Blackjack Rick Riordan 4,9/5 9544 votes
Congratulations are in order! Well, kind of. It really depends on whether you see this as good news or the worst news of your life. As it turns out, you are a descendant of a mythological god! Woo hoo, right?? OK, sure, it has its pros and cons. Just ask any of the protagonists from Rick Riordan’s series—Percy Jackson from Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Carter and Sadie Kane from The Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase from Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard, or Apollo of The Trials of Apollo.
The Dark Prophecy (B&N Exclusive Edition) (The Trials of Apollo Series #2)
Hardcover$17.99 $19.99
- Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan (67) Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types (41) The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan (33) The Trials of Apollo - Rick Riordan (4) Avatar: The Last Airbender (2) Harry Potter - J. Rowling (2) Rise of the Guardians (2012) (2) How to Train Your Dragon (Movies) (2).
- An Interview with Blackjack the PegasusPercy: Hey, man. I hear you had the final say on our new book cover.Blackjack: That's right, boss!
So what’s the perfect Rick Riordan series for you? Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new. BOOKS BY RICK RIORDAN PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS The Lightning Thief The Sea of Monsters The Titan’s Curse The Battle of the Labyrinth The Last Olympian The Demigod Files Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods, illustrated by John Rocco The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel The Sea of Monsters: The Graphic Novel The Titan’s Curse: The Graphic Novel THE KANE CHRONICLES The Red.
Speaking of Riordan’s series, one of them, incidentally, is going to be your reading assignment to get you all caught up on your new life. And extra good news: If it’s The Trials of Apollo, you’ll have a brand-new book to read in May when the series’ second installment, The Dark Prophecy, comes out. (Squee!)
So here’s the bad news (you know, if you considered the “descended from a god” thing the good news): We don’t know which of Riordan’s series you should read. The only real way we can determine this important bit of info—other than a mythological paternity test, which the gods are all a little prickly about—is by you taking this highly scientific quiz. We wish you luck.
1. Which godly power do you think is the most awesome?
A. Controlling the oceans
B. Healing people
c. Changing the seasons
D. Manipulating the weather
2. What would be your weapon(s) of choice?
A. A sword that is only effective on gods, demigods, Titans, Giants, and monsters—it passes harmlessly through mortals.
B. A wand for defense, a staff for offense
C. A talking sword that can fight on its own
D. A bow and arrows
3. Even godly descendants have some downtime. So, which movie would you rather watch?
A. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
B. Stargate
C. How to Train Your Dragon
D. The Hunger Games
4. Pick a spot in your living room to watch the flick.
A. The couch
B. The floor while leaning against the couch
C. A pile of pillows and cushions on the floor
D. The loveseat
Blackjack Rick Riordan Books
5. What are you going to eat during the movie?
A. Blue raspberry gummy bears
B. Some spicy Indian takeout
C. Falafel with yogurt sauce
D. Cheese and bread
6. With this godly parentage revelation, you really need to get away and unwind. Where would you go on vacation?
A. New York City—You love the bustle of Manhattan, and you can always pop out to Montauk for some beach time while you’re there.
B. Cairo, Egypt—You’ve always wanted to see the ancient Egyptian pyramids.
C. Scandinavia—Perhaps one of those Viking Cruises, so you can see all the sights!
D. Athens, Greece—There’s so much rich history to explore, and you’ll dine like a Greek god.
7. Whew! Back from vacay! You look tan. And, to top it off, you got a new kitten! What are you naming it?
A. Blackjack
B. Muffin
C. Stanley
D. Sunny
So what’s the perfect Rick Riordan series for you?
Percy Jackson and the Olympians 5 Book Paperback Boxed Set (new covers w/poster)
Paperback$27.99 $35.00
If you got mostly A’s, it’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Based on Greek mythology, Riordan’s first middle-grade series is a classic place to start. The series is told from the perspective of Perseus Jackson—Percy, as his friends and legions of readers know him. Everyone’s favorite sardonic demigod begins as a struggling student living in New York with his single mom before he discovers his true heritage as son of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea, and embarks on various quests toward completion of the Great Prophecy. And once you get through the five books in this series, you have its follow-up The Heroes of Olympus to delve into.
The Kane Chronicles Box Set
Paperback$26.99
If you got mostly B’s, it’s The Kane Chronicles. Get ready to dive deep into Egyptian mythology with Riordan’s adventure trilogy narrated by siblings Carter and Sadie Kane—the pair are powerful magicians, having descended from pharaohs Narmer and Ramses the Great. After their father, a brilliant Egyptologist, inadvertently unleashes a terrible Egyptian god, the children are forced to run for their lives. The siblings soon discover that other gods are awakening, and they must be stopped. Prepare to race through this stellar trilogy.
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Series #1)
Blackjack Rick Riordan Wiki
Hardcover$17.99 $19.99
If you got mostly C’s, it’s Magnus Chase & the Gods of Asgard.
Looks like you’d be most interested in Riordan’s take on Norse mythology—woo-hoo, Vikings! As the first book’s description ominously states, “Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die.” And while Magnus Chase, who discovers that he’s the son of a Norse god, does make a fatal decision, the end of his life is only the beginning of his many adventures to come and your journey through the first two books in this awesome series—the third book will be out in October 2017 .
The Hidden Oracle (B&N Exclusive Edition) (The Trials of Apollo Series #1)
Hardcover$17.99 $19.99
Rick Riordan Website
If you got mostly D’s, it’s The Trials of Apollo.
“How do you punish an immortal?” Riordan ominously asks in the description of the first book in the series. “By making him human.” Zeus is the punisher here, and his son Apollo, god of the sun, is on the receiving end after angering his pops. But rather than being sent to his room, the 4,000-year-old deity is cast down to Earth, landing in New York City as a regular teenage boy without any of his godly powers. Apollo quickly realizes he can’t manage alone and heads to Camp Half-Blood. The Hidden Oracle is the only book available from the series so far, with The Dark Prophecy on deck for May.
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Blackjack Rick Riordan Author
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Then a shadow swooped under me, and thump—I was on Blackjacks back. It wasnt the most comfortable landing. In fact, when I yelled 'OW!' my voice was an octave higher than usual.
Sorry, boss, Blackjack murmured.
'No problem,' I squeaked. 'Follow that pig!'
The porker had taken a right at East 42nd and was flying back toward Fifth Avenue. When it flew above the rooftops, I could see fires here and there around the city. It looked like my friends were having a rough time. Kronos was attacking on several fronts. But at the moment, I had my own problems.
The Hermes statue was still on its leash. It kept bonking into buildings and spinning around. The pig swooped over an office building, and Hermes plowed into a water tower on the roof, blasting water and wood everywhere.
Then something occurred to me.
'Get closer,' I told Blackjack.
He whinnied in protest.
'Just within shouting distance,' I said. 'I need to talk to the statue. '
Now Im sure youve lost it, boss, Blackjack said, but he did what I asked. When I was close enough to see the statues face clearly, I yelled, 'Hello, Hermes! Command sequence: Daedalus Twenty-three. Kill Flying Pigs! Begin Activation!'
Immediately the statue moved its legs. It seemed confused to find that it was no longer on top of Grand Central Terminal. It was, instead, being given a sky-ride on the end of a rope by a large winged sow. It smashed through the side of a brick building, which I think made it a little mad. It shook its head and began to climb the rope.
I glanced down at the street. We were coming up on the main public library, with the big marble lions flanking the steps. Suddenly I had a weird thought: Could stone statues be automatons too? It seemed like a long shot, but . . .
'Faster!' I told Blackjack. 'Get in front of the pig, Taunt him!'
Um, boss—
'Trust me,' I said. 'I can do this . . . probably. '
Oh, sure. Mock the horse.
Blackjack burst through the air. He could fly pretty darned fast when he wanted to. He got in front of the pig, which now had a metal Hermes on its back.
Blackjack whinnied, You smell like ham! He kicked the pig in the snout with his back hooves and went into a steep dive. The pig screamed in rage and followed.
We barreled straight for the front steps of the library. Blackjack slowed down just enough for me to hop off, then he kept flying toward the main doors.
I yelled out, 'Lions! Command sequence: Daedalus Twenty-three. Kill Flying Pigs! Begin Activation!'
The lions stood up and looked at me. They probably thought I was teasing them. But just then: 'REEEEEET!'
The massive pink pork monster landed with a thud, cracking the sidewalk. The lions stared at it, not believing their luck, and pounced. At the same time, a very beat-up Hermes statue leaped onto the pigs head and started banging it mercilessly with a caduceus. Those lions had some nasty claws.
I drew Riptide, but there wasnt much for me to do. The pig disintegrated before my eyes. I almost felt sorry for it. I hoped it got to meet the boar of its dreams down in Tartarus.
When the monster had completely turned to dust, the lions and the Hermes statue looked around in confusion.
'You can defend Manhattan now,' I told them, but they didnt seem to hear. They went charging down Park Avenue, and I imagined they would keep looking for flying pigs until someone deactivated them.
Hey, boss, said Blackjack. Can we take a donut break?
I wiped the sweat off my brow. 'I wish, big guy, but the fights still going on. '
In fact, I could hear it getting closer. My friends needed help. I jumped on Blackjack, and we flew north toward the sound of explosions.
FIFTEEN
CHIRON THROWS A
PARTY
Midtown was a war zone. We flew over little skirmishes everywhere. A giant was ripping up trees in Bryant Park while dryads pelted him with nuts. Outside the Waldorf Astoria, a bronze statue of Benjamin Franklin was whacking a hellhound with a rolled-up newspaper. A trio of Hephaestus campers fought a squad of dracaenae in the middle of Rockefeller Center.
I was tempted to stop and help, but I could tell from the smoke and noise that the real action had moved farther south. Our defenses were collapsing. The enemy was closing in on the Empire State Building.
We did a quick sweep of the surrounding area. The Hunters had set up a defensive line on 37th, just three blocks north of Olympus. To the east on Park Avenue, Jake Mason and some other Hephaestus campers were leading an army of statues against the enemy. To the west, the Demeter cabin and Grovers nature spirits had turned Sixth Avenue into a jungle that was hampering a squadron of Kronoss demigods. The south was clear for now, but the flanks of the enemy army were swinging around. A few more minutes and wed be totally surrounded.
'We have to land where they need us most,' I muttered.
Thats everywhere, boss.
I spotted a familiar silver owl banner in the southeast corner of the fight, 33rd at the Park Avenue tunnel. Annabeth and two of her siblings were holding back a Hyperborean giant.
'There!' I told Blackjack. He plunged toward the battle.
I leaped off his back and landed on the giants head. When the giant looked up, I slid off his face, shield-bashing his nose on the way down.
'RAWWWR! The giant staggered backward, blue blood trickling from his nostrils.
I hit the pavement running. The Hyperborean breathed a cloud of white mist, and the temperature dropped. The spot where Id landed was now coated with ice, and I was covered in frost like a sugar donut.
'Hey, ugly!' Annabeth yelled. I hoped she was talking to the giant, not me.
Blue Boy bellowed and turned toward her, exposing the unprotected back of his legs. I charged and stabbed him behind the knee.
'WAAAAH!' The Hyperborean buckled. I waited for him to turn, but he froze. I mean he literally turned to solid ice. From the point where Id stabbed him, cracks appeared in his body. They got larger and wider until the giant crumbled in a mountain of blue shards.
'Thanks. ' Annabeth winced, trying to catch her breath. 'The pig?'
'Pork chops,' I said.
'Good. ' She flexed her shoulder. Obviously, the wound was still bothering her, but she saw my expression and rolled her eyes. 'Im fine, Percy. Come on! Weve got plenty of enemies left. '
She was right. The next hour was a blur. I fought like Id never fought before—wading into legions of dracaenae, taking out dozens of telkhines with every strike, destroying empousai and knocking out enemy demigods. No matter how many I defeated, more took their place.
Annabeth and I raced from block to block, trying to shore up our defenses. Too many of our friends lay wounded in the streets. Too many were missing.
As the night wore on and the moon got higher, we were backed up foot by foot until we were only a block from the Empire State Building in any direction. At one point Grover was next to me, bonking snake women over the head with his cudgel. Then he disappeared in the crowd, and it was Thalia at my side, driving the monsters back with the power of her magic shield. Mrs. OLeary bounded out of nowhere, picked up a Laistrygonian giant in her mouth, and flung him into the air like a Frisbee. Annabeth used her invisibility cap to sneak behind the enemy lines. Whenever a monster disintegrated for no apparent reason with a surprised look on his face, I knew Annabeth had been there.
But it still wasnt enough.
'Hold your lines!' Katie Gardner shouted, somewhere off to my left.
The problem was there were too few of us to hold anything. The entrance to Olympus was twenty feet behind me. A ring of brave demigods, Hunters, and nature spirits guarded the doors. I slashed and hacked, destroying everything in my path, but even I was getting tired, and I couldnt be everywhere at once.
Behind the enemy troops, a few blocks to the east, a bright light began to shine. I thought it was the sunrise. Then I realized Kronos was riding toward us on a