The House of Hades is the fourth book in the Heroes of Olympus series and is written by Rick Riordan. In this book, Annabeth and Percy find themselves fighting the impossible odds and trying to make it out of Tartarus alive, while the rest of the demigods try to finish their quest to close the Doors of Death. Annabeth and Percy go through many struggles and challenges to try and survive Tartarus, a powerful elder entity much worse than death, while the others must manage through the pain of losing two of their friends and complete their missions.
The first three books in this series have been pretty good, but I think most fans would agree with me if I said that this is not just the best book in the series, but one of the best books Riordan has written in this universe. First, this book strengthens the characters of Annabeth and Percy (as if they weren’t already the most loved in this series) as well as their relation. Reading about how Annabeth and Percy fight through the infamous pit of Tartarus feels like something out of a vintage Percy Jackson book while also adding some of the best emotional moments in this mythical universe. I don’t want to say much because I believe you should read it to experience it for yourself. I don’t think it’s exaggeration to say that Rick Riordan writes like the God of Literature in this book. Riordan manages to balance the lightheartedness of his style with the heavy emotion that this story carries masterfully, and he’s so good at writing to the point where he introduces a character and makes the reader fall in love with them in a span of a paragraph. And Riordan doesn’t just do this once, but he does it multiple times! This book is truly a treat to all readers, and this is one that should be read the first moment you get.