35 Rick Riordan Quotes

Rick Riordan, best-selling author and master of mythology-inspired fiction, has captivated readers of all ages with his witty, adventurous, and deeply meaningful storytelling. From the perils faced by Percy Jackson to the epic journeys of the Kane siblings, Riordan's books are brimming with memorable lines that resonate long after the final page is turned. Whether you're in search of a bit of humor, wisdom, or inspiration, our curated collection of the top 35 Rick Riordan quotes is sure to transport you back to the fantastical worlds and beloved characters that have left an indelible mark on the literary landscape. Dive in and rediscover the magic with these unforgettable snippets from Riordan's universe.

1. “Not knowing is half the fun," Aphrodite said, "Exquisitely painful isn't it? Not being sure who you love and who loves you? Oh, you kids! It's so cute I'm going to cry!” - Rick Riordan

2. “It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive.""Oh." Suddenly Leo didn't look so excited. Then he remembered everyone was watching. "I mean... Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this.” - Rick Riordan

3. “Well, actually it carried Cadmus. Europa fell off and died along the way, but that's not important.'It was probably important to her.” - Rick Riordan

4. “Charlie …" Silena’s eyes were a million miles away. "See Charlie.” - Rick Riordan

5. “A hero can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as he has the nerve.” - Rick Riordan

6. “And when demigods use cell phones, the signals agitate every monster within a hundred miles. It's like sending up a flare: Here I am! Please rearrange my face!” - Rick Riordan

7. “The word Styx got her [Mrs. O'Leary, the hellhound] excited. She probably thought I meant sticks. She jumped a few times, chased her tail just to teach it who was boss, and then calmed down enough for me to push Nico onto her back.” - Rick Riordan

8. “Frank stared at her. "But you throw Ding Dongs at monsters."Iris looked horrified. "Oh, they're not Ding Dongs."She rummaged under the counter and brought out a package of chocolate covered cakes that looked exactly like Ding Dongs. "These are gluten-free, no-sugar-added, vitamin-enriched, soy-free, goat-milk-and-seaweed-based cupcake simulations.""All natural!" Fleecy chimed in."I stand corrected." Frank suddenly felt as queasy as Percy.” - Rick Riordan

9. “I didn't answer, but, please—nothing is obvious with boys. For such simple creatures, they are quite baffling.” - Rick Riordan

10. “If I'm going to burn, it might as well be bright.” - Rick Riordan

11. “Back in my day, we died all the time, and we liked it!” - Rick Riordan

12. “Elections only happen in two ways," Reyna said. "Either the legion raises someone on a shield after a major success on the battlefield-and we haven't had any major battles-or we hold a ballot on the evening of June 24, at the Feast of Fortuna. That's in five days."Percy frowned. "You have a feast for tuna?” - Rick Riordan

13. “Tyson, Frank is a descendant of Poseidon.""Brother!" Tyson crushed Frank in a hug.Percy stifled a laugh. "Actually he's more like a great-great-...Oh, never mind. Yeah, he's your brother.""Thanks." Frank mumbled through a mouthful of flannel.” - Rick Riordan

14. “The thing about plummetting downhill at fifty miles an hour on a snack platter - if you realize it's a bad idea when you're halfway down, it's too late.” - Rick Riordan

15. “I tell aspiring writers that you have to find what you MUST write. When you find it, you will know, because the subject matter won’t let you go. It’s not enough to write simply because you think it would be neat to be published. You have to be compelled to write. If you’re not, nothing else that you do matters.” - Rick Riordan

16. “THAT'S IT!" Terminus cried. "That's AGAINST THE RULES!"Polybotes frowned, obviously confused that he was being told off by a statue. "What are you?" he growled. "Shut up!"He pushed the statue over and turned back to Percy."Now I'm MAD!" Terminus shrieked. "I'm strangling you. Feel that? Those are my hands around your neck, you big bully. Get over here! I'm going to head-butt you so hard--” - Rick Riordan

17. “Right before the game, she strolled up to me. "Hey, Seaweed Brain.""Will you stop calling me that?"She knows I hate that name, mostly because I never have a good comeback. She's the daughter of Athena, which doesn't give me a lot of ammunition. I mean, "Owl-head" and "Wise Girl" are kind of lame insults.” - Rick Riordan

18. “Don't you ever feel like, what if the world really IS messed up? What if we COULD Do it all over again from scratch? No more war. Nobody homeless. No more summer reading homework.'m listening. Annabeth: I mean, the West represents a lot of the best things mankind ever did--that's why the fire is still burning. That's why OlympusIs still around. But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, you know? And you start thinking the way Luke does: 'If I could tear this all down, i would do it better.'. Don't you ever feel that way? Like YOU could do a better job I'd you ran the world?Percy:Um...no. Me running the world would be kind of a nightmare. Annabeth: then you're lucky. Hubris isn't your fatal flaw.Percy: what is?Annabeth: I don't know, Percy, but every hero has one. If you don't find it and learn to control it...well, they don't call it 'fatal' for nothing. Percy(thinking to himself): I thought about that. It didn't exactly cheer me up.” - Rick Riordan

19. “Percy, we're going to Polyphemus' island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k...a C-y-k..." She stamped her foot in frustration. As smart as she was, Annabeth was dyslexic, too. We could've been there all night while she tried to spell Cyclops. "You know what I mean!” - Rick Riordan

20. “Quer dizer que todo mundo aqui toma Bebsi quando come bizza?” - Rick Riordan

21. “You can't call a ninja lord dweeb.” - Rick Riordan

22. “June cackled with delight, muttering, "Whoops!" as a car almost killed them.” - Rick Riordan

23. “Met them. Killed them. Got the T-shirt.” - Rick Riordan

24. “Lacy had warned me about Drew the first day of school. Apparently the two of them had gone to some summer camp together––blah, blah, I didn't really listen to teh details––and Drew had been just as much a tyrant there.~Sadie Kane, about Lacy and Drew of Aphrodite cabin.” - Rick Riordan

25. “If I were a flowerpot, I would've checked my hair.~Carter Kane” - Rick Riordan

26. “You never know!” Neith snapped. “The point is, I’ll survive the apocalypse. I can live off the land!” She jabbed a finger at me. “Did you know the palm tree has six different edible parts?”“Um—”“And I’ll never be bored,” Neith continued, “since I’m also the goddess of weaving. I have enough twine for a millennium of macramé!”I had no reply, as I wasn’t sure what macramé was.” - Rick Riordan

27. “If you look at it from any other side, it looks like a pile of enormous deer droppings, but Chiron wouldn't let us call the place the Poop Pile, especially after it had been named for Zeus, who doesn't have much of a sense of humor.” - Rick Riordan

28. “Swords can’t solve every problem.” - Rick Riordan

29. “Being a hero doesn’t mean you’re invincible. It just means that you’re brave enough to stand up and do what’s needed.” - Rick Riordan

30. “He climbed up behind Hazel. Arion took off across the water, the nymphs screaming behind them, and Narcissus shouting, "Bring me back! Bring me back!" As Arion raced towards the Argo II, Leo remembered what Nemesis had said about Echo and Narcissus: Perhaps they'll teach you a lesson. Leo had thought she'd meant Narcissus, but now he wondered if the real lesson for him was Echo--invisible to her brethren, cursed to love someone who didn't care for her. A seventh wheel. He tried to shake that thought. He clung to the sheet of bronze like a shield. He was determined never to forget Echo's face. She deserved at least one person who saw her and knew how good she was. Leo closed his eyes, but the memory of her smile was already fading.” - Rick Riordan

31. “Besides, Reyna will do what she can to slow things down. She's still on our side. I know she is." "You trust her." Piper's voice sounded hollow, even to herself. "Look Pipes. I told you, you've got nothing to be jealous about." "She's beautiful. She's powerful. Se's so...Roman." Jason put down his hammer. He took her hand, which sent a tingle up her arm. Piper's dad had once taken her to the Aquarium of the Pacific and shown her an electric eel. He told her that the eel sent out pulses that shocked and paralyzed its prey. Each time Jason looked at her or touched her hand, Piper felt like that. "You're beautiful and powerful," he said. "And I don't want you to be Roman. I want you to be Piper. Besides, we're a team, you and me.” - Rick Riordan

32. “Frank tugged again with no luck. Even Hazel was trying not to laugh.Frank grimaced with concentration. Suddenly, he disappeared. On the deck where he’d been standing, a green iguana crouched next to an empty set of Chinese handcuffs.“Well done, Frank Zhang,” Leo said dryly, doing his impression of Chiron the centaur. “That is exactly how people beat Chinese handcuffs. They turn into iguanas.” - Rick Riordan

33. “No more Lastrygonians.” Ella fluttered down and landed next to them. “Six minus six is zero. Spears are good for subtraction, yep.” - Rick Riordan

34. “Monsters don't die. They just dissipate into smoke and dust, which saves heroes a lot of trouble cleaning up after a fight.” - Rick Riordan

35. “Lord Bacchus, do you remember me? I helped you with that missing leopard in Sonoma." Bacchus scratched his stubbly chin. "Ah... yes. John Green." "Jason Grace.""Whatever," the god said.” - Rick Riordan