The Sun and The Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
Out Now from Disney Hyperion; 480 pages
Content Warning: Violence, death, abuse, grief
About the Author: “Rick Riordan is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over twenty novels for young readers, including the Percy Jackson series. For fifteen years, Rick taught English and history at public and private middle schools in the San Francisco Bay Area and in Texas. While teaching in San Antonio, Saint Mary’s Hall honored him with the school’s first Master Teacher Award. While teaching full time, Riordan began writing mystery novels for grownups. His Tres Navarre series went on to win the top three national awards in the mystery genre – the Edgar, the Anthony and the Shamus. Riordan turned to children’s fiction when he started The Lightning Thief as a bedtime story for his oldest son. Today, over 190 million copies of his books are in print worldwide, and rights have been sold into more than 37 countries. Rick and his wife Becky are both executive producers overseeing TV/film adaptations of his works including Percy Jackson, the Kane Chronicles, and Daughter of the Deep. Rick Riordan now writes full-time. He lives in Boston with his wife and two sons” (Bio from Rick Riordan’s website).
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About the Author: “Mark Oshiro (they/them) is the award-winning author of the young adult books Anger is a Gift (2019 Schneider Family Book Award), Each of Us a Desert, and Into the Light, as well as their middle grade books The Insiders, You Only Live Once, David Bravo, and Star Wars Hunters: Battle for the Arena. They are also the co-author (with Rick Riordan) of the #1 New York Times Bestseller and #1 Indie Bestseller THE SUN AND THE STAR: A NICO DI ANGELO ADVENTURE. When not writing, they are trying to pet every dog in the world” (Bio from Mark Oshiro’s website).
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Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, the sons of the Ancient Greek gods Hades and Apollo, take on a quest in the horrific depths of Tartarus in Rick Riordan and Mark Ohsiro’s latest addition to the Percy Jackson universe. When all the campers leave Camp Half-Blood to return to their mortal parents, only a few remain. Will and Nico are finally dating and steady; nothing can change that. After Nico receives a plea from a friend, the demigods venture out to rescue him. Faced with internal and external demons, they can’t risk losing themselves to the darkness surrounding them. Will they survive Tartarus, or will they be trapped there forever?
I have been waiting for this book to be released for so long, and it did not disappoint. I grew up reading the Percy Jackson series, and one of my favorite characters was Nico because his development was terrific and adorable because he started to let people in, especially Will. The book includes both Nico’s and Will’s points of view but is told in the third person, which was difficult at first since I’m so used to reading first-person narratives, but it got easier as I read. The book also describes Nico’s dreams, which set in motion the quest he has to go on. I especially loved the LGBTQ+ representation. Will and Nico’s relationship was so endearing because Nico is the son of Hades, the god of the Underworld, and Will is the child of Apollo, the god of sun and light; they balance each other out. Their love for each other is so passionate. I would recommend this book to everyone, especially those who grew up reading Riordan’s other books. Readers don’t need to read any of Riordan’s other books to understand the plot, but some characters from Percy Jackson do appear, so reading the Percy Jackson and the Heroes of Olympus series will help.
PRR Writer & Social Media Manager, Kelly Marry