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The Mark of Athena

Pages
451
Published
2012
Language
English

Synopsis

Greek and Roman demigods finally meet when a flying warship from Camp Half-Blood lands at Camp Jupiter, but the alliance is fragile. Seven young heroes named in an ancient prophecy must sail to the lands of the old gods to stop the earth goddess Gaea from rising and destroying both Olympian camps. Aboard the airborne trireme Argo II, the group navigates monsters, divided loyalties, and the deep mistrust between cultures that have warred for centuries. Annabeth Chase carries a separate burden: a quest passed down through daughters of Athena that no hero has survived, leading her alone toward a buried statue and the goddess's oldest enemy. Along the way she confronts her own fears while the rest of the crew battles giants who have captured one of their friends in Rome. Told from the alternating viewpoints of four of the demigods, the story balances quest action with the strains of friendship and young romance under pressure. Mechanical genius, mist-conjured illusions, shape-shifting, and battlefield magic shape the journey, which winds across the Mediterranean toward a confrontation that ends on the edge of an abyss. The narrative weaves classical mythology into a modern adventure where the cost of unity is measured against impossible odds.

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

Piper McLeanProtagonist

Daughter of Aphrodite who wields charmspeak to influence others

Hazel LevesqueProtagonist

Fifteen-year-old daughter of Pluto who can manipulate the Mist and summon precious metals

Frank ZhangProtagonist

Son of Mars and shape-shifter who cares deeply about people and animals

Annabeth ChaseProtagonist

Daughter of Athena, tasked with a solo quest to follow the Mark of Athena that no demigod has ever survived.

Percy JacksonProtagonist

Son of Poseidon, reunited with Annabeth aboard the Argo II.

All characters in The Mark of Athena

Frequently asked questions

  • Where does The Mark of Athena fall in the Heroes of Olympus series?

    It is the third of five books in The Heroes of Olympus, following The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune and preceding The House of Hades and The Blood of Olympus.

  • What is the central quest in The Mark of Athena?

    Annabeth Chase must follow the Mark of Athena to recover the Athena Parthenos, a stolen statue whose return could heal the centuries-old rift between Greek and Roman demigods.

  • Who are the four narrators of The Mark of Athena?

    The book alternates third-person limited chapters among four Greek demigods: Annabeth, Leo, Piper, and Percy.

  • Why do the seven demigods sail on the Argo II?

    They must reach the ancient lands of the old gods in Greece to stop Gaea from rising, traveling aboard the flying Greek warship Argo II that Leo Valdez built.

  • Who is captured and held in a bronze jar in Rome?
  • How does The Mark of Athena end?
  • What reading age is The Mark of Athena intended for?

    It targets a middle-grade audience of roughly ages 9 to 12, with an interest level of grades 5 to 8 and a Lexile measure of about 690.

  • How did The Mark of Athena perform commercially when it released?

    Published October 2, 2012, it debuted as a number one New York Times bestseller, selling about 240,000 copies in its first week.

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