Response to Some Comments!

My previous post, The Blood of Olympus Death Predictions! received a lot of comments with people reviewing, and analyzing what I said. I find this amazing, and instead of responding to each comment in the comments section (where people may or may not see it), I figured I'd put them all here and say what I feel.

To be fair, these are in the order they were posted...

From Louise Lewis 

"I agree 100%. I think it would suck if Gaea DID'NT rise. I was expecting deaths in HoH and was disapointed. So I don't think Rick can crap out on this one. I do think that it will be Frank and Hazel who die. (At least of the 7). It's also possible that outside of the 7 I think Reyna might die at the hands of Octavian."

My Response

Well, there's not much to respond to on this one, as you did agree with me completely :D. The only thing you said that I didn't say is that Reyna is going to die. I purposefully did not include any secondary characters in my prediction, as they are much more difficult to predict. A bunch of the comments (as you all are about to read) deal with secondary characters' deaths, so I am going to wait until I finish all of these, and then say what I feel about that...

From aquamarine

"A) I don't think it would make sense to kill a complete 'couple' (by couple I mean either Annabeth & Percy, Hazel & Frank, or Piper & Jason). If the complete couple were killed, it would feel too absolute, like the relationship just is cut off completely, with nothing left at the end of the book.
B) I think Nico will die because he is a child of one of the 3 eldest gods, and I was under the impression that this was supposed to be extra-dangerous. Children of Poseidon, Zeus, and Hades are, it seems, more likely to be killed at a young age, yet there are 4 of them still alive - Nico, Percy, Jason, and Thalia. (I am not counting Hazel, since she already died once.) I doubt Percy or Jason will be killed, and Thalia is a hunter, so it won't be her.
C) When the 2 die to awaken Gaea, I think they will try to kill Percy, but maybe Nico will get in the way, attempting to protect Percy, and be killed instead. Nico has admired Percy for a long time, and I think he would be reluctant to let Percy die, even if he does blame Percy for his sister's death.


I don't remember it being said anywhere that the 2 to die had to be a part of the Seven, just that there had to be 1 male and 1 female demigod. Correct me if I'm wrong! :)"

My Response

Firstly, thanks for putting this with an "A,B,C;" it makes it much easier to respond :D!

A) When I first read this, it made me think. You bring up a very compelling point -- if Rick killed just Frank, it would be apparent with Hazel -- if Rick killed just Hazel, it would be apparent with Frank -- but if he killed both of them, the others may just say "there better off together," and sort of just not bring them up. But, that also could be used as an argument against you. It has to be remembered that this is a children's book, so maybe Rick feels it would be better if they weren't brought up -- maybe he wants it to be a "happy ending," despite the deaths. But, you definitely bring up a good point, and we'll just have to wait and see!

B) Again, this is bringing up the secondary character idea, which, as I said previously, I will talk about at the end of this post. I'm not 100% sure if it has to be two of the seven...I've contemplated this question a lot. Rick left that detail out, purposefully maybe? But, I'll talk more about this later in the post.

C) Again, a great point. If Nico is there, how could he let Percy die? But that could be brought up about everyone...
Percy's fatal flaw is that he's too loyal...how could he let anyone die?
Annabeth is the seven's leader, of sort...how could she let one die without feeling failure?
Hazel thinks she's supposed to be dead...how could she let another die without feeling guilt?
Frank recently became "a man," and a praetor...how could he not protect his "troops?"
Jason is the son of Jupiter, and a natural born leader...how could he not live up to "his name?"
Leo, although a "comedian," feels like he could get out of any sort of trouble by building something...how could he let the others perish without feeling like he didn't live up to his father?
Piper could control everything, even open up a cage, with her charm speak...wouldn't she feel failure if she can't stop a giant from killing her friends?
All of the seven have compelling reasons as to why they wouldn't let anyone die...doesn't this bring up a problem?

From Madison

"I think that it will be Annabeth and Nico. I think that Nico has to die to redeem himself for being totally evil in book 4 of the first series, and I think that Annabeth will die, mostly because I can't really believe that Annabeth will die, and neither can anyone else, so if Rick wanted us to stare at the wall in shock and burst into tears (which of course, he does), Annabeth would be the way to go. No one thinks she will die, because she has been so tough since the beginning of the Lightning Thief, and basically dragged herself and her friends though two series worth of hardship, and right now it looks like she is going to have a wonderful life, so I think that she has to die. I guess you could make the same argument about Percy, but we have all been bracing ourselves for years for the scene when Percy sacrifices himself, so I don't think it will ever happen. I think you are right that Percy would never willingly let Annabeth die, but wouldn't that just make it more horrifying for the readers if her tried to save her and failed?"

My Response

I'm going to ignore the Nico points, for now, because, as I've said, I will be talking about that later in this post. I understand your points for Annabeth, but I have to disagree with them...mainly your line, "if Rick wanted us to stare at the wall in shock and burst into tears (which of course, he does), Annabeth would be the way to go." I'm not saying I can guarantee this applies to Rick, but most writers write not only because they love to, but also because they love their fans...and the money. If Rick's reason for killing Annabeth was solely because he thinks it would make us sad, then that's extremely odd. Yes, Rick teases us, like with The Mark of Athena's cliffhanger...but that doesn't lose him fans...in fact, it gains him fans. Firstly, anyone who read The Mark of Athena was clearly going to buy The House of Hades, because they needed to know what happened, but also, the Internet stormed. Everyone was talking about how Rick ended his book with his main characters "dying," and that brought upon great publicity. To reiterate, yes, Rick wants to tease...a cliffhanger...that helps him....but killing a character...that's a stretch. I mean, I'm not out ruling it, Annabeth definitely could die, but I think your reasoning is way off. Nevertheless, thanks for your opinion!


NOW THE SECONDARY CHARACTERS!

As promised, here is my opinion on Secondary Character Deaths. First, let's break it down into all the "main" secondary characters in The Heroes of Olympus.

(Coach) Gleeson Hedge: Yes, there are reasons as to why Hedge would die...although crazy, he is the protector...he does do everything he can to protect the seven. Despite his weird tactics, he does care for those kids. But, I don't think he will die. Rick just named him a father...You can't kill a Daddy Goat! Also, even if the blood of Olympus does not refer to the seven...Hedge isn't a demigod...so killing him would be kind of unnecessary.

Thalia Grace: Now, there isn't much reason to think Thalia will die...I only mention her because one of the comments did. I have to address that comment though...Thalia can die even though she is an immortal huntress. The only way for a Hunter of Artemis to die is in battle (like Zoe Nightshade)...but, the only way I see Thalia dying is if it was to protect Jason...she let him go once already...she won't let it happen again. But, I don't think the Hunters would be there in Greece (how would they have traveled the Ancient Lands), so I don't see how this could happen.

Reyna Avila Ramírez-Arellano: I'm very unsure about Reyna...I really hate that we don't know much about her. I know there is about a 0% chance of it happening, but I would absolutely love a Reyna POV. I think Rick needs to make another "bonus book" where we have other POV's (Reyna, Nico, Hedge, etc.). Anyways, one comment mentioned Reyna dying at the hands of Octavian. I guess that sounds like the best prediction, as I don't think Reyna will be with the Seven in Greece. Maybe, when Reyna returns to Camp Half-Blood with the Statue, Octavian will "secretly" kill her, as she ruined all his plans. If the Romans don't attack Camp Half-Blood, Octavian will not have been proven a good leader, and he will not get to be a praetor.


Nico di Angelo: Ah, Nico. We've seen him grow so much. From a kid playing with cards, to a vengeful boy who lost his sister, to a loner who traveled the labyrinth alone, to a forgiving person, willing to relieve Percy of his guilt, to a mysterious young man, traveling between the Roman and Greek camps, to an "ultimate beast," able to make it through Tartarus, alone, and finally to an "adult" willing to admit his love for Percy. I honestly think if Nico died, I would be just as sad, if not sadder than if Percy died. But there is reason to believe he may. If he is in Greece (which he could be with shadow travel), he will be in the fight with Gaea. If the blood need not be that of the seven, it very well be that of Nico. A lot of the seven fear Nico, and they'd more readily "give him up" than most of the rest. And I don't know if Nico would be that "angry" to die...he spends more time with the dead than the living as it is...I just don't know...I don't think Nico will die, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did.

Thanks for Reading! And Please, Keep Leaving Amazing Comments!

The Blood of Olympus Death Predictions!

Alright, I haven't done an actual Percy Jackson related post in a while, so here goes. I've already stated that I believe that at least one main character will die in The Blood of Olympus, but now I want to elaborate on that.

My prediction as of right now is that two of the seven will die. To explain this, I feel I have to start off by stating some facts.

Gaea will be defeated by "the crew" 
I think that's pretty obvious... Rick would not be looked upon favorably if the good guys lost. I didn't spend the past five years (since we read the new Prophecy in The Last Olympian) reading all of this, just so the characters could lose. No, I am nearly positive that Gaea will be defeated.

There will be a battle between Gaea and "the crew" 
The past four books have all been building up to this moment. Can the demigods defeat Gaea and save the world before their deadline? Well, I would assume Rick's going to give us a huge action packed battle scene. I mean, yes, Gaea has been battled by the Seven many times individually (well sort of), but they've never stood together, and faced her. This leads me to my next "fact."

Gaea will rise
This is clearly controversial, and I have no proof it will happen. But I believe Gaea has to rise. I'm sorry, but I don't want to see Book 5 (or 10 depending on how you look at it) end with a wimpy battle where the heroes just stop her. No, I want them to defeat her. I want Gaea to fail at the most crucial point. And that probably is what's going to happen. If I had to predict, I would say the Seven will arrive just as she is awakening.

Well, if you think everything I just said is true, then you, too, believe at least two of the Seven will die.
Why, you may ask -- in order for Gaea to rise, she needs the blood of two demigods -- the blood of Olympus. I'm assuming that doesn't mean they can get cut and she can just take the blood (if that's the case I will be extremely disappointed) - no, I assume this means she needs two of them dead.

So, if that's all true, and Gaea rises, and Two of the Seven die, who will it be? We know that it has to be one boy and one girl (this has been stated). So, let's look at each character individually, and see why they could die, or why that can't die.

I'll start with the characters I feel can't die.

Percy Jackson 
I've said that I want a main character to die many times, but I don't think Rick would kill Percy. I'm not going to say that an author can't kill a main character, as I've read books where it has happened (well, one in particular, but I don't want to spoil it), but I don't think Rick could do this. We've seen Percy grow up through 9 books + 2 bonus books (The Demigod Files and The Demigod Diaries) + 1 crossover book (The Son of Sobek) + 1 story (Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, which will be released in August, before The Blood of Olympus). How can someone kill a character after writing 13 books about him (well 14 if you count The Blood of Olympus)? Also, Rick has stated that he plans to do a sequel to The Son of Sobek, and I think it would be weird for him to write about a character who is dead in the future (if that makes sense). Yes, Rick has been known to throw curve balls at us (*cough* Nico *cough*), but I don't think he could do this.

Annabeth Chase 
There's not much to say here, as it's basically the same as above. I do think there is a better chance Rick would kill Annabeth than Percy, but I don't think he'll kill either. Plus, do you really think Percy would let Annabeth die? His fatal flaw is that he's too loyal to his friends. [getting off topic here, but whatever] That's the only problem I have with Percy -- he's always been told that his fatal flaw would get him in trouble, and how is he going to let anyone die? Hmm....

Leo Valdez
Aside from the million angry letters he'd get from fans if he demolished Team Leo, there are other reasons supporting Leo's living as well. The main point being Calypso -- Leo promised (well swore) that he would return to Ogygia -- I don't think Rick would write that and not let it happen. And a side note, that's what I'm looking forward to most. Calypso is one of, if not my absolute, favorite characters in the series. I'm so excited to see what Riordan has in store. And for all of you who are going to say "Well Leo's going to die because it says 'an oath to keep with a final breath,'" no where does that mean death. That could simply mean a swear on the River Styx, as you have to keep it or face death.

Well, that's it for the characters I feel can't die, now for the ones that could die

Piper McLean
I honestly believe Piper would be the character that the least people would care if she died. I mean, Piper's just there - I don't her, I don't love her, she's just there. Yes, her charmspeak comes in handy sometimes, and is pretty awesome (I want to wake up a dead mechanical dragon head), but that's about all there is to her. I don't necessarily think she is going to die (mainly because Jason wouldn't let that happen), but I wouldn't be all too surprised

Hazel Levesque 
Okay, here is where it gets serious. I believe Hazel is going to die. There are so many signs foreshadowing this -- she's already died, she assumed Death was going to take her, she was willing to die, etc. Yes, Hazel did show here awesomeness with controlling the mist, but in my mind, it makes the most sense for Hazel to die.

Jason Grace
There's really no reason for Jason to die. He has mad skills, and he's a son of Jupiter. The only way I could see him dying is, as I said before, if he is protecting Piper. I think Jason would give his life for her, but I don't really see that happening.

Frank Zhang 
Here's where we have a problem. If Jason's not going to die, then it has to be Frank. Poor Frank. I mean, there are signs leading to it, mainly he might want to stay with Hazel. Also, it wouldn't be that hard for Frank to die, all someone has to do is rip that bag Leo made for his firewood. Again though, poor Frank. Just got promoted to Praetor, finally showing signs of character development, and now..

So, based on what I just said, my prediction for the deaths:
Frank and Hazel

Again though, Rick has thrown curve balls, nothing can surprise me. Please let me know what you think is going to happen via email or comment.

Also, I'll do a post later on about this, but I really hope Nico gets a POV. I think it's very possible in this book, because we want to know what's going on with the Leo, Hedge, Reyna trio, but Rick has other ways of telling us (dreams, Piper's dagger). He probably won't get one, but I really want it.

Anyways, thanks for reading!


Oh, I almost forgot. I should have posted this video a while ago, but I never got a chance. I just watched it, and if you have an hour, you should. It's really funny, you get a good idea of some Percy Jackson stuff, and again, it's really funny.

Happy New Year!

Just a quick post.. I don't really have time

Just wanted to say that if any of you are in NEED of something PJ related, the "10 Month Challenge" has officially begun!

Every month from now until September, read one PJ book, from TLT to HoH, and in October, you'll be right in time for THE BLOOD OF OLYMPUS!

Anyways, that's all I have to say
I doubt I'll be participating, but I will read all of them before October

Feel free to share your progress with me via comment or email!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!