Demigods and Monsters Quotes

“Greek women were not allowed to be: free and untamed. In fact, Artemis is a bit of a paradox. On the one hand, her commitment to purity must have been greatly admired by Ancient Greeks; yet she is also untamable and answers to no man. She is truly the eternal wild child who never has to grow up and shoulder the responsibilities that adulthood brings. She never has to compromise herself or conform to any of society’s standards. No wonder she is associated with the moon—completely untouchable, forever unattainable. If offered the option of becoming one of Artemis’ immortal maidens, freed forever from the shackles of marriage or slavery, I think many Ancient Greek women would have jumped on that bandwagon as it careened past”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“It would be a shame to get expelled from school (or arrested) for trying to stab the principal with a ballpoint pen just because he doesn’t use enough deodorant.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“(Hippocampi are so my newest favorite mythological creature. I keep asking my husband for one. He keeps saying no, the griffin wouldn’t like it.)”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“But not princess-y in a prissy way. No, I would be a total badass, with a long black leather coat and a diamond scepter that doubles as a weapon. Yeah, a weapon!”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“shall sail the iron ship with warriors of bone,            You shall find what you seek and make it your own,            But despair for your life entombed within stone,            And fail without friends, to fly home alone.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“My point is you heroes never change. You accuse us gods of being vain. You should take a look at yourselves. You take what you want, you use whoever you have to, and then you betray everyone around you. So excuse me if I have no love for heroes. They are a selfish, ungrateful lot. Ask Adriane. Or Medea. For that matter, ask Zoë Nightshade.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“On a more basic level, Greek mythology is simply fun! The stories have adventure, magic, romance, monsters, brave heroes, horrible villains, fantastic quests. What’s not to love?”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“All you have to do is utter the words, “I pledge myself to the goddess Artemis. I turn my back on the company of men, accept eternal maidenhood, and join the Hunt.” Yes, you heard that right. Eternal maidenhood and”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Sometimes the best we can do is to remind each other that we’re related, for better or worse . . . and try to keep the maiming and killing to a minimum.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“It was a moment’s vision, but it has never left me.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“There are places where the visible and invisible worlds are very close to each other. . . . They are a sort of door, through which it is a little easier to pass from one world to another.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“If I wanted to be a gardener, I’d be a gardener.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Who . . . who am I?” . . . “Who are you?” [Chiron] mused. “Well, that’s the question we all want answered, isn’t it?”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Every young hero will encounter monsters. That’s a given. But will you see them before they see you?”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“three easy steps on how to survive in a world full of monsters who want to kill you.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Does the popularity of a certain coffee chain have anything to do with the siren on its logo?”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“What would you do if you woke up one morning and found a satyr on your front porch, and he explained that he was going to take you to a special camp for people like you: half-god, half-human?”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“About a year ago at a signing for The Lightning Thief, a boy raised his hand in the audience and asked, “What is the theme of your book?” I stared at him blankly. “I don’t know.” “Darn it!” he said. “I need that for my report!”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Batman as a Greek god is not too far off, because it’s the same idea at work: creating a superhuman version of humanity so that we can explore our problems, strengths, and weaknesses writ large. If the novel puts life under the microscope, mythology blows it up to billboard size.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“When I speak to school groups, I often ask children what Greek god they would like for a parent. My favorite answer was from a schoolgirl in Texas who said, “Batman!”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“So knowing mythology makes one a more informed member of society,”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“In the story, Percy Jackson discovers that being different can be a source of strength—and a mark of greatness. Being academically hopeless does not mean you are a hopeless person.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Get the parents out of the way and then something interesting can happen.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Greek Fire Weapon developed in c. 700 A.D. by the Byzantine Greeks to help protect Constantinople (now Istanbul) against Arab attack. Like an early flame-thrower, it jetted a stream of flame onto ships. Its inextinguishable fire was made of a mix of petroleum, sulphur, and nitre.”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series

“Although a few legends tell of Callisto welcoming Zeus with open arms, most of the versions have Zeus resorting to trickery. In these versions, knowing that Callisto was completely devoted to both Artemis and her vow of chastity, Zeus appeared to the nymph as the goddess Artemis herself while Callisto lay resting under a tree. Once Callisto’s guard was down, Zeus abandoned his disguise and used force against her. To make matters worse, Callisto ended up pregnant from the encounter. Fearing Artemis’ legendary wrath, Callisto tried to conceal her condition but finally was no longer able to one morning when all the nymphs bathed together in a forest glade. Furious that Callisto betrayed her vow (even though by most accounts Callisto hadn’t done so willingly), Artemis turned her into a bear, which she then hunted down and killed. In other versions, Callisto was still allowed to give birth to her son, Arcas, who in turn encountered his mother in her bear form and killed her. In yet other versions, Artemis was on the verge of killing Callisto when Zeus interfered and placed her in the sky where she can be seen as Ursa Major. (Interestingly enough, Riordan’s Artemis takes credit for placing Callisto in the sky herself.)”
― Rick Riordan, Demigods and Monsters: Your Favorite Authors on Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series