Upon learning that I happened to read Rick Riordan's "Heroes of Olympus" spinoff series to "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" and not reading the original series, my boyfriends couldn't believe what had just come out of my mouth. During one of our nightly FaceTimes, it came up again, and two days later a package arrived at my house carrying the first book.
I want to thank him for not only providing me with my main quarantine pastime materials but for turning me on to such a wonderful book series. While the series is at a middle school reading level, Riordan's style is unique and hilarious. I promise he will make you laugh out loud and actively cheer on the characters as they face every obstacle thrown at them.
If you're into mythology & fun fantasy novels and haven't read "Percy Jackson", there's a whole new world out there for you to experience. Follow Percy and his friends as it becomes more and more evident that Percy is the child of the Big Three in the decades-old prophecy that will more likely than not result in his demise.
Let's break down the books, shall we?
1. "The Lightning Thief"
In the first installment of "Percy Jackson and the Olympians", you learn with Percy as he is thrown into this new unfamiliar world of demigods, monsters, and Camp Half-Blood. Follow him on his first quest with his best friend Grover, a satyr, and his new friend Annabeth as they try to stop the gods from fighting each other over Zeus's stolen lightning bolt.
This book got me hooked. I could hardly put it down once and I couldn't wait for the next book. My boyfriend was way ahead of me, as usual, because the next book showed up before I was even done with the first.
2. "The Sea of Monsters"
In the second installment, Percy must save Grover from the Sea of Monsters, where he is held captive and being forced to marry a mostly-blind Cyclops. Oh, also Percy has a brother, also a Cyclops. In other bad news, a magical tree that protects Camp Half-Blood's safety borders is dying, and retrieving the Golden Fleece is the only way to save it. Unfortunately, a friend-turned-enemy is on the hunt for it too, and plans to lead the next major uprising of Olympus. Uh oh.
Not my favorite book in the series, but still hilarious and addictive. One part always amazes me: there's one part where a camper could've been dead and they didn't care at all! Didn't even mention them. What the heck, Percy??
3. "The Titan's Curse"
Percy and his friends join forces with the Hunters of Artemis to go save Artemis, who had been captured by the rising Titan army. They meet some mysterious and powerful demigods with unknown parentage and a mortal girl who seems to know too much.
The Hunters of Artemis are total badasses. It's so refreshing to see a group of strong young women in a book written by a white man. And for this, we stan Rick Riordan.
4. "The Battle of the Labyrinth"
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This time it's Annabeth's turn to lead a quest into Deadulus's Labyrinth. With an entrance being discovered in Camp Half-Blood that's been undefended for years, this pile of rocks could be the very reason Camp Half-Blood falls, as the Titan army can leave from their base in San Francisco, march on foot, and be at their doors in just a matter of hours. Our heroes must brave the maze and ask its creator to ultimately help them win this battle before the war begins.
This is by far my favorite book in the series. I live for the romance heating up between Percy and Annabeth, and I love a good maze. One that connects the entire United States through a crazy death trap tunnel system just beneath the surface? So freaking cool.
5. "The Last Olympian"
The war is upon us, and this time we're gonna need more Percy than even we bargained for. After a dip in a special river, Percy is virtually indestructible. The demigods are on their own to fight the ground troops, as the gods are preoccupied with a more dire threat that's moving closer and closer by the day. Not to mention, the prophecy is about to be fulfilled. Will Percy save modern civilization?
If you love epic battles, this book is the one for you. The last installment ties up some loose ends while still keeping us begging for more. Luckily, there are plenty of other spinoffs you can read to keep your Greek fire burning.
Overall, I rate my Percy Jackson experience a ten out of ten must-reads. You're never too old for a good mythological quest.
