The Percy Jackson & the Olympians series

[MaWeasley]

I gave my niece the first one on Christmas day and she seemed very pleased with it. She said something about it counting for a lot of points in her school's reading contest, so obviously her middle school thought it appropriate. Thanks for your help, Jormundt6 and Randomperson.

[GrangerHermione]

I love this series! It's one of my favorites! (Other than Harry Potter, of course!) I got my books signed by Rick Riordan when he came to the Austin, Texas Barnes and Nobles a couple of months ago. It was so cool!

Alright, so let's see. . .

-Percy is my favorite character. . . I don't know why.
-My favorite Olympian is Artemis. There is just something about her. . .
-I like Tyson and Grover. They are cool.

I am not sure what the fourth book will have in store for us, but I wait anxiously for it. randomperson said the title was "The Battle of the Labrynth" or something like that. It sounds like a good read. I think that the Prophecy is being made about Nico di Angelo, the son of Hades. He is really angry right now from the death of his sister, and overthrowing Olympus seems like something he just might do.

By the way, I was thinking. . . any chance of Bianca di Angelo coming back? (Sorry if this has already been asked!)

[randomperson]

Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what,Guess what, Guess what?
Chris Columbus is directing the Percy Jackson movies! In case you do not know who he is, he is the same guy that made the 1st and 2nd Harry Potter Movies. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GrangerHermione]

That is so cool! Do you have any idea when the movie is supposed to come out? For that matter, do you know when the next BOOK is coming out? I'm am totally thrilled for both things!!!

[wuzupbling22]

I love the series! Does anyone else go on Percy Jackson forums?

[GrangerHermione]

There is a Percy Jackson forums? I didn't know!

[wuzupbling22]

Yes. If you want a link to one, private message you

[jordmundt6]

Yeah, some of us will need links.

I'm not sold on Chris Columbus as a director for the adaptation--even the first one is considerably darker than his comfort zone. In fact, considering the absolute hatchet jobs he did on the first two Potter films, I have to remind myself that Bicentennial Man was a success to keep from screaming in frustration.

When I hesitated over age-appropriateness, I wasn't thinking about scare factor, but about some of the themes that might not necessarily be appropriate or might be borderline for those younger than 13.

[wuzupbling22]

I don't know who I should send the link to. So I'll just post it here.
http://z15.invisionfree.com/PJO_Forum/index.php?

[randomperson]

That forum is totally sweet! By the way " The Battle of the Labyrinth" (aka book four) comes out May 6th, 2008.

[wuzupbling22]

Can't wait for it! So what did everyone think of "The Stolen Chariot"? If people don't know what that is, it's basically a filler short story

[jordmundt6]

Is that on Riordan's blog? Did you read the other one, the one about Percy helping Clarisse with her minor god half-brothers--or is that it? The filler story I read was interesting, but it didn't really reveal that much--it just made Clarisse more sympathetic.

[randomperson]

It was okay, the books are all so much better.

[jordmundt6]

Well, it was written like the books--it felt authentic, like it could have happened between Sea of Monsters and Titan's Curse, but the books are richer.

[Jessica]

I've got a new theory that Hephaestus is a traitor. In Book 1, we get the scene when he tries trap Aphrodite and Ares, he's got a motive to be bitter against Olympus. Then in Book 2, we have bulls that he made storming the camp and we have Annabeth and Percy intentionally avoiding his forges. Could be coincidence of course, I don't know if there actually are JKR levels of foreshadowing going on although I do think there is some.

Unrelated to my theory:

[jordmundt6]

Heph seems in character and not traitorous--he's a doting husband who doesn't take kindly to cheating, and he's a master craftsman who dislikes having his work disrupted. His most active interventions have been to supply his father with weapons, to stop his wife cheating on him, and to help the most sensible Olympians convince Zeus to rule more justly (see the mini-rebellion where, for once, Poseidon and Athena were on the same side--catching Zeus in that net).

[wuzupbling22]

Originally Posted by jordmundt6

Is that on Riordan's blog? Did you read the other one, the one about Percy helping Clarisse with her minor god half-brothers--or is that it? The filler story I read was interesting, but it didn't really reveal that much--it just made Clarisse more sympathetic.

Yes, that one IS The Stolen Chariot

[pinkShark]

I have only read the first one ages ago, but I really liked it. How many more are there?

[jordmundt6]

There are two more published already (Sea of Monsters which is #2, and Titan's Curse which is #3). Battle of the Labyrinth (#4) is comming out in May.

There is a concluding volume still scheduled--hopefully for next spring, but no word on that yet, as he hasn't had the opportunity to start work on it (with the tour and the publicity buildup for BoL and The 39 Steps/Clues whatever that new interactive series is called).

[FuzyNecromancer]

I've experienced every book of this series in book on CD form so far, so I have a little trouble seperating the tone of the novel and the main character from the moderately annoying voice of the reader. I hope that by the fourth book they have somebody more talented and less nerve-grating to read them. Maybe Jim Dale is looking for new work, now that the Harry Potter series and the Peter and the Star Catchers series are done? Please? ;-;

I find the series corny, and sometimes the characters seem dumb as a sack of hammers, but overall it's enjoyable. Each book manages to come out with at least one real surprise, and I like the adaptation of the mythology to the contemporary setting.

It's also refreshing to see one contemporary adaptation of greek mythos where Hades isn't demonized and it's pointed out that Hercules really was a bit of a jerk.


I had a soft spot for Clarisse from the start, but that's probably just because I think she's cute. >>;