Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

4.5 Nuts

Ever wanted to know about the Greek gods but didn’t want to pick up a more stuffy version of the myths? Then Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods is your mythology book. Told from the POV of demigod Percy Jackson, this collection of myths comes complete with trademark sass and humor that is textbook Riordan.

Now, you don’t have to have read any of of the Percy Jackson or Heroes of Olympus books to read this one. Even though Percy makes occasional references to events from his stories, it’s not a necessary story element. However it does make the myths that much richer when told from the point of view of this fictional hero. I mean, he talks about the gods like he knows them. Which in the context of his stories, he does! It allows for a few extra digs at the craziness surrounding the gods’ stories.

Now there are a couple editions of this book. One is a gigantic fully illustrated edition. This was the first one I had read. Second is the regular paperback edition, with a few of the illustrations inserted into the center of the book. This is a more shelf friendly edition but I still like the gorgeous fully illustrated edition. Third, there’s the audiobook, which is read by the same talented narrator who does the Percy Jackson series. He really has Percy’s delivery down perfectly and these are the type of stories that benefit from a verbal telling.

As always, Riordan has his myths well told and well researched. The man knows how to tell a story and his versions of the tales are highly entertaining for the less attentive reading types. These are myths for the ADHD kids out there, ready with a quick quip or an interesting fact to keep your attention even in the more boring of stories.

I also appreciate that Riordan as Percy comments on the fact that a lot of the gods’ conduct is seriously screwed up. Zeus is a disgusting, rapey bastard and Percy does not let his behavior pass without comment. I applaud Riordan for making that point and emphasizing that it’s wrong. Kids who read or listen to this book will not see Zeus’ behavior as one to model off of, and I appreciate that.

The art in this book is beyond gorgeous. I love to flip through it and just gaze at the pictures when I’m bored. It’s just plain pretty to look at for both kids and adults. The colors are vivid, the pages (in the fully illustrated one) are large and leave plenty of space for the text as well as design and art. I just love it.

I highly recommend this book, both as a first time introduction to Greek myths and as a collection for already involved fans. It’s also a great companion for the Percy Jackson series and a must have for any PErcy Jackson collector/fan. It’s one of my favorite set of tales I’ve read so far, and there’s a Greek Heroes version as well!

What did you think of this collection? Share your thoughts in the comments.

From my shelf to yours,

Erin

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