71 pages • 2 hours read
Rick RiordanA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
“Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.”
The Epigraph to the final book in The Heroes of Olympus series is the prophecy that launched the demigods’ quest. As with ancient prophecies, the prophecy’s meaning isn’t manifest but must be interpreted. How the demigods interpret its meaning shapes the choices they make. In this book, Leo interprets the prophecy to mean that he (as the son of Hephaestus, symbolizing fire) and Jason (as the son of Zeus, symbolizing storm) must be involved in the quest’s completion. In this sense, the prophecy functions as a foreshadowing device.
“‘I’m guessing that’s Antinous,’ said Annabeth, ‘one of the suitors’ leaders. If I remember right, it was Odysseus who shot him through the neck with that arrow.’”
Annabeth’s observation demonstrates how Riordan weaves references from ancient myths into the novel, meaningfully integrating them into his own story. In this section, the demigods are in Ithaca gathering information. Odysseus is the titular hero of Homer’s The Odyssey—one of the oldest ancient Greek texts—who slaughters suitors who come to claim his wife and throne. Through the use of ancient narratives and mythic figures, Riordan prepares young readers to experience the original sources with familiarity and understanding.
By Rick Riordan
Daughter of the Deep
Rick Riordan
The Battle of the Labyrinth
Rick Riordan
The Burning Maze
Rick Riordan
The Chalice of the Gods
Rick Riordan
The Dark Prophecy
Rick Riordan
The Hammer of Thor
Rick Riordan
The Hidden Oracle
Rick Riordan
The House of Hades
Rick Riordan
The Last Olympian
Rick Riordan
The Lightning Thief
Rick Riordan
The Lost Hero
Rick Riordan
The Mark Of Athena
Rick Riordan
The Maze of Bones
Rick Riordan
The Red Pyramid
Rick Riordan
The Sea of Monsters
Rick Riordan
The Son of Neptune
Rick Riordan
The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure
Rick Riordan, Mark Oshiro
The Sword of Summer
Rick Riordan
The Throne of Fire
Rick Riordan
The Titan's Curse
Rick Riordan
Action & Adventure
View Collection
Ancient Greece
View Collection
Ancient Rome
View Collection
Animals in Literature
View Collection
Colonialism & Postcolonialism
View Collection
Coming-of-Age Journeys
View Collection
European History
View Collection
Fantasy
View Collection
Juvenile Literature
View Collection
Mortality & Death
View Collection
Mythology
View Collection