Percy Jackson & the Olympians
| File:Lightning thief.jpg The cover of The Lightning Thief | |
The Lightning Thief The Sea of Monsters The Titan's Curse The Battle of the Labyrinth The Last Olympian | |
| Author | Rick Riordan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fantasy novels |
| Publisher | Disney Hyperion (formerly Miramax Books) |
| Published | 2005-2009 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and Paperback) |
Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a series of adventure and fantasy books authored by Rick Riordan. Set in the United States, the series is prominently based on Greek mythology. The series consists of five books, as well as spin-off titles such as The Demigod Files and Demigods and Monsters. The Lightning Thief, the first book, is the basis of a film called Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief which is scheduled for release in the United States on February 12, 2010.
The protagonist is Percy (Perseus) Jackson who discovers that he is the son of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes. He learns that the legendary beings of Greek mythology still and have always exist, including monsters, Cyclopes, Empousai, Titans, and also the Olympians (Greek gods) themselves who dwell in Olympus, now situated at the mythical 600th floor of the Empire State Building. Monsters frequently attack him because he is a child of one of the "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades). Percy meets many other young demigods, both friendly and hostile, who are also in the process of discovering their heritage and powers.
Novels
The Lightning Thief
The Lightning Thief is the first book in the series. It was released on June 28, 2005.
Percy Jackson is a twelve year old boy diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. He is constantly getting expelled from schools through no fault of his own. After his latest expulsion, he finds out that he is the son of a Greek God. He is sent to Camp Half-Blood, a camp for other kids with a Greek God parent. Not long after he arrives, Poseidon, the sea god, claims Percy as his son. Percy is accused of stealing Zeus's master bolt. He is given ten days to find it and return it to Mount Olympus. At the end of the book, Percy is given a choice to either stay at Camp Half-Blood for the school year or go home; he chooses to go home.[1]
The Sea of Monsters
The Sea of Monsters is the second installment in the series. It was released on May 3, 2006.
Percy and Annabeth rescue Grover who has been imprisoned by Polyphemus, the Cyclops, and recover the Golden Fleece to save the camp. They are accompanied by Percy's half brother, Tyson, and Clarisse in this mission. The Fleece heals the poisoned, dying pine tree of the camp and resurrects Thalia with its magic.[2]
The Titan's Curse
The Titan's Curse is the third installment in the series. It was released on April 1, 2007.
Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Thalia go to a school to recruit two powerful demigods, Nico and Bianca di Angelo. While on this mission, they are attacked by a manticore and Annabeth falls from a high cliff. Later they learn that Annabeth and Artemis have been kidnapped. Percy, accompanied by Grover, Thalia and Artemis' hunters, go on a quest to rescue them. Bianca di Angelo sacrifices her own life to save the others. In the end, they succeed and defeat Atlas; however, Zoё is killed by him. When they return, Nico, angered by his sister's death, leaves the camp and is revealed to be a son of Hades.[3]
The Battle of the Labyrinth
The Battle of the Labyrinth, released on May 8, 2008, is the fourth book in the series.
After being attacked by demon cheerleaders at his new school, Goode, Percy returns to camp Half-Blood and learns about "The Labyrinth", part of the palace of King Minos in Crete that, according to Greek mythology, was designed by Daedalus. During a game of capture the flag, Annabeth and Percy find an entrance into the Labyrinth. Percy soon learns that Luke had used the entrance and will lead his army through the Labyrinth straight in to the heart of camp. To get into the Labyrinth, Percy has to find the Delta Symbol (Δ) on a passageway, touch it, and then enter the Labyrinth.
Using the Labyrinth, Percy tries to find Daedalus so Luke cannot get Ariadne's string, thereby foiling Luke's invasion. He gets the help he needs from a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who proves herself by hitting Kronos in the eye with a blue plastic hairbrush. Kronos finds out that Nico di Angelo is a son of Hades and also could be the child of the prophecy. Luke reaches Daedalus and gets Adriadne's string. Using the magical instrument, he leads his army and attacks camp. Grover comes to the rescue and causes a Panic to scare away the enemy. After the battle, Daedalus sacrifices himself to close the labyrinth, which is tied to his life.[4]
The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian, the fifth and final book in the Percy Jackson series, was released on May 5, 2009.[5]
Percy Jackson and his friends fight in a war resembling the original war between the Greek gods and the Titans and in a final battle with the powerful Titan, Lord Kronos. They ultimately defeat Kronos in the battle and Olympus is saved.
The gods grant Percy, Grover, Annabeth, and Tyson each a wish. Tyson becomes the General of the Cyclops army, and the weapon they grant him of his own request is a "stick" (a.k.a. club). Grover receives a seat on the Council of Cloven Elders and becomes the new Lord of the Wild. Annabeth will be in charge of rebuilding Olympus. Seeing all the damage done, Percy makes the gods promise on the River Styx that they will recognize all of their children by the time they turn 13. He also asks them to build cabins for the minor gods like Hecate and Morpheus. He even lets Calypso and other friendly Titan-kind free of unfair punishment. He turns down immortality for these wishes.
Rachel becomes the new oracle. Percy and Annabeth share a kiss,and become a couple. Afterward,the other campers dunk them in the lake and Percy makes an air bubble,in which they share an under water kiss.The story concludes where Annabeth and Percy race down the hill at Camp Half-Blood and for once, Percy does not look back.[6]
Graphic Novel
A Percy Jackson Graphic Novel is set to come out on February 12, 2010.[7] Riordan posted,
Many of you have asked about a Percy Jackson graphic novel, and I'm pleased to announce it is in the works too. The tentative release date is 10/19/10. I've seen some preliminary artwork, and it looks awesome. I think you'll be pleased with how Percy's world comes to life in pictures.[7]
Camp Half-Blood
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Camp Half-Blood is a fictional camp for demigods in the series located off Long Island, New York. The camp is first mentioned in the beginning of the first book in the series, The Lightning Thief when Percy Jackson is driven there by his mother with his friend, Grover Underwood.
Camp staff
The Greek god of wine, Dionysus, is the Camp's Director. He was assigned the role as a punishment by Zeus for chasing a wood-nymph that was declared off limits. He hates his job and often complains about caring for the 'brats'. He also frequently "forgets" Percy's name, calling him names like Peter Johnson.
Chiron is the director of activities at the camp. He, the son of the Titan Kronos, is an immortal centaur that will stay immortal until he is not needed anymore. He is caring towards Percy Jackson and has also mentored other demigods.
Argus is the security guard at the camp; he has a total of 100 eyes on his body. He only appears when most needed and never talks mostly because it is rumored that he has an eye on his tongue.
Cabins
There are twelve cabins at camp half-blood throughout the series; however, at the end of The Last Olympian it is implied that many more cabins will be built for the minor gods. Throughout the duration of the series, the cabins are in order as followed.
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1. Zeus
2. Hera
3. Poseidon
4. Demeter
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5. Ares
6. Athena
7. Apollo
8. Artemis
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9. Hephaestus
10. Aphrodite
11. Hermes
12. Dionysus
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Rumors (which are undetermined) say that the new cabins will be:
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13. Hades
14. Hebe
15. Eros
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16. Selene
17. Iris
18. Nemesis
19. Aether
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21. Hecate
22. Eris
23. Nike
24. Janus
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25. Hemer possibly misspelled
26. Nyx
27. Hestia
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Plot and characters
Rick Riordan relies on Apollodorus for his characters and plot, who wrote Bibliotheca. In three books, it provides a grand summary of traditional Greek mythology and heroic legends.
Main characters
| Character | First Appearance | Last Appearance | Alliance and Friends | Undertakes Quests | Parents | Siblings | Cousins (Direct) | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percy Jackson | The Lightning Thief | * | Olympians, Demigods, and Mortals. | All 5 books | Poseidon and Sally Jackson (stepfathers: Gabe Ugliano[d] and Paul Blofis; stepmother: Amphitrite, Poseidon's wife) | Cyclopes like Tyson and Poseidon's other children[h] | Thalia, Hermes, Nico, Bianca[d], Athena, Ares, Dionysus, Apollo, Artemis, and Hephaestus | Demigod |
| Annabeth Chase | The Lightning Thief | * | Olympians, Demigods | All 5 books | Athena and Dr. Frederick Chase (unnamed stepmother) | Campers of Cabin 6 and Daedalus[h] (two step brothers, Bobby & Matthew) | Clarisse and members of Cabin 5, Luke Castellan | Demigod |
| Grover Underwood | The Lightning Thief | * | Olympians, Nature Spirits, and satyrs | 1-5 (quests in books 1,3,4 and 5) | Father disappeared searching for Pan | Unknown | Unknown | Satyr |
| Luke Castellan | The Lightning Thief | Kills himself in The Last Olympian | Olympians (before his quest) Titans (after his quest) |
Before the series (retold in Book 1) | Hermes and May Castellan | Connor and Travis Stoll, some campers of Cabin 11[h] | Annabeth Chase | Demigod |
| Chiron | The Lightning Thief | * | Demigods, Satyrs, Gods, Centaurs | None | Kronos and Philyra | Zeus, Hera, Demeter, Poseidon, Hestia, and Hades | Unknown | Centaur |
| Tyson the Cyclops | The Sea of Monsters | * | Olympians, Rainbow, and the Hundred-Handed Ones | Books 2, 4-5 | Poseidon and a nature spirit | Percy[h] and Polyphemus[h] | Thalia, Nico, and Bianca[d] | Cyclops |
| Thalia Grace | The Sea of Monsters | * | Olympians, later The Hunters of Artemis | Books 3 and 5 | Zeus and an alcoholic starlet | Zeus's Children/Heroes[h] | Percy, Nico, Tyson, and Bianca[d] Ares, Athena, Dionysus, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, and Hephaestus | Demigod |
| Clarisse La Rue | The Lightning Thief | * | Olympians | 1-5 | Ares and Jerry La Rue | Campers of Cabin 5[h], Phobos & Deimos | Annabeth and Campers of Cabin 6 | Demigod |
| Bianca di Angelo | The Titan's Curse | Dies in The Titan's Curse | Olympians, then The Hunters of Artemis | Books 3 and 4 (in book 4, she appears as a ghost) | Hades and Maria di Angelo[d] | Nico di Angelo | Percy, Thalia, Tyson, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus | Demigod |
| Nico di Angelo | The Titan's Curse | * | Demigods, Hades, Servants of Death (not Olympians because they dislike Hades and his children) | Books 4 and 5 | Hades and Maria di Angelo[d] | Bianca di Angelo[d] | Percy, Thalia, Tyson, Ares, Hephaestus, Hermes, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Dionysus | Demigod |
| Zoë Nightshade | The Titan's Curse | Dies in The Titan's Curse | The Hunters & Olympians | Book 3 | Atlas and Pleione | Hesperides & Calypso[h] | Unknown | Hesperide |
| Rachel Elizabeth Dare | The Titan's Curse | * | Mortals and Olympians | Books 3-5 | Mr. and Mrs. Dare | none | Unknown | Clear-Sighted Mortal, later, Oracle of Delphi |
d^ Dies
h^ Half-sibling
References
- ^ Riordan, Rick (28 June 2005). The Lightning Thief. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Hyperion Books. p. 384. ISBN 0786856297. OCLC 60786141.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Riordan, Rick (3 May, 2006). The Sea of Monsters. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Miramax Books. p. 279. ISBN 0786856866. OCLC 64664383.
{{cite book}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Riordan, Rick (1 April 2007). The Titan's Curse. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. p. 312. ISBN 9781423101451. OCLC 76863948.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ Riordan, Rick (8 May 2008). The Battle of the Labyrinth. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Hyperion Books for Children. p. 361. ISBN 9781423101468. OCLC 180753884.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5)". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ Riordan, Rick (5 May 2009). The Last Olympian. Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Disney Hyperion. p. 381. ISBN 1423101472. OCLC 299578184.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ a b http://rickriordan.blogspot.com/ "The Boxed Set Arrives, and other news" September 27, 2009.