Series Saturday: Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
Books in Series
The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian
Synopsis
When Percy Jackson finds out he in the son of Poseidon, the Greek sea god, he is sent off to Camp Half-Blood, a place where demigods like himself can train for be battle and be safe from the monsters in the world. But the Titan Kronos is rising, and Percy and his other demigod friends must complete a series of quests if they want to save the world!
Review
So I've heard of this series for years and years and yet I just never picked it up. I got the first book in a Kindle deal, but then it sat there on my Kindle for two years until I finally decided, okay, let's do this. I read The Lightning Thief and I was HOOKED. I devoured the rest of the series as quickly as I could get my hands on them. This was SUCH a great series! I've always loved Greek mythology, and Riordan really brings the stories and characters to life in a fun, modern setting.
In this story, the Greek gods aren't gone, they've just moved along with Western Civilization. So now Mount Olympus resides above the Empire State Building in Manhatten. The gods sometimes have relationships with mortals, and when those relationships result in offspring, the child is a demigod--half mortal, half god. All the great heroes in the Greek myths were demigods, and Riordan cheekily names other, later, historical figures as secret demigods.
The story starts with Percy Jackson, a 12 year old kid who is ADHD and dyslexic, who always seems to have strange things happening around him. Then one day his teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him. He is saved by his other teacher, who is actually a centaur, and escorted to Camp Half-Blood by his friend Grover, who turns out is a satyr. At Camp Half-Blood, Percy is claimed by Poseidon as his son. Then, troubles arise when they find out that Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen... And he thinks Percy did it! Percy sets out on a quest, along with Grover and a girl named Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. Their goal is to find the lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. But along their journey, they discover an even bigger threat: Kronos, lord of the Titans, is rising from the depths of Tartarus.
The rising of Kronos is the over-arcing plot to the whole series, and each book progresses this storyline through its own smaller and self-contained plots.
In The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to find the Golden Fleece in order to save Camp Half-Blood, whose magic has been mysteriously poisoned. In The Titan's Curse, the third installment, Annabeth has gone missing, along with a goddess, and Percy sets out to find them. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Camp Half-Blood is once again being threatened as the Titan War looms closer, and Percy and his friends must descend into the mythical Labyrinth to save their home. And in the fifth book, The Last Olympian, Percy and his friends finally face the Titan Kronos.
There are two things I REALLY liked about this series. No, three.
First: The characters. We start with Percy, but in each book more and more characters are added. Other demigods, monsters, mortals, etc. But Riordan really brings each character to life in their own unique way. Especially with the main characters, we see them face some hard challenges--and not just monsters! Themes include trying to fit in, losing someone you love, learning to forgive and start again, and non-ideal family situations. The characters are all young, between 12-18, and I feel like Riordan really captures all the emotions and challenges of being this age. And then these guys ALSO have to fight monsters! Puberty is rough, man! Character highlights: Percy Jackson is such a great character. He's sassy and extremely loyal. He makes mistakes and learns from them. Annabeth Chase is probably my favorite. She loves architecture and she can always think her way out of a problem. She and Percy make an incredible pair.
Second: The writing. It's quick and tight and keeps the plot moving. But best of all, it's lighthearted and funny. I literally laughed out loud at some of the silly and goofy similes and descriptions he uses, plus the silly and witty banter. I also admired his ability to face some deep and challenging topics, but keep it from being too heavy and weighing down the "fun" of the adventure. It's a hard mix but Riordan really gets it right. There's violence and people die, but it's never graphic. I liked that he made it so that when monsters die, they just turn to dust and disappear. No graphic bloody deaths.
Third: Riordan's application of Greek mythology into a modern day setting. For instance, Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and metalworks, is depicted as a guy in a car repair shop, complete with a mechanic jumpsuit with grease stains, etc. Zeus wears a business suit, while Poseidon hangs out in swim trunks and sunglasses and has a great tan. Dionysus (god of wine) is banned from alcohol while being the Camp Half-Blood director and only drinks Diet Coke. Medusa runs a shop that sells garden statues and lawn ornaments. The world-building is just truly incredible and immersive.
Overall, this was a wonderful and fun series full of exciting adventures and Greek mythology. The books are written around a Middle Grade to Young Adult level, so for kids about 9-10 and older. I think this is a great starting series for kids who maybe aren't that into reading yet, and a great one to read with your kids. And it holds up well for people of all ages! I wish I read had read this series sooner, and I'll definitely read it again. Highly recommend!
Rating
Each of the books rated between 4 - 4.5 stars, but as a whole I give the series 5 stars!
Details
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA.
Language: None.
Sex: None. (some cute kisses!)
Violence: Some, but never graphic or bloody.
Books in Series
The Lightning Thief
The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Last Olympian
Synopsis
When Percy Jackson finds out he in the son of Poseidon, the Greek sea god, he is sent off to Camp Half-Blood, a place where demigods like himself can train for be battle and be safe from the monsters in the world. But the Titan Kronos is rising, and Percy and his other demigod friends must complete a series of quests if they want to save the world!
Review
So I've heard of this series for years and years and yet I just never picked it up. I got the first book in a Kindle deal, but then it sat there on my Kindle for two years until I finally decided, okay, let's do this. I read The Lightning Thief and I was HOOKED. I devoured the rest of the series as quickly as I could get my hands on them. This was SUCH a great series! I've always loved Greek mythology, and Riordan really brings the stories and characters to life in a fun, modern setting.
In this story, the Greek gods aren't gone, they've just moved along with Western Civilization. So now Mount Olympus resides above the Empire State Building in Manhatten. The gods sometimes have relationships with mortals, and when those relationships result in offspring, the child is a demigod--half mortal, half god. All the great heroes in the Greek myths were demigods, and Riordan cheekily names other, later, historical figures as secret demigods.
The story starts with Percy Jackson, a 12 year old kid who is ADHD and dyslexic, who always seems to have strange things happening around him. Then one day his teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him. He is saved by his other teacher, who is actually a centaur, and escorted to Camp Half-Blood by his friend Grover, who turns out is a satyr. At Camp Half-Blood, Percy is claimed by Poseidon as his son. Then, troubles arise when they find out that Zeus' lightning bolt has been stolen... And he thinks Percy did it! Percy sets out on a quest, along with Grover and a girl named Annabeth Chase, the daughter of Athena. Their goal is to find the lightning bolt and prevent a war between the gods. But along their journey, they discover an even bigger threat: Kronos, lord of the Titans, is rising from the depths of Tartarus.
The rising of Kronos is the over-arcing plot to the whole series, and each book progresses this storyline through its own smaller and self-contained plots.
In The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to find the Golden Fleece in order to save Camp Half-Blood, whose magic has been mysteriously poisoned. In The Titan's Curse, the third installment, Annabeth has gone missing, along with a goddess, and Percy sets out to find them. In The Battle of the Labyrinth, Camp Half-Blood is once again being threatened as the Titan War looms closer, and Percy and his friends must descend into the mythical Labyrinth to save their home. And in the fifth book, The Last Olympian, Percy and his friends finally face the Titan Kronos.
There are two things I REALLY liked about this series. No, three.
First: The characters. We start with Percy, but in each book more and more characters are added. Other demigods, monsters, mortals, etc. But Riordan really brings each character to life in their own unique way. Especially with the main characters, we see them face some hard challenges--and not just monsters! Themes include trying to fit in, losing someone you love, learning to forgive and start again, and non-ideal family situations. The characters are all young, between 12-18, and I feel like Riordan really captures all the emotions and challenges of being this age. And then these guys ALSO have to fight monsters! Puberty is rough, man! Character highlights: Percy Jackson is such a great character. He's sassy and extremely loyal. He makes mistakes and learns from them. Annabeth Chase is probably my favorite. She loves architecture and she can always think her way out of a problem. She and Percy make an incredible pair.
Second: The writing. It's quick and tight and keeps the plot moving. But best of all, it's lighthearted and funny. I literally laughed out loud at some of the silly and goofy similes and descriptions he uses, plus the silly and witty banter. I also admired his ability to face some deep and challenging topics, but keep it from being too heavy and weighing down the "fun" of the adventure. It's a hard mix but Riordan really gets it right. There's violence and people die, but it's never graphic. I liked that he made it so that when monsters die, they just turn to dust and disappear. No graphic bloody deaths.
Third: Riordan's application of Greek mythology into a modern day setting. For instance, Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and metalworks, is depicted as a guy in a car repair shop, complete with a mechanic jumpsuit with grease stains, etc. Zeus wears a business suit, while Poseidon hangs out in swim trunks and sunglasses and has a great tan. Dionysus (god of wine) is banned from alcohol while being the Camp Half-Blood director and only drinks Diet Coke. Medusa runs a shop that sells garden statues and lawn ornaments. The world-building is just truly incredible and immersive.
Overall, this was a wonderful and fun series full of exciting adventures and Greek mythology. The books are written around a Middle Grade to Young Adult level, so for kids about 9-10 and older. I think this is a great starting series for kids who maybe aren't that into reading yet, and a great one to read with your kids. And it holds up well for people of all ages! I wish I read had read this series sooner, and I'll definitely read it again. Highly recommend!
Rating
Each of the books rated between 4 - 4.5 stars, but as a whole I give the series 5 stars!
Details
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade, YA.
Language: None.
Sex: None. (some cute kisses!)
Violence: Some, but never graphic or bloody.
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