The Dark Prophecy (2017) is the second book in Rick Riordan’s The Trials of Apollo series, a spin-off of his Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. The story follows the fallen god Apollo, now trapped in the mortal body of awkward teenager Lester Papadopoulos, as he continues his quest to regain his divinity by restoring the corrupted Oracles of Ancient Greece.
In this installment, Apollo, along with the demigod Meg McCaffrey and the irrepressible Leo Valdez, travels to Indianapolis to rescue the next Oracle from the clutches of the sinister Triumvirate—a trio of resurrected Roman emperors. Their journey is fraught with Riordan’s trademark blend of humor, action, and mythological mayhem, including encounters with griffins, a sinister cult of blemmyae (headless monsters), and Apollo’s own guilt over past mistakes.
The novel delves deeper into Meg’s tragic backstory and Apollo’s growing humility, balancing laugh-out-loud moments (like Apollo’s terrible haikus) with poignant character growth. While the pacing occasionally drags, Riordan’s witty narration and inventive twists on classical myths keep the adventure fresh.
A must-read for fans of Percy Jackson’s world, The Dark Prophecy blends heroism and hilarity while setting the stage for even greater threats ahead.
