The Heroes of Olympus, #5
The Blood of Olympus
by Rick Riordan
Contents
LI
Overview
Zeus catapults the Argo II, forcing an emergency evacuation while Leo remains behind. Jason and Piper reach Camp Half-Blood, where Greeks and Romans finally unite under Reyna and Frank to stabilize the battle. Gaea rises and begins to sink everyone, but Leo returns on a reborn Festus, seizing Gaea and shifting the fight to the air.
Summary
Zeus ends his brief reunion with Jason by spiking the Argo II across the sky. As the ship disintegrates in free fall, Leo orders the preplanned evacuation. Frank transforms into a dragon to carry Percy, Annabeth, and Hazel, while Jason flies Piper clear. Leo refuses to leave, insisting he has a plan.
Jason and Piper land at Camp Half-Blood amid a massive monster assault. Reyna commands the Romans as if never gone; Nico fights on the Greek front. At Jason’s signal, Hazel and dragon-Frank move to rescue the isolated Roman cohorts. Frank and Reyna consolidate the legion, unleashing the standard’s lightning, while Percy rallies the Greeks’ charge.
As the tide turns, the ground heaves and Gaea awakens, revealing that the Athena Parthenos had only delayed her. She bends the land to swallow demigods and siege gear. Piper’s charmspeak steadies the ranks, but the earth goddess begins to overwhelm both armies.
Suddenly, a reborn Festus sweeps in, snaring Gaea mid-taunt. Leo, grinning from the dragon’s back, calls down to Jason and Piper to join him, shifting the fight to the sky and proving he survived his apparent sacrifice.
Who Appears
- Jason GraceSurvives Zeus’s launch, leads evacuation, coordinates battlefield moves, and fights as Greeks and Romans unite.
- Leo ValdezStays aboard during the crash, returns on reborn Festus, captures Gaea and draws the battle skyward.
- Piper McLeanEvacuates with Jason and uses charmspeak to steady allied ranks against Gaea’s earth assault.
- Reyna Ramírez-ArellanoCommands the legion, reunites cohorts with Frank, and drives the Roman advance.
- Nico di AngeloFights on the front lines, warns about earthen ghosts, then departs with Will on urgent business.
- Frank ZhangTransforms into a dragon for evacuation; as praetor, unites cohorts and leads the Roman push.
- Hazel LevesqueRides Arion, helps rally isolated cohorts, and supports Frank’s maneuver.
- Percy JacksonRejoins Camp Half-Blood forces and leads a Greek charge despite chaos.
- Annabeth ChaseEvacuates with Frank and reunites with the Greeks during the counterattack.
- GaeaRises despite the Athena Parthenos, manipulates the earth to swallow fighters, then is seized by Festus.
- FestusReborn bronze dragon who snatches Gaea from the hillside under Leo’s control.
- Will SolaceBriefly confers with Nico and departs with him amid the battle.
- Connor StollHermes camper who fights alongside Jason and adds levity during the melee.