My thoughts on why Percy Jackson is a good hero/protagonist.

xYinxx

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1. His personal loyalty: Percy cares dearly about his friends and family. While this is also his biggest flaw, it means that he will always try to save those he cares about, no matter the cost. And Riordan, no spoilers included, weaved the plot around this fatal flaw. :D


2. His narration is sarcastic and witty. C'mon, who doesn't like the protagonists who are full of wit and have a sarcastic outlook on life? Reading the books from his POV in Percy Jackson and the Olympians was entertaining.

3. He's brave. Well, this is an obvious trait for a hero, but Percy is as brave as they come.

4. He's likable. He's a troubled kid, but he's interesting, and most importantly, he feels real.

5. His hydrokinesis powers are freaking awesome. Okay, this one doesn't really count, but still. :D


Agree or disagree? :D
 

King God Kong Zilla

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Hey xYinxx,

I've actually never read Percy Jackson but with the way you clearly loved it I feel like I should.

Have you read any other fantasy/sci-fi/superhero stuff? It's one of my favourite genres...I've read literally hundreds of them. I could recommend some really good stuff for you to read if you want. :D One of the best ways to get good story ideas and improve your writing is by reading a LOT.
 

xYinxx

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Hey xYinxx,

I've actually never read Percy Jackson but with the way you clearly loved it I feel like I should.

Have you read any other fantasy/sci-fi/superhero stuff? It's one of my favourite genres...I've read literally hundreds of them. I could recommend some really good stuff for you to read if you want. :D One of the best ways to get good story ideas and improve your writing is by reading a LOT.

Yeah, I've read Superhuman. :D And The Chronicles of Vladimir Todd series, along with the I Am Number Four series. I'd appreciate it if you could recommend some stuff to me. :D
 

King God Kong Zilla

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Okay, here's a list. I still feel like I missed some. If I remember any I'll post them here.

-Steelheart (The Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson. This is a great YA novel about a world where the superheroes dominate humankind as overlords and the men and women who want to kill them.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182126-steelheart?from_search=true

-The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This is an incredibly addicting, well written series with a very original magic system.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.Mistborn?from_search=true

-The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Frankly, these books are hard to get into because of the scale but once the series gets going it's a humbling lesson in the power of world building and the thrill of a unique magic system. Has some of the most visceral, awesome action scenes with magic.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228665.The_Eye_of_the_World?from_search=true

-Neuromancer by William Gibson. Said by many to be the inspiration to the matrix. Amazing science fiction.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22328.Neuromancer?from_search=true

-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Yes, it was just released as a movie. Read the book, it's really good while I hear the movie is just average. One of those books you can't put down.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game?from_search=true

-Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. This was the inspiration for Blade Runner. It's a book full of tension and philosophical questions related to artificial intelligence. Also full of bounty hunters and guns.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7082.Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep_

The last three are graphic novels, so less helpful from a prose perspective but very instructive when looking at story.

-Akira. Either the manga or the movie, as the books are expensive. Akira is about incredibly powerful telekinesis, the danger of messing with nature and the corrupting influence of power on the human soul.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93371.Akira_Vol_1?from_search=true

-The Watchmen by Alan Moore. This is the only graphic novel to make it on Time Magazine's top 100 novels of all time list. It won the Hugo award when it was released. It's a masterpiece.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/472331.Watchmen?from_search=true

-V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. The graphic novel, not the movie.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5805.V_for_Vendetta

Keep in mind that you could probably get any of these for free from the library, except maybe the graphic novels but I've noticed more libraries carrying them.
 

Brightdreamer

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If you like sarcastic, witty narrators, you might give Brandon Sanderson's Alcatraz series a try (first book: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.) A troubled foster boy who always seems to break things discovers that librarians are evil overlords, keeping America and other nations of the "Hushlands" in the dark about the true nature of the world. And his curse of breaking stuff is actually a gift... if he can figure out how to use it right.

Eoin Colfer's Artemis Fowl series (first book: Artemis Fowl) has some pretty witty writing. A boy criminal mastermind takes on the underground fairy nation, which not only has magic but highly advanced technology on its side.

Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus books (first book: The Amulet of Samarkand) are great, with a very memorable and sarcastic djinn as one of the main characters.

If you like new takes on old gods, you might want to look for K. A. Applegate's Everworld series (first book: Search for Senna.) Four modern teens get pulled into a world created by obsolete Earth gods and myths... a world that's been gate-crashed by alien gods, one of whom eats deities.

I also second King God Kong Zilla's recommendations of Mistborn (and most anything by Sanderson) and Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game.

As for your list, I also found Percy a good hero. (And there's nothing wrong with liking the "FX" in a story, like Percy's water gifts. Some truly awesome mind's eye candy, in that series.)
 

Emermouse

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I tried to read the first Percy Jackson but I found myself predicting every twist plus the writing style was entirely unengaging, but then again, YMMV.
 

xYinxx

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Okay, here's a list. I still feel like I missed some. If I remember any I'll post them here.

-Steelheart (The Reckoners #1) by Brandon Sanderson. This is a great YA novel about a world where the superheroes dominate humankind as overlords and the men and women who want to kill them.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17182126-steelheart?from_search=true

-The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. This is an incredibly addicting, well written series with a very original magic system.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68428.Mistborn?from_search=true

-The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. Frankly, these books are hard to get into because of the scale but once the series gets going it's a humbling lesson in the power of world building and the thrill of a unique magic system. Has some of the most visceral, awesome action scenes with magic.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228665.The_Eye_of_the_World?from_search=true

-Neuromancer by William Gibson. Said by many to be the inspiration to the matrix. Amazing science fiction.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22328.Neuromancer?from_search=true

-Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Yes, it was just released as a movie. Read the book, it's really good while I hear the movie is just average. One of those books you can't put down.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/375802.Ender_s_Game?from_search=true

-Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. This was the inspiration for Blade Runner. It's a book full of tension and philosophical questions related to artificial intelligence. Also full of bounty hunters and guns.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7082.Do_Androids_Dream_of_Electric_Sheep_

The last three are graphic novels, so less helpful from a prose perspective but very instructive when looking at story.

-Akira. Either the manga or the movie, as the books are expensive. Akira is about incredibly powerful telekinesis, the danger of messing with nature and the corrupting influence of power on the human soul.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/93371.Akira_Vol_1?from_search=true

-The Watchmen by Alan Moore. This is the only graphic novel to make it on Time Magazine's top 100 novels of all time list. It won the Hugo award when it was released. It's a masterpiece.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/472331.Watchmen?from_search=true

-V for Vendetta by Alan Moore. The graphic novel, not the movie.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5805.V_for_Vendetta

Keep in mind that you could probably get any of these for free from the library, except maybe the graphic novels but I've noticed more libraries carrying them.


Thanks for the suggestions, everyone. :)
 

MythMonger

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1. His personal loyalty: Percy cares dearly about his friends and family. While this is also his biggest flaw, it means that he will always try to save those he cares about, no matter the cost. And Riordan, no spoilers included, weaved the plot around this fatal flaw. :D


2. His narration is sarcastic and witty. C'mon, who doesn't like the protagonists who are full of wit and have a sarcastic outlook on life? Reading the books from his POV in Percy Jackson and the Olympians was entertaining.

3. He's brave. Well, this is an obvious trait for a hero, but Percy is as brave as they come.

4. He's likable. He's a troubled kid, but he's interesting, and most importantly, he feels real.

5. His hydrokinesis powers are freaking awesome. Okay, this one doesn't really count, but still. :D


Agree or disagree? :D


I read the Lightning Thief, but didn't see what you did.

Did his character get more engaging further into the series?
 

xYinxx

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I read the Lightning Thief, but didn't see what you did.

Did his character get more engaging further into the series?

I guess it's just an opinion thing, but his bravery and other traits can be seen further in the other four books. He also plays a role in Riordan's spin-off series The Heroes of Olympus.