The Heroes of Olympus series has always been more ambitious than the original Percy Jackson books — more characters, more mythologies, higher stakes, a darker tone. The House of Hades is where all of that ambition comes together in a book that is genuinely thrilling and, in one specific way, genuinely brave.

At the end of The Mark of Athena, Percy and Annabeth fell into Tartarus. The House of Hades follows them there. This is not a metaphorical fall. Tartarus — in Riordan’s telling — is a place of active, sentient evil, where the landscape itself is hostile and the monsters killed in the upper world reform and come for you. The Percy and Annabeth chapters in this book are the darkest material Riordan has ever written for this age group, and they work because he trusts his young readers to handle it.

Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus

Their chapters are extraordinary. Percy and Annabeth have been together as characters since The Lightning Thief — we know them better than almost any other characters in contemporary middle grade fiction — and watching them hold each other together in a place designed to destroy everything is both harrowing and deeply moving. They take turns being the one who keeps going. Neither of them pretends it isn’t terrible.

Riordan has always written Annabeth as one of the most capable protagonists in the genre. The House of Hades gives her a sequence that tests her intellect and her courage simultaneously, and she does not disappoint.

The Seven

Back on the surface, the other five members of the seven — Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo — are racing to reach the House of Hades before Percy and Annabeth run out of time. The ensemble structure works well here; each character gets meaningful development. Hazel’s subplot involving her ability to manipulate the Mist is particularly good.

Leo Valdez continues to be the funniest character in the series and also, quietly, the most heartbreaking.

The Moment

The House of Hades contains one of the most significant moments in Riordan’s career: Nico di Angelo’s revelation about himself, and what he carries, and what he’s been carrying. I won’t say more. If you’ve read it, you know. If you haven’t — it is handled with extraordinary care and it matters enormously.

This was a courageous choice in a middle grade series with a massive readership, and Riordan made it well.

Why YA Readers Will Love This

Readers who began with Percy Jackson as children and have grown up alongside the series will find The House of Hades the most emotionally satisfying instalment yet. It assumes familiarity — with the characters, with the mythology, with the rules of this world — and uses that familiarity to hit harder than a standalone could.

For readers arriving late: start with The Lightning Thief. The original five Percy Jackson books and then this series in order. It’s a significant time investment and it is completely worth it.

The Percy and Annabeth chapters in Tartarus are the series at its very best: high stakes, emotionally honest, and built on years of trust between the author and his readers. This is what long-running series fiction can do that nothing else can. You have to earn moments like these, book by book, and Riordan has earned them.

The Blood of Olympus follows and brings the Heroes of Olympus series to its conclusion. Have tissues available.

Published: October 2013 · Genre: Middle grade / YA fantasy · Series: Heroes of Olympus, Book 4

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to Percy and Annabeth in The House of Hades? Following their fall into Tartarus at the end of The Mark of Athena, Percy and Annabeth navigate Tartarus throughout The House of Hades. The review describes this as ’not a metaphorical fall — Tartarus is a place of active, sentient evil where the landscape itself is hostile and the monsters killed in the upper world reform and come for you.’ The Percy and Annabeth chapters are called ’the darkest material Riordan has ever written for this age group.'

What makes the Percy and Annabeth chapters in The House of Hades so powerful? The review says ‘Percy and Annabeth have been together as characters since The Lightning Thief — we know them better than almost any other characters in contemporary middle grade fiction — and watching them hold each other together in a place designed to destroy everything is both harrowing and deeply moving.’ They ’take turns being the one who keeps going. Neither pretends it isn’t terrible.’

What significant moment does The House of Hades contain? The review calls it ‘one of the most significant moments in Riordan’s career’ — Nico di Angelo’s revelation about himself and what he carries — handled ‘with extraordinary care.’ The review declines to spoil it but calls it ‘a courageous choice in a middle grade series with a massive readership’ that ‘Riordan made well.’ It is described as mattering ’enormously.’

How does The House of Hades handle the ensemble cast? While Percy and Annabeth navigate Tartarus, the other five — Jason, Piper, Frank, Hazel, and Leo — race to reach the House of Hades before time runs out. ‘Each character gets meaningful development.’ Hazel’s subplot involving her ability to manipulate the Mist is ‘particularly good,’ and Leo Valdez is described as ’the funniest character in the series and also, quietly, the most heartbreaking.’

What reading order is recommended before The House of Hades? The review is explicit: ‘Start with The Lightning Thief. The original five Percy Jackson books and then this series in order.’ The investment is described as ‘completely worth it’ because the book ‘assumes familiarity — with the characters, with the mythology, with the rules of this world — and uses that familiarity to hit harder than a standalone could.’

Further Reading from Authoritative Sources

  • The House of Hades — Wikipedia’s The House of Hades article provides publication details and series context that helps readers understand the novel’s place in the Heroes of Olympus sequence and its relationship to the broader Percy Jackson mythology.
  • Tartarus — Wikipedia’s Tartarus article provides mythological context for the realm that Percy and Annabeth navigate, helping readers understand what Riordan is drawing on and departing from in his depiction of this underworld location.