Now then, dear reader, if you have devoured every last page of Percy Jackson’s adventures—if you have laughed at his witty asides, trembled at his battles with monsters, and perhaps shed a tear when camp friends parted ways—you may find yourself in a most melancholy predicament. The books are finished, yet the hunger for mythological adventure remains.
Fear not! For just as there are countless stars in the night sky, so too are there wondrous tales awaiting discovery. These books shall transport you to worlds where ancient gods walk among mortals, where chosen ones discover their extraordinary destinies, and where the line between myth and reality grows deliciously thin.
Mythology-Based Adventures
Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
What happens when a young woman tells one lie too many? In young Aru Shah’s case, she accidentally awakens an ancient demon bent on destroying time itself. How terribly inconvenient.
This splendid tale introduces readers to the grand sweep of Hindu mythology—the Pandava warriors, the Kingdom of Death, and gods both magnificent and mischievous. Aru discovers she is no ordinary child but a reincarnated hero, destined to save the world alongside her newfound sister, the charmingly germaphobic Mini.
The humor sparkles like sunlight on the Ganges, and Chokshi weaves ancient legends with modern sensibilities in the most delightful fashion. A five-book series awaits those brave enough to begin.
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes
In the sun-baked lands of New Mexico, there lives a boy named Zane Obispo who believes his shortened leg makes him different. He is quite correct, though not in the way he imagines.
When Zane discovers a dormant volcano near his home actually imprisons the Maya god of death, his ordinary existence shatters spectacularly. The ancient prophecies speak of him, and soon he finds himself entangled with heroes, gods, demons, and giants from Maya mythology.
This tale handles disability with such grace—Zane’s difference becomes not something to overcome, but the very source of his power. A lesson for us all, wrapped in the most thrilling adventure.
Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia
Grief makes us do peculiar things. Young Tristan Strong, mourning his best friend, accidentally tears a hole into Alke—a mythological world where African gods and African American folk heroes live and breathe.
Here you shall meet the legendary John Henry with his mighty hammer, the clever Brer Rabbit, and the magnificent trickster Anansi. Mbalia weaves together West African deities and American folklore into a tapestry both beautiful and profound.
The New York Times named this among the best children’s books of its year, and small wonder. It speaks to heritage, to loss, and to finding strength when the world seems determined to defeat you.
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
Imagine, if you will, a competition where the winner gains eternal glory and the loser… becomes fuel for the sun. Quite stakes indeed.
In Reino del Sol, a world gloriously inspired by Mexican mythology, young Teo—a semidiós and son of the goddess of birds—is unexpectedly chosen to compete in these sacred trials. Having been deemed merely a “Jade” semidiós, he must face opponents far more powerful and better trained.
This duology crackles with energy, featuring a world rich with Mesoamerican folklore. Many have called it “Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games,” and the comparison holds rather well.
Loki: A Bad God’s Guide by Louie Stowell
The Norse god of mischief has been rather naughty—so naughty, in fact, that Odin has banished him to Earth in the body of an eleven-year-old boy. His punishment? He must learn to be good, or face an eternity in a pit of angry snakes.
These diary-style books, packed with doodles and comic strips, capture Loki’s absolute outrage at his predicament. The humor runs as thick as honey, while Norse mythology weaves through every page. Think of it as Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but with considerably more thunder gods and mischief.
A number-one UK bestseller, and rightfully so.
Fantasy Adventure Series
Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
When siblings Kendra and Seth visit their grandparents’ estate, they discover it harbors the most extraordinary secret: it is a sanctuary for magical creatures, one of the last strongholds of true magic in all the world.
The preserve teems with fairies, brownies, satyrs, and unicorns—but also trolls, demons, and things far darker. A magical treaty maintains an uneasy peace, but treaties, as we know, can be broken.
Five books comprise this series, with a sequel series called Dragonwatch awaiting those who cannot bear to leave. It captures that same sense of discovering a hidden magical world that makes Percy Jackson so irresistible.
Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger
Sophie Foster has always felt different. Reading minds tends to have that effect. When a mysterious boy reveals she is not human but an elf, her entire existence transforms.
Whisked away to the Lost Cities—hidden places where elves and fantastic creatures dwell—Sophie must attend Foxfire Academy, master her unusual abilities, and uncover the secrets of her past. Someone went to great trouble to create her, and the reasons remain terrifyingly unclear.
With eleven books and counting, this series offers a feast for those who hunger for epic fantasy, complex characters, and worlds upon worlds to explore.
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Here is something different: a twelve-year-old criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy to ransom her for gold. Artemis Fowl is not, strictly speaking, a hero. At least, not at first.
When Artemis captures Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaissance) unit, he sets in motion events that will change everything. The fairies, you see, have technology that would make humans weep with envy, and they do not take kindly to being extorted.
The author himself described it as “Die Hard with fairies,” which rather captures the spirit. Eight books of wit, action, and moral complexity await.
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
Twins Alex and Conner Bailey receive a magical book from their grandmother—a book that swallows them whole and deposits them in a land where fairy tales are real.
But these are not the sanitized tales of your nursery. Goldilocks is a wanted fugitive. Red Riding Hood rules her own kingdom. And the Evil Queen has plans that threaten everything. The twins must find their way home while discovering the extraordinary truth about their own family.
Six books weave together every fairy tale you have ever loved, turning them sideways and making them new again. Modern readers encountering familiar stories through fresh eyes—there is something magical in that.
Wings of Fire by Tui T. Sutherland
For those who have ever wished to see the world through a dragon’s eyes, this series grants that wish magnificently.
In a world where seven dragon tribes have warred for generations, five young dragonets are raised in secret to fulfill a prophecy. Clay, Tsunami, Glory, Starflight, and Sunny are meant to end the war—but first they must escape the mountain where they have been imprisoned and discover whether prophecy is destiny or choice.
Over sixty-seven million copies sold. Translated into ten languages. An animated series in production. The world has spoken: dragons are very much beloved.
The Underland Chronicles by Suzanne Collins
Before she wrote The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins created this remarkable series about a boy who falls through a grate in his apartment building’s basement—and keeps falling.
Young Gregor tumbles into the Underland, a vast cavern world beneath New York City inhabited by humans with translucent skin, giant sentient bats, and enormous talking cockroaches. A prophecy speaks of him, and his missing father may be somewhere in these depths.
Five books of luminous, absorbing adventure. Collins proved herself a master storyteller long before her later fame, and these books deserve to be remembered.
The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson
Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli Igiby live in a world conquered by the venomous Fangs of Dang. They know their lives are ordinary, unremarkable, safe.
They are wonderfully, spectacularly wrong.
The Igiby children hold secrets connected to the lost legend of King Wingfeather of the Shining Isle of Anniera. Their ordinary little town is anything but, and adventure—dangerous, thrilling, sometimes terrifying—awaits.
Peterson cited both The Lord of the Rings and The Princess Bride as inspirations, and both influences shine through. An animated series now brings this world to life, but the books remain the truest way to experience it.
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
One cannot speak of fantasy adventures without acknowledging the grandfather of them all. When the wizard Gandalf comes knocking, the comfortable hobbit Bilbo Baggins finds himself swept into a quest for dragon’s treasure.
Trolls, elves, giant spiders, goblins, and the peculiar creature Gollum—Bilbo encounters them all. More importantly, he discovers courage and cleverness he never knew he possessed. A magical ring enters his pocket, setting in motion events that will shape Middle-earth for ages to come.
Over one hundred million copies sold. The most popular fantasy written for children in the twentieth century. Some books earn their reputation, and this one has earned its place as the foundation upon which all modern fantasy stands.
Finding Your Next Adventure
Each of these books offers something Percy Jackson gave us: the thrill of discovering that the world contains more magic than we imagined, that ordinary young people can become heroes, and that ancient stories still have power to move us.
Perhaps you shall begin with Aru Shah’s journey through Hindu mythology. Perhaps Artemis Fowl’s criminal cleverness appeals to you more. Perhaps you long to soar on dragon wings or tumble into the Underland.
Whatever you choose, know this: the stories waiting for you are worth every page. The adventure has only just begun.
