The Son of Neptune: Chapters 8–15

by Rick Riordan
In this second book of The Heroes of Olympus series, Percy Jackson, Hazel Levesque, and Frank Zhang, recognized as the children of Roman gods at Camp Jupiter, journey to Alaska to free Thanatos, the god of death.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–27, Chapters 28–39, Chapters 40–52

Here are links to our lists for the Percy Jackson & the Olympians and The Heroes of Olympus series.
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. obligated
    caused by law or conscience to follow a certain course
    Tonight it was she and Frank, as usual, with Percy and Nico and their centurion Dakota, who sat there, Hazel figured, because he felt obligated to welcome the new recruit.
  2. morale
    the feeling that makes group members want to succeed
    Quests are more dangerous. Monsters attack the borders more often. Morale is lower.
  3. fray
    a noisy fight
    Back in my day, archery was a job for barbarians. A good Roman should be in the fray, gutting his enemy with spear and sword like a civilized man!
  4. don
    put on clothes
    I’d taken off my childhood toga and was washing up to don the adult one.
  5. modest
    marked by simplicity; having a humble opinion of yourself
    “Don’t be modest. You’ve got ancient roots. Greek as well as Roman. It’s no wonder Juno—”
  6. disciplined
    exhibiting self-control and obeying the rules
    Jupiter was...well, more responsible as a Roman god than he had been when he was Zeus. Mars became a lot more important and disciplined.
  7. chastisement
    a rebuke for making a mistake
    His grandmother’s chastisement: Men do not cry. Especially Zhang men. You will endure, Fai.
  8. vintage
    old but having enduring appeal or importance; classic
    In the parlor, Frank sat on a velvet sofa, surrounded by vintage family photos, porcelain vases that had been too large for his wagon, and red Chinese calligraphy banners.
  9. scoff
    laugh at with contempt and derision
    “Most would have scoffed at your mother’s tale,” she said. “But I did not. I know of prophecies and gods. Greek, Roman, Chinese—they intertwine in our family. I did not question what she told me about your father.”
  10. addled
    confused and vague; used especially of thinking
    “Stop gaping at me!” she snapped. “My mind is not addled. Haven’t you ever wondered why your father never came back?”
  11. swaddle
    wrap very tightly in cloth, as a baby
    You were a tiny thing, swaddled in a blue blanket, and she cradled you in her arms.
  12. decree
    decide with authority
    He will be the strongest of your clan, and the greatest. But the Fates have decreed he will also be the most vulnerable.
  13. tactic
    a plan for attaining a particular goal
    “Teamwork,” Hazel said. “Quick thinking. Tactics. Battle skills. You’d be surprised what you can learn in the war games.”
  14. draught
    a dose of liquid medicine
    “We heal them,” Frank said. “Or try to. The legion medics are pretty good with ambrosia and nectar, and unicorn draught.”
  15. breach
    make an opening or gap in
    “Big honor for the first soldier to breach an enemy fort. You’ll notice nobody in the Fifth is wearing one. Usually we don’t even get into the fort because we’re burning or drowning or...”
  16. pelt
    cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
    They were trying to reach the main gates, but the defenders above pelted them with rocks and shot flaming bolts from the scorpions, blasting craters around their feet.
  17. clad
    having an outer covering especially of thin metal
    One good thing about being big, clumsy, and clad in metal: Frank was like a heavily armored bowling ball.
  18. mayhem
    violent and needless disturbance
    After that, the battle was mayhem.
  19. novelty
    originality by virtue of being refreshingly new
    The First and Second Cohorts—pride of Camp Jupiter, a well-oiled, highly disciplined war machine—fell apart under the assault and the sheer novelty of being on the losing side.
  20. unorthodox
    breaking with tradition or typical norms
    Part of their problem was Percy. He fought like a demon, whirling through the defenders’ ranks in a completely unorthodox style, rolling under their feet, slashing with his sword instead of stabbing like a Roman would, whacking campers with the flat of his blade, and generally causing mass panic.
  21. ashen
    pale from illness or emotion
    The whole legion fell silent as the healers worked—trying to get gauze and powdered unicorn horn under Gwen’s armor to stop the bleeding, trying to force some nectar into her mouth. Gwen didn’t move. Her face was ashen gray.
  22. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    “You’re Ares,” Percy said. “What do you want?”
    A collective gasp went up from two hundred campers and an elephant. Frank wanted to say something to excuse Percy and placate the god, but he didn’t know what.
  23. impartial
    showing lack of favoritism
    The Doors of Death have been forced open, and no one is policing them—at least, not impartially. Gaea allows our enemies to pour forth into the world of mortals.
  24. exploit
    use or manipulate to one's advantage
    But the barriers between life and death will continue to weaken. Those who know how to take advantage of this will exploit it.
  25. insolent
    marked by casual disrespect
    Insolent, aren’t you? Perhaps I have fought you before. I can understand why I’d want to kill you.
  26. thwart
    hinder or prevent, as an effort, plan, or desire
    You will go north and find Thanatos in the land beyond the gods. You will free him and thwart the plans of the giants.
  27. glean
    collect or gather bit by bit, especially information
    A quest requires a prophecy, a mystical poem to guide us! We used to get them from the Sibylline books, but now it’s up to the augur to glean the will of gods.
  28. caliber
    a degree or grade of excellence or worth
    This will be fun, son of Neptune. It’s been eons since I broke a demigod of your caliber.
  29. testy
    easily irritated or annoyed
    “Fine, fine, you may pass,” the god said testily.
  30. bestow
    present
    “It is my...pleasure,” Octavian said, forcing out the last word, “to bestow upon you the Mural Crown for being first over the walls in siege warfare.”
  31. ordeal
    a severe or trying experience
    She looked tired from the previous night’s ordeal, but also relieved.
  32. slur
    a negative or offensive remark about someone
    But it dawned on him that Octavian was calling him a spy—a traitor. That was such a foreign concept to Percy, so not who he was, he almost couldn’t process the slur.
  33. usurp
    seize and take control without authority
    Each giant was bred specifically to oppose one of the twelve Olympian gods—to usurp that god’s domain.
  34. skeptical
    marked by or given to doubt
    “So you do have a plan?” Octavian asked skeptically.
  35. expendable
    suitable to be used up
    Mars has clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps that is because he considers them the most expendable. Perhaps Mars is playing the long odds. Whatever the case, he wisely didn’t order a massive expedition, nor did he ask us to fund their adventure. I say we keep our resources here and defend the camp.
  36. lackey
    a servile or submissive follower
    She wants you to report to the principia without your—ah—two lackeys, here.
  37. adjourn
    break from a meeting or gathering
    Reyna will meet you there after the senate adjourns.
  38. scrutinize
    look at critically or searchingly, or in minute detail
    Reyna scrutinized him carefully. “You don’t remember where you saw this ring before? You really don’t remember me or my sister, Hylla?”
  39. naive
    marked by or showing unaffected simplicity
    As for Frank Zhang, he has a good heart, but he’s hopelessly naïve and inexperienced.
  40. seasoned
    rendered competent through trial and experience
    The point is, Percy, you are the real power on this quest. You are a seasoned veteran. I’ve seen what you can do.
Created on Sat Aug 26 13:30:03 EDT 2023 (updated Sun Aug 27 09:25:44 EDT 2023)

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