Rick Riordan’s newest Percy Jackson & the Olympians book hit shelves this September, and Wrath of the Triple Goddess is a reminder of why the series is so popular in the first place. Riordan returned to Percy’s narrative with The Chalice of the Gods in 2023, reuniting readers with the young demigod during his senior year of high school. The author’s newest Percy Jackson books are more low-stakes than the first five, as Percy is grappling with getting into college rather than saving the entire world. Of course, they still throw him into life-or-death situations with the Greek gods.

But Percy’s latest adventures feel more lighthearted and fun, and this makes sense given Riordan’s approach to the sequels. During an interview with Screen Rant, Riordan revealed that he initially wanted to write three new books to accompany Disney’s Percy Jackson TV show. Disney green-lit the series without the additional books, but the author decided to pen them anyway. “I was like, ‘Well, since I got the ideas, and it’s been a while, it might be fun to write these books anyway.‘” And it’s clear that Riordan enjoyed writing them as much as fans are enjoying reading them.

Rick Riordan Views The New Percy Jackson Books As A “Thank You Letter To The Fans”

They’re A Love Letter To Percy Jackson’s World & Its Fan Base

If one thing is obvious after speaking with Riordan about Wrath of the Triple Goddess, it’s that the author is just as excited to be back in the world of Percy Jackson as the readers. The new Percy Jackson books are a love letter to the original story and the fans, and Riordan drove that point home. That’s why he chose to write them more than a decade after The Last Olympian‘s release. “They became like a thank you letter for fans for being with me for all these years — people that have been reading them since the very beginning,” he explained.

This is undeniably one of the highlights of the latest additions to the series: seeing Percy and his friends in a new environment, and witnessing how they’ve matured since
The Last Olympian.

Riordan also emphasized how fun it was “going back and rediscovering Percy” as a senior in high school. This is undeniably one of the highlights of the latest additions to the series: seeing Percy and his friends in a new environment, and witnessing how they’ve matured since The Last Olympian. Although Percy and Annabeth appear in Riordan’s Heroes of Olympus series, there are a lot of characters and storylines to follow in the spinoff books. The Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess slow down and allow readers to dig into Percy’s personal life a bit more.

They also feature the entertaining quests and antics that make Riordan’s previous books so great. Truly, these sequels encapsulate everything readers love about the original series. And Riordan summed up his approach perfectly, nailing why these installments work so well: “So it was just kind of a way to thank the fans and have sort of a high school reunion with Percy and Annabeth and Grover. And it’s been a blast.“

The Percy Jackson Author Nails Why The New Books Work So Well

The Passion For This World Keeps The Franchise Going

Riordan’s reason for writing The Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess explains why the new books work so well: they’re the result of his passion for the world, characters, and fan base he’s built. Percy Jackson is one of the biggest fantasy franchises out there, and its popularity can at least partially be attributed to how much Riordan enjoys telling stories in this universe. His enjoyment shines through his writing, from the humor he infuses into his stories to the thought-out world-building that shapes them.

The fact that he’s spent so much time with Percy also contributes to the books’ continued success. Riordan told Screen Rant that he “found it pretty easy” to make the jump from writing a character in middle school to one who’s in high school — and not just because his sons have been through it. “I know him well enough now,” Riordan said of Percy. “He’s kind of part of my family. I could extrapolate: Okay, what is he going to be thinking when he’s 17 [or] 18?”

It also helps that Percy Jackson fans continue to be just as enthusiastic about the franchise, even into adulthood. Those who read the original series as children are still picking up the new installments, and new generations are also discovering demigods and Camp Half-Blood for the first time. Many readers are just eager to dive into Riordan’s latest “thank you letter” as they were to continue the original series. This is also why Disney’s Percy Jackson series is doing so well: the excitement surrounding the franchise isn’t dying down.

The Chalice Of The Gods & Wrath Of The Triple Goddess Do Feel Like A High School Reunion

They Shed Light On The Everyday Lives Of Percy Jackson & The People He Cares About

It’s especially fitting that Riordan compares the new Percy Jackson books to a high school reunion, as they really do feel that way. For one, they give readers a chance to see what Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have been up to after all their epic adventures. Not many stories address what happens to the heroes after they save the world, but Riordan offers insight into his leads’ personal lives and future plans. Given how well-established and well-loved Percy Jackson‘s main trio is, it’s no surprise readers want more details about their everyday lives.

Rick Riordan confirmed that Percy will return in another new book, which will send him on a quest for his last college recommendation letter.

The Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess also feel like a reunion in the sense that they feature familiar faces throughout their stories. Although Percy Jackson‘s supporting characters only appear briefly throughout these new installments, it’s nice to see them again after so many years. For those who grew up reading Percy Jackson & the Olympians, it’s like going home and reuniting with old friends you haven’t seen in a while.