Books to Read After Percy Jackson
When the Last Olympian Ends New Authors Can Take Over
Nov 13, 2009
As with Harry Potter before it, Percy Jackson and the Olympians has ended and the need for a new series must be met. Here are a few book suggestions to move onto once Percy Jackson is resting comfortably on a bookshelf.
Books With Mythology and Familiar Names
The Alchemyst (by: Michael Scott, Random House, 2007) ISBN: 9780385736008
The Alchemyst: The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel takes notable names and creatures and turns them around to form an entirely new mythology based around author Michael Scott's ingenuity. The Alchemyst is the first in a series of currently three books that chronicles the adventures of Nicholas Flamel, who Harry Potter fans should recognize from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Nicholas Flamel did in fact exist and in The Alchemyst he has taken under his wing twins Josh and Sophie Newman after he discovers they obtain special powers waiting to be released.
Fans of Percy Jackson might wonder what this has to do with the world of mythology. What seems like a straightforward fantasy novel is in fact a carefully constructed web of international mythology that might not be as straight forward as Percy Jackson, but only adds to the mysteries created inside the books. There are no legions of gods, but what Mr. Scott does is infuse his novel with characters from history that have been portrayed as gods, but are in fact creatures with immortality and special powers called the Elder Race.
At the center of the novels are a chosen few humans from history, such as Dr. John Dee of Queen Elizabeth I fame and Niccolò Machiavelli author of The Prince from 16th century Italy. Like Nicholas Flamel they all play a role in trying to obtain the Book of Abraham the Mage, which Flamel found and gave himself and his wife the Elixir of Life. The creativity and superb writing of this book cannot be underestimated and should not be forgotten by Percy Jackson fans when choosing new books to read.
Something Different For Percy Jackson Fans From Neil Gaiman
The Graveyard Book (by: Neil Gaiman, HarperCollins, 2008) ISBN: 9780060530921
While The Alchemyst will help Percy Jackson fans stay within the same realm of Greek mythology, this tremendous and award winning book by Neil Gaiman is a step in a different direction, but a good step nonetheless.
Neil Gaiman is mostly known for his adult fantasy writing such as American Gods and Stardust, but with the popularity of Coraline, Gaiman decided to write another book aimed at a younger audience, and he has been rewarded with the 2009 Newbery Award for The Graveyard Book. The Graveyard Book reads like a series of short stories put together telling the story of Nobody Owens whose parents were murdered by the Man Jack or Jack Frost, when he was a toddler and was from then on brought up in a graveyard.
Nobody, or "Bod", is given caregivers, Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who watch over him along with his guardian Silas and Miss Lupescu, Bod's teacher. Silas is a mysterious figure who has all the traits of a vampire, but never outright called one. Miss Lupescu is a werewolf who dutifully watches over Bod with the utmost seriousness. The storyline skips years at a time, making for a serious difference from Percy Jackson that flows from one book to another without much missing.
The imagery and overall feel of the novel is quite dark, which is understandable considering the book takes place in a graveyard. Nothing in the plot is explained outright, but this is almost purely a character driven novel giving great insight into close relationships. The unparalleled writing cannot be praised enough. The storytelling is unique and imaginative without being too confusing for young readers. The Graveyard Book is worth a glance at the very least for any Percy Jackson fan, young or old.
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