Which would you rather hear a story about: a wizard, a demigod, or a girl whose love life is more complicated than it needs to be?

Not sure? Let me expand.

If you wanted to read a book about a wizard, specifically Harry Potter, it would be in very dark times indeed. The most evil Dark wizard of all time is on the rise, and horrific and entertaining adventures come one after another in the seven-book series. Love is in the air- it is the basis of everything in the book- but loyalty and strength are as visible. The love and anguish of a mother begins Harry's tale; the absence of love and remorse ends it. The story would be following a cursed and blessed boy and orphan on his one main goal in life- kill Lord Voldemort and restore the safety and peace of the magical world.

Or have you decided to follow the adventures of a demigod, namely Percy Jackson, the son of Poseidon? He happens to be brought into the world of Greek mythology during a hard period of time, perhaps a year or two before the Titans make their plans clear. While the Olympian gods bicker (like family!) on Olympus (the Empire State Building!), their direct family, the Titans, are trying to rise again, led by Kronos himself. Amid dreadful odds and what seems to be a lost cause, hope (in the form of Elpis, a tangible spirit) keeps smiles, if not grim, on the faces of the defenders of the gods- the demigods. They never stop drawing comfort and hope from each other, no matter how dangerous and terrible their adventures are. Perhaps the most important lesson and quote from all the books: "Hope survives best at the hearth."

Maybe you want a love story. Twilight is the tale of Bella Swan, a girl who has multiple boys, two of them quite dangerous, fawning over him, and one true love. But that love is perhaps the most dangerous of the lot. It's Edward Cullen, a vampire who admitted himself to a great desire to drink her blood. She ignores that, and so does he (eventually), and they set themselves on a path to forever together, no matter what obstacles come in their way.

Instead of comparing them directly, I've compiled pros and cons of each book, as well as my personal favorite quotes. Shall we get to it, then?

HARRY POTTER:

Pros: Twisting and unpredictable plotline, many intricate subplots, fully developed characters, no cliches, balance of romance, clear story meaning, whimsical details

Cons: Overuse of adverbs

Quote: "It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS:

Pros: Easily understood language, entertaining, light, clear and focused meaning, amusing, clearly-developed main characters, educational, real-life issues like habitat destruction

Cons: Some too-convenient happenings

Quote: "She looked like someone who enjoys sticking her fingers in electrical sockets."

TWILIGHT:

Pros: Has both romance and adventure, imaginative, directed toward wide audience, detailed

Cons: Slightly trite, some shallow characters, lack of subplots, slightly weak writing voice

HARRY POTTER VS. PERCY JACKSON VS. TWILIGHT

They're different. We're allowed to like more than one series. We're allowed to appreciate romance and the people who write about it. We're allowed to respect people who love writing. (hint to Twilight haters ;D).

As to pure writing skill, and this is taking the authors' other books into account, because I've read some of them, I would say JK Rowling is the most skilled. Rick Riordan from Percy Jackson would closely follow, and a bit behind him would be Stephenie Meyer, the author of Twilight.

I suppose this really isn't a "VS" fanfiction... It's pointing out the good and bad of each series, and comparing them side by side.

If you must, decide for yourself which you like best. :)