“What? Another Percy Jackson book? After all these years?”
Yes! Rick Riordan left the Percy Jackson fanbase in utter disbelief last year when he announced the release of a sixth book as an addition to his first Percy Jackson of the Olympian series. Excitement was inevitable. The first-ever Percy Jackson Book, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, was published in 2005; yet, for so many people, these were, and still are, the books that initiated them into the world of reading. Absurdly demanding Greek gods, a hilariously dynamic trio, and a sarcastic adorably sassy protagonist won the hearts of elementary school readers all over the country.
However, readers were also anxious, wondering if Riordan could produce the same magic with this new book that he once did. Will the readers– who are now older and more mature– still enjoy these books the way they once did?
Eighteen years later, on September 26th, 2023, Riordan let his readers answer these questions for themselves with the release of Percy Jackson and the Chalice of the Gods. Set after the Heroes of Olympus series but involving only the original trio of Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, the book follows Percy in his senior year of high school and his endeavor to get into the college of New Rome with his girlfriend, Annabeth. To accomplish this, Percy must complete three tasks for three different gods to gain three letters of recommendation.
Other than reading another adventure with the original trio, getting to see Percy and Annabeth’s relationship develop after all they had been through was a definite treat for all the “Percabeth” lovers. Another significant part of the book that was not as spotlighted in the previous books was Percy and Grover’s friendship. For all the readers that had read the previous five books, getting to see Percy and Grover interact with each other once again, give each other relationship advice, and talk about what would happen once Percy went to college was nostalgic.
As the book progresses, Riordan does what he does best. He manages to construct a novel that picks up from where he left off eighteen years ago. The humor was carefully crafted, and the plot remains light-hearted. Though the nostalgia hit hard reading this, it was sweet to watch Percy as a grown-up deal with many of the same issues we, as adults or young children, deal with. For many of the YA readers, Percy was their first friend and their first source of comfort, and each page of this book made sure that readers felt like they were going back home.
Though Riordan’s writing has significantly developed throughout the eighteen-year hiatus of the series, the candor with which he writes has remained very much the same.
At the end of the day, the demographic for the series fan club continues to encompass many ages, but as seniors in high school, reading this book satiated the inner children in us. For the first time, we were the same age as Percy when reading about him. The nostalgia brought us to near tears thinking about how at eight years old, ten years ago, we picked up the first PJO book together, and that single moment led us all the way here, writing book reviews. It’s almost funny how full-circle life can be.
Either way, if you’re looking for something lighthearted and fun, something that will make you remember what it’s like to be a child again, and something that will transport you, once again, to an all too familiar world, then Percy Jackson and the Chalice of Gods is the perfect read.
