Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth

"Percy Jackson isn't expecting freshman orientation to be any fun. But when a mysterious mortal acquaintance appears on campus, followed by demon cheerleaders, things quickly move from bad to diabolical.

In this latest installment of the blockbuster series, time is running out as war between the Olympians and the evil Titan lord Kronos draws near. Even the safe haven of Camp Half-Blood grows more vulnerable by the minute as Kronos's army prepares to invade its once impenetrable borders. To stop them, Percy and his demigod friends must set out on a quest through the Labyrinth--a sprawling underground world with stunning surprises at every turn. Full of humor and heart-pounding action, this fourth book promises to be their most thrilling adventure yet."

What can I possibly say? It was one of those books - one where the pages couldn't be turned quick enough. The demigods and their Olympian parents are nearing all out war with Kronos, the Titans, other demigods, and traitorous gods. Percy, Annabeth, Grover and their friends are about to make some of the hardest choices of their lives - because after this summer, everything changes.

The book retains the series notable humor while showing how the demigods have changed and grown.

Also, Kronos gets nailed in the eye by a mortal girl. How cool is that?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Titan's Curse

"When the goddess Artemis goes missing, she is believed to have been kidnapped. And now it's up to Percy and his friends to find out what happened. Who is powerful enough to kidnap a goddess? They must find Artemis before the winter solstice, when her influence on the Olympian Council could swing an important vote on the war with the titans. Not only that, but first Percy will have to solve the mystery of a rare monster that Artemis was hunting when she disappeared -- a monster rumored to be so powerful it could destroy Olympus forever."

Completely and utterly amazing. One of my favorites in the entire series, The Titan's Curse has so many twists and turns that it's down right impossible to put the book down (electronic or otherwise)! Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, is, by far, one of my favorite characters - right along with her cousins Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, and Percy Jackson. She's not of afraid of a fight and won't back from a challenge. She clashes with Percy constantly. but not to the point where they become enemies - just really good friends who happen to disagree. A lot. Besides, we all have friends like that...

Right?

The Hunters of Artemis are absolutely amazing too. Their fearless and fierce-some lieutenant Zöe Nightshade is, quite simply, amazing. A lot like Thalia except less tolerant of any man what-so-ever. And any and all male demigods,

Run, Percy, run.

Anyways, definitely worth the read, and I hope you enjoy/enjoyed it as much as I did.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters

"After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke."

The follow up to Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief does not disappoint! Percy, Annabeth, and Grover are all little bit and older and a little bit wiser as they team up once again to face Kronos and his latest plot to destroy Olympus, this time on Percy's home turf - the sea. Of course, even the sea can prove dangerous to the son of Poseidon.

In this amazing sequel, we are once again taken into the thoughts of Percy Jackson, Son of Poseidon - witty, sarcastic, and sometimes clueless. His life as demigod was already pretty hard - and now it just got harder. The end of his next quest will consequences no one could have imagined, and more than a certain camper could have hoped for!

What, we wonder, will Percy get into next?

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

"After getting expelled from yet another school for yet another clash with mythological monsters only he can see, twelve-year-old Percy Jackson is taken to Camp Half-Blood, where he finally learns the truth about his unique abilities: He is a demigod, half human, half immortal. Even more stunning: His father is the Greek god Poseidon, ruler of the sea, making Percy one of the most powerful demigods alive. There's little time to process this news. All too soon, a cryptic prophecy from the Oracle sends Percy on his first quest, a mission to the Underworld to prevent a war among the gods of Olympus. "

The opening book of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series brings us straight into the mind the main protagonist - Perseus Jackson, age 12, demigod. Riordan wrote the book so well, it's easy to imagine you really are reading Percy's thoughts on his roller coaster ride through pre-teendom. 

Percy has one foot in two worlds - much like many pre-teens - and teens. Its the time in your life where you are no longer a child but you aren't an adult yet either, and it's hard to figure out who you are and who you want to be. The Lightning Thief follows Percy and his friends through one of many adventures that lead them down the road of discovery - and not just in their lives. They discover the truths of the world around them and begin to realize that things aren't always quite what they seem.

And sometimes, it really is just an oddly colored poodle.

The Lightning Thief is also a great way to begin learning Greek Mythology. I knew some of the basics - Poseidon is the god of the sea, Zeus the sky and king of Olympus, Hades is god of the Underworld married to Persephone and so on. Basic stuff. Before reading Percy Jackson, I didn't even know how Achilles became (semi)invincible, or that Artemis was the goddess of the hunt (I did know she was twin to Apollo and goddess of the moon).

Um, oops? 

Anyway, I recommend Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief to all readers - young and old!