Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Percy Jackson & the Olympians is a five-book fantasy series by American author Rick Riordan, published between 2005 and 2009. The series is the first installment in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, preceding The Heroes of Olympus, The Trials of Apollo, and The Nico di Angelo Adventures. It follows the adventures of Percy Jackson, a 12-year-old boy with ADHD and dyslexia who discovers he is a demigod: the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. After being attacked by a Fury, he is taken to Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for demigods on Long Island, where he learns that his friend Grover is a satyr and his teacher Mr. Brunner is the centaur Chiron.

The overarching plot involves a brewing war between the Olympian gods and the Titans, led by Kronos, who seeks to overthrow the gods. A Great Prophecy foretells that a child of the Big Three gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades) will either save or destroy Olympus. Across the five books, Percy and his friends Annabeth Chase (daughter of Athena) and Grover Underwood embark on quests to retrieve Zeus's stolen lightning bolt, save Grover from the Cyclops Polyphemus, rescue the goddess Artemis and Annabeth from the Titan Atlas, navigate the Labyrinth to stop an invasion of Camp Half-Blood, and ultimately fight in the final battle of Manhattan against Kronos's army.

The series blends fantasy, adventure, and Greek mythology with themes of identity, friendship, family, and self-acceptance. Riordan's portrayal of learning differences as demigod strengths has been widely praised. The books have sold more than 180 million copies worldwide, been translated into over 30 languages, and spawned graphic novel adaptations, a musical, and a Disney+ television series that premiered in 2023 to positive reviews.[edit]