If you have read The Sea of Monsters, the next book is The Titan’s Curse. It is the third Percy Jackson novel and the basis for season 3, which Disney+ schedules to begin on November 20, 2026. If you have only watched the show, you can either go back to book one or start with book three. It depends on whether you want to meet the characters again in print or get straight to the story behind the new season.

Start with the book that fits what you already know

New to Percy? Start with The Lightning Thief. You get Percy's introduction to Camp Half-Blood, and you have two books to spend with the group before the stakes change in book three. Read The Sea of Monsters next. If you are buying one used book at a time, you can decide after the first whether you want to continue.

Finished season 2 but never read the novels? Go straight to The Titan’s Curse if the new quest is what interests you. You will recognize Percy, Annabeth and Grover. If a relationship or earlier event in the novel does not line up exactly with your memory of the show, keep reading. The books tell their own version of events. For a reader who likes to know how everything began, The Lightning Thief is still the cleaner starting point.

Already read the first two? Pick up The Titan’s Curse. There is no need to read The Battle of the Labyrinth before the premiere. It comes fourth. Keep it for after you finish book three if you want the next part of the story.

What changes in The Titan’s Curse?

An urgent call from Grover sets the book in motion. Before long, the search for Artemis gives Percy and his friends a deadline. The author’s synopsis puts the mystery in terms a new reader can follow. What was Artemis hunting, and how can they find her before the winter solstice?

For a spoiler-light catch-up, those are enough details. If you want to compare the adaptation with the book as you watch, jot down where the book places an important conversation or when it introduces a new ally. That gives you something specific to notice without looking up the ending or trying to match each episode to a certain number of chapters.

Which paperback should you choose?

Disney Hyperion lists a 2022 illustrated-cover paperback, ISBN 9781368051484. The Disney+ tie-in released November 10, 2026, has a different cover and an eight-page photo insert from the series. If you want the insert, look for ISBN 9781368118972. If your goal is to read the third novel before the show, the older paperback serves that purpose.

View The Titan’s Curse in paperback. The U.S. shop view showed a Used – Very Good copy of the 2022 paperback on November 13, 2026. Check the product page for current stock, condition and shipping to your location. If you are deciding between used copies, our used-book condition guide explains what the grading and notes can tell you.