Percy Jackson’s first reaction to learning he’s a demigod is…huh? But it’s true. The Greek gods of myth are real and living in Mount Olympus high above the Empire State Building. (Why there? Because Mount Olympus moves to wherever the center of Western civilization is—which is New York City, apparently, at least in the Olympians’ eyes.) Now and then, the gods come to earth and form relationships with mortals. Sometimes those relationships result in children. Demigods, or half-bloods as they’re also known.

Unfortunately, Greek monsters are also real, and they don’t like demigods. (Unless they’re served up as tasty snacks. Then they like them very much.) When monsters smell half-bloods, they attack. Any demigod living in the real world is vulnerable. But luckily, there’s a place where the children of the gods are safe: Camp Half-Blood. Percy learns all this as he, his mother, and his best friend Grover Underwood—who is not a teenage boy, but a satyr; the hooves and horns were a dead giveaway–are fleeing for their lives. Their destination is the camp, but their chances of making it there don’t look good. The Minotaur chasing them is gaining…

Welcome to the beginning of Percy Jackson’s new life, a life where Greek mythology intersects modern day, where ADHD is an asset not a disorder, and where dangerous quests are the most sought-after activity. With his best friends Annabeth Chase, intimidating and intelligent daughter of Athena, and Grover Underwood, omnivorous half-man, half-goat, the son of Poseidon solves the mystery of Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt, saves Camp Half-Blood by recovering the long-lost Golden Fleece, and frees the goddess Artemis before she’s crushed by the weight of the sky. He stands ready to assist when Annabeth leads the charge into the mind-blowing Labyrinth. But his greatest challenges come in the world’s darkest hour. Can Percy Jackson hold onto hope when the situation seems hopeless?