Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief

"The Lightning Thief", the first in Rick Riordan's "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series, is an introduction to a twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, who discovers that he isn't human but actually a demigod son of Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Percy should find Zeus's stolen lightning bolt and avert a war between the gods. He is, therefore, an instrumental character as far as the plot is concerned because his powers turn Percy towards watery abilities due to his inheritance. As he had vowed not to have any children who were demigods, it makes Percy, in general, a "forbidden" child and adds some tension to the plot. This conflict between Poseidon and Zeus fuels the main drive of the plot, and Percy's ever-changing relationship with his divine father discusses family and identity issues. Throughout the book, Riordan deftly updates Greek mythology by placing gods like Poseidon in modern settings, but with their actual gods' roles and personalities intact, so that the ancient and modern worlds blend seamlessly together.