Book Review: Percy Jackson and The Heroes of Olympus

Title:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series:
- Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief 
- Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters
- Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse
- Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth
- Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian

Heroes of Olympus series:
- The Lost Hero
- The Son of Neptune
- The Mark Of Athena
- The House of Hades
- The Blood of Olympus

Author:
Rick Riordan

Description:
Percy was just the average 12-year-old boy. Until, of course, he finds out that the Greek Gods are, in fact, real and his own father is one of them. When all of this happens, his life changes completely.
In this 10 book series (2 5-book series), follow Percy and his fellow demigod friends on their exciting, action-packed adventures. The first book involves him committing to a rescue mission alongside his best friend Grover, who happens to be a satyr and another demigod, Annabeth.
As he continues to live in Camp Half Blood and completing a new quest each year, it quickly becomes apparent that his teenage years were going to be far from peaceful. The titan, Kronos, is thought to be returning but can Percy match his frightening, time-stopping powers?

In the Heroes of Olympus series, we begin by meeting three new demigods, who are taken back to Camp Half Blood. However, when they return they realise that something isn't right - they keep hearing murmurs of the name 'Percy Jackson' and how he'd suddenly disappeared. There are also many other problems that the new demigods must solve.
In the second book, we meet another two new demigods - each having their own story to tell. By the third book, some old and new characters are united to form a specific task. There is a completely new power stirring: something that the demigods haven't faced before. Gaia, the Greek Goddess of the Earth, is rising alongside the giants she had created.

My Thoughts and Opinions:
Honestly, I don't think there is any way I can possibly explain how good these books are.
First of all, let's start with the actual plot. Before I started reading this series, I had absolutely no interest in Greek/Roman Mythology. I knew who Zeus, Hades and Poseidon were, but that's about it. After reading it, however, I'm kind of obsessed (which is quite embarrassing, really). Although, aside from the weirdness that I find it fun to recite the names of all of the Greek Gods (and their Roman counterparts) that I know, it is actually really helpful and educational - but not in a boring way. In an English exam, for example - which was based on Macbeth by Shakespeare - a third of my essay was based on the brief mention of 'Neptune's Sea'. It was literally mentioned in one line and never mentioned again, yet I thought it was a good idea to explain all of Neptune's powers in my assessment. I don't think my teacher appreciated it as much as I did...
Aside from the actual plot of the story, the characters in this series are probably what makes it so successful. In fact, I'd say that Riordan has made some of my most favourite fictional characters of all time. Each of the characters have a completely different personality, yet each of them also have something that I can relate to as a person. The relationships between the character's are written amazingly and, honestly, I wish that I was part of their demigod gang (okay, call me weird - I don't care). There are characters that you want to be friends with, there are characters you want to be....more than friends with, there are characters you want to murder brutally, there are characters that you get seriously jealous of and there are characters that are just so complex that you have no idea how you feel about them.  
These are amazing, well-written books. However, don't be mistaken. When you start this series, you're committing to a lot more than reading a few pages of words. With this series, comes a very dedicated fandom. If you want to get a taster of the fandom, head over to QuizUp - and search for the Percy Jackson page - to experience our craziness.


Also, if you don't want to buy them, check to see if they're available in your local library.