Rick Riordan has written over 30 novels in his lifetime and that’s not to mention the graphic novel adaptations, short stories, and reference books he also created along the way. A novelist from San Antonio, Texas, Riordan’s first major publishing success came in 1997 with Big Red Tequila, the first in his Tres Navarre series about unlicensed private investigator Jackson “Tres” Navarre. However, it would not be until 2005, with the release of The Lightning Thief and the introduction of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians universe, that he would achieve significant fame.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians has since been turned into two feature-length movies as well as a television show for Disney+ with Logan Lerman and Walker Scobell playing the titular hero. Those adaptations, however, don’t scratch the surface of what Riordan has created. Riordan’s books are filled with heart-pounding action and a keen interest in history and mythology that makes the stories feel particularly deep. This is all done with his fantastic sense of humor and his best works have an equal combination of all his skills as a writer.

10

The Sword Of Summer (2015)

Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard, #1

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is Riordan’s fourth series set in the world of Percy Jackson, though this series considers the Norse pantheon of gods. The first title, The Sword of Summer, centers on Magnus Chase, an orphan boy living on the streets of Boston. On his 16th birthday, Magnus encounters the Norse fire giant Surt and stops him from destroying a bridge by throwing himself and the giant into the harbor. Magnus wakes up in Valhalla and discovers he is the son of the Norse god Frey and the hero prophesized to save the world from Ragnarök.

In some ways, The Sword of Summer feels like a bit of a retread of Percy Jackson and Riordan’s Egyptian god series, The Kane Chronicles, but there are still plenty of new characters and ideas to keep the story feeling fresh. The unique setting is particularly enjoyable. It has the feeling of a book like Harry Potter, taking place in a specialized school where other heroes train for the upcoming battle.

9

The Maze Of Bones (2008)

The 39 Clues, #1

The 39 Clues is a lesser-known series from Rick Riordan with its first entry published in 2008, titled The Maze of Bones. Unlike many of Riordan’s works, The 39 Clues takes place outside the Percy Jackson mythos. The Maze of Bones instead focuses on Amy and Dan Cahill, an orphaned pair of siblings who discover that they belong to the legendary Cahill family, an ancient lineage of people who are responsible for most of the major events in history.

The living members of the family are searching for 39 clues that will grant the one who finds them a serum capable of creating the most powerful person on earth. It’s a suspenseful and exciting thrill ride as Amy and Dan globetrot, meeting new members of their family, some kind and others less so. The puzzle aspects of the series are some of Riordan’s best, and the story makes the reader feel like they’re solving the clues right alongside the Cahills.

8

The Son Of Neptune (2011)

The Heroes Of Olympus, #2

The Heroes of Olympus is a five-book series that premiered in 2010 with The Lost Hero. It took until the second book for the series to find its footing and The Son of Neptune is an improvement in every way over the first book. The series follows a conflict between Greek demigods, Roman demigods, and Gaea, the Greek personification of the Earth. The Heroes of Olympus still stars Percy Jackson but introduces the Roman pantheon.

In The Son of Neptune, an amnesiac Percy travels to Alaska to free Thanatos and stop Gaea from destroying the world. The first half of the book is slightly confusing, but the second half picks up and becomes a thrilling adventure that makes the rest of the series a must-read. Riordan does an excellent job balancing the Roman and Greek gods to make them seem similar but still entirely different characters.

7

The Lightning Thief (2005)

Percy Jackson & the Olympians, #1

When most people think of Rick Riordan and his books, The Lightning Thief is likely the first to come to mind. It’s the series that gained the author widespread attention and, despite all the changes made by The Percy Jackson show and movie, the book is still considered a core text for understanding the universe. The Lightning Thief introduces Percy as a 1-year-old boy who learns he is a demigod and the son of the Greek god Poseidon.

It’s a fast-paced quest that moves along much more quickly than readers who go back to it may expect, but the bones of what would emerge as Riordan’s signature style are all there. His humor, attention to detail, and his deep and realistic characters are all in this novel. Some of the dialogue is choppy, and the story rarely takes a second to breathe, but there’s a reason the book led to six more in the series.

6

Daughter Of The Deep (2021)

Standalone Novel Taking Place In The World Of Jules Verne

For those interested in a book like Percy Jackson but not the famous series itself, Daughter of the Deep is an excellent choice. One of Riordan’s rare few standalone novels, Daughter of the Deep takes place in a retro-futuristic setting, one contiguous with the setting of Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and The Mysterious Island. In the book, Ana Dakkar, who is a student at Harding-Pencroft Academy, learns she and her freshmen class will be taken on a top-secret trial at sea.

What happens next is close to the plot of Twenty Thousand Leagues but with plenty of Riordan-style flourishes. Riordan really shows his writing chops in this novel, with a tight and streamlined story. It’s a bit of a more mature tale and examines ideas of AI and marine biology, but it’s never dry thanks to its thrilling plot and many unexpected twists.

5

The Hidden Oracle (2016)

The Trials of Apollo, #1

The Trials of Apollo is Riordan’s 2016 series that began with The Hidden Oracle in 2016, the best of the five books. In the first novel, the god Apollo is turned into a human named Lester Papadopoulos and sent down to Earth to live as a teenager in New York City, as punishment by his father, Zeus. In order to return to Olympus and regain his godhood, Apollo must regain control of the five oracles of Ancient Greece.

It’s Apollo who makes the series. He’s a much different character than Percy, despite being similar in superficial ways. As a fallen god, Apollo is incredibly vain, which invariably leads to some very funny moments in the series, as does Apollo’s inability to always understand human customs. It’s as if all the funny moments from the MCU’s Thor were combined in one fish-out-of-water story. The cast of The Hidden Oracle is also particularly diverse with LGBTQ+ characters, including Apollo, who has relationships with men and women.

4

The Serpent’s Shadow (2012)

The Kane Chronicles, #3

The final book in Riordan’s Egyptian mythology trilogy, The Kane Chronicles, The Serpent’s Shadow closes the story on Carter and Sadie Kane, two powerful magician siblings who descended from the pharaohs Narmer and Ramses the Great. The Serpent’s Shadow is the best book in the trilogy and sees the siblings finally defeat the god of chaos, Apophis, though with the unintended effect of banishing all the Egyptian gods from the mortal realm.

Egyptian mythology is not often depicted in modern media and Riordan explores the fascinating history and characters in great detail in the series. The Serpent’s Shadow, in particular, is filled with darker themes than Riordan’s other novels, with deaths and even torture, though it’s still fully middle-grade fiction. Every character is given a proper send-off, and it feels like one of Riordan’s most complete ends to a series.

3

The House Of Hades (2013)

The Heroes Of Olympus, #4

In The House of Hades, the best novel in The Heroes of Olympus saga, Percy Jackson and other Greek and Roman demigods are trying to stop the end of the world. The Giants are attempting to raise Gaea from her slumber and Percy and his friends must close the Doors of Death before they can escape. With only one more book in the series, The House of Hades is filled with action-packed set pieces as the story hurtles toward its finale.

There are many perspectives in this novel, much more than usually found in Riordan’s books, and yet it’s like he’s been writing in this style forever with how adeptly he handles the switching viewpoints. It’s one of the most gripping tales Riordan has told and the setting of the hellish underworld is frightening and intense, and a welcome change of pace for the series.

2

The Titan’s Curse (2007)

Percy Jackson And The Olympians, #3

The Titan’s Curse is the third book in the Percy Jackson saga, and it’s a big step up from the previous two novels, both in terms of how skillfully it was crafted and the story itself. This third entry in the story finds Percy and his friends setting out to save Annabeth Chase and the Greek goddess Artemis from the Titans, who kidnapped them. Riordan expertly combines his knack for humor, thrilling storytelling, and the increasingly winning characterization of Percy for something great.

The main story of Percy Jackson remains intriguing, but Riordan expands other arcs and deepens the characterization of Percy and his friends, making for a rewarding read. Even with all the laughs and rollicking adventures, each page unveils something important about a character or gives key context to understanding the world Riordan has built.

1

The Battle Of The Labyrinth (2008)

Percy Jackson And the Olympians, #4

There are still three more books after The Battle of the Labyrinth, but the fourth book in the saga is Rick Riordan’s best. It picks up right where the previous novel left off and finds Percy trying to stop Luke Castellan and his army from attacking Camp Half-Blood through Daedalus’ labyrinth, the home of the Minotaur on the island of Crete. The novel can stand on its own and be enjoyed regardless of context, and yet it’s a fantastic entry in the main story that offers critical plot movement forward.

It’s a philosophical tale with snappy dialogue, humor, and plenty of thrilling action. Percy Jackson is a lot of fun in the first three books, but it isn’t until the fourth that it really feels like the thrust of the story, with its deep themes entwined, arrives. Rick Riordan‘s skill as a writer is undeniable at this point, and he manages to make a story every middle-grade student will love while also crafting an impressively mature tale.