luke through the Labyrinth. It was released on May 6, 2008 in the US and Canada.[1] It was received positively overall, with the novel being a #1 The New York Times children's series best-seller and a #1 chapter book best-seller.[2]
Contents |
After being attacked by empousai cheerleaders at his new school, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and learns about the Labyrinth, a vast underground maze designed by Daedalus and originally part of the palace of Minos, king of Crete. He also meets the camp's new sword master, Quintus. During a battle drill with giant scorpions at the camp, Annabeth and Percy accidentally find an entrance into the Labyrinth. Percy soon learns that Luke had used this entrance before and will try and lead his army through the Labyrinth straight into the heart of Camp Half-Blood. [3]
Using the Labyrinth, Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson must find Daedalus so that Luke cannot get Ariadne's string, which would guide him through the labyrinth. Percy and his friends encounter Kampe, a half woman, half-dragon monster, and free her prisoner, Briares the Hekatonkheires (Hundred-Handed One), who is Tyson's idol, but disappoints him by being too scared to help them. After an encounter with the goddess Hera and a battle on the farm of Geryon, the group are reunited with Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, who blames Percy for the death of his sister Bianca, but is convinced to put it behind him by the ghost of his sister. Next, by order of the Greek god Hephaestus, Percy travels to Mt. St. Helens. There he finds telekhines, also known as "sea demons". He is discovered by the telkhines, half dog half sea lion monsters who use dark magic and serve the titan lord Kronos, who attack him. Once Percy found Annabeth and they have a short argument during which Percy tells Annabeth to flee. Annabeth kisses Percy, then disappears. Percy draws on his power of the sea in a last attempt to save himself from the telkhines and in the process of the water combining with lava, he causes Mt. St. Helens to erupt, pushing him out of the volcano, completely draining his energy.[3]
When he awakens after the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, he finds himself in the mythical island of Ogygia, inhabited by Calypso. As a result of helping her father, Atlas, in the first Titan War, she was imprisoned eternally on Ogygia. As part of her punishment from the Fates, a demigod appears on her shores every thousand or so years whom Calypso falls in love with but he is not able to stay with her on her island prison. Like all the other heroes that have left Calypso after being healed by her, Percy leaves the island on a raft and sails to Camp Half-Blood. When he arrives back at camp, he disrupts his own shroud-burning. The others though he was dead since he had disappeared for two weeks. However, he and Annabeth search out the help they need from a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who is able to see through the Mist, the magical veil that makes mortals see things differently than demigods. Grover finally finds Pan, but the god of the wild is dying and wants Grover to tell the other satyrs that they must save the natural world themselves. His spirit passes into all present, Grover in particular, when he dies. They finally discover that Quintus, the mysterious new sword instructor at Camp Half-Blood, is actually Daedalus, who has attained extended life by putting his life-force, his animus, into a robot body—and that Kronos has gained enough strength by Luke. He also possess Luke, using his body as a starter form. Kronos finds out that Nico di Angelo is a son of Hades and that he could be the child of the great prophecy, which states that a child of "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades) would decide the fate of the gods. Luke has already reached Daedalus and attained Ariadne's string; using the magical instrument, he sends out Kronos's army to take Camp Half-Blood via the Labyrinth. While fighting a losing battle, the entire camp is either injured or killed, and Daedalus and Briares come out of the Labyrinth to help fight the battle and destroy Kampe. Grover rescues Camp Half-Blood by causing a Panic, a gift passed on from Pan, to scare away the enemy. After the battle, Daedalus sacrifices himself to close the Labyrinth, which is tied to his life. The camp say good bye to the dead, Nico leaves the camp, Grover doesn't go to exile, and Percy leaves for his 15th birthday in which his father, Poseidon, shows up, and Nico comes by to give him a proposal for his upcoming battle with Kronos.[1][3]
The Battle of the Labyrinth received generally positive reviews. Publishers Weekly praised Riordan by saying, "One of Riordan's strengths is the wry interplay between the real and the surreal", and adding that "The wit, rousing swordplay and breakneck pace will once again keep kids hooked."[4] Children's Literature said, "Riordan creates a masterful weaving of Greek mythology and traditional fantasy in this latest book in "The Olympians" series. Fans will enjoy the latest adventures of their favorite characters, and those picking the book up for the first time will have no trouble falling into this magical world."[4] The website Kidsreads.com praised the book, saying "the story arc has remained unified and compelling."[5] School Library Journal wrote that "[l]ike many series, the "Percy Jackson" books are beginning to show the strain of familiarity and repetition",[4] before adding "However, the overarching story line remains compelling, and the cliff-hanger ending will leave readers breathless in anticipation of the fifth and final volume."[4] Kirkus adjudged the book to be the best in the series and said, "The often-philosophical tale zips along with snappy dialogue, humor and thrilling action, culminating in a climactic battle between gods and Titans.”[6] The Los Angeles Times gave a positive review, calling it "a glorious, no-holds-barred adventure with great plot twists, a melding of ancient and bionic technology and a cliffhanger ending that will have fans eagerly awaiting the fifth and final showdown between gods and monsters next year."[7] It was first runner-up in the 2010 Indian Paintbrush Book Award.[8]
The Battle of the Labyrinth was adapted in a 10 hour 32 minutes audiobook[9] read by actor Jesse Bernstein.[9] It was released on May 13, 2008 by Listening Library.[9][10][11]
AudioFile Magazine praised the audiobook, saying that Bernstein was "skillful at wringing humor from the witty dialogue and from the contrasts between the modern and ancient worlds."[12]
The Battle of the Labyrinth was followed by The Last Olympian, the final book in the series, which was released May 5, 2009.[13] In The Last Olympian, Percy and his friends defend Olympus from Kronos's army.
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