I was incredibly excited when my mother gave me this book, “Chalice of the Gods” by Rick Riordan. I’ve read everything – “Percy Jackson and the Olympians,” “Heroes of Olympus,” I own the entirety of “Trials of Apollo.” And of course, “Magnus Chase” and the “Kane Chronicles.” And this is where Percy goes to college, amazing! We’ve made it! Right?

Well, sort of. Percy and Annabeth both want to go to New Rome University. She’s accepted without a hitch, of course, it’s Annabeth. However, the Gods say Percy can’t go to the university because he should never have been born. This is because of the three brother’s pact after World War II and after everything he did for them. But not all is lost, as Poseidon negotiated with Zeus. Percy can go to New Rome University as long as he completes three quests for three different gods, his reward being: a blank recommendation letter.

In this book, the first quest is for Ganymede, who is the cupbearer of the Gods, who lost his magic cup. A single sip from this cup can make someone immortal. Along the way, Annabeth and Percy get chased by murderous chickens after being turned into 8-year-olds, clear up the clearest river, and sneak into a godly brunch. 

I loved this book. It’s simple and light and fun. I laughed every few pages. The pacing was easygoing, and I loved how the theme was approached- still lightheartedly, but it was also not demeaning, which is very hard to do. This is, quite simply, an easy read. A nice refresher after the tragedy of “Romeo and Juliet” or the seriousness of “Of Mice and Men.” This is a book that will remain on my shelves until I die, and then will be passed down on to whoever outlived me.