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House of Hades

Pages
608
Published
2013
Language
English

Synopsis

Two demigods plunge into Tartarus, the deepest pit of the Greek underworld, while their five companions race across the Mediterranean toward Greece. Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase must survive the monster-ridden abyss and fight their way to the mortal side of the Doors of Death, a passage Gaea's forces have wedged open to flood the world with resurrected monsters. Above ground, the crew of the flying ship Argo II steers for Epirus, where an underground temple holds the other end of those doors. Sealing them requires the two groups to reach opposite sides at once. The narrative rotates through seven viewpoints, giving each young hero a turn: a fire-wielding inventor stranded on an enchanted island, a shapeshifter growing into a battlefield leader, a girl learning to wield the Mist, a son of Jupiter, a daughter of Aphrodite, and the brooding son of Hades who guides the ship while guarding a painful secret. In the pit below, an unlikely ally and a gentle giant offer Percy and Annabeth a slim chance. The story balances breakneck quests and combat with friendship, fear, and self-acceptance, set against a vividly grim vision of the classical underworld. It carries threads of Greek and Roman mythology toward a confrontation with the earth goddess seeking to wake and unmake the gods.

About the author

R
Rick Riordan

An American author born June 5, 1964, in San Antonio, Texas, Rick Riordan writes mythology-based fiction for young readers. Before his publishing career, he taught English and history at public and private middle schools in San Antonio and the San Francisco Bay Area for fifteen years. While teaching, he wrote the adult Tres Navarre mystery series, which won the top three national mystery awards: the Edgar, the Anthony, and the Shamus. Percy Jackson originated as a bedtime story Riordan invented...

Characters

Percy JacksonProtagonist

Son of Poseidon trapped in Tartarus with Annabeth; his rage at the goddess Akhlys reveals a frightening darker side

Annabeth ChaseProtagonist

Daughter of Athena navigating Tartarus alongside Percy, relying on wits and resolve to survive

Hazel LevesqueSupporting

Daughter of Pluto who learns to manipulate the Mist to confront the sorceress Pasiphae

Jason GraceSupporting

Son of Jupiter who accompanies Nico to Cupid's palace and stands by him after the reveal

Piper McLeanSupporting

Daughter of Aphrodite who uses charmspeak and grows more confident in battle

All characters in House of Hades

Frequently asked questions

  • How does The House of Hades pick up from The Mark of Athena's cliffhanger?

    It opens with Percy and Annabeth having fallen into Tartarus at the end of The Mark of Athena, while the other five demigods aboard the Argo II must reach the mortal side of the Doors of Death to reunite with them.

  • Where is the House of Hades located in the book?

    The House of Hades is an underground temple in Epirus, Greece, which holds the mortal side of the Doors of Death that the demigods must reach to seal the passage.

  • How many narrators tell the story in The House of Hades?

    All seven members of the prophecy quest get featured points of view, making it the only Heroes of Olympus book to give every protagonist a POV: Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Frank, Leo, Jason, and Piper.

  • What secret does Nico di Angelo reveal in this book?
  • What happens to Leo Valdez in The House of Hades?
  • Who are Bob and Damasen, and what do they do?
  • Why is The House of Hades considered darker than earlier books in the series?
  • How does Frank Zhang change over the course of the book?
  • When was The House of Hades published and who is the publisher?

    It was published on October 8, 2013 by Disney-Hyperion as the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series.

  • What reading age is The House of Hades aimed at?

    It is a middle-grade novel aimed at roughly ages 9-12, blending Greek and Roman mythology into an action-adventure for younger readers.

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