Books like Percy Jackson
by Rick Riordan · 2006
Updated June 2026
Book data: Open Library · Taste signals: BookTaste model
⚡ Percy Jackson is the landmark middle-grade fantasy series that dropped ordinary kids into a world of living Greek mythology — complete with monster attacks, prophecies, and a summer camp for the half-blood children of gods. Fans love it for its relentlessly witty voice, its flawed but fiercely loyal protagonist, and the way ancient myth feels electric and immediate. The mix of laugh-out-loud humor, genuine danger, and a found-family at the heart of every quest keeps readers (of all ages) sprinting through pages.
Picked by taste overlap — not popularity alone.
What to read next
The Kane Chronicles
Rick Riordan · 2010
⚡ Mythic Adventure😂 Witty Voice🏕️ Found Family🏺 Same author, same DNA — Egyptian mythology replaces Greek but the breathless quest pacing, first-person snark, and sibling found-family bond are identical, making it the most natural next read for any Percy fan.
- Matches
- same witty first-person voice · mythology-powered quest structure · found family core
- Differs
- Egyptian gods, not Greek · dual-narrator alternating chapters · protagonists are siblings, not friends
- Skip if
- You burned out on Riordan's formula and need a completely different author's take.
Personalize with my booksNo signup · add a few books to build your radar
●●● strong · ●●○ medium · ●○○ light · ○○○ none
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
The Alchemyst
Michael Scott · 2007
⚡ Mythic Adventure🗡️ Quest Structure📜 Real historical figures and world mythologies collide in a breakneck thriller where teenage twins get pulled into a secret war between immortal alchemists and ancient gods — the same sensation of mythology suddenly alive and dangerous.
- Matches
- mythology erupting into modern world · teenage heroes out of their depth · fast quest pacing
- Differs
- much broader mythology (Celtic, Egyptian, etc.) · less humor, more thriller-paced tension · longer, denser chapters
- Skip if
- You want the irreverent humor front-and-center — this leans action-thriller over comedy.
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
Harry Potter
J.K. Rowling · 1997
🏕️ Found Family😂 Witty Voice🗡️ Quest Structure🧙 A chosen boy discovers a hidden magical world he was born into, attends a school/camp that becomes home, and gathers a loyal trio to face an escalating dark threat — the archetypal template Percy Jackson consciously riffs on.
- Matches
- chosen-kid-discovers-magical-world arc · boarding school / special camp found family · humor balancing genuine danger
- Differs
- no classical mythology · much darker and longer in later volumes · British school setting, not American road trip
- Skip if
- You specifically want ancient mythology woven in — Hogwarts is original fantasy, not myth-based.
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
Not similar books. Similar taste.
It reads the grain of every book you've loved — why it stayed with you — and follows that thread to your next read. Not the bestseller list, not the crowd: just your taste. Free, no signup.
Add books you've read; BookTaste builds your taste radar and recommends from it.
Taste radar — read from the themes shared across Percy Jackson and the picks below
Strongest taste signals: ⚡ Mythic Adventure · 😂 Witty Voice · 🗡️ Quest Structure
How taste signals are generated
BookTaste's model reads the themes, moods, settings, and reader hooks of the base book, then scores every pick across those same axes — what overlaps, what diverges. Ordered by taste fit, not by popularity.
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Kelly Barnhill · 2016
⚡ Mythic Adventure🌍 World-building Depth🌙 Myth-soaked storytelling with a big emotional heart — Barnhill's Newbery winner wraps an enchanted forest world in the same sense that ancient powers are real, nearby, and deeply interested in children's fates.
- Matches
- mythology-as-living-reality feel · young protagonist navigating magical forces · heart-driven emotional core
- Differs
- fairy-tale tone, not action-adventure · no humor or snark · standalone, no series
- Skip if
- You need fast action and funny quips — this is lyrical and slow-burn by design.
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
Fans go here next
Aru Shah and the End of Time
Roshani Chokshi · 2018
⚡ Mythic Adventure😂 Witty Voice🏕️ Found Family🦚 Hindu mythology gets the Percy Jackson treatment — written for the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, this follows a girl who accidentally releases a demon and discovers she's a reincarnated hero, with the same laugh-out-loud voice and mythology-made-real magic.
- Matches
- mythology-as-living-world premise · witty first-person teen voice · quest with found-family companions
- Differs
- Hindu mythology, not Greek · female protagonist · slightly more emotionally vulnerable tone
- Skip if
- You want specifically Greek/Roman mythology — the pantheon here is entirely different.
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard
Rick Riordan · 2015
⚡ Mythic Adventure😂 Witty Voice🗡️ Quest Structure🪄 Norse mythology, same Riordan engine — Magnus is a Boston street kid who dies and lands in Valhalla, and the series has the same sharp wit and ensemble cast as Percy, but trades Olympus for Asgard and adds a genuinely darker edge.
- Matches
- Riordan's signature witty voice · mythology-powered adventure series · diverse found-family ensemble
- Differs
- Norse mythology, not Greek · protagonist starts the series dead · darker and slightly more mature tone
- Skip if
- You want the exact same sunny Camp Half-Blood feel — Valhalla is colder and more melancholy.
Solid = this book · dashed = Percy Jackson
Frequently asked
- What age group are books like Percy Jackson best for?
- Percy Jackson is written for middle-grade readers (ages 9–12) but is genuinely fun for adults too. Most of the picks here — Kane Chronicles, Aru Shah, Magnus Chase — share that all-ages sweet spot. If you want something that skews older teen, Magnus Chase's darker tone or The Alchemyst's thriller pacing are good steps up.
- Are there books like Percy Jackson that use mythology other than Greek?
- Plenty. Aru Shah and the End of Time (Hindu), The Kane Chronicles (Egyptian), and Magnus Chase (Norse) are all written by Riordan or under his imprint and keep the same voice and structure. The Alchemyst pulls from Celtic, Arthurian, and multiple world traditions.
- I loved the humor in Percy Jackson — which pick is most similar in tone?
- Aru Shah is the closest tonal match — same laugh-out-loud first-person narration, same tendency to make you snort while the fate of the world hangs in the balance. 😂 Magnus Chase is a close second, though it has a bit more emotional weight underneath the jokes.
- Is there a natural reading order for these recommendations?
- Start with Aru Shah or Kane Chronicles for the most direct Percy Jackson feel, then branch to Magnus Chase if you want to stay in Riordan's world. Harry Potter is a great parallel read if you want the boarding-school found-family vibe in a fully original fantasy setting rather than mythology.
Book data and covers from Open Library. Picks and taste signals are generated by BookTaste's taste model.