I'm going to give a spoiler free review at the beginning and discuss some spoilers at the end because I have Thoughts™. There will be "SPOILER ALERT" before the spoilers.

Anyway, I have conflicting feelings about this one. I liked it, but it was spoiled for me before I even read it so my experience wasn't what it could have been. The story itself was fine and I thought it was a good introduction to the third emperor (who I won't name because it's technically a spoiler) but there was just something about it that didn't click with me. I think it was because I was waiting for the spoiler to happen and not engaged in what was going on at the moment. I'm not faulting the book for being less enjoyable while knowing spoilers like some might, and I'm really looking forward to the next one, but it's no Hidden Oracle.

SPOILER ALERT

So the thing that was spoiled for me was the fact that Jason dies. Can we talk about how neither Piper or Leo are going to Jason's funeral? Like that really bothers me. They could easily go, why are they not going? They were so close to Jason it would make so much more sense for them to go. And we better fucking get Jason's funeral in all its glory in the next book because that's what Jason deserves. Also I hope we get to hear what actually happened at Camp Jupiter in the next one too. The problem with a single perspective is that you miss some things and that was a big thing to miss so even if it's just Reyna explaining what went down specifically I'd love it. However we probably won't get that. One can dream right?