Toppsta - Childrens Books – Reviews

17 Books Like Percy Jackson

Sometimes, you read a series that feels like it was written just for you, and reaching the end of it can have you feeling bereft.

Plenty of young readers feel that way about the Percy Jackson books. Not many kids’ books can live up to their dry humour, epic adventures and mythological creatures, so the question “which book should I read next?” can fill parents, librarians and teachers with dread.

But don’t worry, we are here to help! We’ve put together a list of the best books for Percy Jackson fans, including more Rick Riordan books, some of the best YA fantasy and aventure stories and some hidden gems too. All are books similar to Percy Jackson, whether that is because they are set in fantastical worlds, have awesome heroes or are simply gripping pageturners.

And for more inspiration on the best books & series for Percy Jackson fans check out our other blogs:

Fantasy Books for Kids

Best Mysteries & Thrillers for Teens

Modern Classics for Teens

Georgina Atwell

Toppsta

2022-05-04

2020-06-01

17 Books Like Percy Jackson

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The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus Book 1)

An incredible, brand-new spin-off series from the best-selling creator of Percy Jackson.OLD ENEMIES AWAKEN AS CAMP HALF-BLOOD'S NEW ARRIVALS PREPARE FOR WAR When Jason, Piper and Leo crash land at Camp Half-Blood, they have no idea what to expect. Apparently this is the only safe place for children of the Greek Gods - despite the monsters roaming the woods and demigods practising archery with flaming arrows and explosives.But rumours of a terrible curse - and a missing hero - are flying around camp.It seems Jason, Piper and Leo are the chosen ones to embark on a terrifying new quest, which they must complete by the winter solstice. In just four days time. Can the trio succeed on this deadly mission - and what must they sacrifice in order to survive?

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The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles Book 1)

The Red Pyramid: the first book in Rick Riordan's The Kane Chronicles .

Percy Jackson fought Greek Gods. Now the Gods of Egypt are waking in the modern world...

'I GUESS IT STARTED THE NIGHT OUR DAD BLEW UP THE BRITISH MUSEUM . . .'

CARTER AND SADIE KANE'S dad is a brilliant Egyptologist with a secret plan that goes horribly wrong. An explosion shatters the ancient Rosetta stone and unleashes Set, the evil god of chaos . . .

Set imprisons Dr Kane in a golden coffin and Carter and Sadie must run for their lives. To save their dad, they embark on a terrifying quest from Cairo to Paris to the American South-west and discover the truth about their family's connection to the House of Life: an Egyptian temple of magic that has existed for thousands of years.

The pharaohs of ancient Egypt are far from dead and buried. And neither, unfortunately, are their gods . . .

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Eragon

When Eragon finds a polished stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds. Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands...

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The Hunger Games

Set in a dark vision of the near future, a terrifying reality TV show is taking place. Twelve boys and twelve girls are forced to appear in a live event called The Hunger Games. There is only one rule: kill or be killed. When sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen steps forward to take her younger sister's place in the games, she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.

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MORTAL ENGINES launched Philip Reeve's brilliantly-imagined creation, the world of the Traction Era, where mobile cities fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic future.

The first instalment introduces young apprentice Tom Natsworthy and the murderous Hester Shaw, flung from the fast-moving city of London into heart-stopping adventures in the wastelands of the Great Hunting Ground.

"No 11-to-16-year-old should miss the superbly imagined debut novel from Philip Reeve" - The Times
"This big, brave, brilliant book combines a thrilling adventure story with endless moral conundrums" - The Guardian

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The Maze Runner

The first book in the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series - now a series of major motion pictures starring Dylan O'Brien! SEE THE FILMS. READ THE BOOKS. ENTER THE MAZE ... When the doors of the lift crank open, the only thing Thomas remembers is his first name. But he's not alone. He's surrounded by boys who welcome him to the Glade - a walled encampment at the centre of a bizarre and terrible stone maze. Like Thomas, the Gladers don't know why or how they came to be there - or what's happened to the world outside. All they know is that every morning when the walls slide back, they will risk everything - even the Grievers, half-machine, half-animal horror that patrol its corridors, to try and find out. Loved The Maze Runner? Make sure to check out the sequel The Scorch Trials!

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Cirque Du Freak

The chilling Saga of Darren Shan, the ordinary schoolboy plunged into the vampire world.

Darren goes to a banned freak show with his best mate Steve. It's the wonderfully gothic Cirque Du Freak where weird, frightening half human/half animals appear who interact terrifyingly with the audience. Darren - a spider freak - 'falls in love' with Madam Octa - an enormous tarantala owned by Mr Crepsley. Darren determines to steal the spider so that he can train it to perform amazing deeds. But his daring theft goes horribly wrong and Darren finds himself having to make a bargain with a creature of the night.

Something out of the ordinary is set against the background of children's normal lives to chilling effect. Atmospheric, funny, realistic, moving and... terrifying.

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Chronicles of Ancient Darkness: Wolf Brother: Book 1 in the million-copy-selling series

The first, bestselling novel in the million-copy-selling CHRONICLES OF ANCIENT DARKNESS series, WOLF BROTHER is a compelling page-turner like no other written by renowned author Michelle Paver.

Thousands of years ago, the land is one dark forest. Its people are hunter-gatherers. They know every tree and herb and they know how to survive in a time of enchantment and powerful magic. Until an ambitious and malevolent force conjures a demon: a demon so evil that it can be contained only in the body of a ferocious bear that will slay everything it sees, a demon determined to destroy the world.

Only one boy can stop it - 12-year-old Torak, who has seen his father murdered by the bear. With his dying breath, Torak's father tells his son of his burden. He must lead the bear to the mountain of the World Spirit and beg that spirit's help to overcome it.

A terrifying quest in a world of wolves, tree spirits and Hidden People, a world in which trusting a friend means risking your life.

Audio edition also available, read by Ian McKellen.

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The Unmorrow Curse

Two friends awaken a world of myth and magic in this epic middle grade fantasy perfect for fans of Rick Riordan. It's not every day that you find a famous weather woman bound by magic to a tree deep in the woods. Or discover that the weatherwoman is in fact Sunna, the Norse Goddess of the Sun, and one of the seven day guardians who keep time in order. But that's just what happens to new friends Buzz and Mari--and it's only the start of their adventure. Now, as humanity are forced into a lockdown called the Unmorrow Curse and are forced to repeat the same Saturday over and over again, Buzz and Mari must journey to collect the Runes of Valhalla and awaken the other day guardians, before vengeful god Loki can get to them first.

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Mister Monday

SHORT-LISTED: CBCA Book of the Year, Older Readers, 2004Arthur Penhaligon is not supposed to be a hero. He is, in fact, supposed to die an early death. But then he is saved by a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock.Arthur is safe but his world is not. Along with the key comes a plague brought by bizarre creatures from another realm. A stranger named Mister Monday, his avenging messengers with blood-stained wings, and an army of dog-faced Fetchers will stop at nothing to get the key back even if it means destroying Arthur and everything around him.Desperate, Arthur ventures into a mysterious house a house that only he can see. It is in this house that Arthur must unravel the secrets of the key and discover his true fate.Mister Monday is the first book in The Keys to the Kingdom series.Garth Nix is the best-selling author of Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen.

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Truckers: The First Book of the Nomes

Imagine that all around you, hidden from sight, there are thousands of tiny people.
They are four inches tall, brave, stubborn and resourceful.
They are the nomes.

The nomes in this story live under the floorboards of a large Department Store and have never been Outside. In fact, they don't even believe in Outside. But new nomes arrive, from - where else? - and they bring with them terrifying news: the Store is closing down and Everything Must Go . . .

The fantastically funny first book of the nomes, from the author of the bestselling Discworld series.

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Dragon Shield: Book 1

The start of a thrilling, action-packed trilogy from Charlie Fletcher, set in a world where statues come to life and dragons and heroes battle.

Something dark has woken in the British Museum, and it has stopped time, literally freezing the city in its tracks. The people are there, but unmoving, unseeing - like statues. The statues, on the other hand, can move, and are astonished at what they see.

In the Great Ormond Street Hospital, Will and Jo are suddenly plunged into this world of statues - and find themselves pursued by murderous dragons. With help from a couple of friendly statues, Will and Jo must escape the evil that stalks them in the streets of London.

With beautiful illustrations by Nick Tankard.

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Divergent

The explosive debut by No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

DIVERGENT - a major motion picture franchise.

The first book in the DIVERGENT series that has swept the globe - selling millions of copies world-wide.

In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions - Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. Every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice Prior, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is. Her choice shocks everyone, including herself.

During the initiation that follows, Tris and her fellow initiates undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them, Tris must determine who her friends really are - and whether she can trust the man who both threatens and protects her.

Because Tris has a deadly secret. And as growing conflict threatens to unravel their seemingly perfect society, this secret might save those she loves... or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the scene with the first book in the Divergent trilogy - dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences and unexpected romance.

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Summoner: The Novice: Book 1

ONE BOY'S POWER TO SUMMON DEMONS WILL CHANGE THE FATE OF AN EMPIRE ...

Demons, magic and epic adventure - introducing the first book in the New York Times bestselling Summoner Trilogy...

Fletcher was nothing more than a humble blacksmith's apprentice, when a chance encounter leads to the discovery that he has the ability to summon demons from another world. Chased from his village for a crime he did not commit, he must travel with his demon to the Vocans Academy, where the gifted are trained in the art of summoning.

The academy will put Fletcher through a gauntlet of gruelling lessons, training him as a battlemage to fight in the Hominum Empire's war against the savage orcs. Rubbing shoulders with the children of the most powerful nobles in the land, Fletcher must tread carefully. The power hungry Forsyth twins lurk in the shadows, plotting to further their family's interests. Then there is Sylva, an elf who will do anything she can to forge an alliance between her people and Hominum, even if it means betraying her friends. Othello is the first ever dwarf at the academy, and his people have long been oppressed by Hominum's rulers, which provokes tension amongst those he studies alongside.

Fletcher will find himself caught in the middle of powerful forces, with nothing but his demon Ignatius to help him. As the pieces on the board manoeuvre for supremacy, Fletcher must decide where his loyalties lie. The fate of an empire is in his hands ...

BONUS MATERIAL: Find out more about Demons in an illustrated DEMONOLOGY - exclusive to this paperback edition.

'Friendship, loyalty, magic and political intrigue beckon ...' The Bookseller

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The Warlock Lord: Number 1 in series

Living in the remote hamlet of Shady Vale, the young half-elf Shea Ohmsford knows little of the outside world. And yet, in the desolate, ruined lands of the far north, a dark-hearted sorcerer is plotting his death.
The ancient warlock has dispatched a band of deadly Skull Bearers to track Shea down and murder him. For Shea is the last descendant of an ancient Elvin king, and the only person living who can wield the fabled Sword of Shannara - a weapon with the power to thwart the Warlock Lord's terrifying plans.
Only the druid Allanon knows where the sword is hidden and even now he rides to Shady Vale to offer his aid. But the Skull Bearers are swift and ruthless, and Shea Ohmsford's destiny may be over before it has begun!
And so begins the incredible legend of The Sword of Shannara - a classic story of magic, adventure and epic conflict, from one of the world's greatest living storytellers.
Part Two, THE DRUIDS' KEEP and Part Three, THE SECRET OF THE SWORD will be published in successive months.

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Darkmouth

A monstrously funny debut from the new star of middle-grade adventure.

THEY'RE COMING!

Legends (also known as terrifying, human-eating monsters) have invaded the town of Darkmouth and aim to conquer the world. But don't panic! The last remaining Legend Hunter - Finn - will protect us.

Finn: twelve-years-old, loves animals, not a natural fighter, but tries really, really hard, and we all know good intentions are the best weapons against a hungry Minotaur, right?

On second thoughts, panic. PANIC NOW!

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Northern Lights

The first volume in Philip Pullman's groundbreaking HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy, now a thrilling, critically acclaimed BBC/HBO television series. First published in 1995, and acclaimed as a modern masterpiece, this first book in the series won the UK's top awards for children's literature. "Without this child, we shall alldie." Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world...

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The Amulet Of Samarkand

The first volume in the brilliant, bestselling Bartimaeus sequence.

When the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus is summoned by Nathaniel, a young magician's apprentice, he expects to have to do nothing more taxing than a little levitation or a few simple illusions. But Nathaniel is a precocious talent and has something rather more dangerous in mind: revenge. Against his will, Bartimaeus is packed off to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand from Simon Lovelace, a master magician of unrivalled ruthlessness and ambition. Before long, both djinni and apprentice are caught up in a terrifying flood of magical intrigue, murder and rebellion.

Set in a modern-day London controlled by magicians, this hilarious, electrifying thriller will enthral readers of all ages.

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