Before the new Percy Jackson show: How to read the Rick Riordan-verse
With a new Percy Jackson TV show making its debut on Disney+ this December, a sixth Percy Jackson book just released, and author Rick Riordan announcing a seventh Percy Jackson book in the works too, it’s never been a better or more exciting time to dive into the vast mythological world that is the Rick Riordan-verse.
Drawn from Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Norse mythology, all modernized and set in the present day, Rick Riordan’s stories are all exciting page-turners filled with lovable characters, fast-paced plots, and stories so exciting you often forget they’re retellings of ancient myth. Growing up, I learned so much about mythology from these books, and Riordan continues to teach and entertain with more installments.
However, with the universe constantly growing, it can be incredibly intimidating knowing where to begin. So here is our comprehensive guide to reading the Rick Riordan-verse, including both his mainline series and the bonus books. (Yes, there are bonus books. But it’s okay; this guide will help you learn where they fit too.) If you want to get into this universe, this is your the reading order you should follow:
1) Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Rick Riordan’s most famous series is an obvious starting point where anyone looking to get into his work. In both publication and reading order, this series goes:
- The Lightning Thief
- The Sea of Monster
- The Titan’s Curse
- The Battle of the Labyrinth
- The Last Olympian
This is the first series published within the Riordan-verse. It introduces us to the world of Greek myths and Greek demigods through the eyes of long-suffering protagonist Percy Jackson. This world is new to Percy as it’s new to us, so we learn about as he does; that means readers never feel overwhelmed by any of the rules or the minutia. If they seem confusing, Percy is confused as well. He and reader figure things out together.
The world expands as the books go on, both in terms of geography and depth of mythology. An underlying prophecy ties all the stories together; while each book has a discrete story to tell, everything builds to the final book The Last Olympian.
Percy Jackson and the Olympians is the series which launched this expansive world and gained Riordan the title of ‘Myth Master’. It introduces readers to characters like Percy, Annabeth and Grover, who will pop up all over the Riordan-verse. The series lays the foundations for everything that comes later, so it’s the most natural (and fun) place to start.
Bonus note!
Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files is a companion book which technically fits within this series, but it’s up to you whether you decide to read it or not, as it is very much a supplementary book. Consisting of three short stories about Percy, chronologically this book takes place between The Battle of the Labyrinth and The Last Olympian, so it can either be read between those two books or after you’ve finished the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
For World Book Day in 2019, Riordan also wrote The Singer of Apollo, a short story involving Percy assisting the Greek god Apollo. Timeline-wise, this story takes place just after The Last Olympian. Reading this isn’t necessary to understand the wider Riordan-verse; it’s just a short, fun addition.
i was an easily bored child so i started reading books..... the first series is a very good intro to greek myth but rick riordan also have these books which aren't related to the series if you want something quick!! they're intros/stories on the major greek gods & heroes ^^ pic.twitter.com/bL1H73VpXH
— zara (@mbyuIie) September 3, 2019
1.5) OPTIONAL DUOLOGY – Greek Gods and Greek Heroes
In Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods and Percy Jackson and the Greek Heroes, we have two books about — you guessed it — Greek gods and Greek heroes. Rather than updating Greek myths in modern day settings, these are simply retelling of ancient Greek myths. The twist is that Percy Jackson himself is narrating them, so we get his commentary and distinctive style of humor throughout. Occasionally Percy will tell an anecdote about a god he has met during his adventures from Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which is why I suggest reading these after reading the mainline series. But in many ways these books stand alone as additions to the world which can help you learn more about Greek mythology in a fun, entertaining way.
Also, it’s nice to have a couple of books when Percy just gets to riff about the gods rather than deal with them himself. Rick Riordan seems to have decided he’ll give Percy a few months of peace at a time, but that’s it.
2) Heroes of Olympus
The Heroes of Olympus book series is a direct sequel series to the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, making it the clear choice for what to read next. The publication and reading order of these books is:
- The Lost Hero
- The Son of Neptune
- The Mark of Athena
- The House of Hades
- The Blood of Olympus
In this series, Riordan begins to really expand the world in an entirely new way, bringing in Roman mythology alongside Greek. With seven key protagonists (including Percy and Annabeth), nine point-of-view narrators and scenes set in North America and Europe, this series is when readers become aware of just how huge this world is.
The inclusion of Roman mythology is not only fun, but complements the world we already understand while tying up loose ends and filling in plot holes from Percy Jackson and the Olympians you didn’t even know existed until Riordan comes along to fix them. The two worlds mesh together perfectly, but also remain distinctly different, which is a source of tension within the story.
The Heroes of Olympus series is more grown-up than Percy Jackson and the Olympians, which makes sense; Percy is 12 in the first Olympians books, whereas in this series he is almost 17. But it blends together information about Greek and Roman mythology with the trademark humor and engrossing writing style which Riordan is adored for. The stakes are higher and the missions bigger, but the cast of characters is as lovable as ever. This series never stops being entertaining from beginning to end.
Bonus note!
As with Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Heroes of Olympus has a companion book: The Demigod Diaries. Just as with The Demigod Files, this book isn’t necessary to read, but is a fun addition for anyone who wants to spend some more time with our Greek and Roman demigods.
This book takes place after The Lost Hero and The Son of Neptune (which are happening at the same time) but before The Mark of Athena. You can read it after completing the Heroes of Olympus series in its entirely or before you read The Mark of Athena, if you have questions about what the Greek demigods have been up to which simply cannot wait.