Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a fantasy adventure novel series and the first book series in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles written by American author Rick Riordan.
The first two books of the series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, got highly successful film adaptations featuring Hollywood actor Logan Lerman as the main character, Percy Jackson.
Who Is Rick Riordan?
Rick Riordan is a fantasy novel writer born on June 5, 1964 in Texas. He is best known for writing the hugely popular Percy Jackson & the Olympians book series. The success of the series led him to write a series sequel, as well as a crossover book series featuring Greek and Egyptian mythology.
After receiving his teacher’s certification from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Riordan spent the next 15 years teaching middle school in Texas and California. It wasn’t until 1997 when Riordan published his first book, Big Red Tequila.
However, it was the first book in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, where Riordan got his big break. According to him, he got the inspiration for the book series from his son Haley, who is dyslexic and diagnosed with ADHD.
Haley wanted this dad to write these stories as a book, hence the creation of the main character, Percy Jackson.
Over 86 million copies of his books are sold in the United States alone and rights have been sold into more than 37 countries.
Rick Riordan is currently residing in Boston with his wife and two sons.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians Book Series Rundown
The book series revolves around the life of Percy Jackson, a young boy who discovered that he’s a demigod, son of Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. His life turned upside down when he discovered Camp Half-Blood, a sort of training camp for other demigods like himself.
Along with his newfound friends, Annabeth Chase, daughter of Athena, and Grover, a satyr, Percy embarks on a whirlwind of adventures that will take him deep in Greek mythology.
More than 69 million copies of the book series have been sold in more than 35 countries. A sequel series followed the publication of the books, along with graphic novel versions of each book.
Although the Hollywood adaptation of the first two books in the series were commercially successful, they received a mixed reaction from the series’ fans, as they felt that the films deviated so much from the books.
Percy Jackson & The Olympians Complete Book List and Summary
Here are all the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books in chronological order for anyone who wants to get started on the book series:
1) The Lightning Thief – 2005
Book Summary: You’ve read the book. You’ve seen the movie. Now submerge yourself in the thrilling, stunning, and action-packed graphic novel.Mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking out of the pages of twelve-year-old Percy Jackson’s textbooks and into his life. And worse, he’s angered a few of them. Zeus’s master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Now, he and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus’s stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.Series creator Rick Riordan joins forces with some of the biggest names in the comic book industry to tell the story of a boy who must unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.
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2) The Sea of Monsters – 2006
Book Summary: After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson finds his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson-a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any “normal” friends.But things don’t stay quiet for long. Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders which protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner by the Cyclops Polyphemus on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia-only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name?the Bermuda Triangle.Now Percy and his friends-Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson-must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes by the end of the summer or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family-one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon’s son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.
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3) The Titan’s Curse – 2007
Book Summary: When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it’s up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared-a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever.Please note: While the cover of the book may vary the content is the same.
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4) The Battle of the Labyrinth – 2008
Book Summary: Percy Jackson isn’t expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos’s army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth-a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet.
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5) The Last Olympian – 2009
Book Summary: All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds are against them. Kronos is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, his power only grows.In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling series, the prophecy surrounding Percy’s sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.
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Conclusion
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