Apparently it is possible for me to love Percy even more than I already did. Who knew?

In Rick Riordan’s book Wrath of the Triple Goddess, the latest adventure in the Percy Jackson literary universe (which I think is officially called the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, but I prefer calling it the Percyverse), Percy has just survived getting his first recommendation letter for college. On to the next, which turns out to be an assignment from Hecate, who wants Percy to pet-sit for her while she travels the world during Halloween. Of course, a goddess like Hecate doesn’t have normal pets, but instead has a hellhound and a magical polecat, among others. Percy teams up with Annabeth and Grover, but things quickly go awry, and the trio have to put things right before Hecate comes back. Though with most things Percy has to do, it’s easier said than done.

If these senior year adventures are a cash grab, they’re the most earnestly written, funny, heartfelt cash grabs I’ve ever encountered. Honestly, there are multiple moments where I laughed out loud. Uncle Rick writing Percy is just delightful. The wit, the banter, the bonkers things that go through Percy’s head—it’s all so charming and entertaining. Truly, is it possible to explode from how much you love a fictional character? Because that’s how I feel when I read about Percy, my son, my bestie, my hero.

But also, Annabeth and Grover continue to be incredible in their own rights, each with their own strengths and weaknesses that are explored deftly in this story. I also adore how comfortable they are with each other, how easily they can work as a team. They’re just so cute as a trio, and I want to be friends with them. And fan favorite Sally Jackson is, as ever, one of the most wonderful characters ever, and I loved her interactions with Percy in this one.

The new characters, namely Hecate, Hecuba, and Gale, are excellent too. The latter two don’t speak, but are full of such personality that you feel as if you know them by the end. I also enjoyed that their presence invites lots of hijinks. And really, that’s what I love about this book and about its predecessor Chalice of the Gods—there are stakes, yes, but nothing to the level of in the original Percy series, Heroes of Olympus, or any other Percyverse books (I’m going to make the term a thing, someday, you’ll see). The adventure is full of action and dramatic encounters with mythological beings, but there’s a lightheartedness to it all, because the world isn’t going to end. It’s what Percy deserves after going through so many terrible things, to have wacky misadventures.

I honestly think I have very minimal complaints or criticisms about this book, except for one that honestly applies to a lot of the Percyverse books, especially the last few. Basically, Riordan keeps forgetting when these books are set (I think this one is 2013-ish?). Here, he includes references to “Texas Hold ’Em” by Beyonce, the Mandalorian, and unrealistic-looking AI-generated images. But at this point, it’s just how these books are, so whatever. It’s an alternate universe technically, so who’s to say that those things don’t exist in that version of the 2010s? Still, these anachronisms did bring me out of the story for a moment.

However, in the end, Wrath of the Triple Goddess is simply so much fun. The plot is rife with shenanigans, the characters are possibly the most fantastic they’ve ever been, and the themes about friendship and companionship and second chances are so nice. I could gush about various other details, but we all have lives, so I’ll restrain myself. If you meet me in real life, though, prepare for me to never shut up about Percy again.

Wrath of the Triple Goddess is available now!