The Demigod Diaries

Rick Riordan's second short story collection disappoints as much as the first. Among the almost 240 pages, about a third are filled with puzzles, games, and cringeworthy "behind the scenes" content clearly aimed at the younger portion of his audience; already a teenager (which there are plenty of among Percy Jackson's fans) would be bored to tears. What remains are three short stories: The Diary of Luke Castellan, The Staff of Hermes, and The Son of Magic, the latter having been written by Riordan's son Haley.

The quality of the shorts varies quite a bit. While Luke's diary entry is somewhat solemn in tone and gives an interesting insight into the character of Luke, The Staff of Hermes is the sort of brainless comedy I've come to expect from Riordan's more recent works (already showing during the Heroes of Olympus series, and painfully obvious during the Trials of Apollo premiere). Of course I can't fault a children's book for being aimed at children, but I believe even at that age, I would have found the plot thin and the jokes embarrassing.

The Son of Magic has, of course, to be judged as what it is, the first published work of an aspiring, sixteen-year-old author. And for that, it's pretty good. We are not only shown the fate of Alabaster Torrington post-The Last Olympian, but also provided with an interesting insight into demigod magic, the Mist, and the details surrounding the beginning of Gaia's insurrection. Of course, the story has undergone editing, so whatever flaws Haley Riordan's writing may have have certainly been softened by the editor, but if this short is anything to go by, Haley's writing has the potential to match that of his father (in good as in bad). Parts of the story require a lot of willing suspension of disbelief, but overall, save for a few cumbersome sentences, the quality of the story lives up to the rest of the book. It certainly surpasses The Staff of Hermes.