How to read Percy Jackson sequel and spin-off series in order

Publish date: 2024-06-04

Percy Jackson and the Olympians is getting a second shot at live-action.

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This one might actually be good, especially since Rick Riordan, the famous writer behind the Percy Jackson & the Olympians books, is actively involved in the series. To be fair, he was also significantly involved with the two previous film adaptations, released in 2010 and 2013, respectively, but hopefully attempt two has better results.

The books Disney Plus’ new Percy Jackson series is based around encompasses numerous books, some of which are spin-offs featuring characters other than Percy as central figures. Diving into the series is nice and easy, and starts at the beginning: With Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, which debuted in 2005.

1. Percy Jackson & the Olympians

The origin of the Percy Jackson series started with five books that were part of the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series of books. Written by Rick Riordan, the series consists of: 

These five books make up the first series and it was the start of what would later be known as the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, the franchise of which Percy Jackson is a part. Percy Jackson & the Olympians saw Percy dive into the world of Greek mythology, which he would find was very real. The first book starts a larger tale, spun throughout the five books and stretching beyond, of Percy questing to stop Kronos the titan from resurrecting himself after Zeus killed him years before. 

A sixth book, titled The Chalice of the Gods, was released in 2023 and is intended as the next part in the Percy Jackson series. It is set following the events of The Heroes of Olympus, however, so if you’re looking to read the books in order, you’ll want to wait on it.

Percy Jackson spinoff series

The series also includes several fun spinoff stories which mostly contain shorter tales with returning characters, along with fun puzzles for the reader to complete. These books include:

2. The Heroes of Olympus

The Heroes of Olympus serves as a direct sequel to Percy Jackson & the Olympians, with chapters alternating between different demigods who appear in the books, including Percy Jackson. The series consists of:

These books introduce the Roman Gods into the mix, alongside the Greek Gods. The Roman Gods are the more ruthless counterparts to the Greek Gods, but — rather than being separate entities — in this they are closer to the same Gods with different personalities. 

The Heroes of Olympus spinoff series

The Heroes of Olympus series features two spinoff books as well, which consist of:

3. The Kane Chronicles

Riordan was writting The Kane Chronicles at the same time as Heroes of Olympus. These books are less connected to Percy Jackson than Heroes of Olympus, but still take place in the same universe. Instead of demigods, the two main characters — sister and brother Sadie and Carter Kane — are magicians. The books also focus on Egyptian mythology rather than Roman or Greek, with Sadie and Carter Kane being descendants of Pharaohs and chosen as hosts by the Egyptian Gods Isis and Horus. The three book series consists of the following books:

The Kane Chronicles companion books

The Kane Chronicles also had two tie-in books: 

4. Demigods and Magicians

Demigods and Magicians was a crossover series that saw Percy Jackson, Annabeth Chase, Sadie Kane, and Carter Kane come together. Its three entries are short stories eventually collected in 2016 in a book entitled Demigods and Magicians in 2016. The series consists of:

5. Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard is Riordan’s take on Norse mythology, and features heroes with Norse Gods for parents. The book’s protagonist is Magnus Chase, son of Frey and cousin to Annabeth Chase from Riordan’s other books. The main story sees Magnus Chase attempting to stop the Norse God of mischief, Loki, from starting Ragnarok. The series consists of:

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard companion books

Two companion tie-ins for Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard were released as well:

6. The Trials of Apollo

The Trials of Apollo serves as the follow-up to the Heroes of Olympus series. Written by Riordan alongside Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, the main character is Apollo, who is turned into a mortal by Zeus due to his actions in Heroes of Olympus. Apollo, now a teenager named Lester Papadopoulos, must track down the lost Oracles to regain his godhood. The Trials of Apollo consists of: 

The Trials of Apollo companion books

The series also has two tie-in companion books: 

Will there be more installments in the Percy Jackson series?

Fans of Riordan’s work are hoping plenty more is to come, and that’s all but guaranteed. The author’s latest entry in the Percy Jackson series released in September of 2023, and the author has a tendency to put out at least one book a year, so there should only be a few months separating us from his next release.

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