Fearless warrior. Hero of Olympus. Head counselor of Aphrodite cabin. Winner of Camp Half-Blood’s singing competition three years in a row. Given her upcoming appearance in The Trials of Apollo Book 3: The Burning Maze, there’s no better time to spotlight Piper McLean’s greatest moments.
Way More Than a Pretty Face
You might be surprised to learn that Piper, a laid-back tomboy who isn’t concerned with her physical appearance, would be a daughter of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty. Even more of a shock to the members of Aphrodite cabin was the identity of her father: world-famous movie star Tristan McLean. Despite, or maybe because of, her parents’ notoriety, Piper stands strong in rejecting the vain and gossip-obsessed tendencies of her bunkmates.
Delinquent Beginnings
Piper is blessed with the ability of Charmspeak—she can use her voice to make people to do her bidding. Like, say, convince a car dealer to let her drive a BMW right off the lot. Without paying. Doing this led to young Piper being placed in The Wilderness School for troubled kids, where she met Leo Valdez (son of Hephaestus), faithful satyr protector Coach Hedge, and future boyfriend, Jason Grace (son of Jupiter). Or at least that’s what she thinks happened.
False Memories
When Piper gets to Camp Half-Blood, she is devastated to learn that, for the first three months she dated Jason, he was under a Mist-induced illusion. Thankfully, the two demigods develop authentic feelings for each other during their first quest, which involves saving Piper’s dad from the giants Porphyrion and Enceladus. Over time, Piper and Jason form a natural relationship. Just in time for the battle of their lives.
Always a Team Player
Following her initial quest, Piper joins Jason, Leo, and the other four Heroes of Olympus in the epic battle against the earth mother for the fate of the world. Armed with her signature dagger, Katropis, her peerless fighting skills, and her enchanted singing voice, Piper plays a vital role in Gaea’s eventual defeat. On top of that, she is able to broker peace between the rival Greek and Roman demigod camps—something that no one else over the millennia had managed to accomplish.
Uncertain Future
We assumed Piper would take a break from the whole saving-the-world gig at some point. The last we heard, she’d been enjoying a normal life in Los Angeles with Jason and her father. But now that her buddy Leo is helping Lester Papadopolous (AKA Apollo in moral form) with his quests, it figures that Piper would get wrapped up in demigod antics all over again. What challenges will she have to face next? At the very least, you know she’s going to have a lot to say about it.
