Rick Riordan may be most famous for creating the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series that follows the titular demigod on numerous quests, but many don’t realize that he’s also authored a number of other series.
And get this… a lot of them take place in the same universe as his original releases!
The name of this universe? Why, it’s the Riordanverse, of course!
Now, this isn’t to say that every element of each series is interwoven with the others, but it does mean that, as they all exist in the same reality, characters, settings, and plots from one series can tangle with those of another.
And today, we’re going to be exploring all the titles that exist within the Riordanverse, so if you choose to start reading them, you’ll know the scale of the narrative before you.
Percy Jackson And The Olympians
Starting with Riordan’s first and most popular work, we have Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
As mentioned a moment ago, this five-book series follows Percy Jackson, the demigod son of the Ancient Greek god of the sea, Poseidon. He’s 12 years old in the first book but if you want to learn how old Percy Jackson is throughout every book, we talk about that in another article. Check it out!
Alongside his Camp Half-Blood (a training camp for demigods) cohort, Percy learns what it means to be a semi-divine being over the course of many misadventures and quests, but the themes of the series are distinctly human.
Family, friendship, love, loneliness, and belonging are all pillars of the Percy Jackson story. And so are the characters, of whom there are many. So, if you’re left wondering who the main characters in Percy Jackson are, you’re not alone.
While Riordan makes every character as memorable as can be, it’s easy to get lost in the world.
In any case, below are the Percy Jackson books in chronological order:
- “The Lightning Thief” (2005)
- “The Sea of Monsters” (2006)
- “The Titan’s Curse” (2007)
- “The Battle of the Labyrinth” (2008)
- “The Last Olympian” (2009)
The Heroes Of Olympus
Another related series penned by Riordan is known as The Heroes of Olympus. This is the true sequel to the Percy Jackson series, but Percy Jackson is no longer the sole protagonist.
This series follows the seven heroes listed in “The Prophecy of the Seven”, one of which is, of course, Percy, but the other six are just as important to the narrative.
The general arc of this five-book sequence surrounds the Avengers-esque team of demigods assembled by Hera/Juno and the team’s quest to prove themselves in the eyes of the other full-blood gods.
There’s also a distinct shift in focus in terms of mythology, as the Roman counterparts of the Greek gods on Percy Jackson and the Olympians are just as prevalent in the sequel. What gods are in Percy Jackson, you ask? Well, there’s quite a diverse cast!
Check below for The Heroes of Olympus series in chronological order:
- “The Lost Hero” (2010)
- “The Son of Neptune” (2011)
- “The Mark of Athena” (2012)
- “The House of Hades” (2013)
- “The Blood of Olympus” (2014)
The Kane Chronicles
The Kane Chronicles mark Rick Riordan’s first big step away from the goings-on of the Percy Jackson Books, but not too big a step, as we’re of course still in the same world.
In this three-book series, we follow Carter and Sadie Kane processing the knowledge that they’re the most powerful Egyptian magicians of the last few centuries.
When Egyptian gods begin waking from their slumber, the Kanes must do battle with chaotic forces in order to maintain Ma’at (balance).
As you may have surmised, it’s the Egyptian pantheon that takes center stage in The Kane Chronicles, with gods such as Anubis, Apophis, Horus, Isis, Set, and Bastet playing major roles in the plot throughout the trilogy.
In chronological order, The Kane Chronicles are as follows:
- “The Red Pyramid” (2010)
- “The Throne of Fire” (2011)
- “The Serpent’s Shadow” (2012)
Magnus Chase And The Gods Of Asgard
Riordan’s second three-parter is Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, marking yet another shift in mythologies, this time to the Norse gods led by the wise and mysterious Odin.
To begin with, the path of our protagonist, Magnus Chase, mirrors that of our friend Percy — He discovers he’s the demigod son of the Norse goddess of peace, rain, and fertility, Frey.
Although at 16, he’s a little older than Percy was when he discovered his divine lineage.
Magnus’s goal throughout the trilogy is to prevent Ragnarök, the Norse apocalypse caused by an unimaginably destructive war between the gods of Asgard and the evil forces of their world — You can kind of think of it as the Titanomachy of Norse mythology.
The books of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard are as follows:
- “The Sword of Summer” (2015)
- “The Hammer of Thor” (2016)
- “The Ship of the Dead” (2017)
The Trials Of Apollo
Riordan returns to Camp Half-Blood in the fifth and final (so far) series of his shared fictional universe. It’s entitled The Trials of Apollo.
It all starts with some familial tension between king of the gods, Zeus, and his son Apollo, the god of archery, music, dance, truth, prophecy, healing, disease, the sun, light, and poetry… to name just a few of his associations — That’s one heck of a CV, ay?
When Zeus casts Apollo down from Olympus, he’s forced to live a mortal life as a teenage boy on Earth, leaving him vulnerable to attack from countless enemies accrued over the course of his four-thousand-year existence.
If he’s to survive, he must seek help, and the only place he can find it is, you’ve guessed it… Camp Half-Blood. And yes, Percy Jackson is in this series but only as a supporting character.
The books in this series are as follows:
- “The Hidden Oracle” (2016)
- “The Dark Prophecy” (2017)
- “The Burning Maze” (2018)
- “The Tyrant’s Tomb” (2019)
- “The Tower of Nero” (2020)
Companion Books
Those who couldn’t get enough of the main Riordanverse series detailed above will be happy to hear that there are five companion books set in the same world.
- The Demigod Files (2009) — A compilation of short stories set before and after book five of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
- The Demigod Diaries (2012) — One short story set before the events of “The Lightning Thief”, and two set before “The Mark of Athena”.
- Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods (2014) — While this one is narrated by Percy Jackson, it doesn’t further any narratives within the Riordanverse. It’s essentially Percy teaching the reader about the Greek Gods — Still worth a read, though!
- Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes (2015) — Same premise as Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods but focused on the Heroes of Greek mythology.
- Demigods and Magicians: Three Stories from the World of Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles (2016) — All three short stories are set after both Percy Jackson and the Olympians and The Kane Chronicles.
Chronological Reading Order
It’s best to read each series in the order given above, but if you want to mix it up a bit and read through the books in accordance with narrative chronology, here’s an estimate of the order you should follow:
- “The Lightning Thief”
- “The Sea of Monsters”
- “The Titan’s Curse”
- “The Battle of the Labyrinth
- “The Red Pyramid”
- “The Throne of Fire”
- “The Last Olympian”
- “The Serpent’s Shadow”
- “The Lost Hero”
- “The Son of Neptune”
- “The Mark of Athena”
- “The House of Hades”
- “The Blood of Olympus”
- “The Sword of Summer”
- “The Hammer of Thor”
- “The Ship of the Dead”
- “The Hidden Oracle”
- “The Dark Prophecy”
- “The Burning Maze”
- “The Tyrant’s Tomb”
- “The Tower of Nero”
If your little one has already finished the series, then you might be interested in other books like Percy Jackson for kids. Fortunately, the fantasy genre is ripe with extraordinary worlds that you can get lost in!
Final Thoughts
There is some serious material to get through if you’re thinking about entering the Riordanverse, but these books are so enthralling and addictive that you’ll be finished before you know it and begging for more.
Sadly, at that point, you’ll have reached the edge of the Riordanverse, but as a prolific writer, it’s never too long before another Rick Riordan book hits the shelves.
They’re not always set in the same universe, but it seems unlikely that he’s fully closed the door to his most magnificent creation. Or you can check out other books like Percy Jackson for adults!
I have been reading books for as long as I can remember, and have fallen deeply in love with more books than I can count!
With this site, I hope that you can find a novel to get you out of a reading slump, or to get you hooked on a series. So, pick up one of our recommendations today. I promise you that you won’t regret it!
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