This is an essay that I wrote for my English class on a book you should read, or in my case, some series of books that you should read!
The Riordanverse is a term that people use to describe 5 series of books that all take place in the same universe and are all written by the same person, Rick Riordan. It has Greek, Norse, Roman, and Egyptian mythology. The 5 series are Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, the Kane Chronicles, and the Trials of Apollo.
I reach for the latest book in the series, the series that grants me all comforts, that helps me when I’m at my lowest lows. The book falls into my lap and just the sight of seeing the bookmarked page is solace. I snuggle into the covers deeper and pick up the book, which is a portal waiting to be activated from the moment I begin to read. Tumbling through the portal, clutching my book, I am transported into a world where Egyptian, Greek, Norse, and Roman mythology is real. As I wander through the world, I can sometimes see other readers, who have all benefited in one way or another from reading the books in the Riordanverse, whose journey right now started when they laid eyes on a page that started with ‘Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood.’ I strongly believe that you should read all the books in the Riordanverse.
I’ve met so many people who share the same interests as me. They all agree that these books are absolutely amazing (amazhang if you want to be a true fan). I’m guessing that you don’t want to be the only one who doesn’t agree with this. When I’m with them, I love nerding out over the books and discussing them down to the very last detail. I can also make a ton of jokes with them, that only we would understand (one example is the “dam” joke used in The Titan’s Curse and another would be “Nobody” as used in The Sea of Monsters.
These books encourage diversity, featuring gay, bisexual, pansexual, genderfluid, Muslim, black characters and many, many more. These characters can easily connect with anyone, something that I find truly beautiful. The characters encourage you to be yourself and to not listen to people who try to bring you down. Normal people, like you and I will most definitely find a “spirit character” who embodies them and is a huge role model and inspiration . My personal spirit character is Annabeth Chase, an amazing girl who’s incredibly smart.
Lastly, you’ll learn so much about the different types of mythology and the different worlds. I used to never know anything about the Egyptian and Norse gods while I barely knew the Greek and Roman ones. Now, I’m an absolute whiz in all 4 subjects, all because of reading the books in the Riordanverse. There are so many books, from the Percy Jackson series to the Trials of Apollo series. The fun never stops, and if you finish reading all 21 books, there are add-ons stories that are just as good as the main plot. I also love rereading these books. I never get tired of how fun they can be and the whimsical imagination of Rick Riordan.
The book ends, and I laugh through my tears. Characters have died, been brought back to life, and above all, the protagonists have won. The portal closes and I find myself sitting on my bed, The Serpent’s Shadow in my hands. I look at the book, inspecting it closely, before hugging it to my chest. I walk over to my bookshelf and take a step back. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, The Heroes of Olympus, Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard, and finally The Trials of Apollo. All of these beautiful books are arranged, showing off their splendor. Reading all of them was a wild ride, full of ups and downs, hopelessness and giddy excitement. I smile again faintly. Now, all that’s left to do is to reread them, again and again and again.
