The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 5) by Rick Riordan - Audiobook Narrated by Jesse Bernstein | Fantasy Adventure for Teens & Young Adults | Perfect for Road Trips & Bedtime Stories

After the usual cliffhanger of a book that precedes the finale, I was very eager to read The Last Olympian (Book 5). What I read was above and beyond any book in the series and an absolute fantastic way to finish it out. As Battle of the Labyrinth set up previously, the final showdown between the Olympians and Kronos draws dangerously close to being a reality. This is what Percy and all the other demigods in camp have been training for their entire lives, but will it be enough or in time to stop the Titan army? As the book opens, we learn Kronos is back and getting stronger than ever in the body of Luke and with each traitor that crosses over, helps him gain a stronger foothold in the mortal world again.As The Last Olympian opens, preparations from Camp Half-Blood against the Titan Lord and his army are underway. However, Percy and company have a bit more to worry about than just Kronos himself. They must also figure out a way to help the Gods of Olympus defeat the literal "Father of all monsters" in Typhon, who was accidentally released when Percy nearly destroyed Mount St. Helens the previous summer. As Typhon walks again, he sets his sights on now rampaging in a path of destruction towards New York City where there will be no stopping him if he reaches The Summit of Olympus.The search for the upper hand takes Percy on a very interesting journey, of which includes a very interesting visit to the mother of Luke in order to find anything that would explain just why Luke became who he became and why Luke would ever serve someone like Kronos. What will Percy learn from this meeting? What could the mother of Luke have to offer Percy that would help when it matters the most? Riordan crafts the answers to these questions very nicely and does an excellent job of not giving them away until the very end. With that said, The Last Olympian is certainly not without its fair share of surprises and "ah ha!" moments. Percy's story is complimented very well by the lovable characters of Grover and Annabeth but equally as well by characters like Nico where you're never sure what side they're on. Readers up to this point will be very intrigued after they see what Rachel's role is towards the end as well. It ends up making perfect sense for her, but you don't quite realize what her true potential is until the last few pages.I wasn't ready to give any book in the series 5 stars so far, but this one truly won me over. I don't like to give a lot of books 5 stars unless they really earn them and this book definitely did that. Everything seemed to work just right with The Last Olympian. From the pacing to the action scenes to the character development, it all just fit nicely. Even though it's a series primarily aimed at young adults, the humor and knowledge you gain of mythology throughout this book and this series is truly refreshing to see for any age. Whether you're looking for a good summer read or a good summer read that teaches you something in the process, don't make the mistake of missing out on this series!-Travis S.