▁critics ▁pra ised ▁the ▁novel ▁as ▁a ▁good ▁follow - up ▁to ▁Ri ord an ' s ▁previous ▁series . ▁A ▁review ▁by ▁The ▁E po ch ▁Times ▁commented , ▁" If ▁anyone ▁was ▁afraid ▁that ▁Ri ord an ▁couldn ’ t ▁top ▁his ▁Per cy ▁Jackson ▁series — they ▁can ▁quit ▁worry ing . ▁This ▁new ▁series , ▁even ▁though ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁genre ▁as ▁the ▁Per cy ▁Jackson ▁group , ▁has ▁fresh ▁ideas , ▁more ▁mystery ▁and ▁magic ▁and ▁keeps ▁the ▁reader ▁eng ross ed ▁from ▁start ▁to ▁finish ." ▁Despite ▁this ▁pra ise , ▁some ▁reviews ▁were ▁more ▁mixed . ▁V icky ▁Smith ▁of ▁Kirk us ▁Re views ▁wrote , ▁"[ there ▁are ] ▁far ▁too ▁many ▁pages ▁of ▁stretch ed - out ▁action , ▁telling ▁not ▁showing ▁and ▁awk ward ▁dialog ue ... Un less ▁Ri ord an ▁tight ens ▁things ▁up ▁consider ably ▁by ▁number ▁five , ▁[ read ers ] ▁may ▁find ▁themselves ▁hoping ▁that ▁it ▁does ▁not ▁end ▁with ▁a ▁third ▁Great ▁Prop he cy ". ▁ ▁The ▁Lost ▁Hero ▁won ▁the ▁Bar nes ▁& ▁No ble ▁Best ▁Book ▁of ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁award ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁Massachusetts ▁Children ' s ▁Book ▁Award ▁Honor ▁book ▁for ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁among ▁other ▁hon ors . ▁Rick ▁Ri ord an ▁was ▁named ▁" Author ▁of ▁the ▁Year " ▁for ▁the ▁novel ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁Children ' s ▁Cho ice ▁Awards . ▁The ▁book ▁was ▁also ▁recommended ▁by ▁the ▁A