Half a Moon: 14 Days of Celebrating Women

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan is a five-book kids series that chronicles the adventures and mishaps of one Percy Jackson. Trouble-prone Percy learns that the Greek gods of old actually exist and are running around 21st century Manhattan. The first book in the series, The Lightning Thief, has been adapted into a movie and will be released February 12.

In the books, Percy attends to Camp Half-Blood, a training camp and safe haven for the children of the gods, where he spends the summer battles monsters straight out of the myths, makes friends (and enemies), goes on quests to save everything he cares about, and eventually becomes caught up in a war that’s as old as the gods themselves. The books are aimed at a young audience, so the language is fairly simple and they’re very quick reads, but they’re also smart, moving, action packed, and downright hilarious.

What's all this have to do with halfamoon?

For a series that has been labeled as your typical “boy book,” Percy Jackson has an overwhelming amount of well-rounded, kick-ass female characters. The girls do everything the boys do – lead quests, get in fights, make heroic sacrifices, have crowning moments of awesome – and so much more. Most of them give Percy a run for his money in terms of sheer heroics and skills (Annabeth has a scene in The Last Olympian that is almost ridiculous for the massive amount of badassery it contains, and that's even before the climax where she takes on the main villain. With a broken arm). The women of Percy Jackson are interesting, varied, and real; they have fascinating backstories, motivations, and character arcs. Whether they’re demigods, Greek goddesses or mere mortals, these ladies are the last people you want to mess with.

( Fifteen fics, seven characters )