The Dark Prophecy facts for kids
U.S. cover for first edition
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| Author | Rick Riordan |
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| Cover artist | John Rocco |
| Country | United States |
| Series | The Trials of Apollo (book 2) |
| Genre | Fantasy, Greek and Roman mythology, Young adult |
| Publisher | Disney-Hyperion |
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Publication date
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May 2, 2017 (hardcover, audiobook CD, Kindle/Nook eBook) |
| Media type | Print (hardback, paperback, audiobook CD, e-book) |
| Pages | 432 (hardcover) |
| ISBN | 978-1-4847-4642-4 |
| Preceded by | The Hidden Oracle |
| Followed by | The Burning Maze |
The Dark Prophecy is an American fantasy novel based on Greek and Roman mythology written by American author Rick Riordan. It was published on May 2, 2017, and is the second book in The Trials of Apollo series, the second spin-off of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. The book and its cover art by John Rocco were first announced in 2016. It has been published in hardcover, paperback, audiobook, ebook, and large-print editions. To date, The Dark Prophecy has been translated into 7 languages from its original English.
The book takes off from where The Hidden Oracle ended, wherein Apollo continues his search as a human teenager to restore the Oracles of Ancient Greece that have gone dark in order to regain his immortality. Along with Meg McCaffrey, he journeys to the Oracle of Trophonius in Indianapolis and later settles his personal feud with Commodus, the second Emperor of the Triumvirate Holdings.
The novel received positive reviews from critics for its slow pace, humor and diverse characters. During its first week of release, The Dark Prophecy sold about 63,000 copies, reaching the top of The New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
Contents
Plot summary
Six weeks after losing Meg McCaffrey to Nero and receiving the first prophecy, Apollo, Leo, Festus and Calypso are headed on a journey to stop Nero, the Beast, from controlling all of the oracles. They are rescued from a group of attacking blemmyae by Hemithea and invited into the Waystation, in the Indianapolis Union Station, where Apollo recalls answering to Hemithea’s prayer back when she was a Greek princess and turning Hemithea into a goddess, only to have his gift rejected when she joined the Hunters of Artemis. He learns that she is in a relationship with Josephine and the two of them have sacrificed their immortality as Hunters for love and are living as mortals. Their adopted daughter Georgina went missing after searching for the Oracle of Trophonius to receive a prophecy to prevent the Emperor Commodus from taking their griffins. Instead, she receives a message that damages her mind and causes her to wander away. Britomartis, the goddess of nets and owner of the Waystation, issues Apollo and Calypso a quest to rescue the griffins stolen by Commodus. The duo manages to rescue the griffins but is cornered by Lityerses, Commodus' man, the son of King Midas. Meg McCaffrey arrives just in time and duels with Lityerses until Apollo releases the rest of the caged animals. Apollo then picks up Meg on his griffin while Lityerses is trampled, and the three go to the Waystation.
Apollo, Leo, and Meg head to Commodus's lair and free all the captured animals and prisoners, including Georgina. They search for the Throne of Memory and find it, but they are discovered by Commodus. They manage to escape with the help of Festus and the Huntresses of Artemis and rescue Lit, who was to be executed. They take everyone back to the Waystation, where Georgina relays a recorded message instead of a prophecy by Trophonius, who is revealed to be Apollo's son. He refers to Georgina as a sister, leading everyone to believe she is Apollo's daughter. Apollo and Meg decide to travel to the Oracle for the prophecy, while the rest defend the Waystation. At the Oracle, Apollo drinks from both the River of Memory and of Forgetfulness to prepare himself for taking the prophecy, but which also makes him lose his sanity for the time being. Meg sings a song of her sorrows which jogs Apollo back to reality and awakens the spirit of Trophonius. Apollo pleads with Trophonius to take him instead of Meg, to which Trophonius agrees in return for a wish, but gives her the prophecy anyway.
Apollo performs CPR on Meg and destroys the Oracle, fulfilling Trophonius's wish. Peaches the karpoi and his friends drive them to the Waystation in time for battle. Apollo finds Commodus fighting Josephine, Calypso, Lit, and Thalia while holding Leo, Hemithea, and Georgina hostage. Apollo feels a surge of godly strength inside him and warns Commodus to stand down. Commodus does not pay heed to Apollo's words. Apollo manages to reveal his true divine form, blinding Commodus and his men. Meg reveals a prophecy in the form of a Shakespearan sonnet, which tells them that they must warn Camp Jupiter of an attack in five days and will have to travel in the Labyrinth with the assistance of a satyr. Meg summons the closest satyr using her powers, who turns out to be Grover Underwood.
Characters
There once was a god named Apollo
Who plunged in a cave, blue and hollow
Upon a three seater
The bronze fire eater
Was forced death and madness to swallow
- Apollo / Lester Papadopoulos: The main protagonist. Apollo continues freeing the other Oracles that have gone dark. He journeys to the Oracle of Trophonius to receive the next prophecy.
- Leo Valdez: Demigod son of Hephaestus. After returning to life in The Blood of Olympus, Leo and his girlfriend Calypso act as companions in aiding Apollo.
- Calypso: Daughter of the Titan Atlas. She was freed from her prison in Ogygia by Leo and currently assists Apollo in his trials. She was thought to have lost her magic powers after leaving Ogygia but surprisingly, still retains them.
- Meg McCaffrey: 12-year-old daughter of Demeter. She assists Apollo in the Oracle of Trophonius.
- Commodus: Commodus is the second and weakest Emperor in the Triumvirate. As a Roman Emperor, he was loved by Apollo and met his death at the hands of the same and now wishes to take his revenge.
- Festus: A celestial bronze automaton. After being repaired by Leo Valdez in The Blood of Olympus, the fire breathing dragon provides as an escort on their quest.
Sequel
The third book of The Trials of Apollo is titled The Burning Maze and was announced by Riordan on October 17, 2017. It released on May 1, 2018.
See also
In Spanish: La profecía oscura para niños
