The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo #3)

Riordan, Rick. The Burning Maze (Trials of Apollo #3)
May 1st 2018 by Disney-Hyperion
Copy provided by the publisher

Apollo, Grover, and Meg manage to escape the labyrinth (and a violent strix attack) only to come up in the dessert at the Aeithales greenhouse. Meg has a surprising connection to the area, and Grover finds that his dryad friends are trying to escape widespread fires. One of these friends, Mellie, sends Grover to the local Army Surplus store to retrieve her husband, Gleeson, and while at the store the group is attacked and realize that Caligula is behind the fires that are raging out of control. Mellie and Gleeson have been living with Piper McLean and her family until recently, and things are not going well for them, as the father's assets have all been seized. Piper and Jason tried to get to the center of the Burning Maze but could not, and Jason has returned to school. Apollo is still seeking oracles as commanded by his father, Zeus. When Piper offers to help find the Sibyl, Herophile, the group "borrows" a neighbor's Escalade and takes off on a road trip. They meet Medea, who says that she can let people into the maze but certainly is not going to let THEM, and after a fiery altercation, the group finds themselves back at Aeithales, scorched but with some helpful information. On a mission to get Caligula's shoes, they pick up Jason to get his help and head to Santa Barbara, where Caligula has a fleet of boats. After locating the shoes, there is another major altercation with Medea which ends in a tragedy. Will the group still be able to get through the maze by solving puzzles in order to defeat Medea and Caligula? We'll find out in the next two books!
Strengths: "You humans. You're why the gods can't have nice things." I adore Riordan's writing, and all of the incidental, funny lines that suddenly appear. I'd quote half the book if I put down every line I loved. Of course, the adventure is always exquisitely plotted, and I liked this one even more because Aeithales was such an intriguing home base for them to return to. I found it easier to follow the emotional development of Grover, Meg, Piper and Apollo in this book, and Piper really embraces the idea of revenge in a timely way. Reading Riordan is always a great way to spend an afternoon, and I will have to loan this to one of my students tomorrow before it is even processed!
Weaknesses: Other reviews of this that I have read were greatly affected by the tragedy, but I just assume that some characters will die when the fate of the world hangs in the balance, so I didn't feel the same emotional punch.
What I really think: I think that Mr. Riordan should have federally funded housekeeping so he never has to wash a dish or mow the lawn, and can keep writing for many, many years. I am waiting for a book where all the characters from all the series meet up, but I am also dreading it, too, because that would mean the end of this fantastic fantasy world!