The Last Olympian cover – Rick Riordan Books in Order

Rick Riordan Books in Order: The Complete Guide to Percy Jackson and Beyond

Updated October 2026

Rick Riordan Books in Order: The Short Answer

Rick Riordan's young-reader books fall into three mythological universes — Greek/Roman, Egyptian and Norse — plus one standalone, for 27 main novels as of fall 2026. The simplest way to read Rick Riordan books in order is by publication date, which keeps every crossover and cameo in the right place. Here are the main series:

Series Mythology Books Years
Percy Jackson & the Olympians Greek 5 2005–2009
The Kane Chronicles Egyptian 3 2010–2012
The Heroes of Olympus Greek & Roman 5 2010–2014
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Norse 3 2015–2017
The Trials of Apollo Greek & Roman 5 2016–2020
Daughter of the Deep (standalone) Jules Verne / sci-fi 1 2021
Nico di Angelo Adventures (with Mark Oshiro) Greek 2 2023–2025
Percy Jackson: Senior Year Adventures Greek 2 so far 2023–2024
Camp Half-Blood (with co-authors) Greek 1st book Sept 29, 2026 2026–

If you only want Percy's own books, the companions and the Disney+ show, our Percy Jackson books in order guide covers them in more depth. Below is the full picture, universe by universe.

In this guide:

The Greek and Roman Universe (Camp Half-Blood)

This is the big one — the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles. Read the series in this order.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians

  1. The Lightning Thief (2005)
  2. The Sea of Monsters (2006)
  3. The Titan's Curse (2007)
  4. The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008)
  5. The Last Olympian (2009)

Where everyone should start. Percy, son of Poseidon, narrates in first person.

The Heroes of Olympus

  1. The Lost Hero (2010)
  2. The Son of Neptune (2011)
  3. The Mark of Athena (2012)
  4. The House of Hades (2013)
  5. The Blood of Olympus (2014)

Longer books with rotating third-person narrators, bringing in the Roman demigods of Camp Jupiter. Percy returns as one of seven heroes. The House of Hades is the darkest book Riordan wrote for this age group.

The Trials of Apollo

  1. The Hidden Oracle (2016)
  2. The Dark Prophecy (2017)
  3. The Burning Maze (2018)
  4. The Tyrant's Tomb (2019)
  5. The Tower of Nero (2020)

Zeus drops Apollo to earth as a pimply mortal teenager. Apollo narrates, and his vanity makes this the funniest of the series. The Burning Maze contains a death that hits readers hard.

The Nico di Angelo Adventures

  1. The Sun and the Star (2023)
  2. The Court of the Dead (September 23, 2025)

Co-written with Mark Oshiro and set after The Tower of Nero, these follow Nico, son of Hades, and his boyfriend Will Solace. They are pitched a little older than the Percy books — better suited to readers of 12 and up — and deal openly with trauma and depression. Parents who want to know about a same-sex relationship before handing it over now have that information.

Percy Jackson: The Senior Year Adventures

  1. The Chalice of the Gods (2023)
  2. Wrath of the Triple Goddess (2024)

Percy narrates again, now a senior chasing three godly recommendation letters for college. A third and final book has been drafted but has no title or date yet.

Camp Half-Blood (new for 2026)

The Wild Zone, by Riordan and Annabelle Oh, was published on September 29, 2026. It opens a four-book series set at camp in the autumn between The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, following four new demigods. The remaining books are planned about six months apart, and Percy fans will get the most out of them.

The Egyptian Universe: The Kane Chronicles

  1. The Red Pyramid (2010)
  2. The Throne of Fire (2011)
  3. The Serpent's Shadow (2012)

Siblings Carter and Sadie Kane, raised apart, discover they descend from the magicians of ancient Egypt. The chapters alternate between them, presented as a recorded transcript, and their bickering is half the fun. This series can be read at any point — before, after or alongside Percy. It's a favourite for homeschool units on ancient Egypt, since the gods, geography and hieroglyphs are all over the page.

The Brooklyn House Magician's Manual (2018) is the companion guide.

The Norse Universe: Magnus Chase

  1. The Sword of Summer (2015)
  2. The Hammer of Thor (2016)
  3. The Ship of the Dead (2017)

Magnus is a homeless sixteen-year-old in Boston who dies early in the first book and wakes up in Valhalla. He is also Annabeth Chase's cousin, which is why Annabeth (and later Percy) turn up. Pitched slightly older than Percy — the humour is sharper and the cast includes a genderfluid character, Alex Fierro, and a Muslim Valkyrie, Samirah. Companions: Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (2016) and 9 from the Nine Worlds (2018).

Crossovers, Companion Books and Graphic Novels

These are optional but fun, and they're where the three universes meet.

  • Demigods & Magicians (2016) — three short crossover stories in which Percy and Annabeth meet Carter and Sadie Kane. Read them after finishing both the Kane Chronicles and The Heroes of Olympus.
  • The Demigod Files (2009) and The Demigod Diaries (2012) — short stories from the Percy and Heroes of Olympus eras.
  • Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (2014) and Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (2015) — the actual Greek myths, retold by Percy. The best of the companions for homeschool mythology study; our list of mythology books for fifth graders suggests reference books to pair with them.
  • Camp Half-Blood Confidential (2017) and Camp Jupiter Classified (2020) — in-world guides to the two camps.

Graphic novels

All five Percy Jackson books (2010–2019) and all three Kane Chronicles (2012, 2015, 2017) have been adapted as graphic novels, and the Heroes of Olympus adaptations began with The Lost Hero in 2014. They're shortened versions of the same stories — a good hook for a reluctant reader, not a replacement. Look in our graphic novels section.

Daughter of the Deep and Riordan's Other Books

Daughter of the Deep (2021)

A standalone, no gods involved. Ana Dakkar, a freshman at a marine-science academy, turns out to be the last descendant of Captain Nemo. It's an affectionate update of Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island. A great pick for the kid who loves submarines more than monsters — and a natural bridge to our Jules Verne reading guide.

The 39 Clues

Riordan wrote the first book, The Maze of Bones (2008), of Scholastic's multi-author treasure-hunt series.

The Tres Navarre mysteries (for adults)

Before Percy, Riordan wrote award-winning mysteries for adults set in San Antonio, starring a private investigator with a PhD in English literature: Big Red Tequila (1997), The Widower's Two-Step (1998), The Last King of Texas (2000), The Devil Went Down to Austin (2001), Southtown (2004), Mission Road (2005) and Rebel Island (2007), plus a standalone thriller, Cold Springs. These are genuinely adult books with adult violence and language — not something to hand a Percy fan.

Rick Riordan Presents

Riordan's publishing imprint at Disney launched in 2018 with Roshani Chokshi's Aru Shah and the End of Time, and went on to publish mythology adventures by other authors: J.C. Cervantes' Storm Runner books, Kwame Mbalia's Tristan Strong trilogy, Yoon Ha Lee's Dragon Pearl and more. Riordan edits and introduces them but didn't write them. Output has slowed sharply since 2025, but the existing books are an excellent next step for a Percy fan. For series beyond Riordan's own imprint, see our books like Percy Jackson list.

Best First Riordan Book for Each Kind of Reader

  • Most kids, ages 9–12: The Lightning Thief. Then straight through in publication order.
  • A kid studying ancient Egypt: The Red Pyramid. It stands alone.
  • An older reader, 12+, who thinks Percy looks "babyish": The Sword of Summer.
  • Loves sci-fi, not fantasy: Daughter of the Deep.
  • Reluctant reader: the graphic novel of The Lightning Thief, then the novel.

A word on content across all of it: monster violence is constant but not gory, language is mild, and romance stays light. The gods are portrayed as real and flawed, which some faith-based families choose to discuss (or skip). The later series — Magnus Chase, the Nico books — address identity and mental health more directly than the early Percy books do. If your reader wants a break from mythology altogether, our fantasy book series for middle schoolers is a good place to look.

Collect Rick Riordan Books Used

With well over thirty books in the Camp Half-Blood world alone, buying new adds up fast. Our shelf of used Rick Riordan books turns over constantly — check it before you build a list, and browse kids' books and fantasy for more in the same vein. Shipping is free over $15.

Frequently Asked Questions

What order should I read Rick Riordan's books in?

Publication order works best: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, then The Heroes of Olympus, then The Trials of Apollo, followed by the Nico di Angelo books and the Senior Year Adventures. The Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase can be read at any point, ideally in publication order too.

How many Rick Riordan books are there?

Counting only his main novels for young readers, there are 27 as of fall 2026, counting The Wild Zone (September 29, 2026). That doesn't include companions, graphic novels, the 39 Clues book or his adult mysteries.

What is Rick Riordan's newest book?

The Wild Zone, co-written with Annabelle Oh, was published on September 29, 2026 and starts a four-book Camp Half-Blood series. Before that, the newest was The Court of the Dead (September 2025), co-written with Mark Oshiro.

Do I have to read Percy Jackson before Heroes of Olympus?

Yes. Heroes of Olympus is a direct sequel and assumes you know the characters and the ending of The Last Olympian.

Is the Kane Chronicles connected to Percy Jackson?

They share a world, and the characters meet in three short crossover stories collected in Demigods and Magicians (2016). Otherwise the Kane Chronicles stand alone and can be read in any order relative to Percy.

Is Magnus Chase connected to Percy Jackson?

Yes. Magnus is Annabeth Chase's cousin, and Annabeth and Percy both make appearances. You can still start Magnus Chase without having read Percy, but you'll miss some of the fun.

What age are Rick Riordan books for?

Most of them suit ages 9 to 13. Magnus Chase and the Nico di Angelo books skew a bit older, around 12 and up. The Tres Navarre mysteries are adult novels.

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