(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. Temporarily mortal Apollo and demigod Meg team up with Piper and Jason (from Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series) to rescue Herophile the Sibyl from a burning labyrinth under Los Angeles. Meanwhile, sorceress Medea wants to extract Apollo's godly essence to turn the emperor Caligula into a new sun god. High-stakes action and trademark humor remain, but many sacrifices lead this third entry into somber territory.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. Apollo (now a human teen called Lester) and friends head to Indianapolis to save an oracle threatened by a power-mad resurrected Roman emperor. Demigod Meg, who was given command over Apollo but betrayed him in The Hidden Oracle, needs the Throne of Memory--and Apollo's help--to save herself from an oracle-induced madness. Greek myths form the intriguing backstory of this humorous, gripping action-adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. As punishment, Zeus makes the god Apollo an acne- and flab-afflicted mortal sixteen-year-old, bound to serve twelve-year-old Meg, the awkward demigod daughter of Demeter. Apollo arrives at Camp Half-Blood an odd mix of conceited and pathetic. His troubles continue as campers go missing and the Oracle is offline. This laugh-out-loud funny, adventure-hefty series-opener stars familiar characters from Riordan's beloved modern myth-based world.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 1-3 Heroes in Training series. These books continue the adventures of the young Olympians, who are battling King Cronus to fulfill their destinies. In Typhon, the group fights a giant and frees a captured Olympian. In Apollo, the heroes must outwit more Titans to collect the golden aegis. These installments maintain the series' lighthearted tone and humor; occasional black-and-white drawings contribute a classical tone. Review covers these Heroes in Training titles: Apollo and the Battle of the Birds and Typhon and the Winds of Destruction.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) 4-6 Phaeton sets off to see if Apollo, the god of the sun, will acknowledge that he is Phaeton's father. The story of his journey and the tragedy that results from the boon that Apollo gives him remains true to the Greek myth. Phaeton is an appealing character, and his desire to prove himself worthy of his heritage is convincingly told.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman