A review by astravars
The Sun and the Star by Mark Oshiro, Rick Riordan

adventurous dark emotional funny
  • 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

I want to preface this by saying that Solangelo was the very first queer couple i actively read about. They'll forever hold a very special place in my heart.

Needless to say I had very high expectations. This book exceeded them.

I loved the further exploration of their relationship, specifically how they learned to accept and embrace their differences.

"I want the best for him, and he seems to disappear into his darkness, like he’s hiding in a place where he doesn’t want my light."

"Then why not offer him your darkness?"

The book also dives a little deeper into Nico's trauma and how it's affecting him in the present which I thought was handled so well, and though, at times, it wasn't easy to read about I really appreciated this aspect of the story.

And the delivery of the story?? Some of the topics discussed were heavy – the story takes place in tartarus after all – yet, like in the other riordanverse books, the humor sprinkled in here and there, lightening up the mood, was delightful. It made me very nostalgic because it reminded me so much of the original series.

+ the main pov character was Nico, but there was the occasional chapter from Will's pov which I don't think we've had in any book before and I loved that a lot!

I'm keeping this review fairly vague because I could actually talk about this for hours and I'm not sure I'll be able to stop if I start but know that I loved it very much and you should all read it if you haven't already! Very important.

(You don't need to have read the other books to understand it, though I would recommend at least looking up major plot points and world building. There are definitely spoilers for the other books so if you're planning on reading them and don't like spoilers maybe read them first. It does definitely add to the experience too.)
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