The Dark Artifices
fantasy
Series · fantasy
The Trials of Apollo
The Trials of Apollo series by Rick Riordan has 5 known books (5 published) and is best read in publication order, starting with The Hidden Oracle (2016). The latest book with a fully recorded publication date is The Tower of Nero.
- Books
- 5 known books (5 novels)
- Published
- 5
- First published
- 2016
- Status
- completed
- Shelved under
- Fantasy
- Last checked
Start here: The Hidden Oracle (2016) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The date order of published books and any announced future entries — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Hidden Oracle
The Hidden Oracle (2016) opens The Trials of Apollo: Zeus hurls the god Apollo to earth as an acne-ridden, powerless sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester Papadopoulos, forced to serve a demigod named Meg McCaffrey and restore five silenced Oracles to win back his godhood.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hidden Oracle - Book 2:
The Dark Prophecy
Published in 2017, The Dark Prophecy is the second installment of The Trials of Apollo at 432 pages, taking Lester Papadopoulos to Indianapolis as he pursues another of the fallen Oracles under the Triumvirate's shadow.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dark Prophecy - Book 3:
The Burning Maze
The Burning Maze followed The Dark Prophecy a year later, continuing The Trials of Apollo as its third entry and sending Apollo into the southwest's Burning Maze in pursuit of the next Oracle.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Burning Maze - Book 4:
The Tyrant's Tomb
The Trials of Apollo continues with The Tyrant's Tomb, the fourth entry, released in 2019, bringing Apollo to Camp Jupiter as Riordan's ten-year Greek-Roman saga moves toward resolving arcs for Reyna and the two camps.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tyrant's Tomb - Book 5:
The Tower of Nero
The Tower of Nero followed The Tyrant's Tomb a year later, closing The Trials of Apollo -- and the ten-year Riordanverse Greek-Roman saga -- at Nero's Manhattan tower.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tower of Nero
Our shelf-tested path for first-time readers.
- Book 1:
The Hidden Oracle
The Hidden Oracle (2016) opens The Trials of Apollo: Zeus hurls the god Apollo to earth as an acne-ridden, powerless sixteen-year-old mortal named Lester Papadopoulos, forced to serve a demigod named Meg McCaffrey and restore five silenced Oracles to win back his godhood.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hidden Oracle - Book 2:
The Dark Prophecy
Published in 2017, The Dark Prophecy is the second installment of The Trials of Apollo at 432 pages, taking Lester Papadopoulos to Indianapolis as he pursues another of the fallen Oracles under the Triumvirate's shadow.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Dark Prophecy - Book 3:
The Burning Maze
The Burning Maze followed The Dark Prophecy a year later, continuing The Trials of Apollo as its third entry and sending Apollo into the southwest's Burning Maze in pursuit of the next Oracle.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Burning Maze - Book 4:
The Tyrant's Tomb
The Trials of Apollo continues with The Tyrant's Tomb, the fourth entry, released in 2019, bringing Apollo to Camp Jupiter as Riordan's ten-year Greek-Roman saga moves toward resolving arcs for Reyna and the two camps.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tyrant's Tomb - Book 5:
The Tower of Nero
The Tower of Nero followed The Tyrant's Tomb a year later, closing The Trials of Apollo -- and the ten-year Riordanverse Greek-Roman saga -- at Nero's Manhattan tower.
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Tower of Nero
About The Trials of Apollo
The Trials of Apollo begins with one of Rick Riordan's best jokes: Zeus punishes the god Apollo for his role in the Giant War by hurling him to earth as Lester Papadopoulos — a sixteen-year-old mortal with acne, flab and absolutely no divine powers. To win back his godhood, the former god of poetry, music and prophecy must restore five ancient Oracles that have fallen silent, and to do that he must serve a twelve-year-old demigod named Meg McCaffrey, whose own past hides the series' sharpest secrets.
Behind the comedy — and Apollo's terrible haikus, which open every chapter — is Riordan's most pointed villain concept: the Triumvirate, three of history's worst Roman emperors, who never really died and now run the modern world's evil as a corporation. Across five books Apollo crosses America from Camp Half-Blood to Indianapolis, the Burning Maze of the southwest, Camp Jupiter and finally Nero's tower in Manhattan, gathering allies from every previous Riordanverse series.
It is the closing movement of the ten-year Greek–Roman saga: arcs for Nico di Angelo, Will Solace, Reyna, Grover and the two camps all resolve here. It is also, beneath the gags, the most emotionally serious of the series — a story about an immortal being learning guilt, grief and what humans risk every day simply by loving things they can lose.
Frequently asked questions
How many Trials of Apollo books are there?
Five: The Hidden Oracle (2016), The Dark Prophecy (2017), The Burning Maze (2018), The Tyrant's Tomb (2019) and The Tower of Nero (2020). The series is complete.
What order should I read The Trials of Apollo in?
Publication order, from The Hidden Oracle to The Tower of Nero — each quest continues directly from the last.
Do I need to read Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus first?
Strongly recommended. The Trials of Apollo is a direct sequel to The Heroes of Olympus, reuses its cast and camps, and freely spoils both earlier series.
Is The Trials of Apollo the end of the Percy Jackson universe?
It closes the main Greek–Roman saga, but the universe continues: The Sun and the Star (2023) follows Nico and Will, and Percy narrates new 'Senior Year' adventures beginning with The Chalice of the Gods (2023).
If you like The Trials of Apollo
Reading order last verified .