The Battle of the Labyrinth camp for the school year. On his fifteenth birthday at the summer's end, Percy receives a visit from his father Poseidon, who gives him a sand dollar, admonishing him to “spend it wisely”. Nico later appears to tell Percy his plan to defeat Luke once and for all. "The Battle of the Labyrinth" was initially referred to as "Percy 4" until the title was officially revealed. The novel was teased by Rick Riordan behind the pages of its predecessor, "The Titan's Curse". It was based on the Greek myth of the labyrinth, where the Minotaur was supposedly kept. In his
Daedalus Howell for its pronunciation, "DAY-de-lus." Howell spells "Daedalus" with the "ae" diphthong which would properly be pronounced "Deedalus." Howell's recorded birth name was "Daedalus Christopher Ferguson," though he changed his surname to "Howell" at 18, which was his father's original last name prior to adoption by his stepfather. Throughout his formative years, Howell used the name "Chris Ferguson" and did not begin using "Daedalus Howell" in earnest until his early 20s when he became a professional writer. Howell is sometimes connected to Albert Summers Howell, co-founder of Bell & Howell Co. (maker of motion picture cameras in the pioneering days of