Trials Of Apollo Book 2
The Dark Prophecy is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 2, 2017, and is the second book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The book and its cover art by John Rocco were first announced in 2016. It has been published in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. To date, The Dark Prophecy has been translated into 7 languages from its original English.
Trials Of Apollo Book 2
The book takes off from where The Hidden Oracle ended, wherein Apollo continues his search as a human teenager to restore the Oracles of Ancient Greece that have gone dark in order to regain his immortality.[1] Along with Meg McCaffrey, he journeys to the Oracle of Trophonius in Indianapolis and later settles his personal feud with Commodus, the second Emperor of the Triumvirate Holdings.[2]
The cover, illustrated by John Rocco, was revealed on December 22, 2016;[5] featuring Apollo along with battle ostriches and a pair of gryphons.[6] The first chapter was released as an excerpt along with the cover on the same day by USA Today.[5][7] In addition, a trailer was released on YouTube to promote the book.[8] In March, Riordan interacted with fans and signed about 1700 copies of the book.[9]
The Dark Prophecy was released in the United States by Disney-Hyperion on May 2, 2017.[10] An audiobook, narrated by Robbie Daymond, was published on the same date by Books on Tape.[11][12] The book was also released in e-book and paperback format.[10] For the first printing, Disney-Hyperion offered different gifts that varied according to where the book was purchased: A Trials of Apollo pen and a pocket journal at Hypable, and Camp Half-Blood sunglasses and The Trials of Apollo beach mat at The Young Folks.[13][14][15] The first printing of The Dark Prophecy was 2 million copies in the United States.[16]
The Dark Prophecy sold 62,987 copies in the U.S. and 6,419 in the UK during the first week.[18] It was the most-purchased novel in the United States during the first week of May, outperforming second place (Neil deGrasse Tyson's Astrophysics for People in a Hurry) by almost 15,000 units.[18] Upon release, the book ranked No. 1 on The New York Times bestseller list[3] and Publishers Weekly's bestseller list.[19] It remained on the latter for 23 weeks.[20] The novel also placed on USA Today's bestseller list.[21][22] It opened at No. 11 on the iBooks bestseller list,[23] but dropped to 18th place a week later and further to 20th after another week.[24][25]
The book received a Lexile score of 700L, making it age- and difficulty-appropriate for the average 11-13 year-old.[27] On Scholastic, the book is recommended to teachers as appropriate material for grades 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12.[28] A reviewer for Common Sense Media rated the book as 10+,[29] while another reviewer wrote that the book was better suited for a younger audience, comprising 8 to 20 year olds, claiming that older readers would find it hard to believe the exaggerated drama.[30]
The novel received positive reviews, but overall much less attention than the first in the series. Preeja Aravind of The Free Press Journal opined that the book appeals to Riordan's already established fantasy, with the old characters showing development. While stating the book is a standalone, Aravind recommends reading the predecessor first.[30] Gillian P. of Pikes Peak Library District's Teen Team felt otherwise, rating the book 5/5 and called it "every bit as good as the first book", highly recommending it to fans of Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus.[31]
One topic frequently noted in by critics is the characters and their development. Carrie R. Wheadon of Common Sense Media praises the addition of characters such as the ex-immortal couple Emmie and Jo as a way to increase depth. She notes that this novel is more an exploration of other characters and their relationships to Apollo than it is about the god himself.[29] Karen Rought of Hypable states that the author's continued introduction of diverse characters feels completely natural and is never forced, writing it "feels like a truer snapshot of the world than most books ever attempt to display". She finds the relationship between Apollo and Calypso particularly interesting.[14] Pamela Kramer, former National Book Reviewer for Examiner.com, praised the characterization of Apollo as well, calling him "the brightest sun of all." She appreciated Riordan's choice to make the god bisexual.[32] However, not all reviewers thought this character development benefitted the novel.
Hypable's review praises how Riordan manages instill humor in even tough situations.[14] Writing for Young Adult Books Central, Karen Yingling agrees. She rates the book 5/5, appreciating how the descriptions of random facts not important to the plot adds humor. She also appreciates "his inclusion of very obscure mythological characters, and the way that he manages to work their mythological story into his own."[34]
The AudioFile magazine lauded the audiobook narration, writing, "Narrator Robbie Daymond is perfectly tuned in as events take a darker turn in this sequel to The Hidden Oracle.... There's plenty of adventure and humor here, and listeners will finish this installment already eager for the next one".[35]
The Dark ProphecyAttributionAuthorRick RiordanCover artistJohn RoccoPublication InformationPublisherHyperion BooksRelease dateMay 2nd, 2017Pages432ChronologyPreceded byThe Hidden OracleFollowed byThe Burning MazeThe Dark Prophecy is the second book in The Trials of Apollo series written by Rick Riordan.[1] It was released on May 2, 2017.
Rick Riordan announced that he would be creating a new series on his The Sword of Summer tour, where he announced the title of his new book. The cover and excerpt of the first chapter of this book were released on December 22, 2016.[2]
Parents need to know that The Dark Prophecy is the second book in a series that's a spin-off of a Percy Jackson spin-off series. Did you follow that? The Percy Jackson and the Olympians series came first, then the Heroes of Olympus. It helps to read them both before digging into the Trials of Apollo series. The storyline picks up after the war at the end of the Heroes of Olympus, and many old favorite characters make cameos or are mentioned (yay, Leo!). And, for extra credit, reading the Apollo chapter in Percy Jackson's Greek Gods helps when our "suddenly mortal and very unhappy about it" narrator Apollo recounts key moments of his godly life. Like in the first book, there's a lot to learn about mythology and history, especially about the Roman Emperor Commodus' reign. The violence ratchets up a little from the last book thanks to arena fighting (with tortured animals -- blame Commodus), some beheadings (three simply because Commodus was bored), and lots of skirmishes with mythological creatures who cause injuries to mortals. For kids who dislike snakes, watch out for the giant serpent and the pit of poisonous vipers. For animal-loving kids, expect one sad animal death and a commitment by characters to take care of the mistreated animals.
If you like fighting mythological creatures and impossible quests that lead to more impossible quests and more fighting mythological creatures, you will thoroughly dig this sequel. By the end of the book you'll need the help of Mnemosyne, the goddess of memory, just to recall when Apollo and friends fought the giant serpent, when they were set upon by pits of smaller venomous snakes or weird creatures with faces below their armpits, or by Germani soldiers, or by helmeted fighting ostriches. It's all big fun, but it does blur together after a while.
There's less focus on character development here than in the first book, The Hidden Oracle, mostly because Apollo has already accepted his fate as a tortured mortal. His endearing relationship with Meg, his polar opposite, continues to develop on the sidelines of all the action. And the dedication of the ex-hunter couple Emmie and Jo to their mortal life as parents in the Waystation adds nice depth to the story. Blink, and you'll miss it, though. The Dark Prophecy is back to the action quicker than one of Artemis' Hunters can draw her bow.
EXCLUSIVE FOR B&N CUSTOMERS: Apollo's Guide to His Least Favorite Roman Emperors. What did these heinous figures from history do in their time, and which one will Lester have to face in THE DARK PROPHECY? Zeus has punished his son Apollo--god of the sun, music, archery, poetry, and more--by casting him down to earth in the form of a gawky, acne-covered sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester. The only way Apollo can reclaim his rightful place on Mount Olympus is by restoring several Oracles that have gone dark. What is affecting the Oracles, and how can Apollo/Lester do anything about them without his powers? After experiencing a series of dangerous--and frankly, humiliating--trials at Camp Half-Blood, Lester must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Somewhere in the American Midwest, he and his companions must find the most dangerous Oracle from ancient times: a haunted cave that may hold answers for Apollo in his quest to become a god again--if it doesn't kill him or drive him insane first. Standing in Apollo's way is the second member of the evil Triumvirate, a Roman emperor whose love of bloodshed and spectacle makes even Nero look tame. To survive the encounter, Apollo will need the help of son of Hephaestus Leo Valdez, the now-mortal sorceress Calypso, the bronze dragon Festus, and other unexpected allies--some familiar, some new--from the world of demigods. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .if(typeof performance.mark !== 'undefined')performance.mark("Product_Tabs_loading_start");Related collections and offersBarnes & Noble Exclusives 041b061a72