THE TRIALS OF APOLLO The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan

THE TRIALS OF APOLLO

The Burning Maze

by

Rick Riordan

            The Burning Maze is book three in Rick Riordan’s The Trials of Apollo series. In book one, The Hidden Oracle, Apollo fell to earth in the form of Lester Papadopoulos, a mortal teenager with acne, and began to investigate why the oracles have fallen silent (see review dated October 22, 2017, http://imobookreviews.blogspot.com/). In book two, The Dark Prophecy, Apollo headed west to Indianapolis and continued his investigation of the oracles (see review dated November 4, 2017, http://imobookreviews.blogspot.com/).

            Now, in book three, Apollo continues his journey even farther west. In The Burning Maze, we join Apollo, as Lester, in California as he faces the third of the evil triumvirate of immortal former Roman emperors and rescues another oracle. Parts of the labyrinth are on fire, and the destruction from these fires is extensive. As in the prior books, Apollo is assisted by some of our old friends, demigods and others. But, with each subsequent book in the series, the evil is increasing, and the odds are worsening.

            I love Rick Riordan’s books, and The Burning Maze does not disappoint. It is quintessential Riordan. As much as I enjoyed the book, however, one of the best things, in my opinion, was my discovery at the end of this book. For some reason, I thought The Burning Maze was book three of a trilogy. I was a bit surprised, therefore, to reach the end of the book and to be left hanging. But, then I turned the page and found that book four is coming in the fall of 2019!

THE SECRET CHORD by Geraldine Brooks

THE SECRET CHORD

by

Geraldine Brooks

            The Secret Chord is the most recent book by Geraldine Brooks, the 2006 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. In this historical novel, Brooks tells the story of David, King of Israel. She traces David’s life from shepherd to warrior to king.

            Brooks tells David’s story through his prophet/loyal servant, Natan. Because of this, the picture of David that emerges in The Secret Chord is not just that of a successful, powerful king. Natan knows all, and we see the entire David: we see the parent who is blind to the shortcomings of his sons; we witness the transformation to the wise king; we learn of the music that is pervasive throughout his life.

            The Secret Chord is well written. At the beginning, it moved slowly, but before long, the pace picked up. Also, I found it a little difficult at first to sort out all the wives and sons and other family members. But, the entirety of the book is cohesive, well-presented, and informative. This was my first experience reading Geraldine Brooks, and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.