With the ending of the first season of the Percy Jackson series on Disney+, the New York Times Bestselling series has been the rave of the internet. From old fans who picked up the first novel when they were twelve to the newest fans that picked up the series only after they watched the show. Either way, the first part of the Percy Jackson universe is a must-read by everyone – especially readers that enjoy action packed, high risked missions mixed with Greek mythology and an exceptionally written main character.
*MILD SPOILER WARNING
THE LIGHTNING THIEF
Percy Jackson and the Olympians’ (PJO) debut novel “The Lightning Thief” has been hailed as one of the best entry novels of all time. Percy Jackson’s discovery that he is half-blood, part mortal and part god, kick-starts his adventure into the world of Greek gods and mythical creatures. Soon after being claimed by his godly parent, (surprise surprise) he is sent off with his best friend, Grover Underwood, and the daughter of Athena, Annabeth Chase, to find Zeus’ stolen master bolt in order to restore peace in Olympus. This witty and perfectly paced debut novel will have readers picking up the next one in seconds.
THE SEA OF MONSTERS
Percy Jackson returns with his sophomore book, “The Sea of Monsters,” and readers will not be disappointed. After his victory on Olympus, Percy soon comes into contact with danger once more as he and his friend, Tyson, are attacked at his school and end up back at Camp Half-Blood for another quest, but this time for his missing best friend. Grover has been missing for months and is stuck somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, trapped by a Cyclops. Together with Tyson and Annabeth, Percy searches for the Sea of Monsters, also known as the Bermuda Triangle, in order to bring his best friend back home. This second installment of PJO leads readers deeper into the world of half-blood and monsters as the adventures lead them to islands of minor gods and goddesses, cursed and monster-infested cruise ships, as well as friendships that run deeper than blood.
THE TITANS CURSE
The third installment of PJO brings the stakes out as Percy and his friends start facing stronger adversaries as time ticks closer and closer to war. The Titan Lord Kronos is starting to gain traction in his war on Olympus and Percy is determined to stop it from happening, but with the loss of one of his best friends and being left behind from a quest, nothing looks in favor of him. Riordan delivers an action-packed and hysterical book with strong female characters, including the goddess Artemis and her pack of Huntresses, and two new beautifully written characters that will leave readers in tears. If you think the stakes can’t get higher, this book will prove otherwise.
THE BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH
War is upon Olympus and more and more half-blood are joining the opposing side, angry at their gods for their actions or lack thereof. Percy, Annabeth and Grover are all looking for ways to prevent their old friends, new enemies and ancient titans from taking away all that they have. In an effort to stop this, Annabeth, Percy, Grover and Tyson find themselves in the Labyrinth, from the myth of Daedalus and Icarus. While a prophecy has Annabeth on edge, Grover and Tyson’s dislike of enclosed spaces and Percy’s development from boy to hero, the fate of the half-blood world lays in their hands and they may just need someone else to come and help them. Riordan does it again, once more, as he incorporates more of the unknown or less popular Greek tales and myths as he intertwines them into his novel. With a surprise (not really) budding romance, friendships breaking apart, and the question of who’s a villain or a hero, readers will be on the edge of their seats, waiting for the final Olympian to stand.
THE LAST OLYMPIAN
The final installment of the PJO series comes with a bang as Percy finally faces the Titan Kronos’ army. Banding together with the half-bloods that were left and left alone to defend Olympus, the picture is clear – this won’t be just any battle. The ultimate battle comes to the pages and not everyone will make it out alive. This epic finale will come with blood, sweat and tears as the beloved heroes of our stories face their greatest victory or their greatest loss. In the end, Kelos was victors.
FINAL (PERSONAL) REVIEW
Honestly, this is one of my favorite series and it’s surprising how long it took me to read it. However, when I finally came around to reading it, I was shocked. I hadn’t before. The chapters are designed in a way that is only described as bedtime stories. A hook and a cliffhanger are solved in the next chapter, and round and round it goes. Percy is one of my favorite main characters (which is pretty hard to say), and his entire personality, down to his fatal flaws, is perfectly orchestrated and portrayed consistently throughout the series.
Annabeth Chase is actual perfection! I love her so much and have found myself relating to her multiple times. Her passion for architecture and protecting those she loves the most, even those who didn’t deserve it, drew me to her as an inspiring role model, even if she’s technically younger than me. Grover is so underappreciated, in my opinion, and he is one of the most lovable characters besides Tyson. His constant eating of furniture always served as a reminder that even though he wasn’t human, he was so important to the story and how much I adored his comedic relief. Tyson’s character, I believe, gives so much representation and light to the story. Anytime he came onto the page, I just leaped with joy. (I will protect him with all of my heart.) Nico is such a dynamic and round character (he actually began to scare me a little in the fourth book) and I think we need more characters like him.
The most interesting part of the story, in my opinion, is the question of war. Was it right to wage war against the gods? From some perspective, yes, it was. Some characters proved that the gods could not be trusted or only used them when they needed them, while others, such as Percy, showed that sometimes they were all bad. Either way, it’s a good lesson for those who read to challenge and even question authority figures and even be part of that change. In the end, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has my heart and I will be re-reading it every year.
