Scan barcode
A review by saracat
City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda
5.0
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