Percy Jackson & the Olympians

Percy Jackson & The Olympians
Author	Rick Riordan
Language	English
Genre	Fantasy
Publisher	Miramax Books
Publication date	2005-present
Publication place	United States
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)

Percy Jackson & The Olympians is a series of adventure books written by Rick Riordan, based on Greek mythology.

The series begins with a troubled young boy named Percy Jackson discovering that he is the son of Poseidon, the god of the sea. In the process, he learns that the Olympians still exist, along with many other figures and monsters from Greek mythology like titans. He later becomes the owner of the sword Anaklusmos (which means "Riptide").This was a gift from his father.

Four books have been published thus far in the series, with one more still to come:

The Lightning Thief (2005)
The Sea of Monsters (April 1, 2006)
The Titan's Curse (May 1, 2007).
The Battle of the Labyrinth (May 6, 2008).
Book 5 (Fall 2009).

While using much of the relevant Greek mythology as a basis for the book, some creative license is taken by Riordan.

The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief is the first book in the series. Percy Jackson is a dyslexic 12-year old boy who suffers from ADHD. Unfortunately, this -- among other things -- has gotten him expelled from six different schools in the past six years. His most recent school was Yancy Academy in upstate New York where he began to realize he is different from the other kids. He accidentally slays his evil pre-algebra teacher, Mrs. Dodds (who stands for one of the three Furies, from the depths of the Underworld), whom others promptly forget ever existed. Meanwhile, his Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, is clandestinely discussing his safety behind his back with Percy's best friend Grover. After returning from Yancy to his mother and horrible stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, Percy and his mother take an impromptu vacation to the beach. However, after a surprise visit from Grover who has been hiding the fact that he is a satyr, and a subsequent flight away from the beach house towards Camp Half-Blood in Gabe's beloved car, the three are attacked by the Minotaur. Percy watches in horror as his mother is killed. He kills the minotaur by breaking off the beast's horn and using it against him. He then drags Grover over the property line and into Camp Half-Blood.

At Camp Half-Blood, Percy begins to learn his true identity as a demigod. Here he meets Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena, and learns that Grover had actually been at Yancy in order to protect Percy and in so-doing had determined that Percy might be one of the children of "the Big Three". While initially unclaimed by any god, Percy is dumped in Cabin 11 (See Section Camp Half Blood) where he meets his future rival, Luke, a son of Hermes. While being shown around by Annabeth, he is cornered by four bullies from the Cabin of Ares, God of War, who drag him into a bathroom in an attempt to introduce his head to a toilet. The plumbing rebels, spraying the four bullies so hard they are unable to complete their hazing of Percy. Percy himself is left completely dry in the soaked bathroom--the first hint that he is Poseidon's son. The leader of the group is a particularly mean girl by the name of Clarisse who leads the attack on Percy during his first-ever game of Capture the Flag. Curiously, Percy beats the four and is subsequently claimed by Poseidon. This leads to Percy being sent on a quest by Chiron, an ancient centaur who posed as Mr. Brunner at Yancy and is the Camp Activities director. Percy's quest is to find Zeus' missing master bolt, for which all lightning is patterned, in order to prevent a war between Mt. Olympus' "Big Three" (Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades); Zeus believes that Poseidon may have used Percy to steal the master bolt, while Percy believes Hades is behind it. Percy is joined on his quest by Annabeth and Grover. All the while, Percy is having odd dreams about someone whom he believes to be Hades.

After tracing Zeus' missing master bolt to Hades, Percy, Grover and Annabeth make an epic trip to Los Angeles to visit Hades. Along the way, they are sidetracked by mythological monsters, including Medusa and the Chimera, and encountering Ares in Denver. After reaching the Underworld, they are nearly dragged into the pits of Tartarus by some unseen force. They finally reach Hades' palace only to discover that Hades had not stolen the master bolt, and that the bolt had somehow materialized in Percy's backpack given to him by Ares. Hades reveals that Percy's mother is, in fact, not dead. Hades tells them that his helm of darkness, which makes the wearer invisible, is missing as well. Hades blames Poseidon and Zeus for its disappearance. He threatens to kill Percy and his friends with undead soldiers, but they manage to escape using pearls that had been given to Percy earlier by a nereid.

As it turns out, Ares was tricked by Kronos, and is actually a pawn in a strategy planned by the Titan Lord for eons. After a battle in which Percy wounds Ares and subsequently obtains from him the helm of darkness, Percy returns the master bolt to Olympus and the helm to Hades (via the Furies) and prevents a war among the gods. He tells Zeus and Poseidon that he believes Kronos may be rising to power again, but Zeus states that the matter is barred from discussion. Percy returns to his mother, who was returned to her apartment in New York City after Hades' helm of darkness was returned to him. Near the end of the novel, Percy is betrayed and almost killed by one of his friends from camp: Hermes' son, Luke, who was the real thief of Zeus's lightning bolt during the winter solstice, and was found to also be working for Kronos. The ending of the book says that Percy is going back home for the school year to spend it with his mother as a normal kid.

ISBN 0141319135 (British version, paperback) ISBN 0786856297 (US First Edition, Second Printing)

The Sea of Monsters

Thalia's Tree, located at Camp Half-Blood and formed to prevent a daughter of Zeus from dying,has been poisoned mysteriously by unknown forces. After Chiron is dismissed from camp, blamed for poisoning the tree, Tantalus, who came from the fields of punishment and can not have food or water, has taken the job. The only thing to get rid of the poison is to find the Golden Fleece, located in the Sea of Monsters (the Bermuda Triangle). Clarisse, the daughter of Ares and longtime enemy of Percy, is given the quest to go into the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece, which has healing powers for plants, animals, and humans. Percy and Annabeth decide to go also, not just for the Golden Fleece, but for Grover who is trapped in Polyphemus the cyclops's cave somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, and who believes that Grover is a female cyclops. Along with Tyson, a young Cyclops (Poseidon's son, thus Percy's half-brother) whom Percy befriended at school and almost dies in Clarisse's Ship. After fighting their way many others, they and Clarisse manage to retrieve the Fleece and rescue Grover. When they get back to Camp Half-Blood, the Fleece not only revives Thalia's tree, but it makes Thalia come back, too. It's Thalia who appears as she looked in Percy's dreams. He remembers the dream and realizes that it's her. It turns out that this was actually Kronos's plan, done so that he would have another chance to manipulate the prophecy.

ISBN 0141319143 (British version, paperback)

The Titan's Curse

The demigods rushed to the rescue to find that Grover has made an important discovery: two powerful half-blood siblings whose parentage is unknown. The girl is called Bianca.The boy is Nico.They are 12 and 10 years old. A fierce battle awaits... and a surprise from a group of Hunters with Artemis, the goddess of wild animals and hunting. But that's not all that awaits them. The Titan lord Kronos has devised his most treacherous plot yet, and the young heroes have just fallen prey.

They're not the only ones in danger. An ancient monster has arisen -- one rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus -- and Artemis, the only one who might know how to track it, is missing. Now Percy and his friends, along with the Hunters of Artemis, have only a week to find the kidnapped goddess, find Annabeth who supposedly got kidnapped by the evil Dr.Thorn, and solve the mystery of the monster Artemis was hunting. Along the way Grover makes a very important discovery about Pan ( the god of nature, and the only satyr god).Along the way, Percy meets a mortal girl named Rachel Elizabeth Dare, who can see straight though the mist. She helpes him escape from dead warriors. In the book, it is suggested that there will be a romantic future between Annabeth and Percy, by Aphrodite. Along the way, they must face their most dangerous challenge yet: the chilling prophecy of the Titan's curse.

ISBN 0141382899 (British version, hardback)

The Battle of the Labyrinth

Main Article: The Battle of the Labyrinth

Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun, but when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears (Rachel Elizabeth Dare), pursued by demon cheerleaders, things quickly go from bad to worse.

Time is running out for Percy. War between the gods and the Titans is drawing near. Even Camp Half-Blood isn't safe, as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth a sprawling underground world with surprises and danger at every turn across America.

Along the way Percy will discover new friends, confront powerful enemies, including Kronos himself, find the lost god of the wild, Pan, in a crystal cave, and face the Titan lord Kronos's most terrible secret. The final war begins . . . with the Battle of the Labyrinth.

The Son Of Zeus

Main Article: The Son Of Zeus

Percy Jackson returns almost turning sixteen. He and friends meet a villain who is masked not showing his face. He turns out to be a kid named Elliot who is now going by Zeusi. He says he is a son of Zeus and is trying to tell Percy what he can should do when he is sixteen. They realize he is a son of Ares and is trying to kill Zeus and is all Ares' plan.

Percy Jackson and the Stolen Chariot

The first Percy Jackson short story (Percy Jackson and the Bronze Dragon is the second), this was originally written as a promotional piece for the release of Titan's Curse and was available only on a special bookstore mailing list. It can now be read on Rick Riordan's Blog, Myth & Mystery. Clarisse is given the chance to ride her father's Chariot when she turns fourteen. Her two older immortal brothers Phobos and Deimos, are angry that Clarisse is given this honor. They steal the chariot and Clarisse needs to return it to her father, Ares, by sunset. Percy comes to her aid and together they fight off her brothers and retrieve the chariot. Clarisse is able to return it safely to her father.

Movie

Chris Columbus has lined up to direct & produce The Lightning Thief for 20th Century Fox through his 1492 Pictures banner.

References

http://www.percyjackson.co.uk rickriordan.com/news.htm