I'm gonna say it like this, put a little emphasis on this.

About the time they get to me, I'm like,

the mitochondria is the titular newest Olympian. I never read the Percy Jackson series as a kid. I'm reading them now as a 29-year-old man, and I'm on a quest to determine if this is a book series that we've all been sleeping on. I'm not on this quest alone, though. I am joined by the host of the House of Black podcast. It's Jania Stewart. Genia, how's it going? It is going well. How are you? I am doing very well. I am very excited. It's New Year, New Us, new book.

We're discovering... How are you? I am doing very well. I am very excited. It's New Year, New Us, new book.

We're discovering what the heck the sea of monsters or the ocean of baddies or the cove of creatures is all about.

Yes, yes.

So before we get into the first two chapters of this book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympian series, what is your history with the book series? I know that you are a big fan of them, but how did that all come about in your life?

So at the time I started reading Percy Jackson, Rick Ryarden was still on the first series. And I think at the time I started reading it, the only one that hadn't come out yet was like

Battle of the Labyrinth and whatever the fourth and fifth one are. I know the last one is the last Olympian.

Yes. That's as far as I go, because I used that to make the name of my podcast. Yes. Yes. So like I was

reading them, you know, hot off the presses. And it was

really cool. I remember thinking that it was really refreshing and also like any other self-respecting

middle schooler, I was deeply into Greek mythology. So this was even cooler. And then at the

beginning of the pandemic, I decided to reread the series. I was listening to them on audiobook.

And right now, I am on the fourth book of the second set of books in the series.

Quick warning, the audiobooks, which is narrator after the first three and the next person.

I don't know his work history or life story, but he's not

my favorite. Oh, no. I've not heard glowing reviews of any of the audiobooks, whether that is

the first few or the last ones or whatever. I've heard various different negative reviews,

mainly just that the voice choices, the choices, if you will, are interesting.

I will say the second person that they had. So the first guy who's narrating in the first

five PJO books is not the same person they have for the first three of the next series.

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