Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes by Rick Riordan brilliantly brings to life the ancient stories of the Greeks for kids and adults alike.
Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes follows the same path as Riordan’s previously published Greek Gods in that it’s a beautiful coffee table-sized book relaying the ancient myths for a modern audience.
Greek Heroes picks 12 demigods and explores their stories in the voice of Riordan’s beloved character Percy Jackson. Infused with the same humor and wit we fell in love with in the Gods of Olympus series, this book gives you the inside scoop on the Greek Heroes from a demigod himself. The book is illustrated by John Rocco, who has done the covers for Riordan’s previous series.
‘Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes’ book review
If you were delighted by Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods, you will be just as enamored by Greek Heroes. Featuring the same comedic elements, this book tells a different side of Mount Olympus. Whereas Gods obviously focused on the deities and their origin stories, Heroes focuses on the demigods and the obstacles they tried to overcome during their lifetimes.
Starting with Perseus — because Percy was named after him and because it’s the only hero who gets a happy ending — Percy Jackson retells the stories of Theseus, Atalanta, Orpheus, Hercules and more. But if you were expecting the dry and boring versions of the stories, you’ll be surprised by lines such as, “You want stuff to make sense, you’re in the wrong universe,” and, “Why dd Minos pick the conch shell challenge? Maybe he wanted to start a new fashion trend with extremely large seashell necklaces.”
When we spoke with Riordan last year about Gods, he said, “My versions of the myths are absolutely faithful to the original sources. I didn’t tweak anything, except of course to couch the narrative in modern language and add modern sensibility and humor. If you use Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods as a textbook for a Classics mythology test, I wanted to be sure you would get an A+!”
That sentiment, of course, applies to Heroes as well. It’s clear Riordan has done his homework, pulling all of the information in his book from the original myths. Retelling them in a way that can be fun and interesting to any modern reader is what truly makes Heroes shine. If you’re like most of Riordan’s fans and find yourself with a serious lack of Percy in your life, Heroes will certainly fill that void for a time.
The other outstanding feature of the book comes in the form of the gorgeous illustrations by John Rocco, who has given his talents to Riordan’s work in the past by illustrating the covers for Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Heroes of Olympus, The Kane Chronicles, and Riordan’s upcoming series Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard. Heroes demonstrates Rocco’s ability to manipulate color and form to give a soft yet dynamic look to every picture he creates.
Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes will hit shelves August 18, 2015. Add it to your Goodreads list or order it now on Amazon or IndieBound.
‘Greek Heroes’ giveway
Want to win a copy of Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes? How about a cool Percy Jackson backpack? If you’re a U.S. resident, then you can enter using the form below for a chance to get your hands on both of these items! Contest ends August 21 at midnight EST.
