The question that plagues me more often than not is what makes some stories so compelling while others remain simply as words on paper? True, it's possible to contribute it to unique perspectives, like in the book thief, where death is telling the story. It's even more probable that the author created a world that has previously never been explored before, like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. The thing is though, there were generations of people who told stories of witches and wizards and magic. Perhaps there were even more generations who told of Greek and Roman gods. Then what makes JK Rowling and Rick Riordan so special?