This book represents the beginning of another group of books in the world created for "Percy Jackson - the Lightning Thief", and I expect Percy Jackson will show up eventually. For now, only a portion of the supporting characters from "The Lightning Thief" figure in the story line of "The Lost Hero". This group is called "The Heroes of Olympus".
I have read all of the Percy Jackson group, and "The Red Pyramid", which is the first of another group, called "The Kane Chronicles". It took a couple of chapters to get into the first Percy Jackson book, but from there, I was hooked. I read the first five in my spare time on a three week trip. I tried to pace myself, and I was really busy --- but I couldn't stop. They were just that good.
I am not often prone to comparing one book or one author to another, because I don't think it tells you much - you have to know both authors, or know the one well enough to get something out of the comparison. Two people never have the same experience, so the comparison often becomes pointless. I have seen several references to "Percy Jackson" as the "next Harry Potter". Perhaps that is a useful comparison to many readers. My experience is that the Harry Potter books seem "made up" to me, while these Percy Jackson books seem to build on existing mythology in a clever way. Either way, I suppose, they are both just made up stories, but somehow I find the fact that the Greek gods exist in other poetic works somehow makes the books seem more real.
Please don't misunderstand me - I like the Harry Potter books well enough to re-read them, which is rare for me. I am a person who strongly feels the press of time and age, which limits the number of books I will ever be able to read. As a result, I consider carefully before reading a book again.
In the case of the Percy Jackson books, they seemed to be more enjoyable to me. They seemed to have a faster pace, or perhaps they were just more diverting. I recommend them strongly - and they are suitable for a good reader 10 and above, but yet still satisfying to me as an adult of 47.
The Lost Hero is 557 pages, and perhaps five hours to read. It's a book good enough to keep, and to read again. It's fun on several levels. Well recommended.
