Artfully packaged and given the deluxe treatment, this signed and numbered limited edition of The Mark of Athena is sure to delight the legions of fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Each book is hand-signed by Rick Riordan and includes specially commissioned full-color art from series illustrator John Rocco. The deluxe slipcase features a wrap-around illustration and makes an elegant centerpiece for any bookshelf.
Rick Riordan (www.rickriordan.com) is the author of the New York Times #1 best-selling The Heroes of Olympus, Book One: The Lost Hero; the New York Times #1 best-selling The Kane Chronicles, Book One: The Red Pyramid; as well as the five books in the New York Times #1 best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. His previous novels for adults include the hugely popular Tres Navarre series, winner of the top three awards in the mystery genre. He lives in San Antonio, Texas, with his wife and two sons.
The series grew out of a sequence of bedtime stories Riordan invented for his son Haley -- who, at eight, had just been diagnosed with learning disabilities. Although Haley was having trouble in school, he loved the Greek myths and asked his dad to tell him some stories about the gods and heroes. Riordan ran through the standards from mythology, then began to invent new tales featuring some of the same characters and introducing a brave boy hero enough like Haley to make things interesting!
Haley begged his father to write the stories down, and in 2005, The Lightning Thief was published to excellent reviews. It was an instant hit with preteens, who loved the concept of a kid much like themselves -- i.e., embroiled in the everyday problems of school, family, and relationships -- embarking on heroic quests, soothing vengeful gods, and battling monsters.
In addition to Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Riordan also writes books for adults, most notably a series of high-octane Tex-Mex thrillers featuring private investigator Jackson "Tres" Navarre, a complicated loner with an offbeat pedigree. (Tres -- pronounced "Trace" -- is a tai chi master with a Ph.D. in medieval literature who turns to detective work when he is unable to find a teaching job!) The first novel in the series, 1997's Big Red Tequila, scooped the Anthony and Shamus Awards, two of the three most prestigious prizes for Mystery & Crime fiction. Riordan completed the trifecta when his sequel, The Widower's Two-Step, won the coveted Edgar Award in 1999.
Between the two series, Riordan remains incredibly busy. For several years, he balanced writing with teaching English to middle school students. Reluctantly, he has left teaching (a career he thoroughly enjoyed) in order to write full-time, but he still harbors hopes that someday he'll return to the classroom. Meanwhile, he makes frequent visits to schools and enjoys meeting young readers on his book tours.
Overview
Artfully packaged and given the deluxe treatment, this signed and numbered limited edition of The Mark of Athena is sure to delight the legions of fans of the #1 New York Times bestselling series. Each book is hand-signed by Rick Riordan and includes specially commissioned full-color art from series illustrator John Rocco. The deluxe slipcase features a wrap-around illustration and makes an elegant centerpiece for any bookshelf.