The Titan's Curse: Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Book 3

Written by Rick Riordan

Narrated by Jesse Bernstein

When Percy Jackson receives an urgent distress call from his friend Grover, he immediately prepares for battle. He knows he’ll need his powerful demigod allies, Annabeth and Thalia, at his side; his trusty bronze sword, Riptide; and . . . a ride from his mom.
The demigods race to the rescue, to find that Grover has made an important
discovery: two new powerful half-bloods whose parentage is unknown. But that’s not all that awaits them. The Titan lord, Kronos, has set up his most devious trap yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey. Hilarious and action-packed, this third adventure in the series finds Percy faced with his most dangerous challenge so far: the chilling prophecy of the Titan’s curse.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
• Release date: Apr 24, 2007
• ISBN: 9780739355671

Rick Riordan

Rick Riordan (San Antonio, Estats Units, 1964) és, sens dubte, un dels autors de literatura juvenil més respectats. Professor d'institut, el fulgurant èxit de la sèrie «Percy Jackson i els déus de l'Olimp» va fer que pogués dedicar-se exclusivament a l'escriptura.

Reviews for The Titan's Curse

[knotbox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This review contains spoilers for the previous books.

This book starts off with Percy’s mom driving him to boarding school. Which confused me a little bit as Thalia and Annabeth were also there, but it was just a quest— to discover some of the most anticipated characters of this series… For me anyway. It happens in the first two chapters, so is it a spoiler to say WE FINALLY GET TO MEET THE DI ANGELOS!

A lot of great moments in this book between Artemis and the Hunters, Apollo and Thalia’s impeccable fashion choices. Kudos to her, man. I love her style. The little punk.

I definitely laughed when Thalia got all flustered at Apollo and he was like HI YOURE MY HALF SISTER way to kill the mood, dude. And then we get to see him again as they journey across the states? Wow. Oh man I am gonna enjoy the Chronicles of Apollo, I already know that.

Okay, the Hunters were very cool. But I disliked the juxtaposition with the kids in Aphrodite, actually since we’re here, let me pick a bone real quick. The whole series so far Percy (or the author?) were kinda putting Aphrodite cabin down for constantly doing their hair and makeup, they have been getting quite some flack for not being ‘outdoorsy’ or, more accurately, ‘masculine’ which has been grating on me since the first. Sure, they may prioritize their appearance over shows of strength and the games that the campers play, but I am a little annoyed that we don’t get to know more about them. Even Clarisse of Ares cabin got more background in the last book.

I guess this shows growth from the character that we meet one of the kids for more than a few seconds and we see she’s as capable a cabin leader as any of the others. Silena Beauregard. Really grateful for the upgrade in their status.

But pitting the Hunters against them? I was glad that Artemis clarified all romantic love was off the table, not just boys. Still, the game of capture the flag was a bit of an obvious take...

As per usual, Percy goes on the quest— but first we get to meet the Pegasus called Blackjack. The little side adventure they go on was one moment of obvious set up, but it isn’t the only one in the book. It’s full of… I’m not sure if it’s strictly foreshadowing because it’s a little obvious.

But back to the Di Angelos, between the mythomagic game mystery (who gave it to Nico?) and the obvious jumps in their memory (what happened to them?) I was really intrigued and raring to just read their story already! But, I need to calm down, this is still Percy’s story.

We got to see a lot of gods in this one, well a few very powerful players, since we saw Dionysis act like a god for the first time, and not like a guy sobering up after a centuries long bender. Apollo sneaking in some wisdom was also a nice touch. It’s clear that Riordan likes the character. But I also just love the gods sneaking around where they shouldn’t be.

And they kept going west, it’s almost exhausting when you read these books at a breakneck pace. And who is this mystery girl? At first I thought she was a demigod, but she apparently isn’t. Has anyone else realized her initials are RED? That has to also mean something, right?

Speaking of writing that I was a bit dubious about, why didn’t Percy recognize the figurine until the very end? That’s just… that’s just a bit too much to ask of us.

My favorite part, probably was meeting Annabeth’s dad in San Francisco. Of course the book was full of emotional moments, but seeing Annabeth with her family, and the nuanced difficulty she face was lovely. Also, her dad blew my mind because he’s quite the kick-ass nerd. It’s obvious why Athena fell for him.

The ending was hard and kinda stressful. I obviously had to barrel into the sequel because I was a bit too invested in Nico’s storyline already. When he got mad at Percy, I was taken aback. I mean, I saw that Percy had anticipated it (it’s almost too heavy handed looking back) but I’m still so curious about where things will go for this dynamic duo. So young and already so much riding on them both. I’m hyped to read more about Nico, especially.

So despite it being close to midnight, I picked up the next book

In sum, this book really stepped it up. I'm not sure if it's because there was a slight bit more bite to the battles, or because more gods were mucking around where they shouldn't, or simply because Thalia was representing flawless fashion choices, but that book had been the best so far.

I won't say that Percy Jackson is a perfect series, but it has a lot going for it, and I think it deserves the hype. If you enjoyed reading Harry Potter's first couple of years at Hogwarts, you'll enjoy Percy's camp adventures.

Did this review have to be so long? Probably not.

[beammey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I feel like I always say this with RR books, but this was another solid addition to the series. Great story line, great character (we meet more gods!) and we see some old favorites as well. The tension is really starting to build and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in the next story. I would recommend this book. 5 out of 5 stars.

[keebrook · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

better and better. Percy's personality and voice are still a bit annoying but the story is moving steadily away from its Potteresque beginnings.

[jmchshannon · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

THE TITAN'S CURSE is the third book in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and the first book I have not previously read. Unfortunately, I had two issues with my reading experience that made it my least favorite of the first three books.

My first issue is with Jesse Bernstein's narration. For some reason, he chooses to change the voices of certain characters after two books in the series. As if that were not jarring enough, he stumbles in his narration of Percy's voice. He doesn't use enough sarcasm - something Percy already has in spades, made worse by being a fourteen-year-old. The change is subtle, but it makes Percy whinier and less enjoyable a character.

My other issue with THE TITAN'S CURSE is that the entire story feels repetitive. The first book is, in essence, a rescue mission with a deadline, and so is THE TITAN'S CURSE. The danger, locations, and rescuees might be different, but that's about it. A mysterious person is still sending danger to stop Percy and his friends. Percy still becomes the de facto quest leader. The two books are twins, and it makes for a boring read. In fact, I fell asleep while listening during one point, missed about 30 minutes of narration, and had no problems understanding the story despite the missing gap.

THE TITAN'S CURSE was indeed written for children, and formulaic stories are helpful learning tools for the target demographic. I had higher expectations for the series, hoping the narrative would mature as Percy ages. Maybe if Mr. Bernstein had not stumbled so much during his performance, my opinion would be different. I still plan to finish the series, but I now know to temper my expectations.

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Percy goes on yet another quest, this time with some of Artemis' hunters, as they attempt to track down a monster that threatens all of the half-bloods.

Another fun entry in the series. I'm quite fond of this cast of characters now and looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series brings.

[lynnmpk · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fast, fun read. Less silly than the first two books. Plenty of mystery to figure out while reading. My only gripe is that Percy seems to spend an awful lot of time in the air considering that Zeus told him he would lightning bolt his ass if he ever tried to fly again. I guess you can file that under 'gods can be fickle' though.

[viragoreads · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The stakes are rising, and the Titans are getting bolder. Nico and Bianca are part of the equation, and none of the gods know about them. This is getting so good! Percy has accepted the prophesy as his own and now has the weight of the world on his shoulders. It just gets worse from here.

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read the last four of this series in pretty rapid sucession of around three days. I mostly remember that they sort of blurred together. They weren't the most fantastic of children's literature, but I had a lot of fun trying to predict Olympian references and guest appearances before the books would tell you who it was.

[saimaus · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read Mythos between books 2 and 3 and had a lot of fun picking up on little Greek Easter eggs scattered through out the book.

[mutantpudding · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rereading this book was way more painful than I expected it to be. If you've read it you know why...and if you haven't get to it and feel the pain with me! I love basically all the characters and having a book set in winter made this feel different from the books before and after it. It feels a little more high stakes and serious, but of course is still hilarious (Dam snack bar) and a great read.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I don't think this one was nearly as engaging as the last adventure, but it was still a good read. There were enough hints of things to come that I'm still interested in going forward.

[crtsjffrsn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I don't think I'd be wrong in pinning this as a turning point in the Percy Jackson saga. I've yet to read the last two books, but there's a lot going on in this one. For me, this is where the world Percy lives in just really seems to take shape and, as we meet new people and are taken to new places, one really begins to understand the level of danger that faces these young people.

I don't have much more to say than: It's great. And I can wait to get onto the next one.

[othemts · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Book 3 of the series once again features a coast-to-coast quest (literally Bar Harbor, Maine to the Bay Area of California) as Percy Jackson seeks to find his friend Annabeth and the goddess Artemis.  The book introduces half-bloods Nico and Bianca di Angelo, features Zeus' daughter Thalia for the first time, and brings in Zoë Nightshade and the Hunters of Artemis.  All of these characters will be significant to the course of the narrative in the ensuing novels.  But I feel The Titan's Curse doesn't work as well as a stand-alone adventure and feels a bit formulaic.  It's still clever and fun, though.

[quinton.baran · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Continuing the series with the introduction of a few new characters. Also, cameos by some of the deities that have not been encountered yet. Percy is likable because he has his flaws and issues and is accompanied by those that have their own issues. There are some plot holes, but nothing that I haven't come to accept with YA fiction.

[sara_cat-107388 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The motel read the series, the more invested I get in the characters. I was crying a it towards the end, I’ll admit. I do love the strategic timing of revealing the last bit of information about things or people and realizing that everything before fits into place better with the new understanding. Though things seem to be leading towards one thing at the end of this book, but it’ll be interesting to see how long it appears to stay on that track - Riordan has done a great job of making readers feel like things are going one way while actually building a path leading somewhere else.

[jplumey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This one falls a little flat compared to the first two, but then again, it's a transitional book, to set up the plot for the final stages of the story.

Some of the plot elements were a a little troubling and they felt contrived to me. I enjoyed the scene in Olympus very much, however, and I hope that the remaining books have some of that grandeur in them.

[phoenixcomet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Continuing adventures of Percy Jackson and his friends who need to find Artemis who has been captured, but is needed to sway the Olympian council to address the growing situation with Kronos. Great and fun story. Book 3 in Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.

[payday1999-430350 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love mythology books, especially Greek and I think the whole series is great. They are very action packed and it is a easy read. The characters are great and I love them all.

I would recommend this series to anybody.

[drfuriosa · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The advantage to chasing the sun on a flight west is that there are more hours in the day to read. This book was a quick read for the flight home, though it's starting to pick up a bit of predictability. I'll be curious to see how Riordan can tie these threads together at the end.

[sweetkokoro-61371 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really am enjoying these books, I wish these were released when I was a kid, but alas I was an adult when they started coming out. I would have eaten these up as a young girl.

This was another adventure filled, nonstop action with one goal in process that never felt overwhelming or underwhelming.

I love the pacing in which new characters are introduced, but I will say I was taken by surprise that this is when we met Nico di Angelo (the fandom always talks about him when he is like 15ish, he is 10 in this one) I had a complete misrepresentation of what to expect when first meeting Nico thanks to the fandom (what can you do ¯_(ツ)_/¯ )This adorable little 10 yr old was precious and so happy and full of life (clearly the version the fandom loves comes into play after the events in this book, which I can see happening because what happens in this book is hard for a child of 10 to deal with) but I also wasn’t expecting everyone to figure out his parentage they way they did either.

Zoe’s story broke my heart and when *spoiler* Artemis honored her by putting her in the stars I knew exactly which constellation she was gonna be and Ahh I just loved that! It was so bittersweet, I may have shed a tear or two.

The overarching story is progressing quite well too, each book continues to connect to each other and the war that is being built up towards, is staying in focus so I appreciate that. I was actually a little clueless this time around with who the General was until who Zoe was was finally revealed. The way the myths are rewritten to fit Riordan’s world, while staying as close to the “original” sources really does continue to impress me.

Also throughout this book there is a bit of exploration into Percy’s feelings toward Annabeth and I loved how subtle it is, but it still hits enough that you can tell the boy is in denial about having a crush on her, it’s adorable.

I will say I’m conflicted over Thalia, she came in during this book and then also left in this book. I was thinking she would be around longer but I understand her story arc, just kind of surprised it went by so quickly.

After the final events of this book I’m really interested in the direction the next book will go. It ended on a low note so seeing how the next will start will be interesting.

[melrailey-412132 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In The Titan's Curse, Percy Jackson sets out on another quest with his friends to rescue the goddess, Artemis, and his friend, Annabeth, who have been kidnapped by Luke and another mysterious monster known as The General. On top of that, two new demigods of unknown parentage have been found.

This is easily my favorite of the Percy Jackson books so far. It was much more fast-paced, the characters were much more developed and it was plain fun. I enjoyed the twists at the end regarding the prophecy. Only two more books to go and I will have finished the series!

[greeniezona · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I asked my thirteen-year-old for some YA/MG recs for a Bookopoly prompt last month, but then I never ended up landing on that prompt. Still, the intensity with which he held my gaze after pointing out that I'd never finished the Percy Jackson series convinced me to put books 3-5 back on my to-read list.

I think I enjoyed this book more than the previous two. Maybe because now I know what I'm getting out of a Percy Jackson book, so there's no more "adjusting" period to reading a book for middle-grade readers. Maybe it's because my kid has been recommending MG/YA books to me more frequently. Maybe it's just because I was so charmed by the idea of Artemis turning boys who trespassed in her girls-only camp into jackalopes. Jackalopes. Now that's a goddess I'm invested in seeing that she's not overthrown by cranky titans.

Anyway, it was fun. And I guess I'm committed to finishing out the series after all.

[shahnareads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Well, these kids go through a lot.
Why are the adults in this world so okay with kids running off on dangerous adventures? Jeeze.
THEY COULD HAVE DIED
I'm not a fan of Thalia.

[faith_murri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this installment, we meet the redeemable group of men-hating crazy women, Artemis's hunters. I remember hating these girls like crazy when I was younger (and I still think Bianca's a little jerk, but whatever) but found them a lot more reasonable this time around. Also, this one actually made me shed a tear, which is crazy because I never cried in this one before; I only ever cried in The Last Olympian in Luke's backstory scenes (I sob like a baby in those scenes).

Also, I just have to

Rachel: The heck?
Percy: You can see me?

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This series is, and always will be, one of the best YA reads of all time. This also holds true for each individual installment, all of which are brilliant.

[readingwithlynn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Once again Mr. Riordan as made a master piece that leaves us at the edge of our seats wanting more!
I'd give 20 stars if I could!

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fun installment in the series :) the book's end satisfied, while adding just enough to the overarching storyline to leave me craving the next volume.

[ray_-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was A M A Z I N G
I loved every word of it and it kept me on my toes ever since Chapter One which is quite rare for a book to do to me
Seriously this series keeps on getting better in each book!!

[mhanover10 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Another good addition to this series. Great series for pre-teens and young adults.

[srsharms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THIS is where this series becomes truly interesting! With the return of Thalia comes a lot of questions and intrigue, as well as a new complex character who has quite a bit of courage, a truly frightening past, and a huge decision in front of her that adds a special arch to the overall plot. The romance between Percy and Annabeth also begins to blossom, which is a sweet storyline apart from the main conflict. I loved meeting various gods in this one - Apollo was a scream, Artemis is admirable, Aphrodite was surprisingly charming, and Athena was absolutely perfect. My one complaint is that there was so little Annabeth in this one!