The Dark Prophecy

The first set of chapters begins in media res, plunging readers into the action without much exposition. Apollo, Leo, and Calypso find themselves in danger moments after they arrive in Indianapolis. This decision signals that the novel will be fast-paced, with background details unfolding alongside the action. The Greek and Roman elements, a consistent feature of Riordan’s Percy Jackson universe, make an immediate appearance in the form of the blemmyae, creatures from European mythology with faces on the torsos. While the characters are rooted in mythology—Calypso, for instance, predates even gods like Apollo and is a character in Homer’s Odyssey—they are set in a contemporary milieu and reimagined. For instance, in ancient Greek mythology and folklore, Calypso is a nymph or a nature-spirit attached to a specific location. The Greek poet Homer imagined her as a magical being living on the island of Ogygia, where she trapped the hero Odysseus for seven years. Homer’s narrative paints Calypso as a seductress, and her viewpoint is not given much room. Riordan fleshes out Calypso’s character and gives her agency. In his narrative, which carries over various series), Calypso’s island exile is unhappy, and she gives up her magical powers for love and freedom. The juxtaposition of the mythical with the contemporary makes the characters relatable and adds considerable humor to the proceedings.

Humor is one of the chief features of Riordan’s narrative style in the book. The novel is narrated in Apollo’s first-person voice, which is distinctive in its dry wit. For example, the novel’s opening line is, “When our dragon declared war on Indiana, I knew it was going to be a bad day” (1). Apollo’s narration also invokes humor because he constantly compares what he thinks is owed to him as a god to what he gets as a mortal. His sense of outrage at not being afforded the respect he thinks he deserves is comical. For instance, when Apollo is asked to wash and cut vegetables for dinner at the Waystation, he notes: “Perhaps if you were laboring away for years writing an opera about the glories of Apollo, I could understand the appeal of being productive. But how can you get a sense of satisfaction and serenity from preparing food?” (62).

A new set of characters is introduced with the Hunters in the form of Emmie and Josephine. One of the important features of the Trials of Apollo series is that it combines elements of both Greek and Roman mythologies. While The Percy Jackson series is more rooted in Greek mythology, this series takes elements from both cultures. The Triumvirate of the three evil emperors of ancient Rome is drawn from actual history, while Emmie and Josephine are Greek in origin.

This section introduces the theme of manufacturing different kinds of family units. While Apollo in his human form finds kinship with Meg and Leo, Emmie and Josephine set up a home for all kinds of marginalized creatures and castaways. Family is more about friendship rather than just blood relationships. The Waystation—a prominent symbol in the book—signifies the importance of found rather than inherited families. Another key theme introduced is Apollo’s discomfort with Mortality and Human Existence. Having known absolute power and perfection, Apollo in his human teenager avatar constantly rues the limitations of mortality. When facing the blemmyae, Apollo feels encumbered by his sluggish human form and tells the reader: “I hated having a mortal body. I experienced so many bothersome things, like fear, cold, nausea, and the impulse to whimper Please don’t kill me” (17). Though Apollo’s frustration at human limitations is understandable, throughout the novel, he will learn that immortality is not the perfection he has assumed. Human existence offers a chance to engage with life in a way immortality cannot.

One of the plot devices Riordan uses to propel the narrative is Apollo’s frequent visions and dreams. Apart from moving the story along, Apollo’s dreams serve a two-fold purpose: One, they show that Apollo is still struggling to reconcile his memories of his immortal life with his conscientious human mind; second, though he can no longer see the future as he could as a god, his connection with prophetic visions is still intact. The motif of Apollo’s visions can be seen in Chapter 2 when Apollo dreams that Nero is instructing Meg to carry out an assassination attempt on Apollo. The dream acts as narrative exposition, ensuring the reader gets important backstory about Meg, her relationship with Nero, and her bond with Apollo. It also shows that Apollo still has prophetic powers that can help his quest.

Each chapter in the book is prefaced by a badly-written haiku that comments on the action to follow. A haiku is a sparse Japanese poetic form of three lines that uses its brevity to convey a striking image or idea. Apollo’s haiku are strange—for instance, Chapter 2 begins with “Headless guys and gals / Not loving the Midwest vibe / Oh, look—a cheese ghost” (12)—and a humorous way of showing how the god of poetry now struggles to create art.