The Burning Maze: Chapters 25–33

by Rick Riordan
In this third book of the series The Trials of Apollo, Lester, guided by the satyr Grover, must trace a deadly course to find the master of the swift white horse and reach the Tiber river.

Here are links to our lists for the novel: Chapters 1–7, Chapters 8–15, Chapters 16–24, Chapters 25–33, Chapters 34–47
40 words 25 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. tensile
    of or relating to physical stress or strain
    As we tromped toward the surf, he sidled up next to me and murmured, “It’s not true, you know. The middle of a chain has the same tensile strength as everywhere else, assuming force is applied equally along the links.”
  2. earnest
    devout or heartfelt
    The Sibyl might not want to help an evil emperor who kept her in molten shackles, but she couldn’t refuse any earnest petitioner posing direct questions.
  3. fatigues
    military uniform worn by personnel when doing menial labor
    Aboard sat three men in dark fatigues, Kevlar vests, and riot helmets.
  4. assent
    agreement with a statement or proposal to do something
    “Amazing food, right, guys?”
    We mumbled our assent.
  5. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    It took several more minutes of cajoling and lighthearted banter, but finally the three mercenaries had stripped down to just their commando pajamas.
  6. chafe
    tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading
    The body armor chafed around my middle.
  7. ethereal
    of heaven or the spirit
    Purple and gold running lights glowed just below the water’s surface so the vessel seemed to float on an ethereal cloud of Imperial Roman power.
  8. dote
    shower with love; show excessive affection for
    Her brother Caligula had doted on her, idolized her.
  9. devious
    characterized by insincerity or deceit
    As hard as it is to believe, he is even more devious and deadly than Ne—the Beast.
  10. nuance
    a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude
    The girl tried to charmspeak us! Pandai, who hear every nuance of speech!
  11. incursion
    an attack that penetrates into enemy territory
    Somewhere inside the boat, gentle music played—not the sort of sound track one might expect during an incursion.
  12. torrential
    relating to or resulting from the action of a downpour
    Amax suddenly reminded me of my father, Zeus, when he came storming down the hallway on Mount Olympus (literally storming, with thunder, lightning, and torrential rain) and ordered me to stop playing my infernal zither music.
  13. impart
    transmit, as knowledge or a skill
    “Okay,” Meg leaned forward as if to impart a secret.
  14. sternum
    the breastbone
    The other cut through Peak’s bow, embedding itself in his sternum and causing him to disintegrate inward like sand through an hourglass.
  15. tendril
    something long, light, slender, and often curling
    The sky outside flashed, the curved wall of glass shattered, and tendrils of electricity wrapped around Timbre, frying him into an ash pile.
  16. placate
    cause to be more favorably inclined
    I tried to raise my hands in a placating gesture, then remembered they were tied behind my back.
  17. truss
    secure with or as if with ropes
    “Thanks for stopping,” she said, then gagged him and trussed his wrists and ankles with his own zip ties.
  18. apathy
    the trait of lacking enthusiasm for or interest in things
    We made our way through the thirties of Caligula’s super-yacht chain, using stealth when necessary, mostly relying on the apathy of the crew members we encountered.
  19. bespoke
    custom-made
    While Piper nibbled her divine energy bar, I stared glumly at the racks of bespoke finery.
  20. fathom
    come to understand
    As Piper and I made our way to deck two, port side, we passed illuminated podiums displaying designer pumps, a hallway lined floor-to-ceiling with shelves of red leather boots, and one room with nothing but soccer cleats, for reasons I couldn’t fathom.
  21. goodly
    large in size, amount, or degree
    It was the size of a goodly apartment, with windows that overlooked the sea so the emperor’s prize shoes could have a nice view.
  22. jaded
    bored or apathetic after experiencing too much of something
    His jaded voice made me feel small and unimportant.
  23. vestige
    an indication that something has been present
    I didn’t want those last vestiges of divinity taken away, especially if the process involved flaying.
  24. volatile
    liable to lead to sudden change or violence
    “You—you seem like a reasonable horse, Incitatus. Why are you helping someone as volatile and treacherous as Caligula?”
  25. triage
    sorting and allocating aid on the basis of need
    Boat eighteen had been converted into a triage center. The wounded were sprawled everywhere, groaning from bashed heads, broken limbs, bleeding noses, and bruised groins.
  26. cadre
    a small unit serving as part of a larger political movement
    A cadre of horticulturists—no doubt called up from the botanical gardens on boat sixteen—were now trying to free their comrades using clippers and weed-whackers.
  27. canter
    go at a smooth three-beat gait, of horses
    Incitatus crossed to the deck of Julia Drusilla XII, cantered through a set of double golden doors, and carried us down a ramp into the ship’s interior, which contained a single massive room—the audience chamber of Caligula.
  28. garish
    tastelessly showy
    The fifty-foot-high walls screamed with garishly painted frescoes of battles, volcanoes, storms, wild parties—all images of power gone amok, boundaries erased, nature overturned.
  29. tinnitus
    a ringing or booming sensation in one or both ears
    They held gold-tipped spears and wore golden chain mail from head to foot, including giant metal flaps over their ears that, when struck, must have given them terrible tinnitus.
  30. dais
    a platform raised above the surrounding level
    At the far end of the room, where the boat’s hull narrowed to a point, the emperor had set his dais—putting his back to the corner like any good paranoid ruler.
  31. regalia
    paraphernalia indicative of royalty or other high office
    At the emperor’s right hand stood another pandos dressed in the full regalia of a praetorian commander—Reverb, I guessed, captain of the guard.
  32. lithe
    moving and bending with ease
    The emperor himself was much as I remembered—young and lithe, handsome enough, though his eyes were too far apart, his ears too prominent (but not in comparison to the pandai), his smile too thin.
  33. jaunty
    having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air
    He strolled between the wind columns with a jaunty lilt in his step, no doubt the effect of wearing a yacht-captain outfit.
  34. inexorable
    impossible to prevent, resist, or stop
    For the first time, I sensed what it would be like if the Triumvirate controlled every Oracle. They would not just foresee the future—they would shape it. Their every word would become inexorable destiny.
  35. consummate
    having or revealing supreme mastery or skill
    I woke up every day expecting to be assassinated, just like the rest of my family. I became a consummate actor. Whatever Tiberius needed me to be, I was.
  36. gesticulate
    show, express, or direct through movement
    Meg yelled and gesticulated at me, perhaps telling me not to be a fool and put down the arrow. I took no pleasure in the fact that, for once, I couldn’t hear her orders.
  37. depose
    force to leave an office
    “The Twelfth Legion has a long history of supporting good emperors,” I said. “And of deposing bad ones.”
  38. fain
    in a willing manner
    DOST THOU THINK I WOULD FAIN ALLOW MYSELF TO BE EMBEDDED IN THE DISGUSTING HEART OF LESTER? I DODGED AND WEAVED!
  39. flotsam
    the floating wreckage of a ship
    Ten-foot-tall waterfalls poured in from the damaged hull to port and starboard—washing the mosaic floors in dark water and flotsam, spilling into the widening chasm in the center of the room.
  40. guttural
    relating to or articulated in the throat
    She might have been saying COME ON! But all that came out was a guttural cry.
Created on Fri Sep 02 12:00:17 EDT 2022 (updated Fri Feb 03 10:37:07 EST 2023)

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