Oog.
It’s equus ex machina in the latest chapter of Michael Reads Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters…
The Party Ponies Invade
I’m a little late on posting this entry, mainly because I wasn’t sure quite how to go about it. I’ve definitely enjoyed reading the Percy Jackson series so far. I’ve especially loved seeing another writer’s take on Greek mythology in the modern world. Yet this particular chapter just didn’t work for me. Don’t hate me, but I’m about to get all complainy. (Yeah, I said “complainy.” I’m makin’ it a word and you can’t stop me!)
Was I just in a bad mood when I read it and judged it harshly? I’m not sure. I can say that the “party ponies” are a big part of why I didn’t like it. I realize that Chiron did mention at the beginning of the book that he was headed to Florida, but their use here really does feel like a deus ex machina. Granted, even a deus ex machina can sometimes work, but in this case I felt a little cheated.
Okay, so I get that Percy and the gang can’t get out of everything on their own, especially at this stage. Might I have complained if they managed to escape from Luke and his goons on their own a second time? When I ponder that question, I’m forced to answer that yes, I probably would have, and so, rationally, I know that it’s not really fair for me to complain that they get rescued. And yet, here I am.
Maybe part of it is that I just don’t really like the “party ponies” themselves. The term itself is something of a joke, and their portrayal as being party/stoner types just made it hard for me to take them seriously, which made their storming what’s essentially Luke’s stronghold feel incongruous and cheap.
Indulgent? Perhaps. But fun to write.
Maybe I’m being hypocritical here. After all, I’m the guy who wrote a book where a giant sundae god named Baskin battles Ares at one point. (See right.) But that question could probably take up an entire post, so I’ll let it be for now.
The rest of the chapter just felt a bit bland. (Again, it’s possible my mood at the time I read it may have affected this.) It’s always nice to see Chiron. But aside from some exposition, there wasn’t much there. I was, initially, a bit surprised at the reveal that Kronos is Chiron’s father, as I didn’t know that. I admit that I know very little about Chiron from the mythology, so it could be mythologically accurate; or a detail Riordan just tweaked for his own purposes. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I’ve done such tweaking myself after all. Stories evolve.)
But that surprise, for me, was short-lived. Even if Kronos is Chiron’s son, in the world of Greek myth that doesn’t really count for much. Sons and fathers aren’t guaranteed to get along. Look at Luke and Hermes. For that matter, most of the pantheon is related to Kronos. Zeus is Kronos’s son. So is Poseidon, which makes Percy Kronos’s grandchild along with all of the gods spawned from Zeus’s generation. You can see where I’m going here.
On the other hand, in the context of why people might have suspected Chiron for poisoning Thalia, it’s at least a valid reason, even if it is somewhat circumstantial. Yet to end the chapter on that revelation seems to imply that it’s meant to be a shocking, Vader-is-Luke’s-father moment (er, different Luke), and in that context it seems a little lacking.
And on the heels (hooves?) of the party ponies, it just didn’t work for me.
I really hate being this negative. I really do like this series! Maybe having enjoyed the series so much up to this point just made me raise my standards? Perhaps I’m judging too harshly. Just know that it doesn’t at all diminish my eagerness to get to the next chapter (I need more hours in the day!), to see how the book finishes up, and to find out what’s next for this series.
So what do you think? Am I being too harsh here, or is this a common fan reaction to this part of the book in the same sense that a lot of Star Wars fans dislike the Ewoks and the Gungans?
Well, i think that you raise your standars and that’s all, probably because you write yourself a book with comedy inside made you a little harsh with certain types of jokes (?). I, in the other hand, think that the chapter was hillarius (the word it’s spelled correctly?), sorry but you gain me with party ponies jaja
Hope everything is okay
Greets
I think (as I try to analyze my gut feelings) it’s not so much that I mind the joke of the party ponies, but rather how they’re introduced. If Riordan had established them prior to this, their arrival on scene here might not have felt so thematically jarring. Or maybe I just don’t like surfers. I dunno. 😀
But i think (if i remember correctly) they were mentioned before by chiron, in the first book? i dunno, something that chiron said “my crazys cousins” or something like that. Maybe i’m just delirating remembering things that do not exist, that’a a true possibility jaja
But well, dont worry, as far as my memory can go, they are not very relevant in the story. Btw, are you going to read all ten books? 😀
You remember correctly – though it was at the start of this book. But they were only mentioned. 🙂 And I’m enjoying things so far, so I plan to continue to make my way through the series so long as people continue to enjoy my reading and blogging about it!
It’s been years since I read this book, but I thought the Party Ponies were silly and funny. A little unnecessary, sure, but it was funny to me to see Chiron’s composure get a little tested. Taking Latin all 4 years of high school made me appreciate this since I just accepted that Greek mythology was ridiculous and didn’t always make sense.
I don’t mind silly, I think I just didn’t like “surfer,” or something. Or maybe I just wanted them introduced prior to them storming the ship. Or, like I said, I might have just been in a bad mood when reading it, which is of course totally on me. 🙂
Hah, at least you’re taking a more constructive approach to this. Better than glossing over everything because “OMG i lurv Percy Jackson, therefore evrthng iz PRFECT!!11!!1”, which I’ve found to be an annoying aspect to some of the fans. A small aspect, sure, but it’s still there >:(
😀 Well, I try. I suppose it helps that I came into this series being a fan of Classical mythology in general, with next to no exposure to Percy Jackson. (But I’m enjoying getting to know the series!)
The more I read this and see your responses to my favorite book series, the more I’m convinced that Zeus is Dead will be AMAZING. Pretty much solidified my decision to purchase it in the very near future. C’mooon, tax return…
Hey, thank you! 😀 (And since you mentioned it, the Oracle at Delphi has recently stated the high likelihood that the ebook version of Zeus Is Dead will be discounted between March 30th and April 2nd. …But you didn’t hear that from me.) 😉
I’ve just found Your blog and read through all the notes in one sitting and, as a huge mythology and “Percy Jackson” fan, I must say I definitely enjoyed it! 🙂 Those “reactions”, let’s call them that, made me curious about Your “Zeus Is Dead” and I’m definitely going to give it a shot. It would be a great pleasure if You went through the series along with its sequel (which is already finished).
From the Greek series we still have:
– The Titan’s Curse
– The Battle of Labirynth
– The Last Olympian
Afterwards, we go to the “Heroes of Olympus” series:
– The Lost Hero
– The Son of Neptune
– The Mark of Athena
– The House of Hades
– The Blood of Olympus
Plus, I definitely recommed looking at “Demigod Diaries”, which is a collection of short stories tied-in to the universe.
Rick Riodan wrote also another “Modern Day Mythology” series about Egyptian gods – “The Kane Chronicles” trilogy, which exists in the same universe as “Percy Jackson” series. On August 2015, there is going to be released his new work (probably in the same universe) called “Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard.”
With that in mind, I’m eagerly waiting for new notes! All the best to You from fellow mythology geek 😀
(Apologies if sometimes the words don’t make much sense – English is not me native language).
Hi DoctorMerlin! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I’m having fun reading and writing about it, too. Thank you for the encouragement. I do plan to keep on reading. (I hope to have the last two chapters of Sea of Monsters up later today.) I hope you enjoy Zeus Is Dead! 😀