Percy Jackson Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Updated October 2026
Percy Jackson Books in Order: The Short Answer
Rick Riordan has written seven novels narrated by Percy Jackson: the original five Percy Jackson & the Olympians books (2005–2009) and two newer "Senior Year Adventures" (2023 and 2024). Reading the Percy Jackson books in order is easy — go by publication date:
| # | Title | Published | Series |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lightning Thief | 2005 | Olympians 1 |
| 2 | The Sea of Monsters | 2006 | Olympians 2 |
| 3 | The Titan's Curse | 2007 | Olympians 3 |
| 4 | The Battle of the Labyrinth | 2008 | Olympians 4 |
| 5 | The Last Olympian | 2009 | Olympians 5 |
| 6 | The Chalice of the Gods | 2023 | Senior Year 1 |
| 7 | Wrath of the Triple Goddess | 2024 | Senior Year 2 |
A third and final Senior Year book is coming. Riordan has said the first draft is done, but as of early October 2026 it has no title and no release date. He plans to finish it after the new Camp Half-Blood series.
This post sticks to Percy's own books plus the companions, graphic novels and screen versions. For every other series in the same universe — Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, the Nico books, Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase — see our complete Rick Riordan reading order.
In this guide:
- Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Original Five Books
- The Senior Year Adventures (2023 Onward)
- Companion Books: Demigod Files, Greek Gods and Greek Heroes
- The Percy Jackson Graphic Novels
- Percy on Screen: The Disney+ Series and the Films
- Percy Jackson Age Range and Content Notes
- Buy the Percy Books Used
- Frequently Asked Questions
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Original Five Books
The first series is one continuous story told over five summers, each book building toward a prophecy that pays off in The Last Olympian. Read them in order; skipping around spoils too much.
1. The Lightning Thief (2005)
Percy, a twelve-year-old with ADHD and dyslexia who keeps getting kicked out of schools, learns he's the son of Poseidon. He's accused of stealing Zeus's lightning bolt and sent on a cross-country quest with Annabeth and Grover. If a child is going to fall for this series, it happens here.
2. The Sea of Monsters (2006)
The camp's magical borders are failing, and the cure is the Golden Fleece. Percy meets his Cyclops half-brother, Tyson. The shortest and lightest of the five.
3. The Titan's Curse (2007)
Annabeth goes missing, the Hunters of Artemis arrive, and the stakes rise noticeably. This is where the series starts losing characters, which surprises some younger readers.
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008)
A quest through Daedalus's maze under America. Many fans rank it their favourite of the original run.
5. The Last Olympian (2009)
Kronos's army attacks Manhattan and the Great Prophecy comes due. A full-scale battle novel and a very satisfying ending. Kids who finish it hungry for more myth-flavoured adventure can move on to our list of books like Percy Jackson, which covers other authors and series.
The Senior Year Adventures (2023 Onward)
Fourteen years after The Last Olympian, Riordan went back to Percy's voice. Percy is now a high school senior who wants to attend New Rome University with Annabeth, and to get in he needs three letters of recommendation from gods. Each book earns one.
- The Chalice of the Gods (September 26, 2023) — Ganymede, cupbearer of the gods, has lost his chalice.
- Wrath of the Triple Goddess (September 24, 2024) — Percy agrees to pet-sit for Hecate over Halloween. It goes about as well as you'd expect.
- Book 3 — untitled and undated. It is expected to wrap up Percy's senior year and his run as narrator.
These are shorter and funnier than the originals, more like a sitcom episode than an epic. They can be read straight after Book 5. Readers who've gone on through Heroes of Olympus and Trials of Apollo will catch more of the in-jokes, but nothing essential is lost if you haven't.
Companion Books: Demigod Files, Greek Gods and Greek Heroes
Nice extras, none of them required:
| Title | Year | What's inside |
|---|---|---|
| The Demigod Files | 2009 | Three short stories set between Books 3 and 5, plus character interviews and extras. Read after Battle of the Labyrinth. |
| Percy Jackson's Greek Gods | 2014 | Percy retells the major Greek myths about the Olympians, in his own sarcastic voice. |
| Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes | 2015 | Same idea, for Perseus, Hercules, Theseus, Atalanta and others. |
For homeschoolers, Greek Gods and Greek Heroes are the hidden gems here. They cover the real myths accurately enough to support a mythology unit, and a kid who loved The Lightning Thief will read them without being asked. Pair them with a straight reference such as D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and you have most of a semester. Our roundup of mythology books for fifth graders has more retellings and reference titles to round out that unit.
The new Camp Half-Blood series
On September 29, 2026, Riordan and co-author Annabelle Oh published The Wild Zone, the first of a four-book Camp Half-Blood series. It's set at camp in the autumn between The Lightning Thief and The Sea of Monsters, following four new demigods. Later volumes are planned at roughly six-month intervals.
The Percy Jackson Graphic Novels
All five original books have been adapted as full-colour graphic novels, written by Robert Venditti:
- The Lightning Thief (2010)
- The Sea of Monsters (2013)
- The Titan's Curse (2013)
- The Battle of the Labyrinth (2018)
- The Last Olympian (2019)
They condense the story heavily, so treat them as a doorway rather than a substitute. We've seen plenty of reluctant readers go from the graphic novel of The Lightning Thief to the prose version within a week because they wanted the parts that were cut. Find them among our graphic novels, and for more hooks that work on kids who resist reading, see our books for sixth-grade boys who don't like reading.
Percy on Screen: The Disney+ Series and the Films
Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+
The Disney+ series adapts one book per season, with Riordan closely involved. Walker Scobell plays Percy, Leah Sava Jeffries plays Annabeth and Aryan Simhadri plays Grover.
- Season 1 (The Lightning Thief) premiered December 19, 2023.
- Season 2 (The Sea of Monsters) premiered December 10, 2025.
- Season 3 (The Titan's Curse) premieres November 20, 2026.
No fourth season has been officially announced yet. If your child wants to watch Season 3 in November, now is the time to get The Titan's Curse into their hands.
The two films
Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief (2010) and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) are both rated PG. They aged the characters up and changed a great deal, and Riordan himself has been openly unhappy with them. Fine for a family movie night; just don't let them stand in for the books. Look for them among our used DVDs.
Percy Jackson Age Range and Content Notes
The series is published as middle-grade fiction, and in our experience the sweet spot is ages 9 to 13. Strong readers of 8 do fine with The Lightning Thief, especially as a read-aloud.
- Violence: Constant monster fights, mostly played for adventure; monsters dissolve into dust rather than bleed. Several demigods die in Books 3–5.
- Language: Very mild. The humour is sarcastic rather than crude.
- Romance: Slow-building between Percy and Annabeth, a kiss or two by the end.
- Worldview: The Greek gods are portrayed as real, powerful and frequently badly behaved. Many Christian homeschool families read the books as mythology study; some prefer not to. It's worth a quick look yourself if that matters in your house.
- Why teachers love it: Percy's ADHD and dyslexia are presented as signs of a demigod brain, not deficits. Riordan wrote the first book for his own son, who has both.
Buy the Percy Books Used
Seven Percy novels, plus the companions, is a lot of hardcover. Used paperbacks are how most families get through it. Check our current stock of Percy Jackson books and everything else by Rick Riordan, or browse kids' books and fantasy. Orders over $15 ship free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Percy Jackson books are there?
Seven novels narrated by Percy: the five Percy Jackson and the Olympians books (2005 to 2009) and two Senior Year Adventures, The Chalice of the Gods (2023) and Wrath of the Triple Goddess (2024). A third Senior Year book is being written.
What is the newest Percy Jackson book?
Wrath of the Triple Goddess, published September 24, 2024, is the newest book narrated by Percy. The Wild Zone (September 29, 2026) starts a new Camp Half-Blood series about four new demigods.
When is the next Percy Jackson book coming out?
No date has been announced. Rick Riordan has a first draft of the third Senior Year Adventure and plans to finish it after the Camp Half-Blood series.
Do I need to read Heroes of Olympus before The Chalice of the Gods?
No. The Senior Year books make sense straight after The Last Olympian. Readers who have finished Heroes of Olympus will simply catch more references.
What age is Percy Jackson for?
Middle-grade readers, roughly 9 to 13. There is plenty of monster fighting and a few character deaths, but little bad language and only light romance.
When does season 3 of the Percy Jackson show come out?
Season 3, adapting The Titan's Curse, premieres on Disney+ on November 20, 2026.
Should I read the books before watching the show?
We'd say yes. The show follows the books closely, but the books are funnier and fuller, and reading them first keeps the twists intact.
