Books by Rick Riordan

There were a few book series which engulfed much of our teens - from the Harry Potter series to the Twilight Saga - and I would be lying if I did not add books written by Rick Riordan to my list. Greek and Roman mythology would have remained remote and foreign, had I never picked up the first book in the Percy Jackson series. We did study mythological tales of Greek gods as part of English literature growing up, but the author made us see them in a completely different limelight by weaving it all together into a fantasy adventure story of gods and demigods.

Percy Jackson was a 13-year-old teen when he realized he was a demigod - half god and half human. He was born to Poseidon, the god of seas, and a human Sally Jackson. He is sent to Camp half blood, a place just for demigods like him, which offers protection and trains them to face the dangers that lurk in the outside world by using their powers. Born with the power to control water, he slowly discovers himself and comes to terms with his identity. We’re also introduced to the characters Annabeth, the daughter of Athena and Grover, a faun, amongst many others. We read through them fighting battles, fulfilling quests, training at Camp Half-Blood - overcoming any crossroads they’ve encountered.

Amongst all, my personal favorite is The Heroes of Olympus series, which consists of events that take place after the book The Last Olympian. 7 demigods are chosen by a prophecy - destined to fight Gaia, mother earth. The most notable aspect for me was the lovable and courageous characters the author intricately weaved into this story. Things get darker, more dangerous, with them now grown up to be 17. Jason with his really empathetic nature; Piper, who showed us what beauty actually meant; Leo, with his hilarious jokes and witty nature, showed how beautiful friendship is; Frank, who always doubted himself and his abilities, only to see how amazing life can be if only you believe in yourself; Hazel, coming from a dark past, makes peace with herself and her father, learning to control her powers and seeing the good in it. Each of them made the books more worthwhile. What made them a joyful read was not the adventure, quests or fights they had, but it was those simple aspects of courage, kindness, friendship and love in the books that made me relate to them on a deeper level. Reyna’s feat to transport the statue of Athena to her enemy camp sows seeds of admiration for her - battling loneliness, but with a spine of steel to help her friends.

With such beautiful characters written, it’s inevitable to not fall in love with them. The next series of Trials of Apollo continues where the last book left off, the story revolving around Apollo, the god of sun. Banished to the earth by his father Zeus to live as a lanky 16-year-old demigod, the books talk about his adventures there with his protector Meg McCaffrey. The narrative is humorous, where he slowly realizes how unfair he had been on people while he was a god. We see some of our favorite characters returning. I felt the books gave them proper closure this time, filled with unexpected twists and shocks. Nevertheless, I eagerly hope to see them converted to movies. Till then, I find contentment in knowing them just as I imagined them to be.