Mister Bard Man Man Me A Bard

She/her, 23, currently fixating on nothing in particular?

[misterbardman]

gods behaving badly

I just got done reading this book by marie phillips

And it… was a mess.

To start, I liked the premise, a lot. I liked the setting enough, most of the characters were likable enough.

But there was too many issues. I could not stand how some of the characters were written. Probably because I’m so used to reading the Percy Jackson series among some other novels such as Lovely War and Lore that this just felt… Wrong?

More so, the portrayals of Athena and Apollo. Like, throughout the book Athena is telling everyone what they have to do to get their powers back but her fault is that,,, she can’t speak plainly. It’s not that amusing, it makes it feel like Athena needed an excuse to be out of the plot so she wouldn’t help anyone else.

I am not going to get into Apollo regarding this book. There was a lot I didn’t like, particularly one conversation regarding him and Alice, the main mortal girl of the story.

Basically, this book is a retelling of Apollo and Daphne along with Orpheus and Eurydice. There is a lot of NSFW content within the book, so if this feels like something you want to read, then fine, go ahead! I won’t lie and say the book wasn’t entertaining. I did finish it after all. That, and I really liked some of the characters such as Artemis and,,,, yeah I guess I just liked Artemis! She’s one of the four POV’s followed throughout the book.

I still don’t think it’s a good book though, but I guess I can see why people would enjoy it.

Anyway, if you’re looking for more books like Percy Jackson, check out these:

• Lovely War - Julie Berry (a retelling of I think the First World War? I can’t remember I read the book a year ago, but Aphrodite is the one telling the story to Hephaestus. Ares, Apollo, and Hades do also show up)

•Lore - Alexandra Bracken (basically a sort of hunger games type book told in New York City where Greek gods are hunted down once every seven years and must survive or be replaced by a mortal. Athena is one of the main characters here)

•Blood of Hercules (I am going to be honest. I did not like this book. However, it still feels that kinda niche so I’ll recommend it!)

• Circe and The Song of Achilles (these two are fantastic. Written by the same author but both feel very different from one another so if you don’t like one, try the other!)

If you prefer watching shows, then watch Class of the Titans! It’s free on YouTube! It’s about seven mortals who have to train to fight Kronos. I will add that it ends on a cliffhanger :(

[misterbardman]

Media that’ll fill that Percy Jackson hole:

Books:

• Lore - Alexandra Bracken

•Lovely War - Julie Berry

•The Games Gods Play (18+)

•A Touch of Darkness (18+)

•The Song of Achilles

•Circe

•Half-Blood

•Caraval (not Greek mythology, but the series features its own pantheon of gods from book two on, and one of the characters in the Once Upon a Broken Heart is named Apollo)

Shows/Movies:

•Class of the Titans

•Clash of the Titans

•Kaos

•Blood of Zeus

Games:

•Hades / Hades 2

Musicals:

•Hadestown

•Epic

[misterbardman]

One thing I am still very curious about when it comes to Trials of Apollo: why did it take him roughly six months to become mortal?

Why not sooner?

If it was sooner, Percy and Annabeth, and Grover as well, were in New York City at school, surely they could’ve helped him.

Also, as much as I love Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess, technically, Nero and the others should still be around right? I mean, I sort of get why the main trio isn’t at camp, they probably don’t know about the lack of communication if it started around then.

But somehow, the gods have time to send Percy on Quests but not to try and get the prophecy stuff solved first??? Like, ToA, it is a pretty big deal that there are no prophecies or quests, that Delphi has been taken over by Python by that point,

But Percy has time to pet-sit? I don’t think he should handle every quest, but come on, he’s taking any quest he can get, why hasn’t anyone tried using that?

I just really want someone to ask about these things in the next book. Maybe mention seeing a Triumvirate real estate sign, or try calling camp and getting no response. Or just have Annabeth and Percy question what happened to Apollo after he was basically disappeared after the giant battle in blood of Olympus.

It is really surprising that no one questions this stuff until it’s too late. Still, I just think it would be so nice and neat to get SOME reference towards Trials of Apollo, it would make sense timeline wise.

It all depends when the next book is set I guess. Hopefully, it takes place during the new year, which I would love to see a scene from Percy’s point of view when Apollo and Meg first drop by, then go to camp and fight the nosoi. It would be so interesting to see someone else’s thoughts from the same scene.

I am begging for fan fiction or for something to be canon please please please-

[misterbardman]

Someone please make an au where Lee Fletcher and Micheal Yew are alive and well in trials of Apollo please and thanks

[misterbardman]

Man, Frazel is such an odd ship because when I was younger, like 15? I didn’t even realize how different 13 and 16 was (though Hazel died and came back, would that have changed anything regarding when her birthday should be?) regardless, now at 23, it is a very weird thing because Frank should be a Sophomore and Hazel is,,, an 8th grader? 7th grader? Neither sound very good.

Percy Jackson has a bunch of odd ships and couples.

Was there any reason Hazel was made 13 and not older? Is she supposed to be the same age or younger than Nico? I don’t really think it would’ve mattered if she had been a few years older,,, Frank I can kinda understand being 16, since in Son of Neptune they mentioned that was the age for ‘Romen’s to become men’ or something, very paraphrasing.

Anyway, just an au where Hazel is aged up to at least 15-16 and some of the other issues are changed.

Like,,, all the other demigods of the 7 are 16ish, and then there’s a 13 y/o

[misterbardman]

‘ “We have to fall back,” Michael said. “I’ve got Kayla and Austin setting traps farther down the bridge.” ‘ - The Last Olympian, page 185

I had no idea they were here! I haven’t read this book in about six years, and last time I read the comic, I don’t remember much of anything happening. But it’s so cool to see even then Kayla and Austin were there. They must be so young 😢

[misterbardman]

Percy: Hi ma’am, I’m Percy

Annabeth: She doesn’t speak English.

Percy: I’m still Percy.

[misterbardman]

One of my favorite things to do is to read The Hidden Oracle and then read Tower of Nero because the way Apollo has grown and changed is so cool and it’s just not talked about enough.

That, and there are so many in the PJO fandom who just did not give these books a shot or chance (me included years ago) but I’m begging, this series is great and it’s like taking a road trip to see some old friends again.

It just makes me sad that there are still so many who found the first book annoying which,,, yeah, that’s kinda the point. I stopped initially a few chapters into The Dark Prophecy but I wish I didn’t, maybe the major death in Burning Maze would’ve surprised me and not been spoiled.

If you haven’t read the books, do yourself a favor and power through the pity fest of the first two book, maybe two and a half, because the last two are so worth it to watch the character development of everyone.

[misterbardman]

Thinking about how in Blood of Olympus, Jason was literally arguing with Zeus/Jupiter about punishing Apollo, and then during TOA, Jason dying to save Piper and Apollo (and Meg but,,,). Like, wow, Jason is so underrated, he argued with the king of the gods to defend Apollo and then saved his life later on.

I doubt it was fully planned, but that’s just some cool foreshadowing that Jason was willing to defend and protect Apollo. Maybe cause technically, they are half-siblings, maybe he felt bad for him, whatever the case, Jason is such a hero and deserved more, but his sacrifice was not in vain and at least he made peace with his choice.

Also just Apollo wanting to bring Jason back even though Jason would very much not want that. Jason was the protector and it’s pretty sad how the PJO fandom used to treat him prior to Burning Maze (I first read PJO in 2016 when I was a freshman in High School, and even then I didn’t particularly like Jason, unlike now) but seeing the fandom talking about him and the other demigods just makes me so happy.

This turned into a Jason appreciation post on my TOA account/lh

[misterbardman]

Still thinking how Jacks calls Evangeline ‘little fox’ just them-

[misterbardman]

I’m so sorry but post-toa Apollo would be the type to say cringey slang, either on purpose to annoy others or just because it’s trendy. Just, just him saying “sigma meal, skibidi slicers” is stuck in my head, idk what it means, I’m Gen z im too old for it, but apollo would in fact say it to annoy others

[misterbardman]

As much as I love TOA, it’s literally my favorite in PJO, I wonder if it would’ve been better if it came out after Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess. Those two books, and presumably a third, take place after the Gaea war which is when Apollo is simply not there (don’t know where, would love to find out if there’s any answer or if he’s just nonexistent or something), but I also wish TOA did not spoil some stuff such as Percy’s younger sister, getting into New Rome.

It kind of took away some of the surprise of Estelle and the ‘if percy will get into new rome’ because,,, he is, TON takes place after so obviously he got in.

I do think if TOA came out after, it would not be as wanted, simply because it would be very forgettable if Apollo simply just vanished (could have assumed he was doing some other punishment that no one knows about, not really relevant)

My point, I both love and hate when TOA came out, because it’s great to read right after Blood of Olympus but it is also,,, the absolute worst because it shows six months-nine months into the future by the end which just kinda ruins any tension in the new books.

Haha rant over, apollo is still my favorite narrator and I keep reading TTT and TON over and over again

[coquettemouse-deactivated202507]

I'm tired of keeping my silence, but it's Naomi Solace who got Apollo pregnant, not the other way around

[misterbardman]

Back in the PJO fandom again like a sun chariot crashing into the lake

[iheartgirlzn-deactivated2025062]

i was thinking about trials of apollo and how apollo acts with meg in the books and i couldn’t help but think of will, autsin & kayla and the rest of his dead children.

i can imagine those three being like: ‘why couldn’t he love his own children how he does with meg?’ and ‘why couldn’t we be the ones to make him see that being mortal isn’t bad and that it’s important to love?’

I CAN JUST SEE THEM BEING A TEENY BIT SALTY TOWARDS APOLLO AND BE ENVIOUS OF MEG AT FIRST — BECAUSE IF IT WERE ME AND SOME RANDOM CHILD THAT TOOK MY DAD HOSTAGE SPENT MORE TIME WITH HIM THAN ME I’D BE A LIL BIT UPSET 😭

[misterbardman]

No this because I literally made my PJO oc this entire concept with my friend. Basically my friends oc was also a child of Apollo but more ‘doted on’ while my oc just got like nothing, didn’t even get claimed for a long time.

[misterbardman]

Okay serious question about trials of Apollo cause I tried searching for this answer and have found nothing.

What happened in the missing six months to Apollo? Like the Gaea war happened then Apollo disappears but comes back around January, right? Was this ever explained or am I misremembering?

[misterbardman]

Reblogging my old post but realizing we ARE finding out what happened, specifically through Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess. Granted, neither mention Apollo nor is,,, anyone that concerned, but they are set during that ‘missing six months’

Just would love for someone to mention that no one knows what happened to him as a way to lead into TOA that would be happening soon.

Like, in my head, just imagining Annabeth mentioning in a side comment that no one has heard from Apollo nor had a prophecy in a while. Like, just one line please, it would make so much sense.

[misterbardman]

Idea for a Percy Jackson Video Game

Okay so to start, I’ve been playing Hogwarts Legacy, which is incredibly fun and why I have this idea in the first place. The main concept would be set during one of the ‘off’ seasons of camp, or could be set a few years before Percy first arrives at camp.

The player could make their character and then be shown some cutscene of said character running through the woods to get to Camp Half-Blood with a Satyr guide. The player is being chased but just makes it into the barrier in time.

From there, typical showing the camp off and explaining things to the player, then possibly around dinner, the player is suddenly claimed by a godly parent (the choice would be given, though Hera and Artemis are not choices). Depending on who is picked determines what abilities your character would have, as well as weapon choices.

While I’m not sure on a plot, it could involve teaming up with some familiar faces, though maybe some that aren’t shown as much in the series, or could just be new characters from other Cabins.

However, this game could be open world, obviously not to the extent of Hogwarts Legacy, but I think having Camp, the woods, and maybe a portion of NYC or some other city would be enough for the game.

Maybe choosing what cabin can influence gameplay scenes and dialogue. Would also love to see scenes of the godly parent talking to the player, maybe through dreams and by pretending to be a stranger?

So far, because I am very biased, picking Apollo as a godly parent could include using a bow, having abilities such as songs influencing the environment and glowing in the dark, enhanced healing in sunlight with the drawback being dark sections of the game that could take place in Hades make the character weaker.

Also, just imagine having to go through Tartarus, either with the other campers on the quest or alone as a ‘hard’ mode for the game.

Also potential ideas:

•Roman Demigod sequel game

•Maybe a civil war game that took place between the two camps

•a post-Percy game where there’s even more Cabins to choose from

•A game set in the Magnus Chase books ending up in Valhalla

•A game following similar events to the Kane Chronicles (I haven’t finished the series but if you have any ideas, lmk!)

Anyway, if anyone has other ideas or thoughts, please please please tell me, this idea has been consuming my thoughts since playing Hogwarts Legacy and I just want this game to be real

If this were a game, would you play it?

Yes

No

Voting ended onOct 16, 2024