specific thoughts on TSATS:
first of all i LOVE how will’s character was written in this. i love how will says things that are kind of closed minded and in nico’s mind, they’re hurtful, but then in will’s pov they seem more reasonable and make sense. it shows their difference in perspective sooo well. and he has so much more depth!! i love how he’s portrayed as having darkness of his own and having his own insecurities. AND HOW HE’S AFRAID OF NICO LEAVING HIM?? that adds SO much for him bc a lot of the time the fandom just sees like nico as scared and emo and sad and insecure and will is happy and confident and WILL bring the one that’s scared of doing something wrong and being left is so ahdjskjdkslgjek
they cry SO MUCH in this book, which isn’t a bad thing at all i kind of love it. also i would be sobbing if i was in tartarus too. i feel like rick always has little themes that he likes to repeat in his books, like people suddenly passing out after saying something, making jokes ina. horrible situation, & etc, and this is definitely another little theme of his (or maybe mark’s who knows!!)
this book definitely is a lot darker than any of rick’s previous books, but i feel like him and mark kind of compensate for it by dropping some of the darker scenes super fast. for example, that scene where will realized that tartarus is alive and like has a breakdown (I FUCKING LOVE THAT SCENE ALSO) is kind of quickly brushed past, and like will kinda just gets over it. i get that the book can’t be too dark tho
correct me if i’m wrong but is this the first pjoverse book that’s had a curse word?? or first rick riordan book period?? i saw nico say the word damn and my jaw DROPPED
i know that the scene where nico sees bianca and maria again is a little like inaccurate and fan pleasing but god am i pleased. like who cares that bianca said she was in elysium after it said in a previous book that she was reborn, it was rlly cute!!! i’m here for it idc
i was ABSOLUTELY FLABBERGASTED when will gave nyx and friends the gay fever. i bet all the plague will truthers are laughing in my face but i DID NOT expect that. i kinda fucking loved it tho he just pulled that out of his ass
there’s some scene in the final showdown where they (they being the authors) like mess up bianca and maria’s names and nico called bianca his mom and i was like huh !!
them kissing and then having to stop because bob is crying so loud is hilarious idc
ALSO bob the cat just like RIPPING that one guy’s throat out and nico trying to stop him and just being horrified was also hilarious
my heart leapt out of my chest when they were walking over the pit of chaos and will was like “she’s telling me to jump” i was like speeding through at that point and that just came out of nowhere and i was like jesus!! that whole scene of them crossing was so good eee also when will had that thing?? that happened to him when he saw the mansion was so creepy and distressing and
i will definitely be diving into will’s trauma and issues once it’s tomorrow and my brain isn’t fried!! i’ve read too many words today
overall i LOVED the book but idk if everyone feels the same bc blocking all the critics all day has been a full time job,, but that book made my little neurodivergent brain buzz so hard
