The Expanding Percy Jackson Universe

The newest book, plus a reading guide for all of the related series

The bestselling Camp Half-Blood Chronicles took root when author Rick Riordan started telling his son bedtime stories that incorporated Greek mythology into the life of a boy living in 21st-century America. The stories took on a life of their own and Riordan began writing them into books—a lot of books.

Coming out September 26, Percy is ready for college in The Chalice of the Gods, the sixth installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Pre-order your copy now!

Beyond the original series, Riordan has produced several spinoff series, including companion novels and short stories. They span various mythologies including Greek, Roman, Norse, and Egyptian, but they share an extended universe. There's a Disney+ TV show in the works too, but nothing beats the experience of the books!

If you're new to Percy Jackson, consider this your guide to what has become a vast franchise for middle-grade and young-adult readers.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians (The original series!)

Perseus "Percy" Jackson is a 12-year-old boy who learns that he is the son of the demigod Poseidon and that there are forces, namely the Titans, who mean him harm. For his own protection, he is sent to a training facility called Camp Half-Blood. There, he begins learning how to use his powers. As his strength grows, he realizes that he must fight to save the world from the growing threat of the Titans. He and friends, including his best friend Grover (a satyr) and Annabeth (daughter of Athena) set out on a series of quests to defeat their foes and save the world. The books trace Percy's adventures over the next several years as he's also navigating middle and high school. The six main novels in this series are:

1. The Lightning Thief
2. The Sea of Monsters
3. The Titan's Curse
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth
5. The Last Olympian
6. The Chalice of the Gods (available for pre-order!)

(And if you prefer graphic novels, here you go!) 

The Heroes of Olympus

This series is centered around a prophecy introduced in The Last Olympian predicting that seven demigods would unite to protect the world from an awakening new enemy, the Earth goddess Gaia. The newfound Camp Jupiter is introduced with a cast of characters born of Roman mythology. Together the Camp Half-Blood demigods must unite with those of Camp Jupiter to prevent the world's destruction. The books in this series, listed below, take place over a matter of just a few months during the summer of 2009:    

1. The Lost Hero
2. The Son of Neptune
3. The Mark of Athena
4. The House of Hades
5. The Blood of Olympus

The Trials of Apollo

This series represents a bit of a departure from the previous two in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. As the title suggests, it centers on Apollo, who, due to his actions at the end of the previous series, is being punished by Zeus. Banished to live as a mortal named Lester, he must complete a series of trials saving five endangered oracles, in order to be reinstated as a god. This set of five novels features a collection of new heroes, as well as some of those from the other series.

1. The Hidden Oracle
2. The Dark Prophecy
3. The Burning Maze
4. The Tyrant's Tomb
5. The Tower of Nero

The Kane Chronicles

This trilogy explores the mythology of Egypt with protagonists Carter and Sadie Cane, siblings who are descendants of pharaohs, Ramses the Great and Narmer. After learning of their magical heritage, the duo, who have been brought up apart up to this point, must join forces and channel their powers to defeat gods and monsters who threaten their world. Percy makes a cameo appearance in the series:

1. The Red Pyramid
2. The Throne of Fire
3. The Serpent's Shadow

And here are the graphic novel adaptations.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Cousin to Annabeth, the orphaned Magnus is the son of Frey, a Norse god. His story begins with his death, when he is shepherded to the afterlife in Valhalla where given the task of working with Sam, daughter of Loki, Blitz, son of Freya, and others to stop Ragnarok and Loki before it's too late. Percy is a secondary character in this series:

1. The Sword of Summer
2. The Hammer of Thor
3. The Ship of the Dead
4. 9 from the Nine Worlds

Short story collections, companion books, and standalone novels

There's a lot more to discover in the Percy Jackson universe, including the following:

• Demigods and Magicians—One of several short story collections combining characters from the Kane Chronicles and the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles.
• The Sun and the Star—This standalone novel cowritten by Riordan and Mark Oshiro stars fan favorite Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades.
• Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes—Learn about the OG myths that inspired the Percy Jackson story from the son Poseidon himself!
• Camp Half-Blood Confidential—This official companion book gives fans the lay of the land at Camp Half-Blood with info that can only be learned by the first-hand experience of living there.

If you're already a fan of the Percy Jackson series, hopefully this has gotten you excited about the new book. If not, we invite you to dive into this exciting universe incorporating age-old mythology into today's world.  

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Read more by Ashly Moore Sheldon