16 Best Rick Riordan Books
The best Rick Riordan books, ranked by expert source recommendations, with notes on who each suits, from Percy Jackson adventures to Egyptian and Norse myths.
Our take
Rick Riordan mixes modern teenage life with gods, monsters, and quests drawn from mythology. Percy Jackson introduces the Greek demigod world, while The Heroes of Olympus brings Roman traditions and a larger cast into the story. The Kane Chronicles explores Egyptian magic, Magnus Chase turns to Norse mythology, and The Trials of Apollo follows a god forced to experience mortal limitations. Humor and friendship run through these different settings.
Begin with The Lightning Thief and follow Percy's original five books before moving into The Lost Hero. Readers wanting another mythology can start The Red Pyramid or The Sword of Summer. Later adventures include The Sun and the Star, coauthored with Mark Oshiro, which gives Nico and Will their own story, and The Wild Zone, coauthored with Annabelle Oh, which introduces new campers. For an adventure outside the mythology series, Daughter of the Deep offers an underwater story inspired by Jules Verne.
16 books · 9 sources · Last updated
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Reading Rick Riordan in order? See all Rick Riordan books in order
How to choose from this list
Skip to the full rankingIf you're new to Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief → The Sea of Monsters → The Titan's Curse
If you've finished Percy's original five books: The Lost Hero → The Son of Neptune → The Mark of Athena
If you want Egyptian mythology: The Red Pyramid
If you want Norse mythology: The Sword of Summer
If you've finished The Heroes of Olympus: The Hidden Oracle
If you want a separate standalone adventure: Daughter of the Deep
The 16 books, ranked
Ranked by how many expert sources name each book. Ties go to the book more people recommend.
For readers ready for the conclusion of the original Percy Jackson arc. Its concentrated battle and character payoffs provide more resolution than the middle volumes, though starting here would spoil earlier developments and weaken those moments.
What it's about
As Kronos’s army marches on Manhattan and the gods battle the monster Typhon across America, Percy leads the demigods and their allies in a last stand to defend Mount Olympus. The war forces him to face the Great Prophecy and choose what kind of hero he’ll be.
For readers continuing Percy's original series who enjoy puzzles, shifting loyalties, and a darker atmosphere. The maze gives the adventure more uncertainty than the earlier quests, though its emotional stakes depend on reading the first three books.
What it's about
Strange new entrances reveal that Daedalus’s Labyrinth now runs beneath Camp Half-Blood. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Tyson venture inside the shifting maze to find its creator before Kronos’s forces do, racing against time to stop an invasion from underground.
For readers who have finished the original Percy Jackson arc and want a broader ensemble. The new viewpoints open another side of the mythology, though the initial distance from familiar characters can make the transition feel slow.
What it's about
Jason wakes up on a school bus with no memory of his past, sitting next to a girl who insists she’s his girlfriend. Brought to Camp Half-Blood with Piper and Leo, he learns that a new prophecy has begun and that the missing Percy Jackson may be the key.
For readers already following The Heroes of Olympus who want Annabeth to take a larger role. The ensemble's relationships deepen the quest, though the overlapping viewpoints and unresolved threads make this a poor starting point.
What it's about
Annabeth finally reunites with Percy aboard the Argo II as Greek and Roman demigods attempt a fragile alliance. Tasked with following the mysterious Mark of Athena into Rome, she and the other six must rescue Nico and recover a legendary statue to prevent war.
For readers continuing The Heroes of Olympus who want Percy's perspective in an unfamiliar setting. The Roman camp gives established mythology a fresh structure, though the parallel storyline delays the reunion some readers may expect.
What it's about
Percy Jackson wakes up in Northern California with no memory and is guided to Camp Jupiter, the Roman counterpart to Camp Half-Blood. There he joins Hazel and Frank on a perilous quest to Alaska to free the death god Thanatos and save the camp.
For readers who want a new mythology and cast without beginning another Percy-centered quest. Magnus's voice brings a different perspective to Riordan's humor, though the Norse names and world rules arrive quickly at the start.
What it's about
Homeless teen Magnus Chase learns he is the son of a Norse god and dies fighting a fire giant on a Boston bridge. Reborn in Hotel Valhalla, he escapes with friends to stop the wolf Fenris from breaking free and triggering Ragnarok.
For newcomers who want the clearest introduction to Riordan's mythology adventures. Percy's first-person humor makes the Greek gods accessible, though the school-age voice and episodic monster encounters may feel young to readers seeking a more complex fantasy.
What it's about
Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is Poseidon’s son and the prime suspect in the theft of Zeus’s master bolt. To stop a war among the gods and save his mother, he and his friends undertake a cross-country quest filled with monsters and modernized myths.
Also recommended by
1 person
Zack D'Aleo recommended this bookZack D'Aleo
"Non hai mai letto nulla di Rick Riodan? Male, malissimo, devi assolutamente rimediare, non sai da dove iniziare? Inizia da qui." - Zac D'Aleo
Zack D'Aleo's recommendation of this book
For readers familiar with the earlier demigod series who want a fallible god as narrator. Apollo's comic self-importance offers a different voice from Percy, though his early arrogance can be frustrating before the character develops.
What it's about
Zeus punishes Apollo by stripping his godhood and casting him to Earth as a mortal teen named Lester Papadopoulos. With help from street-smart demigod Meg McCaffrey and Camp Half-Blood, he must survive assassins, restore a lost oracle, and begin to understand mortality.
For established Heroes of Olympus readers who want the characters tested emotionally as well as physically. Its darker journey gives relationships unusual weight, though the alternating storylines and dependence on earlier books make it demanding.
What it's about
Separated by the Doors of Death, Percy and Annabeth struggle to survive in Tartarus while their friends sail the Argo II toward Greece. Both groups must find a way to close the Doors from opposite sides before Gaea’s forces overwhelm the mortal world.
For readers ready for the original series to widen its cast and become more serious. New alliances and a stronger sense of consequence build beyond the early adventures, though the shift also brings more danger and loss.
What it's about
After a rescue mission goes wrong, Annabeth is captured and the goddess Artemis disappears. Percy joins the Hunters of Artemis on a winter quest across America to find them both, confronting new monsters, an ominous prophecy, and the first signs of the Titan Kronos’s return.
For readers who want Egyptian mythology and a different family dynamic from Percy Jackson. Carter and Sadie's alternating voices create a lively sibling perspective, though the rapid introduction of gods, magic, and factions can feel crowded.
What it's about
After a museum experiment goes horribly wrong and their father vanishes, siblings Carter and Sadie Kane discover they are powerful magicians tied to Egyptian gods. Pursued by both monsters and other magicians, they race to stop Set from destroying North America.
For readers continuing directly from The Lightning Thief who want another compact quest. The sea journey expands Percy's friendships and family questions, though its familiar adventure pattern offers less complexity than the later books.
What it's about
When Camp Half-Blood’s magical borders begin to fail and Percy’s friend Grover disappears, Percy sails into the Sea of Monsters to find the Golden Fleece. Alongside Annabeth and his newly discovered half-brother Tyson, he faces treacherous seas, sirens, and an old enemy’s plot.
The Sun and the Star
For readers who know the earlier demigod stories and want Nico and Will at the center. Their relationship receives more space than in the ensemble adventures, though the emotional history and returning figures reward substantial prior reading.
What it's about
Nico di Angelo hears a call for help from Tartarus and prepares to return to a place connected with painful memories. His boyfriend, Will Solace, joins the journey, bringing their relationship into a quest involving darkness, danger, and an old obligation.
For readers who want to finish the five-book Heroes of Olympus arc. The many strands converge toward a final conflict, though the large cast means some characters receive less attention than their fans may want.
What it's about
The final Heroes of Olympus book follows the seven demigods as they race toward Athens to stop Gaea’s awakening while Nico, Reyna, and Coach Hedge struggle to deliver the Athena Parthenos to Camp Half-Blood before war breaks out between Greek and Roman demigods.
Daughter of the Deep
For readers who want Riordan's humor and adventure without entering the demigod series. The underwater setting offers a separate science-fiction premise, though the school-age cast and rapid action still follow a familiar middle-grade rhythm.
What it's about
At a prestigious oceanography academy that trains descendants of Captain Nemo, freshman Ana Dakkar survives a deadly attack and learns her family’s true legacy. Thrust into a rivalry rooted in Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas, she must command advanced submarines and strange sea tech to keep her classmates alive.
The Wild Zone
For readers who want a new Camp Half-Blood cast and a more frightening mystery. The focus on inexperienced campers offers a different perspective from veteran heroes, though the monsters and threatening atmosphere may be intense for sensitive readers.
What it's about
New camper Katie Kim and four other demigods enter Camp Half-Blood’s forbidden forest on a counselor’s orders. When her half-brother disappears and monsters emerge, Katie’s remaining companions must return to the Wild Zone to investigate a dangerous curse.
Sources
- 1
Where to start with Rick Riordan's books
penguin.co.uk
- 2
Top 10 Best Rick Riordan Books
thetoptens.com
- 3
Best Rick Riordan Books
fivebooks.com
- 4
Rick Riordan
fantasticfiction.com
- 5
Best Rick Riordan Books (50 books)
goodreads.com
- 6
Where to Start Reading Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and Beyond
barnesandnoble.com
- 7
[ALL] What is the best book Rick Riordan has ever written and why is it The House of Hades?
reddit.com
- 8
What is the best book?[all]
reddit.com
- 9
Books
rickriordan.com
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