Percy Jackson: adventure, friendship, action

Hannah Roberts, Staff Reporter

  A series filled with action and adventure. Five novels filled with creatures and gods from Greek mythology. The story of three friends saving the world over and over again. Follow Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, and Grover Underwood on their many adventures through the years in Percy Jackson and the Olympians. 

  The series written by Rick Riordan starts off with The Lightning Thief. The book is a wonderful introduction to a whole world filled with mythology coming to life. The introduction to life at Camp Half-Blood, which is a safe haven for demigods, is done beautifully. The action scenes are wonderfully written and the story has no issue keeping the reader engaged the whole time. The main characters are loveable and relatable. The premise of the story keeps the reader on their toes and the book also offers a plot twist that will come as a big shock to the reader. 

  The following installment is titled The Sea of Monsters. This book offers a deeper look into more characters from the previous installment that weren’t as important. The book introduces many new creatures from Greek mythology. The high stakes environment throughout the story makes it easy to read. Although I personally found this a bit less interesting than the first book, the ending had me in shock. Throughout the story, Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are on a mission to find something called the Golden Fleece. This is in order to save the dying tree which protects Camp Half-Blood from monsters. In a huge cliffhanger at the end the readers will find out just how powerful the Fleece really is. 

  The third book in this series is called The Titan’s Curse. This book is the start of a darker turn in the series. The stakes are getting higher as the dangerous creatures grow evermore powerful. This book introduces us to an important group of people called The Hunters of Artemis. They are a group of girls who fight alongside Artemis but only if they are willing to give up love for eternity. This is due to the fact that Artemis vowed to be an eternal maiden. They also have a tendency to hate boys. However, when Artemis and Annabeth are captured Percy must work together with the Hunters to get them back. The book also gives the readers a look into a new character who plays a very important role in a future book. Nico di Angelo. He is the son of a very powerful god. This book kept me on my toes the whole time. I really enjoyed the darker turn of events for Percy and his crew. The ending of the book is very emotional and well-written. 

  The penultimate book in the series is titled The Battle of the Labyrinth. This book is definitely my favorite of the bunch. In this novel, we get to see Annabeth really show off her incredible skills for leading. The setting of the labyrinth kept me on the edge of my seat. I could never guess what the group was going to face next. The creatures the group encounters are scary and dangerous. The stakes are incredibly high. Unlikely characters get to help lead the way. The climax of this book is by far the most engaging part of the series so far. The action is top-notch and never stops. The book does a great job of setting up the final book in the series. 

  The final book is called The Last Olympian. In this book, Percy’s decisions will determine the fate of the entire world both mortal and not. The Titans are ready to take over and the main villain Kronos is more powerful than ever. Percy has to watch as so many of the campers die fighting for the right cause. He also has to watch as some go over to the enemy side. This epic finale is not short of action at any part. The story was engaging and very detailed. It is easy to follow and fun to read. It also does a wonderful job of concluding the series while setting up the next one at the same time. 

  All in all this series is a wonderful read for a person of any age. The stories are engaging and shocking. The characters are interesting and unique. Readers who enjoy mythology or adventure would absolutely love these novels.