After almost 15 years since the release of the last Percy Jackson and the Olympians book and almost 10 since the last Heroes of Olympus book, Rick Riordan brought Percy, Annabeth, and Grover back in The Chalice of the Gods. This time, Percy is about to graduate high school and he’s facing his next big threat: college applications. He’s hoping to get into New Rome University, but in order to do so, he needs three recommendation letters from Olympian gods. Working with Annabeth and Grover, Percy must complete quests for three gods in order to get the letters. First up is Ganymede, cupbearer of the gods, who has lost his chalice and needs Percy to find it before Zeus’ next feast.
This novel was announced just under a year ago and I had been eagerly anticipating it every day since then. So, did the book live up to the hype? The short answer is yes, in every way possible. Despite it having been 14 years since Rick Riordan wrote a book led by Percy, he steps back into the character beautifully, as if he never left. Percy makes the same kind of jokes, speaks to the reader, and interacts with his friends all the same as he did in previous books.
Because the tone is so similar to that of the previous books, middle grade readers are still able to enjoy the books but it also provides a wonderful sense of nostalgia for all the readers who enjoyed the books as kids and are now young adults. As one of those young adults, I absolutely fell in love with this book. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were characters I adored as a kid but never thought I’d get to read about again. Getting to return back to them, even just one more time, is something I needed but never thought I’d get.
It turns out, though, that Rick Riordan doesn’t intend for the trio to come back just this once. During a release event for The Chalice of the Gods, he announced that there will be a seventh Percy Jackson and the Olympians book releasing in late 2024, titled Wrath of the Triple Goddess. Although there’s little information about the book, Riordan explained that Percy will be trying to get his next recommendation letter from Hecate. Based on this, it seems reasonable to assume that there will be an eighth book as well, following Percy’s journey to his last letter.
Of course, these books are not the only way fans can see Percy, Annabeth, and Grover again soon. The eagerly anticipated Percy Jackson and the Olympians series will be releasing on Disney+ this December, with Rick Riordan heavily involved in its writing and production (as opposed to the awful movie adaptations). After so many years of Percy Jackson not getting the same treatment as other book series, he finally has a chance to have a great adaptation. There’s still two months left until the series releases, though, so in that time go and read The Chalice of the Gods!