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4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
Thoughts: So… reading a book about plagues during a pandemic is probably not the best thing to do in the world. The story can get disgusting at times – all right, a lot of the time – with maggots and slime and ick all over the place. So… reading this book while eating a snack or meal, also not a good thing to do if you’ve got a weak stomach. Actually, if you have a weak stomach, you might want to skip a lot of this book. But, that being said…it is a well-written book that will probably appeal to the younger set. Any kid who likes disgusting stuff will love it. Add in Mesopotamian mythology with Gilgamesh, Ishtar, Negral, etc. and you have an interesting read. Sik is an excellent character as he has problems but finds solutions (usually) that help him get through. The conflicts between him and Daoud (his brother’s best friend), Sik’s parents, and his dead brother are realistic and believable. He believes he is the one stuck doing duty at his parents’ deli while his brother Mo gets to travel the world having adventures—except Mo gets killed. When Sik meets up with Mo in the underworld, he realizes some truths about himself. I loved how Daoud came through in the end and changed from being so self-centered.
The story is full of action, gross details, fighting, and mythology. There’s some humor with the one demon speaking only in rhyme. And interesting details about Ishtar’s home. Kind of like Dr. Who’s TARDIS, it’s much bigger on the inside. And the story has a satisfying ending that makes it a good stand alone, but also gives you hope that there might be more.
Opinion: I can’t say I liked the story mostly because of the ick factor. But beyond that, it is a good story. It’s well-written and gives good insights into what it’s like to be an immigrant from the Mid-East in New York. Especially through the eyes of Daoud who would love to be an actor with a starring role but keeps getting hired as a terrorist or other similar part. It even made me want to go read the story of Gilgamesh again. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s into the Rick Riordan mythology series but again, beware of the ick factor.
Thanks to Disney Worldwide and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
The story is full of action, gross details, fighting, and mythology. There’s some humor with the one demon speaking only in rhyme. And interesting details about Ishtar’s home. Kind of like Dr. Who’s TARDIS, it’s much bigger on the inside. And the story has a satisfying ending that makes it a good stand alone, but also gives you hope that there might be more.
Opinion: I can’t say I liked the story mostly because of the ick factor. But beyond that, it is a good story. It’s well-written and gives good insights into what it’s like to be an immigrant from the Mid-East in New York. Especially through the eyes of Daoud who would love to be an actor with a starring role but keeps getting hired as a terrorist or other similar part. It even made me want to go read the story of Gilgamesh again. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s into the Rick Riordan mythology series but again, beware of the ick factor.
Thanks to Disney Worldwide and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and are not influenced by anyone.
I first want to thank NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents, which is part of Disney Publishing Worldwide, for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.
A big thing I think that is important to say upfront, is that the timing of the publication of this book is unfortunate. At the time of me writing this review, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. So, for some readers, a book that does include the spreading of disease and people not being able to see their loved ones who are in hospital under quarantine - while a result of supernatural events - may not be something they are wanting to read about just now.
This was a wonderfully written book. I liked the incorporation of Arabic and other non-English words. And the way it was done, the general feel and meaning could be deduced through context clues - though there is a dictionary at the back of the book for those who like to know the exact meaning of things as they read. I absolutely loved how the image and meaning of being a hero was challenged in this book - but I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling the book for anyone. It was also fascinating to learn a bit about the gods of Mesopotamia. And while it did take a bit to remember who was who and how they were all connected, this book is definitely written so that those not familiar with these gods and the stories around them can still fully enjoy the novel.
The pacing of the book was good and Chadda did a great job keeping me guessing about how things might get resolved. The characters are also wonderfully written, especially the main character. I really hope this is not the last we will see Sik, but even if Chadda does not write another adventure for Sik, I am excited to see what he will write next.
Content Warning: some gore (most adults and older teenagers would not likely be bothered, but some younger readers may be), infectious disease, characters dealing with racism/xenophobia/stereotypes
A big thing I think that is important to say upfront, is that the timing of the publication of this book is unfortunate. At the time of me writing this review, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing. So, for some readers, a book that does include the spreading of disease and people not being able to see their loved ones who are in hospital under quarantine - while a result of supernatural events - may not be something they are wanting to read about just now.
This was a wonderfully written book. I liked the incorporation of Arabic and other non-English words. And the way it was done, the general feel and meaning could be deduced through context clues - though there is a dictionary at the back of the book for those who like to know the exact meaning of things as they read. I absolutely loved how the image and meaning of being a hero was challenged in this book - but I won't say anymore for fear of spoiling the book for anyone. It was also fascinating to learn a bit about the gods of Mesopotamia. And while it did take a bit to remember who was who and how they were all connected, this book is definitely written so that those not familiar with these gods and the stories around them can still fully enjoy the novel.
The pacing of the book was good and Chadda did a great job keeping me guessing about how things might get resolved. The characters are also wonderfully written, especially the main character. I really hope this is not the last we will see Sik, but even if Chadda does not write another adventure for Sik, I am excited to see what he will write next.
Content Warning: some gore (most adults and older teenagers would not likely be bothered, but some younger readers may be), infectious disease, characters dealing with racism/xenophobia/stereotypes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read this one cause Covid has made anything relating to a pandemic feel exhausting. But I love myths and legends and it’s always interesting to learn about the different gods, goddesses, and heroes of other cultures. I also got to put stories to familiar names which was great! We follow the MC on his journey of dealing with grief and it really made me think about who and what are important to me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, War, Pandemic/Epidemic
When I tell you there were some crusty villains in here, I do in fact mean crusty.
I'm coining a phrase: "Rick Riordan-esque Shenanigans," which basically means that the characters are awesome and well developed, the mythology/worldbuilding is inventive (and sneakily teaches me a lot about mythology/history/culture), and there are lots of jokes and monsters and cool powers and kids being kids. Bonus points if the setting is super ingrained in the story and the characters lives, and is basically a character of its own.
There were definite "Rick Riordan-esque Shenanigans"!! Sik reminded a bit of Percy in some ways, mainly his love for New York City, and his sarcasm and go-with-the-flow attitude to finding out that the gods and goddesses from stories actually exist. I loved that for the first half of the book he was a perfectly normal kid, just randomly targeted by a confused plague god.
Dude gets run over by an entire train and lives to tell about it. I also love to see healthy family dynamics; obviously it's good to write and talk about unhealthy dynamics because light needs to be shed on that, but we NEED need to see more healthy families.
There was a lot more gore and blood and grossness than I was expecting. The poxies are the absolute most horrifying thing, and how traumatizing would that be?? Idiptu and Sidana are horrible the entire time, but they somehow manage to get worse. And I don't think I minded it really, except that for a middle grade novel it was a good deal more detailed than I would've expected. For me, the storytelling, writing, and characters counteract the super gross, evil villains really well, but others may disagree.
I would like very much to visit Mo's if it were real *cries*
I would also very much like if there were more of Sik and Belet's adventures *cries more*
Have I mentioned there are talking swords and also housecats that are not just housecats? Just read the book already, I'm going to stop talking about it and you're going to go read it.
I'm coining a phrase: "Rick Riordan-esque Shenanigans," which basically means that the characters are awesome and well developed, the mythology/worldbuilding is inventive (and sneakily teaches me a lot about mythology/history/culture), and there are lots of jokes and monsters and cool powers and kids being kids. Bonus points if the setting is super ingrained in the story and the characters lives, and is basically a character of its own.
There were definite "Rick Riordan-esque Shenanigans"!! Sik reminded a bit of Percy in some ways, mainly his love for New York City, and his sarcasm and go-with-the-flow attitude to finding out that the gods and goddesses from stories actually exist. I loved that for the first half of the book he was a perfectly normal kid, just randomly targeted by a confused plague god.
Spoiler
Of course this turns out to be not so random, and also he's ACTUALLY IMMORTALDude gets run over by an entire train and lives to tell about it.
There was a lot more gore and blood and grossness than I was expecting. The poxies
Spoiler
humans mutated and deformed by Nergal's diseaseI would like very much to visit Mo's if it were real *cries*
I would also very much like if there were more of Sik and Belet's adventures *cries more*
Have I mentioned there are talking swords and also housecats that are not just housecats? Just read the book already, I'm going to stop talking about it and you're going to go read it.
Excellent writing, super engaging middle-grade read from RRP. Loved the way Chadda explains the difference between religion and mythology. Love the overarching themes. 10yo’d favorite book this year.
Fortællingen er i sig selv interessant og relevant, men der er en del insider-viden om både islam og Mesopotamisk mytologi der kun ganske vagt bliver forklaret, så det er en bog, der for nogen vil være svær at forstå til fulde.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic
By this point, I've read A LOT of the Rick Riordan Presents books, and while I have enjoyed almost all of them, this is the first one that I've loved with the same fever as Percy Jackson.
City of the Plague God has a lot going for it, from a rich mythology, to rich characters, to an action packed story that feels like an epic tale in it's own right.
Sikandar Aziz is just an ordinary boy, living an ordinary life, in a world where brother, his hero and best friend, no longer exists. His love for his brother, and his grief over his loss, is the driving force behind Sik's characterization. He is always comparing himself to his brother, or talking to him in his mind, or remembering things he used to do. It's clear from page one that his brother was the biggest most important part of his life.
Until he died.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how much emphasis there was on family and grief. Not just with Sik, though his relationship with his family and Daoud are a huge motivation, but also between Ishtar and Belet, and Ishtar and Nergal. This book is full of families, and their relationships, and the pitfalls and grief that one can experience as a result of family.
Both of the main characters have complicated relationships with their family, and it's these relationships that really make this book shine.
Sik misses his brother dearly, and believes that everyone would have been happier if he had been the one that died. He is devoted to his family, and the deli, but resents that Mo, his dearly departed older brother, got to go off and have great adventures while he was stuck at home. To complicate matters, his brother's best friend, Daoud, has seemingly moved into the spot left by Mo, and Sik can't understand why he even bothers now that Mo is gone, since he doesn't even care about the deli. Then there's Belet. The adopted daughter of Ishtar, goddess of Love and War, who strives to be perfect for her mother, who she views as absent minded and forgetful and hopes that if she is good enough, one day Ishtar will remember who she is and love her the way she longs to be loved.
I want to talk about my favorite characters for a moments. Sik is obviously great, he has a dry wit, and a quick mind, and I adore that his special skill appears to be "customer service" (as someone who has worked customer service her whole life, this really spoke to me). But I've got to be honest, Daoud stole the show for me. At first, I wasn't sure about him, since we see him through Sik's eyes, and Sik is not his biggest fan. But the more time we spent with him, the more I loved him. Yeah, he's vain and has visions of grandeur. His greatest desire is to be a famous actor. But still, even though it won't do much for his career, he stays at the deli, and helps out Mo's family. He looks after and loves Sik like they really are family, and as you get to the end of the book, and realize the depth of his devotion to Mo's family... I just feel like Daoud is the real hero of this story.
The other character I want to talk about is Ishtar, goddess of Love and War. First of all, her entrance is the stuff of legends. I knew I was in for a ride the moment she appeared to pick up Belet from school. The second thing that drew me to her though, was that she was trying her best to be a good mother. Whether she was succeeding is really up for interpretation, but I think the fact that she adopted Belet, trained her, schooled her, and spent time with her speaks volumes. In a lot of these books, the gods are absent minded at best and negligent at worst when it comes to their children, so seeing Ishtar trying so hard to be a good mother, and seeing all the children she'd raised over the years, was so beautiful. Instead of focusing on passionate love, which would have been all to easy, the author chooses familiar love as the focus for Ishtar. I love it so much.
One last thing I want to touch on: this book has a huge emphasis on non-violence. From the main character's biggest skill being customer service, to Gilgamesh's appearance as a gardener, to the world being saved by a boy who presses flowers and loves beauty, the whole book seems to emphasize that violence is not always the answer. Sik never wields a sword. He runs from just about every battle. Those that do battle, tend to get beat. Both gods of War end up in the afterlife. The world is cleansed by rain.
This is a seriously beautiful book, with some amazing messages. And yeah, it's release date means that some of the things that happened hit a little close to home (I couldn't help laughing at the mention of people lining up to get vaccines and wearing masks, we all know people don't have survival instincts that good), but I believe them when they say that this book was written before the pandemic, and it's release was not an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy. If anything, I think this book shows us that working together, and finding nonviolent solutions, would go farther than warmongering and hate any day.
Truly, cannot recommend this book enough.
City of the Plague God has a lot going for it, from a rich mythology, to rich characters, to an action packed story that feels like an epic tale in it's own right.
Sikandar Aziz is just an ordinary boy, living an ordinary life, in a world where brother, his hero and best friend, no longer exists. His love for his brother, and his grief over his loss, is the driving force behind Sik's characterization. He is always comparing himself to his brother, or talking to him in his mind, or remembering things he used to do. It's clear from page one that his brother was the biggest most important part of his life.
Until he died.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how much emphasis there was on family and grief. Not just with Sik, though his relationship with his family and Daoud are a huge motivation, but also between Ishtar and Belet, and Ishtar and Nergal. This book is full of families, and their relationships, and the pitfalls and grief that one can experience as a result of family.
Both of the main characters have complicated relationships with their family, and it's these relationships that really make this book shine.
Sik misses his brother dearly, and believes that everyone would have been happier if he had been the one that died. He is devoted to his family, and the deli, but resents that Mo, his dearly departed older brother, got to go off and have great adventures while he was stuck at home. To complicate matters, his brother's best friend, Daoud, has seemingly moved into the spot left by Mo, and Sik can't understand why he even bothers now that Mo is gone, since he doesn't even care about the deli. Then there's Belet. The adopted daughter of Ishtar, goddess of Love and War, who strives to be perfect for her mother, who she views as absent minded and forgetful and hopes that if she is good enough, one day Ishtar will remember who she is and love her the way she longs to be loved.
I want to talk about my favorite characters for a moments. Sik is obviously great, he has a dry wit, and a quick mind, and I adore that his special skill appears to be "customer service" (as someone who has worked customer service her whole life, this really spoke to me). But I've got to be honest, Daoud stole the show for me. At first, I wasn't sure about him, since we see him through Sik's eyes, and Sik is not his biggest fan. But the more time we spent with him, the more I loved him. Yeah, he's vain and has visions of grandeur. His greatest desire is to be a famous actor. But still, even though it won't do much for his career, he stays at the deli, and helps out Mo's family. He looks after and loves Sik like they really are family, and as you get to the end of the book, and realize the depth of his devotion to Mo's family... I just feel like Daoud is the real hero of this story.
The other character I want to talk about is Ishtar, goddess of Love and War. First of all, her entrance is the stuff of legends. I knew I was in for a ride the moment she appeared to pick up Belet from school. The second thing that drew me to her though, was that she was trying her best to be a good mother. Whether she was succeeding is really up for interpretation, but I think the fact that she adopted Belet, trained her, schooled her, and spent time with her speaks volumes. In a lot of these books, the gods are absent minded at best and negligent at worst when it comes to their children, so seeing Ishtar trying so hard to be a good mother, and seeing all the children she'd raised over the years, was so beautiful. Instead of focusing on passionate love, which would have been all to easy, the author chooses familiar love as the focus for Ishtar. I love it so much.
One last thing I want to touch on: this book has a huge emphasis on non-violence. From the main character's biggest skill being customer service, to Gilgamesh's appearance as a gardener, to the world being saved by a boy who presses flowers and loves beauty, the whole book seems to emphasize that violence is not always the answer. Sik never wields a sword. He runs from just about every battle. Those that do battle, tend to get beat. Both gods of War end up in the afterlife. The world is cleansed by rain.
This is a seriously beautiful book, with some amazing messages. And yeah, it's release date means that some of the things that happened hit a little close to home (I couldn't help laughing at the mention of people lining up to get vaccines and wearing masks, we all know people don't have survival instincts that good), but I believe them when they say that this book was written before the pandemic, and it's release was not an attempt to capitalize on the tragedy. If anything, I think this book shows us that working together, and finding nonviolent solutions, would go farther than warmongering and hate any day.
Truly, cannot recommend this book enough.
Hm, I don't know what it is with this book! I did really enjoy it and it wasn't the fact that this kind of book was published during the pandemic. The book reminded me a bit of the Apollo Trials series but didn't quite reach the high bar that series set for me. I think that's why I can't give it 5 stars on Goodreads. I definitely recommend it. It's a great read.
Seriously go read about Sik and Belet. You won’t regret it- Mesopotamian Mythology come to life!