Character Analysis
Goddess of War
Reyna is the daughter of Bellona, a goddess you've probably never heard of. (Don't sweat it—we hadn't heard of her before Rick R introduced us, either.) Bellona is a Roman goddess of war, sister of Mars (Ares if you're Roman)…which explains why Reyna is such a fierce fighter.
Along with Nico, son of Hades, and Coach Gleeson, a satyr, Reyna is a demigod on a mission: to return the Athena Parthenos statue to Camp Half-Blood, the camp of the Greeks. But wait a sec—isn't Reyna Roman? That's right. It's up to her to bridge the divide between these two warring factions.
The best way to reunite two warring factions is to kick a bunch of butt, and Reyna's chapters never disappoint. She has to shatter clay warriors, fend off werewolves with silver weapons, and flee Orion, a homicidal hunter who is better with a bow than Katniss Everdeen.
As she travels the globe on the way back to Camp Half-Blood, Reyna has to come to terms with her shady past, and who better to help with a shady past than her traveling partner, Nico, the prince of shadows? By opening up to Nico, and sharing her secrets, Reyna learns to accept them and control them…instead of letting her past control her.
Like all our narrators in some respect, Reyna has a whole boatload of mommy and daddy issues. Mommy, Bellona, never once feels the need to appear and speak to her daughter. And daddy? Well, Reyna killed her own father. But can you blame her? He kind of went crazy to the point where it was either him or Reyna and her sister, Hylla.
La Futura
While fighting Orion, Reyna realizes that Bellona "grants [her] opportunities to prove [her]self" (39.22)…and fighting a homicidal maniac set on revenge is the perfect opportunity. Reyna doesn't need her mother's express approval (the way Jason does, with his father, for example); she decides that her mother is with her in spirit, lending her strength. She also gets strength from the Athena Parthenos, when Athena realizes how brave and independent Reyna is.
Reyna succeeds in her mission, but she's still alone. At least she thinks she's alone. But Piper reminds her: "you have friends. Lots of friends, both Greek and Roman" (57.30). By bringing the two camps together, Reyna becomes a hero, idol, and friend to both sides.
She may not have a boyfriend, but who needs 'em? She'll never be alone.
Timeline