The Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy Jacksons fourth summer at Camp Half-Blood is much like his previous threeƒ??high-octane clashes with dark forces, laced with hip humor and drama. Opening with a line for the agesƒ??The last thing I wanted to do on my summer break was blow up another schoolƒ??this penultimate series installment finds Percy, Annabeth and the satyr Grover furiously working to prevent former camp counselor Luke from resurrecting the Titan lord Kronos, whose goal is to overthrow the gods. When the heroes learn that Luke can breach Camp Half-Bloods security through an exit from Daedaluss Labyrinth, they enter the maze in search of the inventor and a way to stop the invasion. Along the way they encounter a lifetime supply of nightmare-inducing, richly imagined monsters. Grovers own quest to find the lost god Pan, meanwhile, provides a subtle environmental message. Percy, nearly 15, has girl trouble, having become something of a chick magnet. One of Riordans strengths is the wry interplay between the real and the surreal. When the heroes find Hephaestus, for instance, hes repairing a Toyota, wearing overalls with his name embroidered over the chest pocket. The wit, rousing swordplay and breakneck pace will once again keep kids hooked.