The Olympian's #3: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

My name is Percy Jackson, and Annabeth was kidnapped while we were rescuing Bianca and her brother. Artemis convinced Bianca to join the Hunters, but now both of them have disappeared too. A mysterious "General" wants to keep Artemis from attending the annual council meeting on Olympus in order to give the Titans more time to gain power. Of  course, there's always a prophecy involved, and it says two of the quest members will be lost, one killed by a parent. Zoe, the acting leader of the Hunters, doesn't want any men going on the quest, but there's no way I'm not going to help save Annabeth. She's very special to me even though I know Artemis is the priority. An unknown monster awaits us, and time is running out. How do I always find myself in the middle of world-saving quests where I'll probably be killed?

I've read books in Riordan's other series, so it's interesting to read about characters when they first enter the discussion (i.e. Bianca and Nico). Percy's character is still uncertain of his abilities, but his feelings (love) for Annabeth are becoming clearer. Percy's magical sword called Riptide is a formidable weapon, and he has great loyalty for his friends. However, the gods have told him that this loyalty is his greatest weakness, and a prophecy from earlier in the series hints that he may overthrow Olympus. The Hunters do not see much value in men, and they have all sworn to dismiss any feelings they might have toward them. Zoe exemplifies these thoughts and won't let Percy forget them. The books in the series can be read much more quickly than books in the spin-off series, but they have the same characteristics. You can expect adventure and action, and moody gods with secret agendas. The gods tend to stay out of mortal business most of the time, but then they'll surprise you and do something to influence events. You should enjoy reading The Titan's Curse, and I recommend you try the spin-off series featuring Egyptian, Roman, and Norse mythology.