Percy Jackson & the Olympians
Encyclopedia
Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a pentalogy
of adventure
and fantasy
fiction books authored by Rick Riordan
. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files
and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States
, the books are predominantly based on Greek mythology
. The Lightning Thief
, the first book, is the basis of a film called Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
, which was released in the United States and Canada
on February 12, 2010.
More than 20 million copies of the books have been sold in more than 10 countries.
As of October 28, 2011, the series has been on the New York Times best seller list for children's book series for 223 weeks.
Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old with ADHD and dyslexia
. Percy goes to Yancy Academy, a middle school for troubled kids. During a field trip, Percy is attacked by Alecto
, a mythological creature known as a Fury
, who was disguised as his pre-algebra
teacher Mrs. Dodds. Percy kills Mrs. Dodds with a powerful pen sword that Mr. Brunner, his Latin teacher, threw to him. After Mrs. Dodds is killed, everybody acts like she never existed, which, unbeknownst to Percy, is because of the Mist (a magical aura that can manipulate thoughts and memories of mortals). Then, on his way home at the end of the year with Grover, Percy sees three old women
cutting yarn, which troubles Grover, and he starts muttering odd things.. He rushes home, abandoning his friend Grover Underwood, to go on a vacation to Montauk with his mom, Sally Jackson, but terrible weather strikes. Once Percy tells his mom what he had seen, however, his mother, along with Grover (who is revealed to be a satyr
) then bring him to Camp Half-Blood, a camp located off Long Island
for demigods: children with a Greek Olympian god or goddess for a parent. En route to Camp Half-blood, they are attacked by the Minotaur
, who seemingly kills his mother; Percy, in turn, kills the Minotaur. After getting both himself and Grover to Camp Half-Blood, he meets Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena, and, surprisingly, Mr. Brunner, who is really Chiron
, the camp's Activities Director. Not long after his arrival, Poseidon
, the sea god, claims Percy as his son during a game of capture-the-flag. Percy is then accused of stealing Zeus
' master bolt and then he, Annabeth, and Grover are given 10 days to return the thunderbolt to Mount Olympus in order to stop a war between the gods and save his mother, who has been held hostage in the Underworld
by Hades
, Lord of The Dead. They go on a quest across the United States and encounter various monsters on the way, such as Medusa
, Echidna
, and many others. It is revealed that Luke, a son of Hermes
who Percy befriended at camp, and Ares
, god of war, stole the bolt for Kronos
who is attempting to rise from Tartarus
. They make it back to the camp at the end of the book, where Percy makes a decision to stay home during the year, and only go to camp during the summer against the wishes of Chiron.
The book has been adapted into a film by Chris Columbus
and 20th Century Fox
, under the title Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
.
Percy and his Cyclops friend Tyson are attacked by Laistrygonians at the very beginning of the book, later towards the end of the battle, it is revealed that Annabeth is there, and something awful has happened at Camp Half-Blood.
Thalia's tree, the magical border of Camp Half-Blood, has been poisoned. This has broken down the barriers that keep out monsters. Chiron
is blamed for the poisoning because he is the son of Kronos
and is dismissed from camp. The only thing able to rid the tree of its poison is the Golden Fleece
, which is located on the island of Polyphemus
, in the Sea of Monsters, also known by mortals as the Bermuda Triangle
.
Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares and rival of Percy since his first day at Camp Half-Blood, is given the quest to go to the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece. Percy,Annabeth, and Tyson sneak off to start their own quest, not just for the Golden Fleece, but for their friend Grover Underwood, who is trapped in Polyphemus' cave. They sail on the Princess Andromeda, which is a staging point for Luke and his forces. Luke finds them, but they escape into Chesapeake Bay. They encounter the Hydra, and are inevitably going to die until Clarisse shows up with the ghost of a Civil War ironclad. She reluctantly takes Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson aboard.
As they enter the Sea of Monsters, they have to get past Scylla and Charybdis
. Instead of trying to sail in between the two, Clarisse heads towards Charybdis. The ship is cast adrift, into the path of Scylla who begins eating the crew. The engine can't take the strain and the ship blows. Everyone appears dead except Annabeth and Percy, who got on a life raft before the explosion. They continue through the Sea of Monsters, where Annabeth nearly drowns in Siren Bay and Percy temporarily becomes a guinea pig at the hands of Circe. They locate the island of the Fleece, where a fight ensues and Clarisse and Tyson are revealed to be alive. They all fight the giant Polyphemus and recover the Fleece.
When they return to the mortal world, they send off Clarisse on an airplane with the Fleece to camp alone. Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson are kidnapped by Luke. In a duel with him, Percy is nearly killed. He is saved by Chiron, who is proven innocent, and his relatives, the Party Ponies. When they return to camp, the Fleece is put on the tree. The Fleece not only revives the tree, but Thalia too, who appears as she looked in Percy's dreams. It turns out that this was actually Kronos's plan, done so that he would have another chance to manipulate the prophecy which governs the future of Olympus
and the Twelve Olympians
. At the end, Percy and Annabeth win a chariot race and Annabeth kisses Percy on the cheek. Then in a dream, Tyson is sent a message from Poseidon that he can go to the underwater palace to learn more of forging and smithing.
This book is being adapted into a film by 20th Century Fox, under the title Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters
Grover has gone undercover to a school in search for half-bloods, and finds two powerful siblings, Nico and Bianca di Angelo. While on this mission, they are attacked by a manticore
, but are saved by the Hunters of Artemis
, who arrive just in time to help. Annabeth falls off a cliff in an attempt to kill the manticore, and as Percy learns later, has somehow survived and been captured by Luke. Bianca joins the Hunters and they, along with Nico, Percy, and Thalia, go to camp. Soon after arriving at camp, Percy learns that Artemis has been captured as well.
A quest is issued and the group is made to go on a quest for Artemis. However, Percy is not part of that quest. Grover, Thalia, Bianca and Zoë Nightshade, Artemis's lieutenant, go to rescue Artemis. Percy secretly follows and soon joins the quest as the fifth member. They travel to various places such as the Hoover Dam
and the junkyard of the gods. In the junkyard, Percy is visited by the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, who tells Percy that she is quite interested in Percy and Annabeth's relationship. In the junkyard, the guard of the junkyard, Talos, comes to life due to a theft; the giant bronze guard kills Bianca in her suicidal attempt to save her friends. They learn that Atlas
, a powerful Titan, has escaped his punishment (holding up the sky) at the Mountain of Despair on California
's Mount Tamalpais
, replacing himself with Annabeth and then eventually Artemis, and is intent on stopping the heroes from success, especially Percy and his friends, because they are travelling with Zoe, his least favorite daughter. They defeat him, losing both Hunters in the quest. During the winter solstice, Thalia replaces Zoë as Artemis' lieutenant at a meeting with the gods in which they decide whether they would kill Percy and his friends. Thalia's induction as a lieutenant of Artemis ensures that she never reaches 16, thus escaping the prophecy but leaving Percy as the only one who can fulfill it, leading him to be a threat to the gods. Fortunately, Percy and his friends remain untouched. The gods, Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia, then celebrate the victory of defeating Atlas and everything else the heroes have accomplished. But as soon as they return, Nico is told about Bianca's death. He blames Percy, accusing him of failing to protect her as he had promised. When a crack in the ground appears, and the dead come out, Nico thinks that Percy is now trying to kill him as well. He tells them to leave and they are banished to the Underworld; Nico then runs away. Percy realizes that Hades
is Nico's father. At first, Percy, Annabeth and Grover think that this might go against the promise of the Big Three, which was to never have demigod children, but they immediately realize the two siblings had been in the Lotus Hotel and Casino (visited in the first book where time is nonexistent, and one loses complete track of time), before the pact between the Big Three was ever made. Thus, Nico is still a part of the prophecy, and Percy has to hide Nico's parentage, in case Luke tries to recruit him to manipulate the prophecy to Kronos' advantage.
After being attacked by monster cheerleaders at his new school, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and learns about "The Labyrinth", part of the palace of King Minos in Crete
that, according to Greek mythology, was designed by Daedalus
. During a game/battle with giant scorpions, Annabeth and Percy find an entrance into the Labyrinth. Percy soon learns that Luke had used the entrance and will lead his army through the Labyrinth straight into the heart of camp. Annabeth also finds out that she is going to lead a quest for the first time in her life. To get into the Labyrinth, Percy has to find a blue Delta Symbol (Δ) (representing Daedalus) on a passageway, touch it, and then enter the Labyrinth to find Daedalus. Then Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson learn that the Labyrinth is known to grow on its own, and causing madness that could lead to death. While in the Labyrinth, they (with Nico) discover Pan, and he speaks words of wisdom to all of them. When he dies, part of Pan's spirit enters each of the characters except Nico. Percy later notices that Pan did speak to Nico. Afterwards, Percy blows up Mt. St. Helens and lands on Calypso's island, which Annabeth later finds out and becomes jealous of.
Using the Labyrinth, Percy tries to find Daedalus using Ariadne's string
, (a string that can help anyone travel through the Labyrinth without getting lost), and face and kill Luke thereby foiling Luke's invasion. He gets the help he needs from a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who can also see a path in the Labyrinth leading to Daedalus. While they are searching the Labyrinth, Luke is letting Kronos take over his body, so that Kronos can come back fully. Kronos finds out that Nico di Angelo is a son of Hades and could also be the child of the prophecy. Kronos reaches Daedalus and gets Ariadne's string which he uses to lead his army to attack Camp Half-Blood. Grover comes to the rescue and causes a Panic (a scream that symbolizes the wild god Pan) to scare away the enemy. After the battle, Daedalus sacrifices himself to close the Labyrinth, which is tied to his life. In the end, the campers are recovering and preparing for the battle to come.
Percy (Perseus) Jackson and his friends fight in a war resembling the original war between the Greek gods and the Titans, and in a final battle with the powerful Titan, Lord Kronos
. Typhon (a colossal monster that nearly destroyed Olympus in the first war) is released from under Mount St. Helens, forcing the gods to leave to fight with Olympus virtually undefended. Seeking to defeat Kronos, Percy bathes in the River Styx, like Luke, to make his body invulnerable except in one spot (mortal point; in Percy's case, the small of his back). Percy and his friends then fight in a last stand
to protect Mount Olympus
from the oncoming invasion of Kronos. They find out that a mortal girl that Percy met in the third book, The Titan's Curse, was destined to become the Oracle. Percy also finds out the last Olympian is Hestia
and gives her Pandora's jar, telling her she is the last and most important Olympian, "because Hope survives best at the hearth". Percy and Luke (Luke having been taken over by Kronos) battle at the top of Mt. Olympus. During this battle, Percy turns 16, making the Great Prophecy come into effect. Luke is shocked back into himself (banishing Kronos from his body) whenever he nearly kills Annabeth in battle. Annabeth tells Percy to give Luke her knife, leaving himself unarmed. He does, and Luke stabs himself in his mortal spot to destroy Kronos and save Mt. Olympus. Percy had made the worst decision to save Olympus, losing plenty of his friends, and finding out that Luke was the true hero, in the end. A shroud is made for Luke when the gods return to Olympus. The gods reward Percy and his friends, they even offer him immortality but he refuses and they grant him one request. He requests the gods to recognize all their children by claiming them at the age of thirteen or by the time they reach Camp Half-Blood, and also to make a place at Camp Half-Blood for Hades. He also requested that the minor gods and their children are given a regular amnesty. Once this happens, there are much less kids in the Hermes Cabin. At the end Percy and Annabeth make their relationship official, by kissing in an underwater bubble at Camp Half-Blood. Rachel becomes the new Oracle, and predicts a new Great Prophecy, and this one sounds much worse than the first.
, also written by Rick Riordan, is the first companion book to the series. It was released February 10, 2009, featuring three short stories, interviews with the campers, puzzles and pictures. It is set between The Battle of the Labyrinth
and The Last Olympian
. The book received mixed reviews, with some reviewers criticizing the lack of substantial material and others commending the writing of the short stories.
The book contains the following stories:
was published on October 12, 2010. It follows a shortened version of Percy's adventures in The Lightning Thief with full color drawings.
PercyQuest was asked to author a companion book on January 25, 2011. It's called The Unofficial Heroes of Olympus Companion: Gods, Monsters, and Myths and What's in Store For Jason, Piper, and Leo, authored by Richard Marcus, Natalie Buczynsky, and Jonathan Shelnutt. The tome will be released on November 15, 2011.
relies on Bibliotheca
for his characters and plot. In three books, it provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology
and heroic legend
s.
Listed are the major characters in the series.
takes from the Odyssey
, especially in regards to the Lotus Hotel and Casino, as well as the adventures of Perseus with Medusa, and of Theseus. The Sea of Monsters
takes from Jason
and the Argonauts
and also from the Odyssey, as Polyphemus
, Scylla
, Charybdis
and Circe
make appearances. The Titan's Curse
includes the deeds of Hercules, especially Percy's slaying of the Nemean lion
, and Percy holding the sky that Atlas holds. The Battle of the Labyrinth
has stories of Daedalus
, Calypso
, the Labyrinth
, etc. The Last Olympian
takes from the earliest of Greek myths about the Titans
, Typhon
, the war against the gods and the Titans along with parallels to the story of Achilles
and the Trojan War
in the Iliad
.
Development for both The Lightning Thief and the Percy Jackson series as a whole, commenced when Riordan first began making stories for his son Haley, who had just recently been diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia
. His son had been studying Greek mythology
in second grade
and requested that his father come up with bedtime stories
based on Greek myths. Riordan had been a Greek mythology teacher in middle school for many years and was able to remember enough stories to please his son. Soon Riordan ran out of myths and his son then requested that he make new ones using the same characters from Greek myths and add new ones. Thus, Riordan created the fictional character Percy Jackson and made the story of how he would travel across the United States to recover Zeus's lightning bolt. After he finished telling the story to his son, he then requested that his dad write a book based on Percy's adventures.
In June 1994, Riordan had completed his manuscript and began looking for agents. During that time, he visited multiple local colleges looking for good editors until he eventually found an agent. While he left his manuscript to his agent and editor to review, Riordan took his book to a group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to read and give their critique. Ultimately he gained their approval, and with their help, came up with the name of the book and created the way Percy's sword worked. In June 1997, Riordan signed with Bantam Books
to prepare the book for publishing. In 2004, the book was sold to Miramax Books
for enough money for Riordan to quit his job to focus on writing. After it was released on 28 July 2005, it sold over 1.2 million copies. The book was released in multiple versions including hardcover, paperback and audio editions. It has been translated into multiple languages and published all over the world.
received mostly positive reviews and won awards including the School Library Journal
Best Book of 2005. The New York Times praised The Lightning Thief as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats". Author Rick Riordan said of the various awards:
Like its predecessor, The Sea of Monsters
won several prizes and received generally positive reviews as well. It sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover by the time it was released in paperback and reviewers have praised the storyline, themes and the author's style of writing. Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist." Kirkus reviewed The Battle of the Labyrinth as, "This volume can stand alone, but no one will be able to read just one...look no further for the next Harry Potter, meet Percy Jackson as legions of fans already have."
directed and produced Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
for 20th Century Fox
through 1492 Pictures
. The film was released in 2010 in the United States
, Canada
and in the United Kingdom
on February 12 and in Australia
on February 11.
Columbus has stated that he was drawn to directing the Percy Jackson movie because it gave him the "opportunity to do a movie that we haven’t really seen before for this generation. When I was a kid, there were movies that dealt with Greek mythology, which in terms of visual effects was really primitive. So I thought this was an opportunity to deal with Greek mythology which children and adults all over the world are fascinated by and it was not a new genre but a new avenue, dealing with mythological creatures in a contemporary setting."
It has been announced that a movie based on The Sea of Monsters
is scheduled for a March 27, 2013 release.
universe, was written and the first book released on October 12, 2010. Like the first series, there will be five books. Riordan has also stated that the time between the two occurrences of great prophecies is not as long as Apollo
assumes it will be. The series has been named The Heroes of Olympus
, and the first book is The Lost Hero
. The official website requires a password, revealed as newhero. On June 1, 2010, the site went live.
A medal with a password was needed to unlock the first two chapters. The cover was revealed on June 20, 2010, along with the password. The second book in The Heroes of Olympus, The Son of Neptune
, has been released recently. The Third book The Mark of Athena
is set to be released in October 2012.
Pentalogy
A pentalogy is a compound literary or narrative work that is made up of five distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works, and a tetralogy of four...
of adventure
Adventure novel
The adventure novel is a genre of novels that has adventure, an exciting undertaking involving risk and physical danger, as its main theme.-History:...
and fantasy
Fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is fantasy in written form. Historically speaking, literature has composed the majority of fantasy works. Since the 1950s however, a growing segment of the fantasy genre has taken the form of films, television programs, graphic novels, video games, music, painting, and other...
fiction books authored by Rick Riordan
Rick Riordan
Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files
The Demigod Files
The Demigod Files is a collection of stories by Rick Riordan published on February 10, 2009. It is a companion book to the main series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It contains three short stories, titled Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot, Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon, and Percy...
and Demigods and Monsters. Set in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the books are predominantly based on Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
, the first book, is the basis of a film called Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
, which was released in the United States and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on February 12, 2010.
More than 20 million copies of the books have been sold in more than 10 countries.
As of October 28, 2011, the series has been on the New York Times best seller list for children's book series for 223 weeks.
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is the first book in the series. It was released on June 28, 2005.Percy Jackson is a 12-year-old with ADHD and dyslexia
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. Percy goes to Yancy Academy, a middle school for troubled kids. During a field trip, Percy is attacked by Alecto
Alecto
Alecto is one of the Erinyes in Greek mythology. According to Hesiod, she was the daughter of Gaea fertilized by the blood spilled from Uranus when Cronus castrated him. She is the sister of Tisiphone and Megaera...
, a mythological creature known as a Fury
Erinyes
In Greek mythology the Erinyes from Greek ἐρίνειν " pursue, persecute"--sometimes referred to as "infernal goddesses" -- were female chthonic deities of vengeance. A formulaic oath in the Iliad invokes them as "those who beneath the earth punish whosoever has sworn a false oath"...
, who was disguised as his pre-algebra
Pre-algebra
Pre-Algebra is a common name for a course in middle school mathematics. In the United States, it is generally taught between the fifth and eighth grades, although it may be necessary to take this course as early as sixth grade in order to advance to Calculus BC by twelfth grade...
teacher Mrs. Dodds. Percy kills Mrs. Dodds with a powerful pen sword that Mr. Brunner, his Latin teacher, threw to him. After Mrs. Dodds is killed, everybody acts like she never existed, which, unbeknownst to Percy, is because of the Mist (a magical aura that can manipulate thoughts and memories of mortals). Then, on his way home at the end of the year with Grover, Percy sees three old women
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
cutting yarn, which troubles Grover, and he starts muttering odd things.. He rushes home, abandoning his friend Grover Underwood, to go on a vacation to Montauk with his mom, Sally Jackson, but terrible weather strikes. Once Percy tells his mom what he had seen, however, his mother, along with Grover (who is revealed to be a satyr
Satyr
In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
) then bring him to Camp Half-Blood, a camp located off Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
for demigods: children with a Greek Olympian god or goddess for a parent. En route to Camp Half-blood, they are attacked by the Minotaur
Minotaur
In Greek mythology, the Minotaur , as the Greeks imagined him, was a creature with the head of a bull on the body of a man or, as described by Roman poet Ovid, "part man and part bull"...
, who seemingly kills his mother; Percy, in turn, kills the Minotaur. After getting both himself and Grover to Camp Half-Blood, he meets Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena, and, surprisingly, Mr. Brunner, who is really Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
, the camp's Activities Director. Not long after his arrival, Poseidon
Poseidon
Poseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
, the sea god, claims Percy as his son during a game of capture-the-flag. Percy is then accused of stealing Zeus
Zeus
In the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
' master bolt and then he, Annabeth, and Grover are given 10 days to return the thunderbolt to Mount Olympus in order to stop a war between the gods and save his mother, who has been held hostage in the Underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
by Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
, Lord of The Dead. They go on a quest across the United States and encounter various monsters on the way, such as Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
, Echidna
Echidna (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Echidna was half woman half snake, known as the "Mother of All Monsters" because most of the monsters in Greek myth were mothered by her...
, and many others. It is revealed that Luke, a son of Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
who Percy befriended at camp, and Ares
Ares
Ares is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, god of war, stole the bolt for Kronos
Cronus
In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
who is attempting to rise from Tartarus
Tartarus
In classic mythology, below Uranus , Gaia , and Pontus is Tartarus, or Tartaros . It is a deep, gloomy place, a pit, or an abyss used as a dungeon of torment and suffering that resides beneath the underworld. In the Gorgias, Plato In classic mythology, below Uranus (sky), Gaia (earth), and Pontus...
. They make it back to the camp at the end of the book, where Percy makes a decision to stay home during the year, and only go to camp during the summer against the wishes of Chiron.
The book has been adapted into a film by Chris Columbus
Chris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
and 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
, under the title Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
.
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is the second installment in the series, released on May 3, 2006.Percy and his Cyclops friend Tyson are attacked by Laistrygonians at the very beginning of the book, later towards the end of the battle, it is revealed that Annabeth is there, and something awful has happened at Camp Half-Blood.
Thalia's tree, the magical border of Camp Half-Blood, has been poisoned. This has broken down the barriers that keep out monsters. Chiron
Chiron
In Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
is blamed for the poisoning because he is the son of Kronos
Cronus
In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
and is dismissed from camp. The only thing able to rid the tree of its poison is the Golden Fleece
Golden Fleece
In Greek mythology, the Golden Fleece is the fleece of the gold-haired winged ram, which can be procured in Colchis. It figures in the tale of Jason and his band of Argonauts, who set out on a quest by order of King Pelias for the fleece in order to place Jason rightfully on the throne of Iolcus...
, which is located on the island of Polyphemus
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
, in the Sea of Monsters, also known by mortals as the Bermuda Triangle
Bermuda Triangle
The Bermuda Triangle, also known as the Devil's Triangle, is a region in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean where a number of aircraft and surface vessels allegedly disappeared under mysterious circumstances....
.
Clarisse La Rue, the daughter of Ares and rival of Percy since his first day at Camp Half-Blood, is given the quest to go to the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece. Percy,Annabeth, and Tyson sneak off to start their own quest, not just for the Golden Fleece, but for their friend Grover Underwood, who is trapped in Polyphemus' cave. They sail on the Princess Andromeda, which is a staging point for Luke and his forces. Luke finds them, but they escape into Chesapeake Bay. They encounter the Hydra, and are inevitably going to die until Clarisse shows up with the ghost of a Civil War ironclad. She reluctantly takes Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson aboard.
As they enter the Sea of Monsters, they have to get past Scylla and Charybdis
Scylla and Charybdis
Being between Scylla and Charybdis is an idiom deriving from Greek mythology. Several other idioms, such as "on the horns of a dilemma", "between the devil and the deep blue sea", and "between a rock and a hard place" express the same meaning of "having to choose between two evils".-The myth and...
. Instead of trying to sail in between the two, Clarisse heads towards Charybdis. The ship is cast adrift, into the path of Scylla who begins eating the crew. The engine can't take the strain and the ship blows. Everyone appears dead except Annabeth and Percy, who got on a life raft before the explosion. They continue through the Sea of Monsters, where Annabeth nearly drowns in Siren Bay and Percy temporarily becomes a guinea pig at the hands of Circe. They locate the island of the Fleece, where a fight ensues and Clarisse and Tyson are revealed to be alive. They all fight the giant Polyphemus and recover the Fleece.
When they return to the mortal world, they send off Clarisse on an airplane with the Fleece to camp alone. Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson are kidnapped by Luke. In a duel with him, Percy is nearly killed. He is saved by Chiron, who is proven innocent, and his relatives, the Party Ponies. When they return to camp, the Fleece is put on the tree. The Fleece not only revives the tree, but Thalia too, who appears as she looked in Percy's dreams. It turns out that this was actually Kronos's plan, done so that he would have another chance to manipulate the prophecy which governs the future of Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
and the Twelve Olympians
Twelve Olympians
The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon , in Greek mythology, were the principal deities of the Greek pantheon, residing atop Mount Olympus. Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, and Hades were siblings. Ares, Hermes, Hephaestus, Athena, Apollo, and Artemis were children of Zeus...
. At the end, Percy and Annabeth win a chariot race and Annabeth kisses Percy on the cheek. Then in a dream, Tyson is sent a message from Poseidon that he can go to the underwater palace to learn more of forging and smithing.
This book is being adapted into a film by 20th Century Fox, under the title Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters
The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse is the third installment in the series. It was released on May 1, 2007.Grover has gone undercover to a school in search for half-bloods, and finds two powerful siblings, Nico and Bianca di Angelo. While on this mission, they are attacked by a manticore
Manticore
The manticore is a legendary creature similar to the Egyptian sphinx. It has the body of a red lion, a human head with three rows of sharp teeth , and a trumpet-like voice. Other aspects of the creature vary from story to story. It may be horned, winged, or both...
, but are saved by the Hunters of Artemis
Artemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
, who arrive just in time to help. Annabeth falls off a cliff in an attempt to kill the manticore, and as Percy learns later, has somehow survived and been captured by Luke. Bianca joins the Hunters and they, along with Nico, Percy, and Thalia, go to camp. Soon after arriving at camp, Percy learns that Artemis has been captured as well.
A quest is issued and the group is made to go on a quest for Artemis. However, Percy is not part of that quest. Grover, Thalia, Bianca and Zoë Nightshade, Artemis's lieutenant, go to rescue Artemis. Percy secretly follows and soon joins the quest as the fifth member. They travel to various places such as the Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, once known as Boulder Dam, is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the US states of Arizona and Nevada. It was constructed between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President...
and the junkyard of the gods. In the junkyard, Percy is visited by the goddess of beauty and love, Aphrodite, who tells Percy that she is quite interested in Percy and Annabeth's relationship. In the junkyard, the guard of the junkyard, Talos, comes to life due to a theft; the giant bronze guard kills Bianca in her suicidal attempt to save her friends. They learn that Atlas
Atlas (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Atlas was the primordial Titan who supported the heavens. Although associated with various places, he became commonly identified with the Atlas Mountains in north-west Africa...
, a powerful Titan, has escaped his punishment (holding up the sky) at the Mountain of Despair on California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
's Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tamalpais is a peak in Marin County, California, United States, often considered symbolic of Marin County. Much of Mount Tamalpais is protected within public lands such as Mount Tamalpais State Park and the Mount Tamalpais Watershed.-Geography:...
, replacing himself with Annabeth and then eventually Artemis, and is intent on stopping the heroes from success, especially Percy and his friends, because they are travelling with Zoe, his least favorite daughter. They defeat him, losing both Hunters in the quest. During the winter solstice, Thalia replaces Zoë as Artemis' lieutenant at a meeting with the gods in which they decide whether they would kill Percy and his friends. Thalia's induction as a lieutenant of Artemis ensures that she never reaches 16, thus escaping the prophecy but leaving Percy as the only one who can fulfill it, leading him to be a threat to the gods. Fortunately, Percy and his friends remain untouched. The gods, Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Thalia, then celebrate the victory of defeating Atlas and everything else the heroes have accomplished. But as soon as they return, Nico is told about Bianca's death. He blames Percy, accusing him of failing to protect her as he had promised. When a crack in the ground appears, and the dead come out, Nico thinks that Percy is now trying to kill him as well. He tells them to leave and they are banished to the Underworld; Nico then runs away. Percy realizes that Hades
Hades
Hades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
is Nico's father. At first, Percy, Annabeth and Grover think that this might go against the promise of the Big Three, which was to never have demigod children, but they immediately realize the two siblings had been in the Lotus Hotel and Casino (visited in the first book where time is nonexistent, and one loses complete track of time), before the pact between the Big Three was ever made. Thus, Nico is still a part of the prophecy, and Percy has to hide Nico's parentage, in case Luke tries to recruit him to manipulate the prophecy to Kronos' advantage.
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is the fourth book in the series. It was released on May 6, 2008.After being attacked by monster cheerleaders at his new school, Percy returns to Camp Half-Blood and learns about "The Labyrinth", part of the palace of King Minos in Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
that, according to Greek mythology, was designed by Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
. During a game/battle with giant scorpions, Annabeth and Percy find an entrance into the Labyrinth. Percy soon learns that Luke had used the entrance and will lead his army through the Labyrinth straight into the heart of camp. Annabeth also finds out that she is going to lead a quest for the first time in her life. To get into the Labyrinth, Percy has to find a blue Delta Symbol (Δ) (representing Daedalus) on a passageway, touch it, and then enter the Labyrinth to find Daedalus. Then Percy, Annabeth, Grover and Tyson learn that the Labyrinth is known to grow on its own, and causing madness that could lead to death. While in the Labyrinth, they (with Nico) discover Pan, and he speaks words of wisdom to all of them. When he dies, part of Pan's spirit enters each of the characters except Nico. Percy later notices that Pan did speak to Nico. Afterwards, Percy blows up Mt. St. Helens and lands on Calypso's island, which Annabeth later finds out and becomes jealous of.
Using the Labyrinth, Percy tries to find Daedalus using Ariadne's string
Ariadne
Ariadne , in Greek mythology, was the daughter of King Minos of Crete, and his queen Pasiphaë, daughter of Helios, the Sun-titan. She aided Theseus in overcoming the Minotaur and was the bride of the god Dionysus.-Minos and Theseus:...
, (a string that can help anyone travel through the Labyrinth without getting lost), and face and kill Luke thereby foiling Luke's invasion. He gets the help he needs from a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who can also see a path in the Labyrinth leading to Daedalus. While they are searching the Labyrinth, Luke is letting Kronos take over his body, so that Kronos can come back fully. Kronos finds out that Nico di Angelo is a son of Hades and could also be the child of the prophecy. Kronos reaches Daedalus and gets Ariadne's string which he uses to lead his army to attack Camp Half-Blood. Grover comes to the rescue and causes a Panic (a scream that symbolizes the wild god Pan) to scare away the enemy. After the battle, Daedalus sacrifices himself to close the Labyrinth, which is tied to his life. In the end, the campers are recovering and preparing for the battle to come.
The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian, the fifth and final book in the Percy Jackson series, was released on May 5, 2009.Percy (Perseus) Jackson and his friends fight in a war resembling the original war between the Greek gods and the Titans, and in a final battle with the powerful Titan, Lord Kronos
Cronus
In Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
. Typhon (a colossal monster that nearly destroyed Olympus in the first war) is released from under Mount St. Helens, forcing the gods to leave to fight with Olympus virtually undefended. Seeking to defeat Kronos, Percy bathes in the River Styx, like Luke, to make his body invulnerable except in one spot (mortal point; in Percy's case, the small of his back). Percy and his friends then fight in a last stand
Last stand
Last stand is a loose military term used to describe a body of troops holding a defensive position in the face of overwhelming odds. The defensive force usually takes very heavy casualties or is completely destroyed, as happened in "Custer's Last Stand" at the Battle of Little Big HornBryan Perrett...
to protect Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus
Mount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
from the oncoming invasion of Kronos. They find out that a mortal girl that Percy met in the third book, The Titan's Curse, was destined to become the Oracle. Percy also finds out the last Olympian is Hestia
Hestia
In Greek mythology Hestia , first daughter of Cronus and Rhea , is the virgin goddess of the hearth, architecture, and of the right ordering of domesticity and the family. She received the first offering at every sacrifice in the household. In the public domain, the hearth of the prytaneum...
and gives her Pandora's jar, telling her she is the last and most important Olympian, "because Hope survives best at the hearth". Percy and Luke (Luke having been taken over by Kronos) battle at the top of Mt. Olympus. During this battle, Percy turns 16, making the Great Prophecy come into effect. Luke is shocked back into himself (banishing Kronos from his body) whenever he nearly kills Annabeth in battle. Annabeth tells Percy to give Luke her knife, leaving himself unarmed. He does, and Luke stabs himself in his mortal spot to destroy Kronos and save Mt. Olympus. Percy had made the worst decision to save Olympus, losing plenty of his friends, and finding out that Luke was the true hero, in the end. A shroud is made for Luke when the gods return to Olympus. The gods reward Percy and his friends, they even offer him immortality but he refuses and they grant him one request. He requests the gods to recognize all their children by claiming them at the age of thirteen or by the time they reach Camp Half-Blood, and also to make a place at Camp Half-Blood for Hades. He also requested that the minor gods and their children are given a regular amnesty. Once this happens, there are much less kids in the Hermes Cabin. At the end Percy and Annabeth make their relationship official, by kissing in an underwater bubble at Camp Half-Blood. Rachel becomes the new Oracle, and predicts a new Great Prophecy, and this one sounds much worse than the first.
The Demigod Files
The Demigod FilesThe Demigod Files
The Demigod Files is a collection of stories by Rick Riordan published on February 10, 2009. It is a companion book to the main series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. It contains three short stories, titled Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot, Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon, and Percy...
, also written by Rick Riordan, is the first companion book to the series. It was released February 10, 2009, featuring three short stories, interviews with the campers, puzzles and pictures. It is set between The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
and The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
. The book received mixed reviews, with some reviewers criticizing the lack of substantial material and others commending the writing of the short stories.
The book contains the following stories:
- Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot
- Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon
- Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades
Demigods and Monsters
Demigods and Monsters is another companion book and was released on February 10, 2009. With an introduction by Riordan, it features essays written by various young adult authors that explore, discuss and provide further insight into the Percy Jackson series. At 196 pages, it also contains information on the places and characters of the series, as well as a glossary of Greek myths.The Ultimate Guide
The Ultimate Guide is a companion book, third to the series, released on January 19, 2010. This book has a magnetic cover and holographic character pictures that change into four different characters. Its 156 pages include trading cards, full-color diagrams and maps. It also includes a dictionary of almost every monster Percy faces in the series, with pictures beside some, as well as various activities. The book tells of Percy Jackson's starting life as a half-blood, a tour of the Underworld by Nico di Angelo, and items used throughout the series.Graphic novel
A graphic novel based on The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
was published on October 12, 2010. It follows a shortened version of Percy's adventures in The Lightning Thief with full color drawings.
The Unofficial Heroes of Olympus Companion
The fansiteFansite
A fansite, fan site, or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon...
PercyQuest was asked to author a companion book on January 25, 2011. It's called The Unofficial Heroes of Olympus Companion: Gods, Monsters, and Myths and What's in Store For Jason, Piper, and Leo, authored by Richard Marcus, Natalie Buczynsky, and Jonathan Shelnutt. The tome will be released on November 15, 2011.
Main characters
Rick RiordanRick Riordan
Richard Russell "Rick" Riordan, Jr. is an American author best known for writing the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. He also wrote the Tres Navarre mystery series for adults and helped to edit Demigods and Monsters, a collection of essays on the topic of his Percy Jackson series...
relies on Bibliotheca
Bibliotheca (Pseudo-Apollodorus)
The Bibliotheca , in three books, provides a comprehensive summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends, "the most valuable mythographical work that has come down from ancient times," Aubrey Diller observed, whose "stultifying purpose" was neatly expressed in the epigram noted by...
for his characters and plot. In three books, it provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
and heroic legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s.
Listed are the major characters in the series.
- Percy Jackson: age 12–16, demigod son of PoseidonPoseidonPoseidon was the god of the sea, and, as "Earth-Shaker," of the earthquakes in Greek mythology. The name of the sea-god Nethuns in Etruscan was adopted in Latin for Neptune in Roman mythology: both were sea gods analogous to Poseidon...
; he is the protagonist of the series. - Grover Underwood: age 28–32, equivalent to 14–16 in human development, SatyrSatyrIn Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing....
, best friend of Percy. - Annabeth Chase: age 12–16, demigod daughter of AthenaAthenaIn Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, strong friend, and later, the girlfriend of Percy. Very intelligent, skilled in architecture and strategy. - Luke Castellan: age 19–23, demigod son of HermesHermesHermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
who is revealed to be working for KronosCronusIn Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
. - Thalia Grace: age 15 and one day from 16 (permanently), demigod daughter of ZeusZeusIn the ancient Greek religion, Zeus was the "Father of Gods and men" who ruled the Olympians of Mount Olympus as a father ruled the family. He was the god of sky and thunder in Greek mythology. His Roman counterpart is Jupiter and his Etruscan counterpart is Tinia.Zeus was the child of Cronus...
, first appears at the end of The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
and becomes lieutenant of Artemis in The Titan's CurseThe Titan's CurseThe Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters...
, making her immortal with the exception of death in battle or breaking her vow to never date. - Nico di Angelo: age 10–12 (75) , demigod son of HadesHadesHades , Hadēs, originally , Haidēs or , Aidēs , meaning "the unseen") was the ancient Greek god of the underworld. The genitive , Haidou, was an elision to denote locality: "[the house/dominion] of Hades". Eventually, the nominative came to designate the abode of the dead.In Greek mythology, Hades...
, holds a grudge against Percy temporarily, because he thinks his older sister Bianca died because of Percy, commands the dead and always wears black clothing. Later it is revealed that he spent time in the Lotus Casino, a place that makes time run slow while the outside world goes by normally. - Tyson the CyclopsCyclopsA cyclops , in Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, was a member of a primordial race of giants, each with a single eye in the middle of his forehead...
: age 13–15 (4–7 in human years), Percy's half-brother through Poseidon. He first appears at the beginning of The Sea of MonstersThe Sea of MonstersThe Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
, assists Percy frequently throughout series. He is skilled with machines and he is taught by campers from Hephaestus's cabin. - Clarisse La Rue: age 14–18, demigod daughter of AresAresAres is the Greek god of war. He is one of the Twelve Olympians, and the son of Zeus and Hera. In Greek literature, he often represents the physical or violent aspect of war, in contrast to the armored Athena, whose functions as a goddess of intelligence include military strategy and...
, does not get along with Percy or Annabeth. She is very fierce, considered a bully. - Rachel Elizabeth Dare: age 14–16, a "clear-sighted" mortal girl who assists Percy, later becoming the Oracle of Delphi.
- Bianca di Angelo:age 12, daughter of Hades. She becomes a huntress of Artemis and is killed by one of Hephaestus's creations while on a quest.
- Ethan Nakamura:age 16–17, a son of Nemesis, the Greek goddess of revenge. He joins Luke's army and becomes his right-hand man.
- ChironChironIn Greek mythology, Chiron was held to be the superlative centaur among his brethren.-History:Like the satyrs, centaurs were notorious for being wild and lusty, overly indulgent drinkers and carousers, given to violence when intoxicated, and generally uncultured delinquents...
: Centaur, son of KronosCronusIn Greek mythology, Cronus or Kronos was the leader and the youngest of the first generation of Titans, divine descendants of Gaia, the earth, and Uranus, the sky...
, activites director of Camp Half-Blood, and trainer of heroes, including Hercules, Perseus, etc. - Sally JacksonSally JacksonSally Jackson is an American scholar of argumentation, communication, and rhetoric.Dr. Jackson served as the chief information officer for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign., but resigned from the position on April 8, 2011 due to disagreement with a change in administrative reporting...
: Percy's mother. Mortal.
Greek epics
While all the books rely heavily on Greek myths, each book has certain definite characteristics of one or more myths as the central plot. The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
takes from the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, especially in regards to the Lotus Hotel and Casino, as well as the adventures of Perseus with Medusa, and of Theseus. The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
takes from Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
and the Argonauts
Argonauts
The Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
and also from the Odyssey, as Polyphemus
Polyphemus
Polyphemus is the gigantic one-eyed son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, one of the Cyclopes. His name means "much spoken of" or "famous". Polyphemus plays a pivotal role in Homer's Odyssey.-In Homer's Odyssey:...
, Scylla
Scylla
In Greek mythology, Scylla was a monster that lived on one side of a narrow channel of water, opposite its counterpart Charybdis. The two sides of the strait were within an arrow's range of each other—so close that sailors attempting to avoid Charybdis would pass too close to Scylla and vice...
, Charybdis
Charybdis
Charybdis or Kharybdis was a sea monster, later rationalised as a whirlpool and considered a shipping hazard in the Strait of Messina.-The mythological background:...
and Circe
Circe
In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic , described in Homer's Odyssey as "The loveliest of all immortals", living on the island of Aeaea, famous for her part in the adventures of Odysseus.By most accounts, Circe was the daughter of Helios, the god of the sun, and Perse, an Oceanid...
make appearances. The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse is a 2007 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan. It is the third novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Sea of Monsters...
includes the deeds of Hercules, especially Percy's slaying of the Nemean lion
Nemean Lion
The Nemean lion was a vicious monster in Greek mythology that lived at Nemea. It was eventually killed by Heracles. It could not be killed with mortal weapons because its golden fur was impervious to attack...
, and Percy holding the sky that Atlas holds. The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth is a 2008 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology; it is the fourth novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
has stories of Daedalus
Daedalus
In Greek mythology, Daedalus was a skillful craftsman and artisan.-Family:...
, Calypso
Calypso (mythology)
Calypso was a nymph in Greek mythology, who lived on the island of Ogygia, where she detained Odysseus for a number of years. She is generally said to be the daughter of the Titan Atlas....
, the Labyrinth
Labyrinth
In Greek mythology, the Labyrinth was an elaborate structure designed and built by the legendary artificer Daedalus for King Minos of Crete at Knossos...
, etc. The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology by Rick Riordan, published on May 5, 2009. It is the fifth and final novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and serves as the direct sequel to The Battle of the Labyrinth...
takes from the earliest of Greek myths about the Titans
Titan (mythology)
In Greek mythology, the Titans were a race of powerful deities, descendants of Gaia and Uranus, that ruled during the legendary Golden Age....
, Typhon
Typhon
Typhon , also Typhoeus , Typhaon or Typhos was the last son of Gaia, fathered by Tartarus, and the most deadly monster of Greek mythology. He was known as the "Father of all monsters"; his wife Echidna was likewise the "Mother of All Monsters."Typhon was described in pseudo-Apollodorus,...
, the war against the gods and the Titans along with parallels to the story of Achilles
Achilles
In Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
and the Trojan War
Trojan War
In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including the Iliad...
in the Iliad
Iliad
The Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
.
Origins and publishing history
Dyslexia
Dyslexia is a very broad term defining a learning disability that impairs a person's fluency or comprehension accuracy in being able to read, and which can manifest itself as a difficulty with phonological awareness, phonological decoding, orthographic coding, auditory short-term memory, or rapid...
. His son had been studying Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
in second grade
Second grade
In the United States, second grade is a year of primary education. Second grade is the second school year after kindergarten. Students are traditionally 7–8 years old, depending on when their birthday occurs....
and requested that his father come up with bedtime stories
Bedtime story
A bedtime story is a traditional form of storytelling, where a story is told to a child at bedtime to prepare them for sleep.Bedtime stories have many advantages, for parents/adults and children alike. The fixed routine of a bedtime story before sleeping has a relaxing effect, and the soothing...
based on Greek myths. Riordan had been a Greek mythology teacher in middle school for many years and was able to remember enough stories to please his son. Soon Riordan ran out of myths and his son then requested that he make new ones using the same characters from Greek myths and add new ones. Thus, Riordan created the fictional character Percy Jackson and made the story of how he would travel across the United States to recover Zeus's lightning bolt. After he finished telling the story to his son, he then requested that his dad write a book based on Percy's adventures.
In June 1994, Riordan had completed his manuscript and began looking for agents. During that time, he visited multiple local colleges looking for good editors until he eventually found an agent. While he left his manuscript to his agent and editor to review, Riordan took his book to a group of 6th, 7th, and 8th graders to read and give their critique. Ultimately he gained their approval, and with their help, came up with the name of the book and created the way Percy's sword worked. In June 1997, Riordan signed with Bantam Books
Bantam Books
Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by Random House, the German media corporation subsidiary of Bertelsmann; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. Kramer, and Ian and Betty Ballantine...
to prepare the book for publishing. In 2004, the book was sold to Miramax Books
Miramax Books
Miramax Books was a publishing imprint started by Bob and Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films and was known for the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. It published the memoirs of many major celebrities, including David Boies, Madeline Albright, Rudolph Giuliani, Tim Russert, and others...
for enough money for Riordan to quit his job to focus on writing. After it was released on 28 July 2005, it sold over 1.2 million copies. The book was released in multiple versions including hardcover, paperback and audio editions. It has been translated into multiple languages and published all over the world.
Reception
The Lightning ThiefThe Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
received mostly positive reviews and won awards including the School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
Best Book of 2005. The New York Times praised The Lightning Thief as "perfectly paced, with electrifying moments chasing each other like heartbeats". Author Rick Riordan said of the various awards:
"The ultimate compliment for a children's writer is when the kids like it."
Like its predecessor, The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
won several prizes and received generally positive reviews as well. It sold over 100,000 copies in hardcover by the time it was released in paperback and reviewers have praised the storyline, themes and the author's style of writing. Matt Berman, of Common Sense Media, praised the book, saying "The Percy Jackson series continues to be pure fun, with the author doing nearly everything right to produce a book that few kids will be able to resist." Kirkus reviewed The Battle of the Labyrinth as, "This volume can stand alone, but no one will be able to read just one...look no further for the next Harry Potter, meet Percy Jackson as legions of fans already have."
Film
Chris ColumbusChris Columbus (filmmaker)
Christopher Joseph "Chris" Columbus is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Columbus had his largest success with the first two films in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, along with Home Alone, the last...
directed and produced Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is a 2005 fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology, the first young adult novel written by Rick Riordan. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which charts the adventures of modern-day twelve-year-old Percy Jackson as he discovers he is a...
for 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
through 1492 Pictures
1492 Pictures
1492 Pictures is an American film production company founded by director Chris Columbus in 1995. The name is a play on Columbus's more famous namesake, Christopher Columbus, and his 1492 landing in the Americas....
. The film was released in 2010 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on February 12 and in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
on February 11.
Columbus has stated that he was drawn to directing the Percy Jackson movie because it gave him the "opportunity to do a movie that we haven’t really seen before for this generation. When I was a kid, there were movies that dealt with Greek mythology, which in terms of visual effects was really primitive. So I thought this was an opportunity to deal with Greek mythology which children and adults all over the world are fascinated by and it was not a new genre but a new avenue, dealing with mythological creatures in a contemporary setting."
It has been announced that a movie based on The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology written by Rick Riordan published in 2006. It is the second novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series and the sequel to The Lightning Thief...
is scheduled for a March 27, 2013 release.
Video game
Michael Splechta gave it a 6/10, saying “Percy Jackson might not make a splash when it comes to movie tie-in games, but fans of turn-based combat might find some redeeming qualities in this otherwise bare-bones game.”The Heroes of Olympus
A sequel series, also based on Camp Half-Blood and the Greek mythologyGreek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
universe, was written and the first book released on October 12, 2010. Like the first series, there will be five books. Riordan has also stated that the time between the two occurrences of great prophecies is not as long as Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
assumes it will be. The series has been named The Heroes of Olympus
The Heroes of Olympus
The Heroes of Olympus is a fantasy book series written by Rick Riordan and based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the sequel series to the Percy Jackson & the Olympians pentalogy....
, and the first book is The Lost Hero
The Lost Hero
The Lost Hero is a 2010 fantasy-adventure novel written by Rick Riordan and is based on Greek and Roman mythology. It is the first book in the series The Heroes of Olympus, the next series about Camp Half-Blood. It was preceded by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which focused solely on...
. The official website requires a password, revealed as newhero. On June 1, 2010, the site went live.
A medal with a password was needed to unlock the first two chapters. The cover was revealed on June 20, 2010, along with the password. The second book in The Heroes of Olympus, The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune
The Son of Neptune is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series written by Rick Riordan. It was released on October 4, 2011.-Development:...
, has been released recently. The Third book The Mark of Athena
The Mark of Athena
The Mark of Athena is an upcoming book written by Rick Riordan that is scheduled to be released in Fall 2012. It is the third book in the series, The Heroes of Olympus. It will continue the adventures of the seven demigods of the second Great Prophecy and their quest to stop the giants - the sons...
is set to be released in October 2012.
See also
- List of artistic depictions of dyslexia
- From the Files of the Time RangersFrom the Files of the Time RangersFrom the Files of the Time Rangers is an alternate world / time travel novel, having also elements of contemporary fantasy, by Richard Bowes and published in 2005 by Golden Gryphon Press. The novel’s foreword, entitled "Rick Bowes: An Appreciation," is written by Kage Baker, author of The...
– also based on the premise of Greek gods active in the modern US - Olympians (Marvel Comics) – comics based on the same premise
- The Mighty Thor – based on the premise of Norse gods active in the modern US