Author Spotlight: Rick Riordan
This month's Author Spotlight is Rick Riordan, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels for readers of all ages, including Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Heroes of Olympus, the Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and the Trials of Apollo. In addition to this, Rick has been involved with the production and publication of The 39 Clues series in the past and is currently working on new and exciting projects.
For fifteen years, Riordan taught English and history at various public and private schools in the San Franciso Bay Area and Texas. In recent years, Rick has settled down with his family in Boston and has turned his focus to writing full-time while assisting and managing other projects.
Over the years of Rick's works, he has been successful in winning multiple national awards for his works, including the two Mark Twain Awards and the Stonewall Book Award for Children's literature. Additionally, he has won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Middle Grade & Children's books consecutively the last nine years, with other books in his series receiving the runner-up status.
Rick's most well-known work is The Lightning Theif, the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was first published in 2005, originally starting out as a bed-time story for his son who had ADHD and dyslexia. Rick's first work in the chain of a successful world of books would go on to inspire and intrigue millions around the world. Since then, he has been busy writing stories of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Nordic mythology, bringing the myths and legends of civilizations of the ancient and medieval world to today's world for our enjoyment.
On September 29th, 2020, the final book in The Trials of Apollo named The Tower of Nero will be released, and finally, bring a close to the three-arc story of Camp Half-blood; for now at least. However, while Rick may be bringing his original story to a close whether temporary or permanent, he has recently announced that he is dabbling in Irish myth and has plans for a new series in the coming years.
In addition to this, in 2017, Disney Hyperion announced that Rick would create an Imprint under their publishing corporation named Rick Riordan Presents intending to publish four books per year based on different mythologies from around the world. What would make this Imprint different from others, however, is that Riordan wants this to be seen as a collection of books from middle-grade authors who come from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, giving them a platform to tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage.
Jason Grace doesn't know who he is when he wakes up on a bus headed to a Summer Wilderness Camp for troublemakers and outcasts. His memory of how or why he's on the bus is missing, and when he's told the people he's sitting next to are his best friend Leo and his girlfriend Piper, he finds there's more to the matter than it seems.
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie Kane have become near strangers to each other, Carter travelling the world with their father while Sadye lived in London with their maternal grandparents. On Christmas Eve, the night of their family's bi-yearly reunion, Dr. Julius Kane takes his children to the British Museum in hopes of bringing his family together again, rewriting the wrongs that took his beloved wife away years previous.
Apollo was once a powerful god and one of the twelve Olympians, however, his failure to ensure the safety of the gift of Prophecy during the Second Giant War cost him his immortality. Angered with his son, Zeus cast Apollo down to earth as a punishment, stripped of his powers and forced to serve a demigod named Meg until he can prove himself worthy.
For fifteen years, Riordan taught English and history at various public and private schools in the San Franciso Bay Area and Texas. In recent years, Rick has settled down with his family in Boston and has turned his focus to writing full-time while assisting and managing other projects. Over the years of Rick's works, he has been successful in winning multiple national awards for his works, including the two Mark Twain Awards and the Stonewall Book Award for Children's literature. Additionally, he has won the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Middle Grade & Children's books consecutively the last nine years, with other books in his series receiving the runner-up status.
Rick's most well-known work is The Lightning Theif, the first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series was first published in 2005, originally starting out as a bed-time story for his son who had ADHD and dyslexia. Rick's first work in the chain of a successful world of books would go on to inspire and intrigue millions around the world. Since then, he has been busy writing stories of Greek, Roman, Egyptian and Nordic mythology, bringing the myths and legends of civilizations of the ancient and medieval world to today's world for our enjoyment.
On September 29th, 2020, the final book in The Trials of Apollo named The Tower of Nero will be released, and finally, bring a close to the three-arc story of Camp Half-blood; for now at least. However, while Rick may be bringing his original story to a close whether temporary or permanent, he has recently announced that he is dabbling in Irish myth and has plans for a new series in the coming years.
In addition to this, in 2017, Disney Hyperion announced that Rick would create an Imprint under their publishing corporation named Rick Riordan Presents intending to publish four books per year based on different mythologies from around the world. What would make this Imprint different from others, however, is that Riordan wants this to be seen as a collection of books from middle-grade authors who come from underrepresented cultures and backgrounds, giving them a platform to tell their own stories inspired by the mythology and folklore of their own heritage.
Explore the World of Demigods
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Twelve-year-old Perseus Jackson has always felt out of place in the world, moving from one school to the next month after month, told he'll never amount to anything more than a troublemaker. During a school field trip gone wrong, Percy faces a monster he believed was only a myth and becomes dragged into a world of gods, titans, monsters and demigods.
When Percy arrives at Camp Half-blood, a safe place for children born from immortal parents, he struggles with the reality that his father is the Greek god of the sea. Unfortunately, his summer becomes even more disastrous as he learns that Zeus' Master Bolt has been stolen, and he's been targeted as the thief, forcing him to seek out the true suspect, or face the wrath of an angry god.
Fortunately, Percy will not be alone in his quest, joined by Grover, his best friend, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena as they seek out the Master Bolt while darkness looms as the gods' old enemies rise up from the ashes and begin their reign of terror once again.
The Heroes of Olympus
Jason Grace doesn't know who he is when he wakes up on a bus headed to a Summer Wilderness Camp for troublemakers and outcasts. His memory of how or why he's on the bus is missing, and when he's told the people he's sitting next to are his best friend Leo and his girlfriend Piper, he finds there's more to the matter than it seems.
To make matters worse, Coach Gleeson Hedge, his supposed gym teacher claims that he's never seen Jason before and mentions something about a "special package" that he had been tasked with retrieving. As Jason along with Piper and Leo arrive at Camp Half-blood, they learn that Percy Jackson went missing three days prior, leaving Annabeth in a panic as her fellow demigods' search for him.
In addition to this, they learn that Hera, Queen of the gods has been captured and the children of Gaea are rising once more, this time with the power to snuff out the gods once and for all. This turn of events comes just four months after the defeat of Chronos' Titan army by the Greek demigods and becomes even more dangerous with the discovery of Camp Jupiter, leaving the gods' torn between their Greek and Roman aspects, unable to help in the fight.
With the Prophecy of Seven being brought to fruition, the demigods of Camp Half-blood and Jupiter must unite if they want to save the gods from their destruction, but they will have to travel to Hell and back if they want to have a chance. As the Earth rises from her sleep, the lost hero will need to be found, and the path to Athena followed less they succumb to the bane of Olympus and see the fall of the gods once and for all.
In addition to this, they learn that Hera, Queen of the gods has been captured and the children of Gaea are rising once more, this time with the power to snuff out the gods once and for all. This turn of events comes just four months after the defeat of Chronos' Titan army by the Greek demigods and becomes even more dangerous with the discovery of Camp Jupiter, leaving the gods' torn between their Greek and Roman aspects, unable to help in the fight.
With the Prophecy of Seven being brought to fruition, the demigods of Camp Half-blood and Jupiter must unite if they want to save the gods from their destruction, but they will have to travel to Hell and back if they want to have a chance. As the Earth rises from her sleep, the lost hero will need to be found, and the path to Athena followed less they succumb to the bane of Olympus and see the fall of the gods once and for all.
The Kane Chronicles
Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie Kane have become near strangers to each other, Carter travelling the world with their father while Sadye lived in London with their maternal grandparents. On Christmas Eve, the night of their family's bi-yearly reunion, Dr. Julius Kane takes his children to the British Museum in hopes of bringing his family together again, rewriting the wrongs that took his beloved wife away years previous.
Julius, a world-renowned Egyptologist sets his sights on the Rosetta Stone, an artifact of immense magical power, attempting to harness its power to summon Osiris, the Egyptian god of Death. He succeeds, however, to the horror of Julius and his children, he also sets free Nephthys, Isis, Horus, and Set and becomes trapped as the host of Osiris.
To make matters worse, Set, the god of Chaos and Storms has a score to settle, and if the Kane siblings want to survive, they will have to learn how to become magicians and embrace their role as the hosts of Horus and Isis. Carter and Sadie must unite as a family once again if they want to save their father and stop Set from destroying the entire world, but in a world of Egyptian gods long thought lost to the sands of time, enemies are closing in from all sides with nowhere to escape and nobody you can trust.
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
Magnus Chase has seen his share of troubles and pain, but for the most part, he had a loving family and a normal teenage life living in Boston with his mother. Unfortunately, that would all change when his family was attacked, forcing him onto the streets of a cold and cruel city for two years with nowhere to call home, and nobody to trust.
Like many families, Magnus was told from an early age about an uncle who was unusual, a Norse Mythology fanatic according to their family, and when he begins attempting to track Magnus down, he knows he's in danger. Randolph manages to find Magnus and tells him of a weapon that was lost thousands of years ago; one that is supposedly tied to him, however, danger threatens the city as the stories of gods, wolves, and Doomsday resurface in the young boy's memory.
Magnus is given a choice as he faces the fire giant: summon the sword of summer and fall valiantly in battle against his foe or succumb to an unworthy death and watch as the World Tree burns to ashes by the hands of giants, demons and gods.
The Trials of Apollo
Apollo was once a powerful god and one of the twelve Olympians, however, his failure to ensure the safety of the gift of Prophecy during the Second Giant War cost him his immortality. Angered with his son, Zeus cast Apollo down to earth as a punishment, stripped of his powers and forced to serve a demigod named Meg until he can prove himself worthy.
If Apollo wants to restore his status as an immortal god, he'll have to reclaim the Oracles who he created and survive the wrath of those he cursed and abused during his reign. More importantly, he will first have to learn what it means to be human, relying on the resources and people around you instead of divine intervention, and the consequences of his actions, specifically what it means to lose the people you care about, unable to save them.
To make matters worse, Python, Apollo's old enemy has risen from the depths of Tartarus and has claimed the Oracle of Delphi as the undead arise and become immortal gods, threatening to crush the world under their feet, and see the fall of the once-powerful Olympians.
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