Rick Riordan’s bestselling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series may have ended last year, but the author’s fans have hardly been without options in the meantime. A film based on the first Percy Jackson book, The Lightning Thief, was released back in February, and Riordan launched his Kane Chronicles series in May. Now comes more news from the author, as Disney Book Group has released new details about The Heroes of Olympus: this five-book series is a spinoff of the Percy Jackson world, which kicks off October 12 with a one-day laydown for the first book, The Lost Hero. Here's the latest on Riordan’s new project:
• The Lost Hero goes on sale on October 12 with a first printing of 2.5 million copies; it will be available simultaneously in hardcover, audiobook, and e-book editions. The book, and subsequent titles, will star a new generation of demigods who train at Camp Half-Blood to prepare to face a quest of their own. Riordan is scheduled to deliver one book per year in the series through 2014.
• A Web site for the series, www.heroesofolympus.com, is now live, and includes information about the series and characters, a book trailer, an event kit, and an excerpt from The Lost Hero. The site will also host a free webcast on October 12, which is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. EST, allowing Riordan’s fans to participate in launch festivities for the Heroes of Olympus.
• Riordan will embark on an 11-city tour for the series, beginning with an October 12 event at BookPeople in Austin. From there, he travels to Houston, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Antonio. Tour details are available on the Heroes of Olympus site.
The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan. Disney-Hyperion, $18.99; ISBN: 978-1-4231-1339-3
