Rick Riordan, dubbed "storyteller of the gods" by Publishers Weekly, is the author of five #1 New York Times best-selling middle grade series with millions of copies sold throughout the world: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, and the Trials of Apollo, based on Greek and Roman mythology; the Kane Chronicles, based on Ancient Egyptian mythology; and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, based on Norse mythology. Rick collaborated with illustrator John Rocco on two #1 New York Times best-selling collections of Greek myths for the whole family: Percy Jackson's Greek Gods and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes. Rick is also the publisher of an imprint at Disney-Hyperion, Rick Riordan Presents, dedicated to finding other authors of highly entertaining fiction based on world cultures and mythologies. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts with his wife and two sons. Follow him on Twitter at @RickRiordan.
Author of the wildly successful Percy Jackson and the Olympians
books, Riordan here begins a new series that involves some of the
same characters and settings but adds Roman mythology and an
expansion on a prophecy mentioned in the final volume, The Last
Olympian. At the start of the story, Percy is missing, and a new
kid, Jason, appears with no idea who he is or what he is doing. No
one really has time to figure out these smaller mysteries, though,
because a much larger emergency looms: Gaea is waking up from her
eons long slumber, and if she becomes fully conscious, the world as
it is known will essentially end. Thus begins a quest to soothe and
quiet Gaea, which will require a group of daring and talented teens
and an extremely unlikely alliance between the Roman and Greek gods
(and their offspring). Fans of the earlier series may be startled
to find that their hero, Percy, is literally nowhere to be found
the entire novel, but Jason and his friends Piper and Leo are
worthy replacements, especially as Riordan is careful to develop
them as individuals even as they are quickly thrown together as a
dragon-riding, world-saving trio. Newcomers may find the brief
references to backstory a bit baffling, but the details are more
likely to send them back to the earlier titles than mar their
understanding of this new series. While a few minor plots are
wrapped up by book's end, the major quest is still very much in the
air (and actually looking pretty daunting, even for the sort of
intrepid offspring of gods that make up Riordan's books), so expect
plenty of anticipation for the next volume. BCCB"
Camp Half-Blood, home to the mortal children of Greek gods (see the
Percy Jackson and the Olympians books), has three new arrivals:
Piper, a daughter of Aphrodite, good at persuasion; Leo, a son of
Hephaestus, good at fixing things; and Jason, a son of Zeus, who is
suffering from amnesia. With the Titan war over, a new threat has
emerged: a prophesied clash with Gaea's youngest children, the
giants, who are returning to overthrow the Olympians. Riding a
bronze dragon rehabilitated by Leo, the three demigods go on a
quest to free Hera from one such giant; another giant secretly
holds Piper's father hostage in order to force her to betray her
new friends. Jason's missing memories point to another mystery: why
does Jason speak Latin rather than Greek like the other demigods?
Why are the initials SPQR tattooed on his arm? Why does he know the
Roman names for mythological creatures? Riordan extends the
franchise in a logical direction while maximizing the elements that
made the first series so popular: irreverent heroes, plenty of
tension-filled moments fighting monsters, and authentic classical
mythology mixed in with modern life. Completely in control of
pacing and tone, he balances a faultless comic banter against
deeper notes that reveal the characters' vulnerabilities. With
Percy Jackson slated to make an appearance in later volumes, fans
nostalgic for the old books should find in this new series
everything they've been pining for. Horn Book"
Percy Jackson fans can rest easy: this first book in Riordan's
Heroes of Olympus spin-off series is a fast-paced adventure with
enough familiar elements to immediately hook those eager to revisit
his modern world of mythological mayhem. Clever plot devices--like
gods who shift back and forth between their Greek and Roman
personae--keep the book from feeling like a retread of Riordan's
previous novels. Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students at a
wilderness school for troubled teens, are transported to Camp
Half-Blood after an unexpected encounter with evil storm spirits on
the rim of the Grand Canyon. Not only do they discover that they
are the offspring of ancient gods, but they also learn that they
are three of seven demigods mentioned in the Great Prophecy uttered
by Rachel in The Last Olympian. Wasting little time acclimating to
their new lives, the three embark upon a quest to preserve Mt.
Olympus and the divine status quo, by rescuing an erstwhile enemy.
Rotating among his three protagonists, Riordan's storytelling is as
polished as ever, brimming with wit, action, and heart--his
devotees won't be disappointed. PW"
Readers longing for a return to Camp Half-Blood will get their wish
in the first novel of the Heroes of Olympus series, which follows
Riordan's popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and
includes some of the same characters in minor roles. The new cast
features Jason, Piper, and Leo, teen demigods who are just coming
to understand and use their unique abilities as they learn how much
depends upon their wits, courage, and fast-developing friendship.
Setting up the books to come, the backstory of a master plan to
unseat the gods is complex but is doled out in manageable bits with
a general air of foreboding. Meanwhile, the action scenes come
frequently as the three heroic teens fight monstrous enemies in
North American locales, including the Grand Canyon, Quebec City,
Detroit, Chicago, Omaha, Pikes Peak, and Sonoma Valley. Flashes of
humor lighten the mood at times, but a tone of urgency and imminent
danger seems as integral to this series as the last. With appealing
new characters within a familiar framework, this spin-off will
satisfy the demand for more. - Carolyn Phelan Booklist"
This book will delight fans of The Lightning Thief (Hyperion, 2005)
as Percy, Annabeth, and others play roles in the new prophecy and
its subsequent quest. A few months after The Last Olympian
(Hyperion, 2009) ends, Jason wakes up on a bus filled with problem
kids from the Wilderness School who are headed to the Grand Canyon.
He has no memory of his previous life, but seems to be with his
girlfriend, Piper, and his best friend, Leo. The action takes off
quickly: storm spirits attack them and capture their coach, who
turns out to be a Satyr. Searching for Percy, who is missing,
Annabeth arrives and takes the three to Camp Half-Blood, where they
learn that they are demigods. Their parents are gods in their Roman
rather than Greek personae. By sunset of the solstice in three
days, the teens must rescue Hera, Queen of the gods, or Porphyrion,
the giant king created to destroy Zeus and unseat the gods of
Olympus, will rise. Their quest takes them across the United
States, sometimes flying on a mechanical, 60-foot dragon, as they
use their power and wits against Medea, King Midas, and the giant
cannibal Enceladus. Riordan excels at clever plot devices and at
creating an urgent sense of cliff-hanging danger. His interjection
of humor by incongruous juxtaposition Medea, for example, heads up
a New York City department store provides some welcome relief. The
young heroes deal with issues familiar to teens today: Who am I?
Can I live up to the expectations of others? Having read the first
series is helpful but not essential, and the complex plot is made
for sequels. SLJ"
Author of the wildly successful Percy Jackson and the Olympians
books, Riordan here begins a new series that involves some of the
same characters and settings but adds Roman mythology and an
expansion on a prophecy mentioned in the final volume, The Last
Olympian. At the start of the story, Percy is missing, and a new
kid, Jason, appears with no idea who he is or what he is doing. No
one really has time to figure out these smaller mysteries, though,
because a much larger emergency looms: Gaea is waking up from her
eons long slumber, and if she becomes fully conscious, the world as
it is known will essentially end. Thus begins a quest to soothe and
quiet Gaea, which will require a group of daring and talented teens
and an extremely unlikely alliance between the Roman and Greek gods
(and their offspring). Fans of the earlier series may be startled
to find that their hero, Percy, is literally nowhere to be found
the entire novel, but Jason and his friends Piper and Leo are
worthy replacements, especially as Riordan is careful to develop
them as individuals even as they are quickly thrown together as a
dragon-riding, world-saving trio. Newcomers may find the brief
references to backstory a bit baffling, but the details are more
likely to send them back to the earlier titles than mar their
understanding of this new series. While a few minor plots are
wrapped up by book's end, the major quest is still very much in the
air (and actually looking pretty daunting, even for the sort of
intrepid offspring of gods that make up Riordan's books), so expect
plenty of anticipation for the next volume. BCCB"
Camp Half-Blood, home to the mortal children of Greek gods (see the
Percy Jackson and the Olympians books), has three new arrivals:
Piper, a daughter of Aphrodite, good at persuasion; Leo, a son of
Hephaestus, good at fixing things; and Jason, a son of Zeus, who is
suffering from amnesia. With the Titan war over, a new threat has
emerged: a prophesied clash with Gaea's youngest children, the
giants, who are returning to overthrow the Olympians. Riding a
bronze dragon rehabilitated by Leo, the three demigods go on a
quest to free Hera from one such giant; another giant secretly
holds Piper's father hostage in order to force her to betray her
new friends. Jason's missing memories point to another mystery: why
does Jason speak Latin rather than Greek like the other demigods?
Why are the initials SPQR tattooed on his arm? Why does he know the
Roman names for mythological creatures? Riordan extends the
franchise in a logical direction while maximizing the elements that
made the first series so popular: irreverent heroes, plenty of
tension-filled moments fighting monsters, and authentic classical
mythology mixed in with modern life. Completely in control of
pacing and tone, he balances a faultless comic banter against
deeper notes that reveal the characters' vulnerabilities. With
Percy Jackson slated to make an appearance in later volumes, fans
nostalgic for the old books should find in this new series
everything they've been pining for. Horn Book"
Percy Jackson fans can rest easy: this first book in Riordan's
Heroes of Olympus spin-off series is a fast-paced adventure with
enough familiar elements to immediately hook those eager to revisit
his modern world of mythological mayhem. Clever plot devices--like
gods who shift back and forth between their Greek and Roman
personae--keep the book from feeling like a retread of Riordan's
previous novels. Jason, Piper, and Leo, three students at a
wilderness school for troubled teens, are transported to Camp
Half-Blood after an unexpected encounter with evil storm spirits on
the rim of the Grand Canyon. Not only do they discover that they
are the offspring of ancient gods, but they also learn that they
are three of seven demigods mentioned in the Great Prophecy uttered
by Rachel in The Last Olympian. Wasting little time acclimating to
their new lives, the three embark upon a quest to preserve Mt.
Olympus and the divine status quo, by rescuing an erstwhile enemy.
Rotating among his three protagonists, Riordan's storytelling is as
polished as ever, brimming with wit, action, and heart--his
devotees won't be disappointed. PW"
Readers longing for a return to Camp Half-Blood will get their wish
in the first novel of the Heroes of Olympus series, which follows
Riordan's popular Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and
includes some of the same characters in minor roles. The new cast
features Jason, Piper, and Leo, teen demigods who are just coming
to understand and use their unique abilities as they learn how much
depends upon their wits, courage, and fast-developing friendship.
Setting up the books to come, the backstory of a master plan to
unseat the gods is complex but is doled out in manageable bits with
a general air of foreboding. Meanwhile, the action scenes come
frequently as the three heroic teens fight monstrous enemies in
North American locales, including the Grand Canyon, Quebec City,
Detroit, Chicago, Omaha, Pikes Peak, and Sonoma Valley. Flashes of
humor lighten the mood at times, but a tone of urgency and imminent
danger seems as integral to this series as the last. With appealing
new characters within a familiar framework, this spin-off will
satisfy the demand for more. - Carolyn Phelan Booklist"
This book will delight fans of The Lightning Thief (Hyperion, 2005)
as Percy, Annabeth, and others play roles in the new prophecy and
its subsequent quest. A few months after The Last Olympian
(Hyperion, 2009) ends, Jason wakes up on a bus filled with problem
kids from the Wilderness School who are headed to the Grand Canyon.
He has no memory of his previous life, but seems to be with his
girlfriend, Piper, and his best friend, Leo. The action takes off
quickly: storm spirits attack them and capture their coach, who
turns out to be a Satyr. Searching for Percy, who is missing,
Annabeth arrives and takes the three to Camp Half-Blood, where they
learn that they are demigods. Their parents are gods in their Roman
rather than Greek personae. By sunset of the solstice in three
days, the teens must rescue Hera, Queen of the gods, or Porphyrion,
the giant king created to destroy Zeus and unseat the gods of
Olympus, will rise. Their quest takes them across the United
States, sometimes flying on a mechanical, 60-foot dragon, as they
use their power and wits against Medea, King Midas, and the giant
cannibal Enceladus. Riordan excels at clever plot devices and at
creating an urgent sense of cliff-hanging danger. His interjection
of humor by incongruous juxtaposition Medea, for example, heads up
a New York City department store provides some welcome relief. The
young heroes deal with issues familiar to teens today: Who am I?
Can I live up to the expectations of others? Having read the first
series is helpful but not essential, and the complex plot is made
for sequels. SLJ"
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