I think the first book was better, but this was still a fun read regardless. I love the addition of Tyson. I think it brought out some more human qualities in Percy as opposed to him being this wonderful hero protagonist that we saw through the first book. Through Tyson, I actually liked Percy more because it showed that he wasn't perfect. I don't think the quest was as exciting this time around, but I'm really excited to see what the end of this book means for the next one.