meh. Overall, I liked Apollo's voice and he is definitely (finally!) distinct from Percy Jackson. Apollo is what sets this book above Rick Riordan's latest offerings for me and made me stick with and like this book. I enjoyed his bravado and how he grappled with humanity and his past. This added depth and entertainment to an otherwise stale plot. That was really the only thing keeping me going with this one, though. 
 Too much over-writing, over-reliance on previous books/characters, shallow side characters, and not much engagement with the plot. It was nice, good enough to finish, and I'm glad I read it, but it was also forgettable and didn't hook me enough to continue with the series.