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latad_books 's review for:
City of the Plague God
by Sarwat Chadda
Sikander Aziz is closing up his parents’ diner, Mo’s, when he’s attacked by demons and almost killed, and before he knows it, he has met two gods and a sword-wielding girl, and discovers that his parents are gravely ill with some unknown illness.
Sik is still grieving over the death of his openhearted, fun-loving, adventurous and kind brother Mohammed, and has let many of his friendships wither. Also, Sik feels a mix of deep sadness and anger over his brother, and inferiority about his place in his family.
And that’s just the start of his problems. He meets some very interesting cats, chats with a sword, and along with Belet, daughter of the goddess Ishtar, must figure out a way to save New York City from a fast-acting plague.
This story was a hoot! Lots of action in a fast-paced plot with great hero and villain interactions, lots of well-placed humour, and believable behaviour and dialogue between Sik and Belet, both carrying grief and anger in them, but dealing with it in their own ways.
The melding of Mesopotamian myth and Muslim influences in Sikander’s life was well done and welcome. Also, gross as some of the imagery was, I liked how Nergal made his powers felt in the city, with the proliferation of misshapen creatures, plagues, chaos, decay and disasters overtaking everything.
I’ve been pleased with each of the stories I’ve read under the Rick Riordan Presents series, and this story by Sarwat Chadda had everything I’ve come to enjoy in this series: myths, monsters, and terrific characters who learn to find strength within themselves, and display integrity, kindness and decency. I can’t wait to read more in the RRP series, as well as more Sikander stories.
Sik is still grieving over the death of his openhearted, fun-loving, adventurous and kind brother Mohammed, and has let many of his friendships wither. Also, Sik feels a mix of deep sadness and anger over his brother, and inferiority about his place in his family.
And that’s just the start of his problems. He meets some very interesting cats, chats with a sword, and along with Belet, daughter of the goddess Ishtar, must figure out a way to save New York City from a fast-acting plague.
This story was a hoot! Lots of action in a fast-paced plot with great hero and villain interactions, lots of well-placed humour, and believable behaviour and dialogue between Sik and Belet, both carrying grief and anger in them, but dealing with it in their own ways.
The melding of Mesopotamian myth and Muslim influences in Sikander’s life was well done and welcome. Also, gross as some of the imagery was, I liked how Nergal made his powers felt in the city, with the proliferation of misshapen creatures, plagues, chaos, decay and disasters overtaking everything.
I’ve been pleased with each of the stories I’ve read under the Rick Riordan Presents series, and this story by Sarwat Chadda had everything I’ve come to enjoy in this series: myths, monsters, and terrific characters who learn to find strength within themselves, and display integrity, kindness and decency. I can’t wait to read more in the RRP series, as well as more Sikander stories.