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fanboyriot's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Read For:
Happy Ending
Amazhang Humor
Mild Hurt/Comfort
Grumpy x Sunshine
Healthy Relationship
Keeping this spoiler free as always this book was so dam good. Oh, my gods. This book was like a pipe dream of everything solangelo and I absolutely loved it.
There is so much I enjoyed about this book and just the fact alone that I was able to read a book focused on solangelo is still shocking to me. Nico and Will genuinely mean so much to me and I can not express just how happy this book made me.
Nico finally being able to heal after everything that happened to him and be in such a healthy and loving relationship with the embodiment of a Care Bear. His friendship with Mr. D was something I didn’t know that I needed until I read it and oh, my gods, it was everything.
The humor in this book was so hilarious even in serious moments Nico or Will would just say something that had me laughing; like when Nico realized his boyfriend had never watched the music video of: ‘Montero’ by Lil Nas X this still has me dying.
He glared at Will. “Really? You’ve never seen the video for ‘Montero’? We’ll address that hole in your education later.” - (chapter 29, page 285)
Truly such an iconic couple. I liked how Will listens to True-Crime podcasts and brought a battery-powered sunlamp to Tartarus. I liked how Nico still has his zombie chauffeur (Jules-Albert) and hates being called cute.
I loved how their relationship was written. They had such a healthy relationship where it showed them in the good and bad moments, understanding each other and doing better when they messed up. They are soulmates, your honor. Their dynamic was perfect, both being nerds in their own way. Will overpacking to the underworld (which to be fair some of it was necessary) but then chose to wear shorts there—all the while Nico packed literally nothing but his sword.
Their flirting was absolutely just—chef’s kisses to all of those lines. The sarcastic comments they made were so cute. And, of course, Nico giving Will so many pet names like: Night Light, My Little Care Bear, and My little sun-therapy globe, was also worth mentioning.
Bob and Small Bob were so wholesome and I am so happy with how things worked out for them. And just how appreciative he was of Nico and Will and the friendships between them.
I’d also like to point out how dam adorable and wholesome it was to read that Nico is a hugger. Like he hugged his dad, Chiron, and Mr. D and I can’t get over how happy I am about this. It was so very heartwarming.
Lastly, Hades is hands down the best godly parent and I will die on this hill. Not only does Hades care for Nico unlike most of the gods, but he literally got choked up saying that he was proud of Nico and I am still crying about this.
Even Persephone cared for Nico, whereas most goddesses in her position (like Hera…) would try to kill the kid because it was just a reminder their husband cheated, and while Persephone hadn’t always felt that way about Nico she got to know him and changed her opinion of him. Even telling Will that he and Nico make a fine couple.
In summary, I have so much more I could say about this book, and have so many quotes I want to rave about. I'll wrap it up by saying, I absolutely loved this book with all of my heart and will never be shutting up about it any time soon.
(Switching, Third Person POV)
Rep: Gay MC, Bisexual MC, PTSD, Mental Health, POC SCs, LGBTQIA+ SCs
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Minor: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Abandonment, War, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, and Torture
trintrin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
GAHHHH SO WHOLESOME T-T
Solangelo making you feel like you're third-wheeling them for 466 pages? Sign me up, please.
The lovey-dovey stuff apart, I love how much this book focuses on both Nico and Will (they're teenagers, mind you) struggling to find who they are while dealing with their trauma. Sure, I love their cute romantic moments,which is ABUNDANT, but I also love the fact that their relationship is not perfect - yes Nico doesn't open up and Will is a little close-minded, yes they get annoyed with each other, yes they fight, yes they talk and make up - and that's what makes it so beautiful. And I love how this book portrays the monsters in a different light. wdym Geryon is a happy little gay boy in love now kjsdkjsdf it's beautiful
So did the writing and the general plot deserve five stars? Maybe not, but what can I say, I'm biased towards Nico and he more than deserves it. He finally healed, got some long-awaited closure with his family, has an amazing boyfriend, and he's also a role-model to other campers??? and he gives advice to others suffering from trauma??? and he quite literally lives with his demons now??? my baby im so proud of him *wipes tears* they grow up so fasttt
TL;DR this is the cutest book I've ever read. It's quite cheesy, sure, but to quote Nico:
Solangelo making you feel like you're third-wheeling them for 466 pages? Sign me up, please.
The lovey-dovey stuff apart, I love how much this book focuses on both Nico and Will (they're teenagers, mind you) struggling to find who they are while dealing with their trauma. Sure, I love their cute romantic moments,
So did the writing and the general plot deserve five stars? Maybe not, but what can I say, I'm biased towards Nico and he more than deserves it. He finally healed, got some long-awaited closure with his family, has an amazing boyfriend,
TL;DR this is the cutest book I've ever read. It's quite cheesy, sure, but to quote Nico:
'Lay it on me, Will. I'm your grilled cheese'
He stepped over a thorny rock, then squinted at Nico. 'I think your metaphor needs work', he said.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, Violence, and Death of parent
Moderate: Eating disorder, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Outing
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Murder, and Suicidal thoughts
piperrhoads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Outing, and Eating disorder
saucy_bookdragon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
People who became gay because they got really into Percy Jackson when they were younger we won.
Nico’s a fan favorite character for a reason. He’s the mysterious son of Hades with a tragic backstory and many tricks up his sleeve throughout both Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus. He’s also the first openly queer character in Rick Riordan’s books and the first time many PJO fans ever saw positive queer representation (myself included).
I’ve seen some people complaining that Nico was out of character in this, but I disagree. Despite being present throughout all three series before this, we mostly only saw him from other characters’ perspectives. He did get a POV in The Blood of Olympus, but that story wasn’t really focused on him.
This book dares to ask the bold question “how is Nico di Angelo?” It’s a look into his trauma specifically and him trying to cope with it. Nico’s arc had me sobbing towards the end! This book was to me the literary equivalent of therapy and did heal a little bit of something inside of me.
This also made me finally like Will Solace! I think I’m in the minority of PJO fans for taking this long to appreciate him. My reasoning is that he was essentially a glorified background character in the other books. So to me Solangelo had felt like just throwing Nico at the nearest presumably single boy we could project onto and have the fun little light/dark dichotomy with.
But now I like my boy! This book expanded on both his backstory and relationship to Nico. He has some of his own trauma he’s working through but processes things differently from his boyfriend. He starts TSATS wanting to help Nico, but is stumped on how to as he can’t fully understand Nico’s experience, which in his defense perhaps nobody could. I loved that this was a book about a queer couple that gets to have a realistically complicated relationship!
Overall, the character work in this was great! The plot and writing had some issues though. Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro’s writing styles don’t blend well and you can pretty easily pick out who wrote which scenes, though I didn’t dislike either writing style; it would occasionally take me out of the story. The antagonist was way too unserious, a situation where some of the typical Riordan jokes needed to be cut. The themes are handled mostly without subtlety. And I already critiqued this in my review for The Tower of Nero, but Riordan still relies too heavily on convenience to get his characters out of conflict.
Oh and where were Reyna and Hazel???? Why were they barely even mentioned???? They were the closest people to Nico in HoO!
I also have mixed feelings on the flashback scene where Nico asked Will out in regards to queer rep. Without spoiling, basically Nico and Will were pressured to come out. This is especially problematic given Nico was outed in The House of Hades. Can we just let that boy come out when he’s ready???? Hasn’t he been through enough????
Despite that scene, I view the queer rep in this (and Riordan’s books in general) as a net positive. And despite my other critiques, I did really love The Sun and the Star! It was cathartic to see a character that means so much to me finally begin to unpack the tragedy of his story.
BTW though it's not necessary, I'd recommend reading the Trials of Apollo series before this. Though Nico and Will only appear in the first and last books, there are some spoilers to ToA and you'll have a better understanding of Will, particularly his relationship to Apollo. Trials of Apollo is also just a really good series itself!
TWs: outing (Cupid when you catch these hands), PTSD, death, grief, some gore including injuries and blood, bugs.
Nico’s a fan favorite character for a reason. He’s the mysterious son of Hades with a tragic backstory and many tricks up his sleeve throughout both Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus. He’s also the first openly queer character in Rick Riordan’s books and the first time many PJO fans ever saw positive queer representation (myself included).
I’ve seen some people complaining that Nico was out of character in this, but I disagree. Despite being present throughout all three series before this, we mostly only saw him from other characters’ perspectives. He did get a POV in The Blood of Olympus, but that story wasn’t really focused on him.
This book dares to ask the bold question “how is Nico di Angelo?” It’s a look into his trauma specifically and him trying to cope with it. Nico’s arc had me sobbing towards the end! This book was to me the literary equivalent of therapy and did heal a little bit of something inside of me.
This also made me finally like Will Solace! I think I’m in the minority of PJO fans for taking this long to appreciate him. My reasoning is that he was essentially a glorified background character in the other books. So to me Solangelo had felt like just throwing Nico at the nearest presumably single boy we could project onto and have the fun little light/dark dichotomy with.
But now I like my boy! This book expanded on both his backstory and relationship to Nico. He has some of his own trauma he’s working through but processes things differently from his boyfriend. He starts TSATS wanting to help Nico, but is stumped on how to as he can’t fully understand Nico’s experience, which in his defense perhaps nobody could. I loved that this was a book about a queer couple that gets to have a realistically complicated relationship!
Overall, the character work in this was great! The plot and writing had some issues though. Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro’s writing styles don’t blend well and you can pretty easily pick out who wrote which scenes, though I didn’t dislike either writing style; it would occasionally take me out of the story. The antagonist was way too unserious, a situation where some of the typical Riordan jokes needed to be cut. The themes are handled mostly without subtlety. And I already critiqued this in my review for The Tower of Nero, but Riordan still relies too heavily on convenience to get his characters out of conflict.
Oh and where were Reyna and Hazel???? Why were they barely even mentioned???? They were the closest people to Nico in HoO!
I also have mixed feelings on the flashback scene where Nico asked Will out in regards to queer rep. Without spoiling, basically Nico and Will were pressured to come out. This is especially problematic given Nico was outed in The House of Hades. Can we just let that boy come out when he’s ready???? Hasn’t he been through enough????
Despite that scene, I view the queer rep in this (and Riordan’s books in general) as a net positive. And despite my other critiques, I did really love The Sun and the Star! It was cathartic to see a character that means so much to me finally begin to unpack the tragedy of his story.
BTW though it's not necessary, I'd recommend reading the Trials of Apollo series before this. Though Nico and Will only appear in the first and last books, there are some spoilers to ToA and you'll have a better understanding of Will, particularly his relationship to Apollo. Trials of Apollo is also just a really good series itself!
TWs: outing (Cupid when you catch these hands), PTSD, death, grief, some gore including injuries and blood, bugs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Medical content, Death of parent, and Gore
Minor: Eating disorder and Homophobia
dmatson21's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved being back in the riodanverse but there were some things that were lacking and wish we had gotten more of. Wills past/character could have been explored more and made the for an even more emotional book. Overall, it was incredibly heartbreaking but Nick got his happy ending
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, and Mental illness
Minor: Blood, Death, Eating disorder, and Fire/Fire injury
alys055's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A lovely story about change, grief, accepting your past, and embracing your demons. Plus, Cocoa Puffs.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Mental illness
Minor: Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Eating disorder, Transphobia, and Outing
miiine's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was scared that this book might not live up to my expectations but I think it might have even surpassed them.
Especially the way it adresses the trauma the characters, especially Nico, have gone through in the previous books surprised me in a good way. It's rare to see in fantasy that those things actually get talked about and not just brushed under the carpet so I'm glad that they really leaned into this topic and showed how Nico learned to not only acknowledge that his past was indeed traumatic but to also slowly start to unravel those issues.
Furthermore, it's amazing to see their relationship throughout the novel and I love that it becomes clear that they aren't a perfect couple by any means and have to learn to communicate with each other but still love the other one deeply.
Imo Rick and Mark working on this together was exactly the right decision because it gave Rick a guide in writing a story centered around queer characters and probably also helped him to not shy away from adressing the characters' Ptsd etc., as it's the first time one of his books really delved into this topic extensively.
I'm happy to know that Rick worked together with a queer author to write this book and get it right; it shows that he actually takes his support for the lgbtq community seriously and continues to work on the representation and general diversity in his books.
I haven't read any of Mark's other work but I can tell that both of them came together beautifully when writing this.
This book ripped my heart out in a good way while I also couldn't stop smiling during some scenes because Nico and Will being cute and goofy together just warmed my heart
Especially the way it adresses the trauma the characters, especially Nico, have gone through in the previous books surprised me in a good way. It's rare to see in fantasy that those things actually get talked about and not just brushed under the carpet so I'm glad that they really leaned into this topic and showed how Nico learned to not only acknowledge that his past was indeed traumatic but to also slowly start to unravel those issues.
Furthermore, it's amazing to see their relationship throughout the novel and I love that it becomes clear that they aren't a perfect couple by any means and have to learn to communicate with each other but still love the other one deeply.
Imo Rick and Mark working on this together was exactly the right decision because it gave Rick a guide in writing a story centered around queer characters and probably also helped him to not shy away from adressing the characters' Ptsd etc., as it's the first time one of his books really delved into this topic extensively.
I'm happy to know that Rick worked together with a queer author to write this book and get it right; it shows that he actually takes his support for the lgbtq community seriously and continues to work on the representation and general diversity in his books.
I haven't read any of Mark's other work but I can tell that both of them came together beautifully when writing this.
This book ripped my heart out in a good way while I also couldn't stop smiling during some scenes because Nico and Will being cute and goofy together just warmed my heart
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Mental illness, Homophobia, and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, War, and Abandonment
dlrosebyh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Reading a book from the Riordanverse for the first time feels like I’m eight again. I’m almost twice as old now, and the nostalgia is hitting me like a truck. I felt the same way Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield fans felt when they appeared on the large screen during No Way Home. THIS is MY Now Way Home. THIS is MY Joker.
Starting right off the bat, Nico has always been one of my favorite characters. He was the blueprint for the “religiously traumatized, queer, neurodivergent, and burnt out” characters aka people that represent me. Ever since Rick Riordan started expanding on his character from the little collector boy to one of the most deadly demigods alive in a span of a book, eight-year-old me wanted a book with Nico di Angelo. And of course, after reading House of Hades, and most especially Trials of Apollo, I wanted a Solangelo novel. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here. And the best thing about this novel is that it’s co-written by someone in the LGBTQIA+ community— so you know it’s real and organic.
Aside from Nico, Will Solace has always intrigued me— and I’ve always seen him rather underrated. Usually, he is just perceived as Nico’s boyfriend when he’s so much more to that. And don’t even get me started on how overlooked his trauma is— especially during The Last Olympian. I’ve always wanted a deeper dive to his character because according to the previous books, he was distinct to his siblings. He wasn’t as talented in music as his siblings are, but he did have a gift for being doctorly.
As for the book, yes, it did feel cheesy in some parts, but I especially loved that aspect. Nico deserved that cheesiness, I don’t care. Plus, they’re teenagers, so it’s pretty expected. The target audience for this novel is definitely for younger queer people— the Nico, the Will, the Piper, and etc. Compared to the other Riordanverse novels, this one was more of a character study into Nico and Will and into their relationship. It was less climactic and for two people going to the Tartarus, I can admit that the climax was easily resolved— but I don’t think that’s something to be criticized on heavily because this novel had such a great message.
This is probably the closest we’ll ever have to Nico going to therapy; I mean that guy has been through a lot and even Hades at the end of the book admitted that. This was such a beautiful story about further self discography, self love, and healing. We tackle Nico’s PTSD for a pretty big chunk of this book. Some people might say that the ending was anti-climactic, but I waited patiently for three Riordanverse series for Nico to GET that ending. It was so beautiful, it made me tear up.
As a queer teenager who struggles with identity, it was refreshing to read about two people being so open about their sexuality. No one knows how much I cry whenever I just see the words “he is my boyfriend” in this novel. It felt like a love letter, especially that it was co-written by a queer author. The novel was so alluring to me because even if it did tackle so many heavy stuff, it was well-balanced out with the wit, sarcasm, and wholesomeness.
Although I gave this book five stars, I’ll still run over some of the “not so great” things in this book.
- You could tell which one is Rick’s and which one is Mark’s. Their writing styles aren’t really different from one another, but I could still tell that Mark wrote the first chapters, and starting from the build-up of the climax, you could tell that Rick wrote them.
- Since the characters are like 15-16, expect some very cheesy, “childish” dialogues. But again, cheesy doesn’t always mean bad. If you can acknowledge that something is cheesy with freeing yourself a bit, it wouldn’t hurt you. Expect also some miscommunication as they’re just teenagers (they don’t miscommunicate a lot, and when they do, it’s not like other miscommunication where I want to bang my head to a wall; it’s more of them masking to make each other stronger especially that they’re in the Tartarus.)
- As I’ve said earlier, this book is anti-climactic especially for a book set in one of the scariest place in Greek mythology.
- If we’re talking about adventure-wise out of all the Rick Riordan novels, I’m sorry, but this is probably the worst one. It’s not bad, it’s just not that adventurous compared to the others. It was low staked, but not in a cozy fantasy type of way because this was not cozy at all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Grief
Moderate: Eating disorder, Violence, and Death of parent
Minor: Outing, Body horror, and Homophobia
the_real_al_cal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was my most highly anticipated book of the year and it did not disappoint!
I was fortunate enough to be at the event in which Rick Riordan originally gauged interest in this book by asking the audience, and I couldn't believe how many screams and cheers there were for it. So I guess he must have taken that to heart! I really appreciate that he brought in Mark Oshiro to help him write the more tender parts. Mark brought such a wonderful, authentic perspective to this story about two LGBTQIA+ teens and their friends navigating their changing feelings and identities. Stories like this are so important, especially in this day and age.
From what I've seen of some online reactions, the response to this book ranges from absolutely loves to kinda lukewarm. I personally found this book very charming and impressive in how it approached some heavy themes in a way that is acceptable for the intended middle-reader audience. There were some silly moments and dialogue, but I thought it was sweet. I imagine that the majority of the more lukewarm responses come from fans who may have "aged out" of the middle-reader range and are finding that the writing style and humor aims a bit younger than they remember. It doesn't make their opinions wrong, but that's just how I interpret that response.
This story explores the theme of trauma quite extensively, but a very interesting part of trauma that often goes underwritten--the healing part.Nico must learn that he cannot simply erase his trauma, but that living with it (in his case, literally!) and growing from it are completely healthy and normal. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Will, the indelible healer, must learn that healing others doesn't always mean forcing them to avoid pain completely. He must learn learn to accept pain, and understand that sometimes the best way to help someone is to meet them where they're at, rather than smothering them with toxic positivity.
I could go on for pages about this book, so in the end, I'll just say that even a day after finishing this book, I'm still thinking about it. Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro did a wonderful job. This is another jewel in the crown that is the Percy Jackson series.
I was fortunate enough to be at the event in which Rick Riordan originally gauged interest in this book by asking the audience, and I couldn't believe how many screams and cheers there were for it. So I guess he must have taken that to heart! I really appreciate that he brought in Mark Oshiro to help him write the more tender parts. Mark brought such a wonderful, authentic perspective to this story about two LGBTQIA+ teens and their friends navigating their changing feelings and identities. Stories like this are so important, especially in this day and age.
From what I've seen of some online reactions, the response to this book ranges from absolutely loves to kinda lukewarm. I personally found this book very charming and impressive in how it approached some heavy themes in a way that is acceptable for the intended middle-reader audience. There were some silly moments and dialogue, but I thought it was sweet. I imagine that the majority of the more lukewarm responses come from fans who may have "aged out" of the middle-reader range and are finding that the writing style and humor aims a bit younger than they remember. It doesn't make their opinions wrong, but that's just how I interpret that response.
This story explores the theme of trauma quite extensively, but a very interesting part of trauma that often goes underwritten--the healing part.
I could go on for pages about this book, so in the end, I'll just say that even a day after finishing this book, I'm still thinking about it. Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro did a wonderful job. This is another jewel in the crown that is the Percy Jackson series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Violence, and Eating disorder
Minor: Homophobia, Outing, and Body horror
notalightbulb's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Eating disorder
Minor: Homophobia