Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan is a set of five fantasy adventure novels. The five books are- Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief, The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, The Battle of the Labyrinth, The Last Olympian.
The books are based on Greek myths. In the story, the Greek myths are real, and the Greek gods exist in the modern world.
So, you can expect Zeus, the god of the sky; Poseidon, god of the sea; Hades, god of the underworld, their sons and daughters, other gods and demigods, monsters, and so on. No doubt, you will learn a lot about Greek myths by reading the series.
It is the story of Percy Jackson and his friends- Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, Tyson- who go on dangerous adventures in every book to save their friends, or their camp, or the world.
Percy Jackson is 12 years old in the first book and 16 in the last book, so the series covers his life from 12 to 16; five books for five years. Percy Jackson is the hero, he is narrating the story, and I can’t talk much about him; otherwise, it will be a spoiler.
The books are full of action and adventure. As Mumbai local trains are tightly packed with passengers, leaving no space; similarly, the books here are filled with action and adventure.
Next, the story is very fast-paced. Everything happens so fast that there is no boring moment in the books. You will go from one chapter to another and then from one book to another, like slipping on an ice surface.
What I liked about the Percy Jackson series
Adventure
As I said, the books are filled with action and adventure. I like adventurous books like The Journey to the Centre of the Earth or The Martian, where you visit new places, fight to survive, and solve mysteries.
The same is true for the Percy Jackson series. Percy and his friends visit mysterious places on the land, sky, sea, island, and underground, fight monsters, and save themselves from almost dying.
There is magic; there are powerful and dangerous villains; there are battles and fights; there is everything you can expect from a fantasy adventure.
Long story short: if you like adventurous books, the Percy Jackson series is going to be one of your favorites, except you have already read it, and it’s already your favorite.
Humor
I love humor, and I love humorous books. And, that is the second best thing in the Percy Jackson books. I liked the writing style of Rick Riordan, the way he cracks jokes in serious moments in the story, and the way he narrates things with humor; it’s really genius.
Now, it’s not like there is humor on every page, you will just find it in some places, but this will make your reading process very fun and interesting.
Character of Percy
I liked the character of Percy; he is like most of us, luck doesn’t support him too often, he makes mistakes, his friends make fun of him. And compared to others, he is the least knowledgeable, so he always asks questions and sounds like an idiot.
And the story has first-person narration, narrated by him, so you will know how it feels, and you will be able to connect with him.
I liked many other things in the series, like there are some great lessons to learn from. Percy Jackson will teach you that a real hero is always selfless and humble.
And then, the story also focuses on the importance of plants and nature, the pollution we are causing to the environment, and preserving nature by planting trees. The last one is necessary, with increasing levels of pollution and global warming. So, the series is not only fun to read, but it also spreads positivity and awareness.
What I didn’t like in Percy Jackson books
Seriously, I liked everything except one. And, it’s just my personal opinion, and I understand nothing can be completely perfect. But since I have to speak my opinion, the stories lacked romance. It could have been better if there was more emphasis on love and relationships.
This may sound silly; I don’t blame Rick Riordan for this; he has written the books for children, not adults. And, it’s my fault that I am reading it late, when I am 21, looking for romance. So it’s not a significant problem; I just felt it while reading (maybe because I had read Norwegian Wood before reading the series).
What was reading Percy Jackson like?
Let me tell you what kind of addiction the Percy Jackson series had become. I was so much into the story; the story is so gripping and interesting, it was so much fun going through the action, adventure, and mystery that I was reading it day and night—hardly taking enough sleep.
I was tired, there was a strain on my eyes, and I was still reading the books. This is the second time this thing happened to me; the first was when I was reading Harry Potter.
I am not bragging; it’s true. I couldn’t rest until I finished the series. I was even having dreams of Percy Jackson. Now that’s what happens when you find an interesting book. When I finished the series, I felt somewhat sad because I had to return to my everyday life, and there wouldn’t be any Percy Jackson book.
Another thing is, it’s a children’s book and will be best for the age group of 12 to 18. But I don’t exactly think so. The age doesn’t matter here. Even if you are 20 or 30, you will love it. What’s the problem with imaging yourself as a child?
Final Words
So, the Percy Jackson series is really fascinating. It’s very easy to read, and even if you are a beginner reader, you should go for it. And, I am sure you are going to love the books.
That’s all I have to say about the series. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel, where I talk a great deal about books. And let me know in the comments what you think about the Percy Jackson books. Thanks for reading.