The Last Olympian

Percy has a three-part dream. First, he sees Poseidon’s palace, which is beset by fighting and destruction. Next, his dream shows the enemy camp in Aunty Em’s Garden Gnome Emporium in New Jersey. Kronos summons Ethan Nakamura, demigod and son of Nemesis, and interrogates him about the battle on the Williamsburg Bridge. Ethan does not reveal Percy’s weak spot. Luke’s spirit briefly comes to the surface of Kronos: “The voice was weak, but just for a moment it was Luke’s” (236). Kronos reveals that the army will go to Central Park.

The final dream takes place in the ‘90s at Camp Half-Blood. A young May Castellan is at the Big House with Hermes and Chiron. She reports that she has the gift of sight and wishes to take on the role of the Oracle. She goes to the attic of the Big House, but a green glow appears and she screams. Percy wakes and sees that Annabeth is better.

The two go out to fight the invading army by the Reservoir. The satyrs and dryads help, turning enemies into trees. Hyperion, the lord of light, walks on water and challenges Percy. The two fight, and Percy overcomes him by using his “personal hurricane” (246) of wind surrounding him. Grover commands roots to overtake Hyperion. The enemy army begins to retreat, but Kronos releases a winged pig called the Clazmonian Sow. Percy chases it through the air on Blackjack and defeats it with the help of automatons.  

The fighting continues, and “Midtown was a war zone” (255). Percy and Blackjack land near Annabeth and help her defeat a Hyperborean giant. The pair continues moving through the city, stopping to aid the various small battles and skirmishes occurring.

Kronos’s army attacks, and a group of Centaurs, the Party Ponies, comes to help. Eventually, Kronos pulls back to regroup. Percy and his army form a “two-block perimeter” (261) around the Empire State Building to guard it against attack. Chiron reports that Typhon will be in New York by the next day.

Percy talks to Annabeth and expresses his concern that she will not be able to face Luke in battle due to their history. Then, Percy is transported to a bar that is hosting a man’s birthday party. There, he encounters Dionysus, the god of celebrations and head of Camp Half-Blood. Dionysus warns Percy that if the gods of Mount Olympus are defeated, “[his] entire society will dissolve” (268).

Percy immediately snaps back to New York and sees his mother and Paul in a Prius. He and Annabeth push it out of harm’s way. Percy sees Pandora’s jar in the back seat even though he left it at the Plaza Hotel. Chiron says it will follow him and tempt him wherever he goes. Then, Rachel’s family helicopter arrives overhead, and the pilot falls asleep. Annabeth summons a pegasus to save Rachel. 

Percy and Annabeth fly on Guido the pegasus to reach the helicopter. Guido is injured and falls with Percy, but Annabeth hangs onto the helicopter and lands it safely.

Rachel speaks to Percy and reveals the meaning of the Greek writing in the sand: “Perseus, you are not a hero” (278). Rachel and Chiron go off to speak together, and Percy falls asleep. In his first dream, Percy sees Nico in the Underworld trying to convince Hades to come to the aid of the Olympians. In this next dream, Percy sees Kronos, Prometheus, and Ethan outside of the United Nations building. Kronos commands to “unleash the dragon” (283).

When Percy wakes, he realizes Rachel has seen the same creature, the Lydian drakon. Rachel says that it must be killed by a child of Ares, and Percy is nervous because the Ares cabin is not participating in the battle.

The drakon attacks, and Percy charges it with Mrs. O’Leary and Annabeth. The Ares cabin arrives, led by a person who the characters assume to be Clarisse. The reader later learns that the girl is Silena, dressed as Clarisse. The drakon spits poison in Silena’s face, and she collapses. The real Clarisse arrives and defeats the drakon by stabbing it in the eye with a spear. After the drakon dissolves, the campers realize that it was Silena in Clarisse’s armor.