Percy Jackson Forum - General Discussion
Thread: I Feel So Betrayed Right Now
daughter_of_the_sea (OP)
I'm so sad right now. I can't even put it into words.
I waited FIVE YEARS for this book. Five years. I was 16 when The Last Olympian came out. This series has been a big part of my teen years.
And I feel betrayed.
I expected Percy and Annabeth's story as they leave high school and go into college. Their new adventures together. Maybe Grover finally finding Pan. The Roman stuff Adler mentioned three years ago? I was SO excited for that. I thought it meant we'd see Percy interact with a whole new world. But instead, we're getting completely new characters who, according to the leaks, are basically the same as Percy, Grover, and Annabeth.
I don't want to read a story about completely new characters. I want Percy. I want Annabeth. I want the characters I grew up with.
I feel like Adler just... moved on. And left us behind.
Comments:
Seaweed_brain_forever
Adler obviously just wrote this so the fandom dies. He's too busy making movies and getting filthy rich by entering the tech business. He doesn't care about us anymore. Sigh. This sucks.
wise_girl_4ever
I still think we're all overreacting. Just wait for the book to come out. We don't even know if the leak is accurate.
daughter_of_the_sea (OP) replying
There are literally pictures of pages. It's real.
Kelp_head_comics
After everything, he abandoned his earliest supporters. He's just a rich, egotistical asshole now. Money changed him. I miss the old Daniel, who would hang out with us on this forum, answer questions, and actually care about what we thought.
No1camp_counselor replying
Remember when he used to post here? Those days are gone.
Athena_queen_2012
Thank God fanfics exist. If anyone needs a Percy Jackson sequel that's actually GOOD, read The Hidden Gods on AO3. [link]
It's a series that started two years ago, and it's EVERYTHING we wanted from the sequel. Percy and Annabeth in college, demigods from other pantheons. It's perfect.
Percabeth_forever_12 replying
OMG, FELLOW HIDDEN GODS ENJOYER!!! I LOVE THAT FIC SO MUCH. It's literally what The Lost Hero should have been.
Oracle_of_delphi replying
That fic is a masterpiece. The author gets the characters better than Adler does at this point.
Athena_queen_2012 replying
The author is crashing out in the latest chapter notes and in the comments, though lmao. They're SO MAD about the leak. They posted a whole rant about how Adler "fumbled the bag."
No1camp_counselor replying
I mean, can you blame them?
Overmotion
This is all stupid. How do we even know this leaker isn't making stuff up?
daughter_of_the_sea (OP) replying
I don't know. The fact that they have the book with them? There are pictures of pages.
Overmotion
I mean, how do we know the summaries given aren't in bad faith? Like, maybe the leaker is intentionally making it sound worse than it is?
Ireneadler
Adler SANK the fandom on purpose. Think about it. He's worth billions now. He doesn't need book sales. He doesn't need us. This is his way of killing the series so he doesn't have to write it anymore. He's too busy with Justice League, Star Wars, Dune, and other billion-dollar movies he is writing.
daughter_of_the_sea (OP) replying
This actually makes sense. He's been distancing himself from the fandom for years. This is the final nail in the coffin.
Hychiyth replying
You guys are insane.
MarioneJackson
I'm just... sad. I don't even know what else to say. I've been rereading the original series all month in preparation for this, and now I feel... Percy Jackson was my childhood. And now it feels like it's ending in the worst way possible.
u/daughter_of_the_sea (OP) replying
Same. I feel like I'm mourning something.
u/oracle_of_delphi
The five stages of grief:
Denial (this leak is fake)
Anger (FUCK ADLER)
Bargaining (maybe it won't be that bad?)
Depression (Percy Jackson is dead)
Acceptance (fanfic is better anyway)
No1camp_counselor replying
I'm stuck between anger and depression right now.
[Thread locked by moderators after 4 hours due to excessive negativity and personal attacks]
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TikTok - @booktroverts
Video: User sitting in front of a bookshelf, arms crossed, looking annoyed
"So. My last three videos have been taken down.
And before any of you say anything, I didn't even say what the leaks were. I just discussed that there was a leak, that people were upset, and that the fandom was reacting.
But apparently, that's too much.
I guess I forgot that Daniel Adler owns this app."
[She rolls her eyes]
"TikTok is his. So of course he can just delete whatever he wants. Censor whoever he wants. Because God forbid people have opinions about his book.
But sure, Daniel. Keep silencing your fans. That'll definitely make this situation better."
[She stares at the camera, unimpressed]
"Anyway, I'm done. If this video gets taken down too, you'll know why."
[Video ends]
Comments:
@readingwithrachel (12.3k likes)
Damage control. He KNOWS he's fucked.
@percbeth34 (9.8k likes)
He's trying to bury it. But the internet never forgets.
@literhonly (6.7k likes)
No, you DID discuss the leaks. You literally said "Jason replaces Percy" and "Piper is a discount Annabeth." Don't lie.
@booktroverts (3.4k likes) replying
I was summarizing what people were SAYING. I didn't confirm anything.
@literhonly (2.1k likes) replying
You showed screenshots of the 4chan post. That's spreading the leak.
@Oreginai (5.9k likes)
He has the right to take down videos that violate TikTok's terms of service. Spreading leaked content IS a violation. This isn't censorship, it's legal.
@booktroverts (4.2k likes) replying
Okay, bootlicker.
@Oreginai (1.8k likes) replying
I'm just stating facts, bitch. You broke the rules. You got taken down. That's how it works.
@mytholoerd88 (7.3k likes)
The fact that he can just DELETE criticism is SO dystopian. A billionaire silences people. Cool. Great. Love that for us.
@faraanced (4.5k likes)
You literally showed pages from the leaked book in your second video. That's copyright infringement. Of course it got taken down.
@booktroverts (2.9k likes) replying
I showed like TWO sentences.
@fairaanced (1.6k likes)
That's still infringement.
@teaml204 (3.8k likes)
This is getting out of hand. Can we all just wait for the book to actually come out before we riot?
@conspiracytales (6.2k likes)
The Adler industrial complex is working overtime to wipe the leak off the internet. I mean, I can't even find the original post or any pictures of it anymore.
@honfrtf4 (4.6k likes)
You're acting like a victim, but you literally spread leaked content. What did you expect?
@boycottadler34 (8.9k likes)
This is why we need to BOYCOTT.
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TMZ (@TMZ)
EXCLUSIVE: Daniel Adler addresses Percy Jackson book leak.
[Video shows Daniel Adler and Margot Robbie exiting a restaurant. Margot walks directly to the car, while Daniel stops briefly when a paparazzi calls out and asks about the leak.]
DANIEL: [stops, turns]
"It's sad that it happened. But I'm confident that when the book releases, when it's supposed to, and people read it as it's supposed to be read, not as some bits and pieces, they'll like it."
PAPARAZZI:
"Daniel, what about the Star Wars movie you're directing—"
[Daniel waves them off and gets in the car.]
Full story: tmz.com/adler-percy-le…
(8.7k retweets, 34.2k likes)
Replies:
@reading4 (3.4k likes)
He's right. I'm going to just read it and form my own opinion. The leaker clearly had an agenda.
@percyjackso8 (1.2k likes)
I'm not going to let some 4chan troll ruin this for me.
@booktaily (4.1k likes)
Adler looks completely unbothered.
@camphalfbloodupdates (2.9k likes)
"Read it as it's supposed to be read." Okay, but what if the leaker was RIGHT and it IS bad???
@logic_wins (987 likes) replying
Then you can complain after you've actually read it, not before.
@sarahmitchel (5.2k likes)
Margot said "nope" and went straight to the car, lmao. Not her drama. Also, no ring on her finger, so the rumors of the engagement were not true???
@#boycottadler (1.6k likes)
CALL OFF THE RELEASE. REWRITE THE BOOK. GIVE US PERCY.
@marainforen (2.3k likes) replying
You're delusional.
@#boycottadler (876 likes) replying
He's a billionaire. He can afford to start over.
@adlerwatcher (3.7k likes)
He handled that so calmly. Meanwhile, the fandom is literally on fire.
@percabeth_4ever (2.1k likes)
"They'll like it." SIR, WE WANT PERCY, NOT JASON.
@Starwarsupdates (1.4k likes)
He dodged that Star Wars question REAL quick, lmao.
@Nashlegebd (4.8k likes)
The man is confident. That tells me the book is probably better than the leak made it sound.
@uronsgreat (987 likes)
I'm still not buying it.
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@danieladler
...I promise you nothing has changed. Percy's journey isn't over. It's just… bigger than one person now…
"And send," I muttered as I walked toward Lucy's office, phone in hand.
Damage control of the leak had begun the moment we discovered it, and it was going moderately well.
The leak happening was the worst-case scenario. I was so sure that when the book came out and people read it, they would love it. They would see it for what it was, a beginning of a new story. They would realize that Percy had not been sidelined.
But with the leaks, which were completely in bad faith and took parts of the book to prove the fandom's worst fears, people were now going into it with a bias against these characters. So it was tainted in some way.
As I reached Lucy's office, I passed an employee walking away with a life-size cardboard cutout of Jay Pritchett. He stood with a huge smile, holding his second book in his series of detective novels. That book was set to be released a few months after mine and was also expected by his small but very excited fanbase.
Looking at happy Jay, I muttered, "At least you'll have a better time of it, Jay."
I walked into the office, where Lucy stood with Raj and five others.
Lucy saw me and said, "I saw the tweet. It's..."
Raj cut in. "It's fine, Daniel. The responses to it have been good."
"So how are we?" I asked.
Lucy sat down, holding her head. "We're taking down most posts of the leak, but..."
"Yeah, yeah," I said. "Anything put on the internet is forever. What we want is to contain it until March 20th."
I paused, thinking. "What if we send some advance copies to certain people?"
Lucy looked up. "Who?"
"Prominent people in the fandom. Especially those who have huge followings on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Make sure they're given it with an airtight NDA and let them post their non-spoilery thoughts. Have them push back against the negativity."
Raj frowned. "There's a chance they hate it."
"Maybe," I said. "But I'm confident that most will like it."
Lucy turned to the woman next to her. "Sarah, why don't you get on this? See if this is feasible. Compile a list of influencers, draft the NDA, and coordinate with our PR and legal teams. We need this moving by tomorrow."
Sarah nodded and began typing on the phone in her hand.
Raj looked at Lucy, then back at me. "As I was saying before, we've done well. Don't worry too much. I think things will work out. The outrage will pass."
"Exactly," I said.
I gestured toward the door. "Keep me updated. I have to meet Margot for a wedding thing."
Lucy waved me off. "Don't forget the podcast tomorrow. And you still have to finish signing the special edition books."
"I know, I know," I said.