The Last Olympian
The Last Olympian is the fifth and final novel in Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, concluding the epic prophecy surrounding Percy Jackson's sixteenth birthday. The book plunges readers into a full-scale war between the demigods and the Titan Lord Kronos, who leads his army in an assault on New York City, targeting Mount Olympus. Percy and his friends, including Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood, must defend Olympus while the Olympian gods are preoccupied battling the monstrous Typhon. The narrative is a fast-paced action-adventure rooted in Greek mythology, blending humor, high stakes, and poignant moments of sacrifice and loyalty. It is targeted at middle-grade and young adult readers, offering an engaging story that explores themes of heroism, destiny, friendship, and the responsibilities that come with extraordinary power.
Concerns
Violence
HighThe book features a high level of fantasy violence due to a large-scale war between demigods and Kronos's army. Battles involve mythological creatures and demigods using various weapons and powers. Character deaths occur, and the combat is described in detail, though it avoids graphic gore.
The book begins with Charles Beckendorf's death in an explosion on the Princess Andromeda, where he sacrifices himself to detonate bombs. Later, Silena Beauregard dies heroically in battle while leading the Ares cabin, having taken Clarisse's place and confessing her role as a spy. Percy himself undergoes a ritual in the River Styx to become invulnerable, a dangerous process that could lead to instant death.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighThe entire series, including 'The Last Olympian,' is deeply immersed in Greek mythology, which inherently features gods, goddesses, demigods, monsters, magical powers, prophecies, and supernatural occurrences. This content is foundational to the fantasy world-building and plot.
The central conflict revolves around Kronos, a Titan Lord, and his army of mythological beings attempting to overthrow the Olympian gods. Characters like Nico di Angelo, a son of Hades, possess powers related to summoning the dead and manipulating shadows. Rachel Elizabeth Dare becomes the new Oracle of Delphi, a powerful prophetic figure, at the end of the book.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe book contains numerous scary and intense scenes, given its focus on a war for the fate of civilization. These include large-scale battles, encounters with dangerous monsters, moments of peril, and character deaths.
The scene where Percy opens Kronos' coffin is described as chilling and shocking. The battle for Manhattan involves widespread destruction and many dangerous encounters with Kronos's army and powerful monsters like the drakon. The prophecy itself carries intense implications, suggesting Percy might die on his sixteenth birthday.
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
MediumWhile 'The Last Olympian' itself does not explicitly feature openly LGBTQ+ characters or themes, it significantly develops the character of Nico di Angelo, who is later revealed to be gay in subsequent books in the Riordanverse. Some fan communities and the author himself retrospectively acknowledge that Nico's character arc and feelings were subtly present or 'queer-coded' in earlier installments, including this one, before his official coming out in 'The House of Hades'. Rick Riordan has spoken about his commitment to LGBTQ+ representation in his broader universe.
Nico di Angelo, a significant supporting character in 'The Last Olympian,' is later revealed in 'The House of Hades' (a subsequent series book) to be gay and to have harbored a crush on Percy Jackson. Though not explicit within this specific book, the character's development here lays groundwork for his future identity, leading to fan discussions about 'queer-coding' even if not overtly stated.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumThe romance in 'The Last Olympian' is mild and age-appropriate for its target audience, focusing on burgeoning crushes and a significant first kiss. It includes some implied romantic tension and flirtation, but no explicit sexual content.
Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase share a long-awaited kiss underwater after the war's conclusion, signifying the beginning of their romantic relationship. Rachel Elizabeth Dare also expresses romantic interest in Percy, and he notes her appearance when she wears a white blouse over her swimsuit, describing her as 'like a million golden drachmas.'
Disrespect & Rebellion
MediumDisrespect and rebellious attitudes are present, primarily through Percy's characteristic sarcasm and occasional defiance towards authority figures, including gods. The overarching conflict of the series is rooted in Luke Castellan's rebellion against the Olympians.
Percy Jackson frequently displays a sarcastic tone when addressing or thinking about the Olympian gods, particularly Zeus. The entire premise of the war is driven by Luke Castellan's deep-seated resentment and rebellion against the gods, leading him to host Kronos and attempt to overthrow Olympus.
Anti-Christian Themes
MediumThe book's entire framework is based on Greek polytheistic mythology, featuring multiple gods, demigods, and a different cosmic order than a monotheistic Christian worldview. While it does not explicitly attack or mock Christianity, its foundational premise presents an alternative spiritual reality, which may be a concern for some Christian parents.
The narrative fully immerses readers in the world of Greek gods like Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and other Olympian deities, who actively intervene in human affairs and have demigod children. Prayers and sacrifices are directed towards these Greek gods as the primary divine entities within the story's universe.
Profanity
LowProfanity in 'The Last Olympian' is very mild, adhering to standards for middle-grade literature. The language used is generally clean, with no strong curse words or frequent use of offensive terms.
The series is noted for having 'no bad language' or keeping 'language to a minimum,' with any occasional mild expletives typically being along the lines of 'd-word' for very specific purposes. No instances of frequent or explicit profanity by characters such as Percy, Annabeth, or other demigods are present in the text.
Substance Use
LowThere is virtually no depiction of substance use, such as alcohol or illegal drugs, among the main characters in 'The Last Olympian.' The series maintains a clean content profile in this regard.
Parental guides and content reviews for the Percy Jackson series, including 'The Last Olympian,' consistently indicate 'None' for drugs and alcohol. No characters are shown consuming alcohol or illegal substances, nor are addiction issues a plot point within the book itself.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
Ages 10-12 and up. While earlier books in the series are often recommended for ages 8+, 'The Last Olympian' features heightened stakes, more intense battles, and character deaths, which Common Sense Media and other reviewers note as more violent. It is suitable for middle schoolers, but younger or more sensitive readers might find some scenes frightening or emotionally challenging.
Additional Notes
Parents should be aware that while 'The Last Olympian' offers a compelling conclusion to the Percy Jackson series, the intensity of the narrative, including themes of war, sacrifice, and explicit character deaths, is higher than in previous installments. The book's engagement with Greek mythology is central to its identity, which some Christian families may wish to discuss within their own theological framework. The introduction of Nico di Angelo, a character who later comes out as gay in subsequent series, highlights an evolving representational aspect of the wider Riordanverse, though his sexuality is not explicit in this particular book.
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