(3) 4-6 Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Adapted by Robert Venditti. Illustrated by Orpheus Collar & Antoine Dodé. Demigods Percy Jackson and Annabeth search the Labyrinth for Daedalus, who might help Camp Half-Blood stave off invasion by Luke, the demigod collaborating with the evil titan Kronos. The 2008 novel's abridgement into graphic-novel form is neatly carried out; dynamically illustrated panels show cartoony teens fighting humorously depicted mythological monsters and use shading and composition to create mood.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2008

(3) 4-6 Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. Nine loosely linked vignettes featuring nine secondary characters from the Magnus Chase stories are set in the nine worlds of Norse mythology; they culminate in Alex--Magnus's genderfluid romantic interest--facing down the fire giant Surt using Loki's trickster wiles. As usual, humor joins Norse mythological minutiae for a fast-paced, entertaining yarn. Inserts of glossy illustrations of the characters and worlds are included. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. Temporarily mortal Apollo and demigod Meg team up with Piper and Jason (from Riordan's Heroes of Olympus series) to rescue Herophile the Sibyl from a burning labyrinth under Los Angeles. Meanwhile, sorceress Medea wants to extract Apollo's godly essence to turn the emperor Caligula into a new sun god. High-stakes action and trademark humor remain, but many sacrifices lead this third entry into somber territory.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. Apollo (now a human teen called Lester) and friends head to Indianapolis to save an oracle threatened by a power-mad resurrected Roman emperor. Demigod Meg, who was given command over Apollo but betrayed him in The Hidden Oracle, needs the Throne of Memory--and Apollo's help--to save herself from an oracle-induced madness. Greek myths form the intriguing backstory of this humorous, gripping action-adventure.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. Adapted by Orpheus Collar. Illustrated by Orpheus Collar. Siblings Sadie and Carter Kane attempt a "shadow execration" to subdue Apophis, the Egyptian god of chaos, by imprisoning part of his spirit. This graphic novel adaptation of the series' third book has the snappy pace and humorous quips of a good comic book, while the dramatically blocked, color-saturated panels--showing a diverse group of teens blasting baddies in swirls of color--add visual appeal.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. Loki's about to launch the zombie- and giant-filled ship Naglfar to bring on Ragnarok. Magnus and his companions (including Alex, the genderfluid einherjar Magnus is attracted to) must defeat him in a flyting, a contest of insults. Magnus and Alex grow closer during their adventures leading up to the final confrontation. Riordan's humor, quick pacing, and inclusiveness elevate this enjoyable third series entry. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Trials of Apollo series. As punishment, Zeus makes the god Apollo an acne- and flab-afflicted mortal sixteen-year-old, bound to serve twelve-year-old Meg, the awkward demigod daughter of Demeter. Apollo arrives at Camp Half-Blood an odd mix of conceited and pathetic. His troubles continue as campers go missing and the Oracle is offline. This laugh-out-loud funny, adventure-hefty series-opener stars familiar characters from Riordan's beloved modern myth-based world.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Yori Elita Narpati. Written as a handbook for new einherjar, Odin's warriors in Valhalla, this irreverent volume uses wry humor and a variety of devices (interviews, dossier-style highlights, first-person confessionals, a rap battle) to overview the gods and gossip of Norse mythology. Heroic-looking black-and-white sketches add visual interest, while an appendix contains a pronunciation guide. Hints throughout point to the next Magnus Chase installment. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) YA Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. Magnus Chase tries to prevent his Valkyrie friend Sam's forced marriage to the giant Thrym. But Thrym's "wedding gift" is Thor's missing hammer Mjolnir, which the gods need back to keep giants from invading the human realm. Loki plans to use the wedding to engineer his own escape. Riordan introduces a character with gender fluidity, a welcome addition to his usual effective myths-and-humor formula.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by John Rocco. Ostensibly coerced by his publisher (with "a year's supply of free pepperoni pizza, plus all the blue jelly beans I could eat") to write another volume (Percy Jackson's Greek Gods), Percy Jackson narrates this compilation of Greek hero myths. While not for scholarly readers, his jokey and colloquial voice keeps the immense, hefty, and lavishly illustrated tome from being overly grand. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Sian Gaetano

(2) YA Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard series. On his sixteenth birthday, Magnus Chase's estranged uncle informs him that Magnus's long-absent father was a Norse god. Magnus retrieves a magical sword from the bottom of the Charles River, then battles the fire giant who comes to claim it. Although the first third of the book is slow going, once Riordan hits his stride it becomes a whirlwind of myth, action, and wry sarcasm.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2016

(3) 4-6 Heroes of Olympus series. The young demigods bring the series to a close in this rousing wrap-up. Quests to reconcile the warring Greek and Roman camps and to fight the giants preparing the return of the angry earth goddess Gaea conclude in a dramatic finale. The combination of wisecracking modern teens and authentic mythological characters and stories is as successful as ever. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Heroes of Olympus series. Adapted by Robert Venditti. Illustrated by Nate Powell. Color by Orpheus Collar. Lettering by Chris Dickey. Jason, Piper, and Leo leave Camp Half-Blood to rescue Hera from the giants draining her power in order to resurrect Porphyrion, king of the giants. Meanwhile, Jason's lost his memory and calls the gods by their Roman names. The graphic-novel treatment requires a lot of expository dialogue, but Riordan's wry humor shines through, aided by dynamic panel illustrations showing the demigods' comically expressive faces.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by John Rocco. Narrated by Percy Jackson himself, this collection includes both well-known Greek myths as well as more obscure stories. The depth of coverage of the gods and goddesses is impressive, but Percy's jokey tone and general snarkiness may put off more serious readers. Dramatic full-page and spot illustrations help break up this hefty volume. Reading list, websites. Ind.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(4) 4-6 Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Adapted by Robert Venditti. Illustrated by Attila Futaki. In this fourth in Riordan's series pitting Roman and Greek demigods against an awakening goddess Gaea, Percy and Annabeth trek through Tartarus to escape through the Doors of Death, while their friends fight their way to the Doors' mortal side to rescue them. The wisecracking teens reveal emotional depths while overcoming monsters and personal obstacles in this high velocity continuation of the gripping franchise. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(4) 4-6 Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. Adapted by Robert Venditti. Illustrated by Attila Futaki. Two of Percy Jackson's early adventures--questing for the Golden Fleece to renew Camp Half-Blood's protections, saving Annabeth from holding up the world in Atlas's stead--are turned into polished graphic novels with charismatic illustrations. Somewhat visually indistinguishable characters and a few overbroad narrative leaps cause periodic confusion, but the format makes the most of dynamic settings and thrilling monster battles. Review covers these Percy Jackson and the Olympians titles: The Sea of Monsters and The Titan's Curse

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Heroes of Olympus series. In this fourth in Riordan's series pitting Roman and Greek demigods against an awakening goddess Gaea, Percy and Annabeth trek through Tartarus to escape through the Doors of Death, while their friends fight their way to the Doors' mortal side to rescue them. The wisecracking teens reveal emotional depths while overcoming monsters and personal obstacles in this high velocity continuation of the gripping franchise. Glos.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. Adapted by Orpheus Collar. Lettered by Jared Fletcher. Siblings Sadie and Carter are pulled into a globe-hopping chase seeking the truth of their family's tangled history with ancient Egyptian deities. The visuals are this graphic novel's biggest draw: Collar's suspenseful action sequences and vibrant colors leap off the page. The adaptation offers no further insight into plot and characterization, but Riordan's fans won't need it.

Reviewer: Robin Brenner

(3) 4-6 Heroes of Olympus series. With Gaea awakening and pitting the Greek demigods against their Roman counterparts, Percy Jackson, Jason, and their companions travel to Rome so Annabeth can search for her mother Athena's statue, stolen by the Romans in antiquity. Its return might heal the rift between the camps. Riordan's likable, strong, distinct characters drive the narrative in this rousing continuation of the saga.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(2) 4-6 Kane Chronicles series. With Egyptian gods from the previous two books and teen magicians Zia and Walt, the Kanes face the culmination of peril. Serpent of Chaos Apophis is attempting to swallow Sun God Ra, destroying creation; Sadie and Carter try to perform a spell of banishment on him. The siblings' confidence and ability grows, wry asides keep them accessible, and Riordan's climax soundly delivers.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012