The core chronological reading order within the Riordan-verse is Percy Jackson & the Olympians (books 1-5), The Heroes of Olympus (books 1-5), then The Trials of Apollo (books 1-5). However, the supplementary materials add a wrinkle. I'd suggest reading 'The Demigod Files' and 'The Demigod Diaries' after finishing the original Percy series, as they contain short stories set between those books. The Kane Chronicles trilogy runs parallel to the later Percy books, so you could read it after 'The Last Olympian' if you want a mythology palette cleanser. The 'Demigods and Magicians' crossover stories absolutely require knowledge of both Percy Jackson and the Kane Chronicles, so save those for last. Riordan's other series, like Magnus Chase, are effectively separate. The order matters because the later series spoil events and character developments from the earlier ones. Reading Heroes before finishing Percy's saga would ruin some massive twists.
I get why people ask, but the answer is super straightforward. Start with book one, 'The Lightning Thief'. Read the next four. Then start 'The Lost Hero' and read that series. Then start 'The Hidden Oracle' and read that series. That's it. Don't overcomplicate it. The books are numbered for a reason. The only minor tweak is the companion guides, which you can look at whenever, and the crossover stories which are best saved for after you've met both sets of characters.
Straight publication order is the only way to go for the first time. Start with 'The Lightning Thief' and just power through the five books of the original Percy Jackson & the Olympians series. After that, move into the sequel series, The Heroes of Olympus, which begins with 'The Lost Hero'. That's five more books. Then you have the Trials of Apollo, another five-book set starting with 'The Hidden Oracle'. The two Kane Chronicles books are a separate Egyptian mythology series that you can read anytime after the original five, really—they don't cross over meaningfully until the later short stories. Riordan's newer stuff, like the Magnus Chase books (Norse) and the Daughter of the Deep, are even more standalone.
I see people asking if they should read Heroes of Olympus before finishing Percy Jackson, or mixing in the Kane books. That's a terrible idea. The narrative assumes you know the characters and the world from the previous series. The emotional payoff in 'The Blood of Olympus' means nothing if you haven't spent time with Percy and Annabeth since they were twelve. Reading out of order just to follow a strict chronological timeline of events robs you of the intended experience.
Some purists might tell you to skip the later series, but I think Heroes of Olympus holds up, even with the multiple perspectives. Trials of Apollo is a different tone, more reflective and sometimes darker, but it's a satisfying conclusion to that whole universe. Just be prepared for a long haul; it's a commitment.
Honestly, the 'correct' order gets debated way too much. Publication order is fine, but I actually liked reading 'The Sea of Monsters' and then jumping over to 'The Son of Neptune' right after because it mirrored Percy's own disorientation. It was a weird experiment, not something I'd broadly recommend, but it made his amnesia arc in the second series hit different. For a normal person, yeah, do the five Percy books, then the five Heroes books, then the five Apollo books. The short story collections like 'Demigods and Magicians' are fun but non-essential—they're little crossover snacks you can have after the main meals. The bigger issue isn't the order, it's burnout. Don't feel obligated to marathon all fifteen main books back-to-back. Take a break with something else in between series.
Publication order is king. 'The Lightning Thief' through 'The Last Olympian', then 'The Lost Hero' through 'The Blood of Olympus', then Apollo's series. Trying to mix in the Egyptian or Norse books in some interwoven timeline is a headache and adds nothing. The stories are designed to build on each other. You need Percy's foundation to understand why certain moments in later books carry weight. Just follow the numbers on the spines.
2026-07-13 03:16:28
6
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
The Alpha's Unwanted Luna Series
Miss L
9.4
1.8M
This is Currently an Omnibus!
Featuring:
Book 1: The Unwanted Luna - Kennedy and Ryker's Story
Book 2: The Warrior's Mate - Finn and Greta's Story
Book 3: Taming the Alpha's Heir - Ben and Elara's Story
Book 1:
Kennedy is a human thrown into the unbelievable world of the supernatural when her parents die in a freak car accident and her mother’s best friend steps in to become her guardian.
Her mother’s best friend, Beth, is the Luna of the Silver Crescent Pack. Kennedy has known Beth and her husband James and their son Jeremiah her whole life, but thought pack life would be something she would only hear about.
The Alpha and Luna keep no secrets about the dangers of their world for a human like Kennedy. Jeremiah takes an interest in keeping Kennedy safe and helps her through the trauma of moving on from the accident.
Kennedy is taught pack ways and for the most part is loved by all the pack members, learning the values of the pack bond, the ways of the warriors and respect for the hierarchy of the wolf culture. She becomes a very proficient warrior even with only human strength and senses.
Follow Kennedy on her journey of mates, love, friendship and fighting a mate bond she doesn’t want holding her back from her own goals and dreams.
__
Ryker is a young, well-known, and feared Alpha of Dark Moon pack. He cares for his pack members through tough love and an iron fist. He's seen what happens when Alphas take their mate. It makes them weak and lose focus. Many have been corrupted by terrible mates. He would rather stay alone than be controlled.
This is a three part series all in one place.
Skylar just wants to be an asset to her pack. She's the daughter of the Beta and her brother is set to take the title after graduation. Her father wants nothing to do with her and is constantly belittling the things she does accomplish. She is the top of her class at school and the top warrior, but no one knows because she hides in the shadows as much as possible.Her bullies torture her, but never get caught. She takes them on time and time again though to protect other innocent members of her pack. Her brother and his friends ignore her existence and all she wants to do is get out of a pack that doesn't seem to want her and become an Elite Warrior for the Alpha King. She wants to feel wanted and accepted somewhere. Her whole world changes when a new girl shows up and decides to befriend Skylar after an intense training session. She brings Skylar out of the shadows and brings to light the darker side of pack members and pack culture. Can Skylar get past her past and live the life she wants?
Elle Davidson, orphaned at 12 with limited memory, is taken in by the Alpha and Luna of the New Moon pack. There she meets Damon Ledger, the future Alpha, and her nemesis. Damon does everything he can to control Elle's life, and his friends do everything they can to make her life hell. All of that changes after Damon comes home from Alpha training, and their undeniable chemistry makes staying away from one another impossible.
What will happen when Elle's past finally catches up to her, revealing unknown enemies and a secret identity? Will Elle be able to fight the increasing attraction she has for Damon? Or will she succumb to the lust she feels, risking everything?
This is book 1, can be read as a standalone.
The Silver Run Series:
Possessing My Alpha- Completed
Possessing My Mate- Completed
Possessing the Gamma- Ongoing; 5-6 updates weekly.
***This is the third book in the series***
I lost the girl, the love of my life.
I lost my family.
Now I’m lost.
I thought after the war for Riocht, life would get back to normal.
I was so very, very wrong.
Kellen, now King of the werewolves, thought after Lamia and Mathias claimed the throne and became the King and Queen of shifters, life would go on as normal. That he would rule his kingdom and search for his own mate and live happily ever after.
There was still so much to do. He still hadn’t completely taken control of his position as King, leaving his father’s Beta and Delta in charge. Kingdoms and packs still needed to be repaired; he still needed to be officially crowned.
And he still needed to grieve the death of his parents.
Kellen wakes up to find himself on a boat, going to Goddess knows where and the last thing he remembers is saying goodbye to Lamia and heading home with Mike.
When he finds himself in a strange land, sold to a bloody thirsty Alpha and his deranged Luna, for their packs entertainment, his title, means nothing. A man who cares only for three things; the games, the money, and blood; the more shed the better.
While Lamia and Mike search for him on the wrong continent Kellen is thrust into the Gladiator games. Kellen fights for his survival and the lives of many, including one beautiful girl who has captured his heart and has been promised to another as their chosen mate.
Can Kellen survive the Gladiator games when the odds are stacked against him, save the people and claim the mate the moon goddess promised him?
**This is book 3 in The Delta's Daughter series**
Hidden By The Gods (Book #2 of Silver Moon Series)
Saphyre_Dragyn
9.3
25.1K
Everyone knows the mythology of the gods. What happens if what is known was manipulated by the gods themselves. Our favorite triplets are back. This is their story of how they came to be. Follow along as they grow up and find friends, enemies, and their soul bonds along the way. This is book #2 in the series.
They weren't supposed to exist, yet here they are.
"We have to keep them protected" Zeus roars.
"That doesn't mean we have to keep them locked up." Aphrodite states.
The gods turn as they hear the door opens slamming against the wall. There stand the triples. A look of surprise spreads across everyone's face.
"What the hell did you do to your hair and are those tattoos?" Poseidon asks.
"We dyed it, and yes they are tattoos and we also got a few body piercings" Kylani answers.
"We will not stay hidden away or kept locked up. We have no interest in this life. We are going to walk on the earth with the supernatural and humans. They accept us more than you do." Mykenzie announces.
The girls vanish at that moment. Chris stands there with a look of regret in his eyes. He knew this was coming. They wanted sweet, innocent goddesses like their mother and aunts. What they got was an attitude in a 5'4" package only doubled.
"I told you not to force your ways upon them. They have been independent since birth. You brought this upon yourselves." Hades tells them
I was Apollo’s most devoted follower, the lover he handpicked from a sea of worshippers.
With me, he’d always shed his divine arrogance. He was so tender, so attentive. I actually thought he loved me to the bone.
Until seven days before our Consort Ceremony, when I used my gift of prophecy to peek into our future together.
I expected to see a lifetime of blinding love. Instead, I saw him violently tangled in the sheets with my adopted sister, Cassandra.
Wrapped around him, Cassandra giggled. "You're so good to me, my Lord. Thanks to you, I'll finally get my sister's Sight and take her place as High Priestess."
And Apollo—my god, my lover—smiled down at her with pure adoration. "Whatever makes you happy, little bird. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have played pretend for this long, let alone allow her to become a god's consort."
In that split second, my heart turned to ash. My faith shattered into a million pieces.
With seven days left until the ceremony, I didn't confront them. Instead, I fell to my knees before the altar of Hades, Lord of the Underworld.
"I offer you my gift of prophecy. I will be your most loyal follower in exchange for your sanctuary."
"Please. Take me away from here. Take me somewhere Apollo can never find me."
I still get a little giddy telling people how to jump into this world—Percy’s ride is best taken in release order. Start with 'The Lightning Thief', then follow with 'The Sea of Monsters', 'The Titan's Curse', 'The Battle of the Labyrinth', and finish the original arc with 'The Last Olympian'. Those five are the core of 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians' and they build on each other: characters grow, mysteries deepen, and the stakes keep getting bigger.
Once you finish those, I like to treat the extras as dessert. Read 'The Demigod Files' and 'Demigods and Magicians' for fun shorts and background scenes (they work best after you know the main cast). Afterward, if you want more adventures in the same universe, move on to 'Heroes of Olympus', then 'The Trials of Apollo', and other spin-offs like 'The Kane Chronicles' or 'Magnus Chase' when you're ready. If you’re picking between publication and some speculative chronological list, stick to publication order—Riordan writes things so surprises land in the intended moments, and that made my re-reads feel just as fresh.
Alphabetical by title? Just kidding. After 'The Lightning Thief' most people would say go straight through the original 'Percy Jackson & the Olympians' pentalogy. That's books one through five, ending with 'The Last Olympian'. After that, 'The Heroes of Olympus' series is the direct sequel saga, another five books starting with 'The Lost Hero'. A lot of readers treat those ten as the core sequence.
But then it gets branchy. The 'Trials of Apollo' is a follow-up series that really needs the first ten as context, so that's next. The 'Kane Chronicles' and 'Magnus Chase' series are set in the same universe but with different pantheons and protagonists; they're more like parallel stories you can read whenever, though there are cute crossover short stories later. The various short story collections like 'The Demigod Files' fit chronologically between the novels they were released alongside.
My shelf is organized by publication date, which honestly avoids all the confusion. The official website has a timeline, but I found it easier to just binge by release order and let the references fall where they may.