Rick Riordan Books in Order (Updated March 7, 2026)

Rick Riordan’s bibliography makes the most sense when you stop trying to force it into one single line. He has one adult mystery series, one large mythology universe with several connected branches, one major standalone science-fantasy novel, and a few franchise or crossover projects that are best labeled separately.

For most readers, the real question is not “publication order or chronological order?” It is “am I reading the Camp Half-Blood universe, or am I reading something separate?”

The map of the shelf

There are four main lanes:

Camp Half-Blood universe
This is the big one. It includes Percy Jackson, Heroes of Olympus, Trials of Apollo, Kane crossovers, Magnus Chase, and the later Nico books.

Tres Navarre
Riordan’s adult mystery series, completely separate from the mythology books.

Standalone
Daughter of the Deep.

Franchise contribution
The Maze of Bones, which launches The 39 Clues but is part of a multi-author series rather than a Rick Riordan-only continuity.

The best way to read the mythology books

For a first-time reader, the safest route is:

1. Percy Jackson and the Olympians
2. The Heroes of Olympus
3. The Trials of Apollo
4. The Sun and the Star
5. The Court of the Dead

You can read The Kane Chronicles and Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard alongside that broader universe, but they work best after you already know the original Percy books because the shared-world references land better that way.

Camp Half-Blood universe

Percy Jackson and the Olympians

1. The Lightning Thief (2005): Percy discovers he is a demigod, enters Camp Half-Blood, and begins the Greek mythology storyline that defines most of Riordan’s later fiction.
2. The Sea of Monsters (2006): Percy returns to camp life and questing, with the prophecy threads and the larger Titan conflict becoming harder to ignore.
3. The Titan’s Curse (2007): The series turns darker and broader as Percy faces a new rescue mission and the coming war moves closer.
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008): Camp Half-Blood is threatened from within the Labyrinth, pushing the series firmly into pre-war escalation.
5. The Last Olympian (2009): The original Percy arc reaches its payoff in the battle for Manhattan and should always be read last within the core five.

Percy Jackson companion books

6. The Demigod Files (2009): A short-story and extras collection best read after the original five books, or at least late in that run, because it assumes you already know Percy’s world.
7. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods (2014): A mythology retelling narrated in Percy’s voice, separate from the main plot but a good optional add-on after the core series.
8. Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes (2015): Another optional mythology retelling, best treated as a bonus rather than required continuity reading.

Percy’s senior-year adventures

9. The Chalice of the Gods (2023): Set after the major wars, this returns to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover during Percy’s senior year as he tries to earn recommendation letters from the gods.
10. Wrath of the Triple Goddess (2024): The second senior-year adventure continues that college-letter storyline and should be read after The Chalice of the Gods. Officially, this is listed as Percy Jackson book 7 on Riordan’s site.

The Heroes of Olympus

1. The Lost Hero (2010): The universe widens beyond Percy, introducing new Greek and Roman demigods and setting up the prophecy of seven.
2. The Son of Neptune (2011): Percy re-enters the larger storyline from the Roman side, making this a direct continuation rather than a side branch.
3. The Mark of Athena (2012): The Greek and Roman casts finally converge, and the series becomes one continuous team-based war story.
4. The House of Hades (2013): The emotional and mythic stakes intensify sharply, especially for Percy and Annabeth.
5. The Blood of Olympus (2014): The Gaea arc concludes here, so it belongs last in any first read.

Heroes companion book

6. The Demigod Diaries (2012): A collection of short fiction and extras tied to this era of the universe, best used as optional background reading after The Lost Hero or after the full series.

The Kane Chronicles

1. The Red Pyramid (2010): Carter and Sadie Kane discover their connection to Egyptian magic, opening Riordan’s second mythology branch.
2. The Throne of Fire (2011): The Kanes’ training and the threat of Apophis expand the series into a larger magical war.
3. The Serpent’s Shadow (2012): The trilogy concludes the main Egyptian storyline and should be kept for last.

Kane / Percy crossover

4. Demigods & Magicians (2016): This crossover collection brings Percy and Annabeth together with Carter and Sadie, so it is best read only after both the Percy and Kane main books are already familiar.

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard

1. The Sword of Summer (2015): Magnus enters Riordan’s Norse mythology branch, which shares the broader world but has its own tone and cast.
2. The Hammer of Thor (2016): The Norse storyline continues directly, deepening Loki’s role and the Nine Worlds conflict.
3. The Ship of the Dead (2017): The trilogy finishes here and should be read in order.

Magnus companion book

4. For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla Guide to the Norse Worlds (2016): A guidebook-style extra that works as optional bonus material after book one or after the trilogy.

The Trials of Apollo

1. The Hidden Oracle (2016): Apollo is cast down as the mortal Lester Papadopoulos, beginning a five-book aftermath to Heroes of Olympus.
2. The Dark Prophecy (2017): The oracle-restoration plot expands, and the post-war Camp Half-Blood universe starts showing its deeper damage.
3. The Burning Maze (2018): The series turns more painful and consequential, so it is not a good place to jump in.
4. The Tyrant’s Tomb (2019): Apollo’s road toward restoration continues through Camp Jupiter and the Roman side of the world.
5. The Tower of Nero (2020): The Apollo arc closes here and should be read after the earlier four without interruption.

Apollo-era companion

6. Camp Half-Blood Confidential (2017): A camp guidebook with humor and lore, optional rather than essential, but best read once you already know the setting well.

Nico di Angelo / post-Apollo books

1. The Sun and the Star (2023, with Mark Oshiro): A Nico and Will adventure set after The Trials of Apollo, best read only once the Apollo series is finished.
2. The Court of the Dead (2025, with Mark Oshiro): Nico, Will, and Hazel move into a new post-Tartarus story, and it belongs after The Sun and the Star.

Best practical order for the Camp Half-Blood world

If you want the smoothest first read, use this:

1. The Lightning Thief
2. The Sea of Monsters
3. The Titan’s Curse
4. The Battle of the Labyrinth
5. The Last Olympian
6. The Lost Hero
7. The Son of Neptune
8. The Mark of Athena
9. The House of Hades
10. The Blood of Olympus
11. The Hidden Oracle
12. The Dark Prophecy
13. The Burning Maze
14. The Tyrant’s Tomb
15. The Tower of Nero
16. The Sun and the Star
17. The Court of the Dead
18. The Chalice of the Gods
19. Wrath of the Triple Goddess

That is the least confusing route for major continuity.

A lot of readers move The Chalice of the Gods and Wrath of the Triple Goddess earlier, because they are Percy-focused and lighter in tone. That works too, but the sequence above keeps the larger saga clean first and the later Percy return second.

Separate from the mythology universe

Tres Navarre

1. Big Red Tequila (1997): Riordan’s adult mystery debut introduces private investigator Tres Navarre in San Antonio.
2. Widow’s Two-Step (1998): Tres is pulled into another Texas-based mystery with stronger ties to family and old loyalties.
3. The Last King of Texas (2000): The series expands its local history and crime roots while keeping the private-eye structure intact.
4. The Devil Went Down to Austin (2001): A darker, more pressure-filled case that continues Tres’s run of contemporary mysteries.
5. Southtown (2004): Tres returns in another San Antonio case with deeper neighborhood and cultural stakes.
6. Mission Road (2005): The mystery broadens into police corruption, violence, and institutional power.
7. Rebel Island (2008): The final published Tres Navarre novel, set around a dangerous island confrontation and best saved for last.

Standalone

1. Daughter of the Deep (2021): A modern science-fantasy adventure inspired by 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, completely separate from Percy and the other mythology branches.

Franchise contribution

1. The Maze of Bones (2008): Riordan wrote book one of The 39 Clues, but the wider series is a multi-author franchise, so it should be shelved separately from his own continuous worlds.

Full publication order

If you want Rick Riordan in release order rather than universe order, this is the cleanest main-novels path:

1. Big Red Tequila (1997)
2. Widow’s Two-Step (1998)
3. The Last King of Texas (2000)
4. The Devil Went Down to Austin (2001)
5. The Lightning Thief (2005)
6. Southtown (2004)
7. Mission Road (2005)
8. The Sea of Monsters (2006)
9. The Titan’s Curse (2007)
10. Rebel Island (2008)
11. The Battle of the Labyrinth (2008)
12. The Maze of Bones (2008)
13. The Last Olympian (2009)
14. The Lost Hero (2010)
15. The Red Pyramid (2010)
16. The Son of Neptune (2011)
17. The Throne of Fire (2011)
18. The Mark of Athena (2012)
19. The Serpent’s Shadow (2012)
20. The House of Hades (2013)
21. The Blood of Olympus (2014)
22. Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods (2014)
23. The Sword of Summer (2015)
24. Percy Jackson’s Greek Heroes (2015)
25. The Hidden Oracle (2016)
26. The Hammer of Thor (2016)
27. Demigods & Magicians (2016)
28. The Dark Prophecy (2017)
29. The Ship of the Dead (2017)
30. The Burning Maze (2018)
31. The Tyrant’s Tomb (2019)
32. The Tower of Nero (2020)
33. Daughter of the Deep (2021)
34. The Sun and the Star (2023)
35. The Chalice of the Gods (2023)
36. Wrath of the Triple Goddess (2024)
37. The Court of the Dead (2025)

For actual reading, though, universe order is much better than strict publication order.

Where most new readers should begin

Choose by what you want:

1. Start with The Lightning Thief if you want the classic Riordan experience.
2. Start with Daughter of the Deep if you want one self-contained book.
3. Start with Big Red Tequila only if you specifically want his adult mystery work instead of the mythology books.

Latest release status

As of March 7, 2026, the most recent Rick Riordan novel on his official site is The Court of the Dead, published in September 2025. His site also still lists Wrath of the Triple Goddess as the newest Percy Jackson novel currently available.

Final recommendation

If you want one decisive answer, start with The Lightning Thief and stay in Camp Half-Blood order through The Tower of Nero, then read The Sun and the Star and The Court of the Dead. Save the guidebooks, myth retellings, and crossover extras for later, when the world already means something to you.