Percy Jackson and the Olympians

Percy Jackson thinks he’s just a 12-year-old kid with a learning disability – until he vaporises his maths teacher. It turns out Percy is a demigod, the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman and now he must set off on a dangerous quest to the Underworld.

With fast-paced action taking place between both the mortal and mythical worlds, Percy dabbles in romance while fighting exciting characters like Ares’s sons, Phobes and Dimos. He also visits Hades and almost becomes 'kibbles and dragon bits'.

Long time series narrator Jesse Bernstein voices the mortal teens and formidable gods with affinity and exhilaration. Expertly blending both wry humour and showmanship, Bernstein’s voice paints a picture in our mind of two juxtaposed worlds clashing together: that of ancient Greek mythology and that of Percy’s everyday High School life. 

What began as a school teacher’s bedtime stories for his son Hayley are now a best-selling book series beloved by fans of all ages. Haley – who has dyslexia and ADHD – refused to read but loved Greek mythology. Rick Riordan’s stories about a boy he called Percy Jackson were so good that Haley suggested he turn them into a book. 

Riordan’s first book in the Percy Jackson series – The Lightning Thief – won numerous awards, including the School Library Journal Best Book of 2005. More than 69 million books have been sold in more than 35 countries.

Two films based on the Percy Jackson books have been released – Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief in 2010 and Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters in 2013. The series has also inspired a video game. In 2019, Rick Riordan revealed he is discussing a possible musical version with Disney.