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Camp Half-Blood #1
The Wild Zone
Ever wonder what goes on at Camp Half-Blood in between Percy Jackson’s legendary quests? Find out in the start of a new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rick Riordan and an all-star team of coauthors!
In book one, five newbie demigods dare to enter Camp Half-Blood’s forbidden Wild Zone, unleashing ancient curses, bloodthirsty monsters—and a fight to survive.
Katie Kim may be a newcomer to Camp Half-Blood, but even she knows they weren’t supposed to be running through the Wild Zone—the forest is off-limits to campers and staff. Why, then, did Clarisse, head counselor of the Ares cabin, take her and four other newbies there in the dark of night and tell them to race back to camp by morning?
Clarisse’s threat was scary enough, but when Katie’s half-brother Grant goes missing, his disappearance sparks the arrival of vicious monsters and a mysterious curse. It’s up to Katie and the three remaining newbies—the Wild Omada—to brave the Wild Zone again and uncover its dark and deadly secrets.
In book one, five newbie demigods dare to enter Camp Half-Blood’s forbidden Wild Zone, unleashing ancient curses, bloodthirsty monsters—and a fight to survive.
Katie Kim may be a newcomer to Camp Half-Blood, but even she knows they weren’t supposed to be running through the Wild Zone—the forest is off-limits to campers and staff. Why, then, did Clarisse, head counselor of the Ares cabin, take her and four other newbies there in the dark of night and tell them to race back to camp by morning?
Clarisse’s threat was scary enough, but when Katie’s half-brother Grant goes missing, his disappearance sparks the arrival of vicious monsters and a mysterious curse. It’s up to Katie and the three remaining newbies—the Wild Omada—to brave the Wild Zone again and uncover its dark and deadly secrets.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published September 29, 2026
About the author
Rick Riordan
444 books462k followersRick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of many books, including the Percy Jackson series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
Want to Read
June 1, 2026J. K. Rowling got sick after writing seven
Suzanne Collins wrote 14
RIORDAN WROTE THE OTHER 51
Suzanne Collins wrote 14
RIORDAN WROTE THE OTHER 51
May 12, 2026
canon ruegard in the big year of our lord 2026 i used to pray for times like these
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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Want to Read
May 14, 2026It's simple! Rick Riordan writes... I read
Currently Reading
May 20, 2026I’m gonna explode if I don’t get this soon
Want to Read
May 12, 2026rick never quits, does he?
edit:
ITS OUT!!!! i gotta get it asap 🤭
edit:
ITS OUT!!!! i gotta get it asap 🤭
Want to Read
May 13, 2026rick will never stop, and I will always be happy that he won’t.
Want to Read
May 14, 2026Pre-release ! 🍃
Still waiting for my guardian satyr to come😭👍
…
but while I’m waiting I guessssss I’ll pass the time and read what’s going on there so I’ll be prepared🥹🫰
Still waiting for my guardian satyr to come😭👍
…
but while I’m waiting I guessssss I’ll pass the time and read what’s going on there so I’ll be prepared🥹🫰
Want to Read
May 13, 2026A CAMP HALFBLOOD SERIES WE WON!!
Want to Read
May 12, 2026camp half blood never stops coming I guess
Want to Read
June 21, 2026Pre-release
Y’all KNOW ima be sprinting to target for this
Y’all KNOW ima be sprinting to target for this
Want to Read
May 13, 2026Okay,
The cover is AMAZING!
And the whole book was a really pleasure surprise
UNTILLL,
We learnt it was between The Lighning Thief and The Sea of Monsters.
I mean, WHY. The Riordanverse timeline is already a Jeremy Bearimy (yes that was a Good Place reference), he keeps writing books IN THIS GODDAMN 7 YEARS (2005-2011).
I really, wish Rick would write a book after the main events, with brand new characters. I mean, how is that even supposed to be canon.
I swear to god, if Rick has one, ONE plot hole, This book is gonna get a -1 star review from me.
But let's focus and the good things. Like:
1. we are going to see Clarisse again
2. We are going to see new characters
3. the plot looks AMAZING.
4. the cover looks AMAZING.
Now, I'll wait for the next update.
Okay, this book may be getting a tv show adaptation... I don't know how I feel about that. Propably good. I hope it has the PJO tv show cast at least.
The cover is AMAZING!
And the whole book was a really pleasure surprise
UNTILLL,
We learnt it was between The Lighning Thief and The Sea of Monsters.
I mean, WHY. The Riordanverse timeline is already a Jeremy Bearimy (yes that was a Good Place reference), he keeps writing books IN THIS GODDAMN 7 YEARS (2005-2011).
I really, wish Rick would write a book after the main events, with brand new characters. I mean, how is that even supposed to be canon.
I swear to god, if Rick has one, ONE plot hole, This book is gonna get a -1 star review from me.
But let's focus and the good things. Like:
1. we are going to see Clarisse again
2. We are going to see new characters
3. the plot looks AMAZING.
4. the cover looks AMAZING.
Now, I'll wait for the next update.
Okay, this book may be getting a tv show adaptation... I don't know how I feel about that. Propably good. I hope it has the PJO tv show cast at least.
September 30, 2026
In my opinion, this new addition to the Percy Jackson universe felt truer to the original five book series in writing style than any of Rick Riordan’s other works. I’m incredibly impressed by how well Annabelle Oh matched the tone, and I enjoyed the humor. It genuinely felt like returning to the world and style of the original Percy Jackson and the Olympians books rather than simply reading a story set in the same universe.
This was a four star read for me; I enjoyed reentering the original world of Percy Jackson, the new characters were interesting and well-written, and the mystery itself was entertaining and didn’t egregiously break existing canon. That being said, I was disappointed by a few aspects of the story - namely the larger themes, and the conclusion to the book.
My biggest gripe is that The Wild Zone didn’t feel as thematically tight as the original PJO books. There are incredibly thoughtful discussions of Katie’s relationship with her Korean identity, as well as around her anger and intrusive thoughts, and these moments were handled very well. (The scene with probably-Hestia, and what follows it, was excellent). But in my opinion, they never seemed to connect to a larger, more plot-driven thematic arc.
In The Lightning Thief, which takes place immediately before this story, the plot forces the characters to engage with interesting questions. What does it mean to be a hero? When should you let others have their own agency? Does family ever deserve a second chance? Do you have to believe what your parents believe? Should you choose security and protection, or face the real world and grow?
I never got that sense from The Wild Zone. There are interesting character ideas, but the plot hasn’t seemed to transform those ideas into larger questions, and hasn’t forced the characters to make choices that give the story that same sense of thematic weight.
Perhaps I’m being overly critical by comparing these books to the original series due to its place in the timeline - perhaps they’re not meant to do the same thing. But I went into this expecting a little bit more in the subtext underneath the plot.
I also expected some sort of resolution to the central plot, even if it was only a small resolution that then left unfinished threads to set up the next book. Instead, we get a bad-guy reveal (which did fit well), but no conclusion in any sense. I genuinely thought my ebook was accidentally cut off when I turned the page and found the glossary.
Instead, it seems like The Wild Zone might be acting more as the setup for the next three books than as a full story in its own right. And because it’s not a full story in and of itself, it makes me hopeful that the ideas introduced here are only the starting point, and will eventually build towards a stronger thematic arc.
This was a four star read for me; I enjoyed reentering the original world of Percy Jackson, the new characters were interesting and well-written, and the mystery itself was entertaining and didn’t egregiously break existing canon. That being said, I was disappointed by a few aspects of the story - namely the larger themes, and the conclusion to the book.
My biggest gripe is that The Wild Zone didn’t feel as thematically tight as the original PJO books. There are incredibly thoughtful discussions of Katie’s relationship with her Korean identity, as well as around her anger and intrusive thoughts, and these moments were handled very well. (The scene with probably-Hestia, and what follows it, was excellent). But in my opinion, they never seemed to connect to a larger, more plot-driven thematic arc.
In The Lightning Thief, which takes place immediately before this story, the plot forces the characters to engage with interesting questions. What does it mean to be a hero? When should you let others have their own agency? Does family ever deserve a second chance? Do you have to believe what your parents believe? Should you choose security and protection, or face the real world and grow?
I never got that sense from The Wild Zone. There are interesting character ideas, but the plot hasn’t seemed to transform those ideas into larger questions, and hasn’t forced the characters to make choices that give the story that same sense of thematic weight.
Perhaps I’m being overly critical by comparing these books to the original series due to its place in the timeline - perhaps they’re not meant to do the same thing. But I went into this expecting a little bit more in the subtext underneath the plot.
I also expected some sort of resolution to the central plot, even if it was only a small resolution that then left unfinished threads to set up the next book. Instead, we get a bad-guy reveal (which did fit well), but no conclusion in any sense. I genuinely thought my ebook was accidentally cut off when I turned the page and found the glossary.
Instead, it seems like The Wild Zone might be acting more as the setup for the next three books than as a full story in its own right. And because it’s not a full story in and of itself, it makes me hopeful that the ideas introduced here are only the starting point, and will eventually build towards a stronger thematic arc.
October 1, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
A very enjoyable audiobook, and if you can take a HUGE step back from when it’s “supposed to be set”, it’s fun addition to the series
A very enjoyable audiobook, and if you can take a HUGE step back from when it’s “supposed to be set”, it’s fun addition to the series
Want to Read
May 14, 2026Ooh, i'm excited for this one! Something to keep us readers busy until SYA book 3 is released and I'm all for it!
But, I will say: From the blog post, it seemed like there might not be more new Percy-related content after this. Excuse me for a moment while I go cry about that...
Alright, I'm back....maybe.
Anyways, I'm still really excited about this and I can't wait for September to find a place for this book on my Percy Jackson bookshelf!
But, I will say: From the blog post, it seemed like there might not be more new Percy-related content after this. Excuse me for a moment while I go cry about that...
Alright, I'm back....maybe.
Anyways, I'm still really excited about this and I can't wait for September to find a place for this book on my Percy Jackson bookshelf!
Want to Read
September 29, 2026AAAAGGGGHGHGHGHGH I WANNA READ THIS SO BAD!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Did I just read this in one sitting? Absolutely yes. I am so incredibly ready for more in this series, omgggg!
Diving back into the world of Percy Jackson at an interesting time point with amazing new characters who you genuienly cannot help but love and a mystery that had me reading faster than I ever have before. I don’t know how I’m going to survive waiting until the next book comes out.
Diving back into the world of Percy Jackson at an interesting time point with amazing new characters who you genuienly cannot help but love and a mystery that had me reading faster than I ever have before. I don’t know how I’m going to survive waiting until the next book comes out.
Want to Read
July 31, 2026well ok
Want to Read
May 14, 2026UMMM WHATS THIS?
September 30, 2026
It’s always so much fun returning to the World of Percy Jackson. And what was even more fun of when this story took place. I assumed it was going to be our latest in the timeline. But nope! It actually takes place between The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters. Time to find out exactly what was going on at camp during the school year after Percy returned home from his quest. This is just beginning of this series with some new characters. Leading us off is Katie Kim. After an Ares hazing goes wrong, Katie loses her friend in the Wild Zone, a very dangerous part of the forest that no one is supposed to enter. Katie and a few campers were taken there by Clarisse to escape from. But someone didn’t come back. Katie’s half-brother, another son of Ares, Grant. Katie is determined to find him. But turns out there is a lot about that section of the woods that no one knows about. And soon Grant isn’t the only one that eventually goes missing. This was such a fun story overall. And that ending! Definitely leaves us wanting to know more. We see so many familiar faces of characters we loved and lost later in the series, so it was fun to see them again. We get some new faces that I’m excited to learn more about. And it’s just interesting to see how things are going right before the war against Kronos truly blows up. It’s the early days of wondering what exactly is going to happen next. I’m definitely excited to see where this series takes us.
October 2, 2026
I go in to every new book in the Percy Jackson world with the same love and nostalgia and whimsy paired with a curiosity as to what else could possibly happen. The Wild Zone was such a fun and intriguing new entry into Camp Half-Blood.
Knowing this book was going to take place in the off season between Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters should have tipped me off but I loved returning to the OG era Camp Half-Blood. Argus as temporary Camp director was such a cool new addition to his character that I hadn’t known to expect! And seeing Selena and Beckendorf alive and well and interacting with each other and our new main cast was such a stab to the heart in the best way. The return to pre-Sea of Monsters Clarisse was also fun to revisit and expand on as we get to see her actually acting as cabin leader.
Now the ENDING—I was fully expecting this new CHB series to follow the format of its predecessors and resolve the main conflict within the book and set up a larger conflict for future books but NO!?! I fully flipped the page into the glossary section and thought my book must have a misprint because how could it be over already!?!? And the villain reveal fully threw me for a loop (yes I’m 23 years old and know the myth of Prometheus and somehow missed ALL the clues)!
Excellent work and I simply cannot wait for the next one.
Knowing this book was going to take place in the off season between Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters should have tipped me off but I loved returning to the OG era Camp Half-Blood. Argus as temporary Camp director was such a cool new addition to his character that I hadn’t known to expect! And seeing Selena and Beckendorf alive and well and interacting with each other and our new main cast was such a stab to the heart in the best way. The return to pre-Sea of Monsters Clarisse was also fun to revisit and expand on as we get to see her actually acting as cabin leader.
Now the ENDING—I was fully expecting this new CHB series to follow the format of its predecessors and resolve the main conflict within the book and set up a larger conflict for future books but NO!?! I fully flipped the page into the glossary section and thought my book must have a misprint because how could it be over already!?!? And the villain reveal fully threw me for a loop (yes I’m 23 years old and know the myth of Prometheus and somehow missed ALL the clues)!
Excellent work and I simply cannot wait for the next one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 29, 2026
i’m a massive fan of PJO and Riordan and i was really excited for this book hoping for some world building and getting to see more of camp halfblood, but unfortunately it was a huge let down. it felt like practically nothing happened in this book, i kept waiting for any semblance of action to happen or anything to move the plot forward and it never really came. the “big reveal” at the end felt more like something to end a chapter or section not the entire book. i guess it did provide some of the world building i was hoping for since the character revealed shows up in the main series but it felt really anticlimactic, as did the whole book really. i hope the rest of the series does better because this series is a cool concept even if i do wish it took place in camp jupiter instead haha
Read
September 30, 2026really enjoyed this book, very excited for the rest of the series! biggest upset of the book is that it will be a year and a half until we have the completed series
Want to Read
September 17, 2026pre-release
Istg if this is anything like the COTG and WOTTG…
Istg if this is anything like the COTG and WOTTG…
Want to Read
July 26, 20267/26/2026
truth be told i saw this on the front page and inwardly groaned, the nostalgia of the riordanverse mostly wore away when i read the slaughter of characterization that was chalice of the gods. every public figure has their flaws but i do like that riordan supports underrepresented writers (with rr presents & tsats) - reading the "interview" with percy about this book unfortunately did pique my interest. i like percy and all but im very happy he is not in a riordan draft anymore.
i wonder if out of the 16 years this series was released if any of these characters are basically someone's ocs 😭😭😭😭 that would be so funny. imagine your percy jackson oc you made at like 14 was canonized
does this mean we get to see baby will?!?!?! actually i dont remember if he was a full timer (it's been years since i read a pjo book).. ive always been intruiged by the campers before percy's time ngl
truth be told i saw this on the front page and inwardly groaned, the nostalgia of the riordanverse mostly wore away when i read the slaughter of characterization that was chalice of the gods. every public figure has their flaws but i do like that riordan supports underrepresented writers (with rr presents & tsats) - reading the "interview" with percy about this book unfortunately did pique my interest. i like percy and all but im very happy he is not in a riordan draft anymore.
i wonder if out of the 16 years this series was released if any of these characters are basically someone's ocs 😭😭😭😭 that would be so funny. imagine your percy jackson oc you made at like 14 was canonized
does this mean we get to see baby will?!?!?! actually i dont remember if he was a full timer (it's been years since i read a pjo book).. ive always been intruiged by the campers before percy's time ngl
October 1, 2026
I feel like, similarly to the Trials of Apollo, to separate these books from their collective series would be a disservice, the only issue, I don't have the rest of those books. This book is 300 pages...how...? I do have to commend the pacing of this book, since they go into the Wild Zone 2(3 if you count when Katie went alone) times, and have a break of 100 pages inbetween all of it, where they just ease drop on lore relevant conversations, that are just repeating each other over and over again. This entire book is a set up book, nothing really happens, but it sets up everything else. 'Zuri what are you hunting?' 'You don't need to know that right now'. 'Harper, why are you afraid of tunnels?' 'You don't need to know that?' 'who's Benny's godly parent parent?' ' You'll learn that later'. Everyone has secrets, and there's almost no emotional payoff to reading this book, since nothing happens, and things are only ever set up. Even Katie's arc of feeling inferior and that she's not Korean enough, while a definitely relevant story to share, and a good message for kids who feel the same way, this book seems to sporadically decide when and when not to start to resolve that, rather than a gradual thing over time. It's so incredibly jarring, since most of the time, it's her not feeling Korean enough rather than inferior, so it sticks out in the story a little bit. This entire book and it's characters aren't really deep at all, and it's incredibly surface level and mind numbing. The amount of time that stretched between each expedition to the Wild Zone is absolutely insane.
But, I thought it was decently funny and I'm so happy that Harper exists.
But, I thought it was decently funny and I'm so happy that Harper exists.
October 1, 2026
This was a very quick, short and fun read.
It didn't blow me away by any means, but i enjoyed it enough to get the next book.
I was surprised that we didn't get any real conclusion to the story. But I did thoroughly enjoy the reveal at the end.
I enjoyed the new characters, I felt they fitted well into the universe. And I enjoyed the isolated nature of the story (I dont think we have ever had an entire book set at the camp before). This series feels like its just going to slot into one specific time and place in the CHB story, without really expanding the boundaries of what we have, but i actually really quite enjoyed that about this book.
Im short... a fun, smaller journey set at camp, with characters we know and love, without the big impact of the wider pantheon.
It didn't blow me away by any means, but i enjoyed it enough to get the next book.
I was surprised that we didn't get any real conclusion to the story. But I did thoroughly enjoy the reveal at the end.
I enjoyed the new characters, I felt they fitted well into the universe. And I enjoyed the isolated nature of the story (I dont think we have ever had an entire book set at the camp before). This series feels like its just going to slot into one specific time and place in the CHB story, without really expanding the boundaries of what we have, but i actually really quite enjoyed that about this book.
Im short... a fun, smaller journey set at camp, with characters we know and love, without the big impact of the wider pantheon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2026
A brand new series in the world of Percy Jackson that felt like a warm hug and returning home.
The first book of 4 setting up brand new adventures and monster attacks. This book takes place at Camp Half Blood whilst Percy and the gang are off in the world fighting in what will be the Titan war (set between The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters). What I LOVE about this book is you get to see what it’s really like to stay at camp full time. It’s like a behind the scenes look into the PJ universe with a combination of characters we already know and love and new blood to explore.
This time we get to follow a daughter of Ares!
The perfect read for everyone. Whether you’re new to this world or a well seasoned fan, you’re going to love this book!
I already love where this series is going and I’m DYING for book 2! Grab your weapons Demi-Gods… we’re heading into The Wild Zone!
The first book of 4 setting up brand new adventures and monster attacks. This book takes place at Camp Half Blood whilst Percy and the gang are off in the world fighting in what will be the Titan war (set between The Lightning Thief and Sea of Monsters). What I LOVE about this book is you get to see what it’s really like to stay at camp full time. It’s like a behind the scenes look into the PJ universe with a combination of characters we already know and love and new blood to explore.
This time we get to follow a daughter of Ares!
The perfect read for everyone. Whether you’re new to this world or a well seasoned fan, you’re going to love this book!
I already love where this series is going and I’m DYING for book 2! Grab your weapons Demi-Gods… we’re heading into The Wild Zone!
September 30, 2026
actual rating 4.75 stars
SOOOOO good omg !!! i didnt have super high hopes considering the last few pjoverse books havent been the best but this was SO interesting ! i cld be biased bc ive always wanted to know about camp in between the main series + i love the background characters . but the plot was so good and i loved the new characters ! cannot wait for book 2
SOOOOO good omg !!! i didnt have super high hopes considering the last few pjoverse books havent been the best but this was SO interesting ! i cld be biased bc ive always wanted to know about camp in between the main series + i love the background characters . but the plot was so good and i loved the new characters ! cannot wait for book 2
October 1, 2026
I loved this and it was so fun to learn more about camp. The new characters are amazing and all the lore and canon elements are so cool and i cant wait for The Right of Aphrodite all about harper.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews