Second to the last book in the series! Battle of the Labyrinth was a fun and heartfelt read—with new characters, great plot twists, and a couple of moral lessons that will really stick with the reader. 

There were new characters like Rachel Elizabeth Dare, Quintus, Briares, Calypso that really left an impression on me (I mean, they already did the first time I read the book,  but it felt more significant this time). Loved that we got to see more of Nico and we saw just how his character developed in this book. Now, I'm just so excited to see more of him in the next books and series. And of course, the tension between Annabeth and Percy! Our main characters are entering teenage years and here come the feelings. Percy was so daft, it's endearing. 

I also love how there were a couple of plot twists that I still missed. I mean, I read this book years ago, so I guess my memory is now kind of fuzzy. But wow, Uncle Rick really never fails to surprise me. I love it!

Also, when I first read this book years ago, I never quite realized just how much of a theme the environment was in the story. Grover's journey, Pan's message, everything was so heartbreaking and enlightening as to how humans are treating and should be treating the wild, the earth. 

"The wild, my dear Grover, is so small now, so shattered, that no god can save it."

"Remake the wild, a little at a time, each in your own corner of the world. You cannot wait for anyone else, even a god, to do that for you."

Another theme that was a highlight for me in this book is family. With Sally meeting Paul, Daedalus with his son and his nephew, the tales about Hera and her "family", Nico and her sister Bianca, and even Rachel with her dad or Dionysus with his sons. All of these parts involved family—both the good, the bad, and the ugly—and I just really adore that.

I really loved this one. We're close to the end and I can't wait! 

(This book review is a part of Enthralled Bookworm's Percy Jackson and the Olympians: Series Review.)