I love all the Rick Riordan Imprints. They are so fascinating and I always walk away wanting to learn more about the myths I just finished. This is definitely true for City of the Plague Gods. I did not know much about Mesopotamian Myths and started this book with very little understanding of the mythological characters. I was concerned I would get confused without a full understanding of their backstories and myths.
Sarwat Chadda put all of this to rest very quickly. His characters are beautifully written and easy to understand. The plot is interesting and rich, yet the theme of family makes it relatable to any student. Sikander is written beautifully as the reluctant hero. I appreciate how his character grows over the book, yet remains steadfastly loyal to his family. Plus the demons in this story are enough to rival any Disney and Marvel villain (which I use as a reference point for students).
My 5th grade library class follows Joseph Campbell’s The Heroes Journey as a mechanism for introducing Epic writing in an interesting environment of heroes. I had not anticipated putting any Mesopotamian mythology in their unit as they study this in 6th grade. However, I revamped my curriculum to include Gilgamesh and introduce this book earlier. I have several students who will not put this story down!
If you or someone you know is a fan of the Trials of Apollo series, this is a must read! I felt so many comfortable similarities between the stories. Both deal with plagues and demons. However, this book stands completely on its own. With interesting locations (real and mythological), larger than life characters, and a trip to the afterlife, this story will keep the most adventure seeking reader engaged. Yet the story of a younger brother living in older brother’s shadow will entice and pull in those readers who seek more of a character connection.
I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy. The opinions expressed in this review are all mine. #netgalley #cityoftheplaguegod

The hero of the City of the Plague God, Sik, is just an every day 13-year-old kid who spends all his spare time working in his Iraqi refugee parents' deli. He used to play video games with his friends, but since his older brother, Mo died, Sik pours his heart into work and trying to comfort his grieving parents.

As if life isn't tough enough, the Mesopotamian god of plagues, Nergal, and his maggot-infested minions break into the deli after closing time to kill Sik and take something invaluable from him. Sik has no idea who these creatures are and what they think he has.

Sik survives and teams up with martial arts expert, Belet, who also happens to be the teen adoptive daughter of Ishatar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war. Belet is fiercely independent, a master with a sword, and friendless. Her personality runs counter to Sik's wit, warmth, and reluctance to use violence. Their alliance is shaky at first and develops over the course of battling supernatural obstacles to save Sik's parents and the world from the plague.

Humor, action, and love fill every scene. I especially appreciated that Sik is a Muslim kid hero who shares culture, food, religion, and family from the very first page. I fell in love with this character from the first scene and was delighted that the author could carry the tone and momentum throughout the book.

I preordered a hard copy and an audio version because I know that my students will want to read it and I can't wait to hear these characters come to life.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for loaning me an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was good, but it took a long time to get started. It was well written, and it has a good plot, but in the first half of the book, it felt very repetitive, and it felt like the major events were few and far between, but other than that, I enjoyed this book, and the author did a great job with the hook and the plotline. I recommend this if you love middle-grade mythology books or fantasy.

This is my first book by this author, but definitely not his first. I'm very grateful to Rick Riordan for bringing this book to my attention through his Rick Riordan Presents imprint. The story grabbed my attention from the very beginning as we are introduced to Sik and Daoud. Sik is an Arab/Muslim whose parents own an Arab and Mediterranean deli in New York City and you can immediately picture the place and the wonderful smells that fill it and you know this place means a lot to Sik. The action begins pretty quickly and it never really stops from there as Sik is sucked into a secondary world full of goddesses and gods, although I loved the way the author was able to show Sik's acceptance that these minor deities/demons existed and yet never lose his faith and love for Allah. This is such a wonderful book because it represents Arabs and Muslims in a very human and positive way and it is very much in keeping with the RRP imprint. And although there was plenty of corrupted evil in this story, I loved the underlying message in the book that there was goodness in all people if only you looked. This was truly an exciting story, and although this book can completely stand alone, I think it leaves room for further adventures with Belet at least, and maybe with Sik and Daoud in the future. At least I hope so! I would love to visit with them again!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Of course I would recommend this book to all of my students, but for many this is the book they have been waiting for!
Sik is likable and the other characters were interesting too.
I loved learning about the culture and the mythology.

“Guys like us don’t get to be heroes. You know that.” “Why? ‘Cause you’re an Arab, or ’cause you’re a Muslim?” “Take your pick, cuz. Take your pick.”

Rick Riordan Presents brings us another fantastic fantasy with Sarwat Chadda’s middle grade adventure featuring a Muslim American boy. Sikander spends his days tending to his family’s deli and grieving the death of his older brother. But when the deli is vandalized by odd characters, Sik suddenly finds himself caught up in a familial dispute between gods and reluctantly launched on a quest to save his parents. . . and the rest of New York City.

There is so much to love about Chadda’s world; a reluctant hero, and a look into both Muslim culture and ancient Mesopotamian myth. I left this story wanting to learn more about the culture, history, and myth of the Middle East.

I definitely recommend this book for any fans of adventure and fantasy. Although promoted to 8-12 year olds, I believe it can be enjoyed by any age group.

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<p>Review copy provided by the publisher.</p>
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<p>I am worried about this book.</p>
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<p>It's a romp through Mesopotamian mythology, transported into the present day in a story about a Sikander, an Iraqi-American kid who works at his parents' New York deli. Gilgamesh makes cookies, there are some truly excellent cats and demons and fashionistas--generally it's a really fun middle grade fantasy.</p>
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<p>I am concerned that people might not find that out for themselves, because of the title and the year in which it's coming out.</p>
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<p>And I can't even say, oh no, that's just a marketing convention...because actually it's not, it definitely is a book about a plague god ravaging New York, all sorts of people get horrifically ill in this book, including the protagonist's parents. There is a section where the protag can't visit his unconscious parents in their hospital rooms but can only observe them through the windows, and...yep, that's a very real thing right now. If you're not up for dealing with that in your fun kids' fantasy, you're going to want to steer clear of this quite well-done book, because that's the book it is. With writing and publishing being what they are, I expect it was written before any of this, and yet...well. You can see why I'd be concerned. It's sort of an "enjoy at your peril" situation.</p>
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Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

City of the Plague God</em> is available 1/12/21! :)

In Sarwat Chadda's City of the Plague God, all 13-year old Sik wants is to lead his normal life of going to school and working in his family's deli. However, his life is changed for good when Nergal, ancient Mesopotamian god of war and plague, descends upon New York City and hunt down Sik, believing he holds the key to immortality. In order to defeat Nergal and save the city, Sik has to team up with some new friends (including the daughter of a goddess and an ancient hero) and discover his own power.

Okay, this one felt so different (in a GREAT way) from other Rick Riordan Presents books I have read this year. It felt more intense and the fact that a plague is released upon NYC feels oddly...timely. (Thank goodness our current Covid situation is NOTHING like what happens in this book.) I loved that this one centered both around ancient Mesopotamian mythology as well as Sik's experience as a Muslim-American. I don't want to give too much away, but I am looking forward to another book in this series (and hoping there is one!) because I am so curious about Sik's "power" and how it will affect his life. I also 100% want more Mesopotamian mythology! I couldn't quite get comfortable with Belet, and I'm wondering if that was intentional because of how closed off she is, but I loved all of the other characters!

Obviously, I recommend this one! This is for fans of mythology, middle-grade reads, and adventures.

*thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in return for my honest review*
I remember, long ago when I was a kid, learning about the Mesopotamian culture. I learned a bit about the religion, the architecture, and the heroes. I definitely had to read at least part of the epic of Gilgamesh.
So, finding out that a Rick Riordan Presents book features Mesopotamian mythology was great news for me.
I read this in one day, and could literally not put it down. It gave me a refresher in the stories that I hadn't heard since I was 8 or so, and also blended in facts that I did not know. It was alive with Mesopotamian characters and motifs. There were winged cats, there were chariots, there were Ziggurats.
The characters were perfect heroes for this book, and the plot kept me engaged. Definitely a good book!

4.5 stars rounded up!

I have fallen in love with all of these mythology middle grade books! The Rick Riordan Presents imprint is out here doing wonderful things! I read this with my son and we both really enjoyed it and he can't wait for more! He Thought that learning about Mesopotamian mythology was so cool. The diversity in this is awesome!

This book like the others in this imprint is sent in current times. It follows Sik, a Muslim kid from Manhattan who's parents are Immigrants. His older brother died while working in Iraq. He gets tossed into a battle between gods and it gets kinda messy.. Plague gods right? The plot line was well done and there was a lot of humor in the book like we have come to expect. My son now wants to go learn more about these gods so I would consider that to be a win.

Thanks for the ARC Netgalley, Disney Publishing, and Rick Riordan Presents. All opinions shared are my own.

As a long-time fan of Rick Riordan's storytelling I was very curious to see how other writers would take the mythology-with-a-modern-twist and make it there own. City of the Plague God did not disappoint!

While the tone is a bit more serious than the Percy Jackson books, it's no less entertaining and I particularly appreciated how it incorporated some very difficult topics (such as fast-spreading pandemics, grief, refugees, and fear of "others") in a way that is natural to the story and prompts a bit of introspection without being heavy-handed.

The pacing is quick with plenty of action, and the characters (both heroes and villains) are very memorable. Once I started the book, I didn't want to set it aside and I completed it in a single weekend. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves old myths and legends, who is looking for a more cultural diversity in the books, and anyone who enjoys a good old-fashioned adventure.

I look forward to adding City of the Plague God to my shelves when it releases in January 2021.

Note: I received a free digital Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Review- City of the Plague god.
I’ve always loved to hear about new mythologies and when I heard about a Mesopotamia myth book I almost squeeled. This fast paced adventure follows Sik and he was such an adorable character and it really opened my eyes to the struggles immagrants can face. Overall this book was 4 stars for me a solid “would recommend” thank you to RR presents and netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

My rating system is as follows-
5- shout from rooftops
4- would recommend
3- solid story but not a fave
2- probably wouldn’t recommend
1- hate/ DNF

This was an exciting middle grade novel filled with Middle eastern mythology and heart. It had a lot of things going for it—I loved the goddess Ishtar and her angsty trigger happy daughter Belet, Nergal was a gross and thrilling villain with some comical but still frightening minions (there was a lot of gross descriptions of sickness that made me squirm, but it really emphasized him as a bad guy) and there were some interesting explorations of grief and first-generation immigrant identity.
During the first half I had a hard time getting invested and Sik seemed a little to undefined as a main character; he seemed to just react how the plot needed him to act to keep the plot going and his smart mouth seemed a little out of place against the kind of world Chadda built. But after *SPOILER*---Sik's first death---Sik grew on me and the adventure really picked up and . The last half of the book is exciting, emotional, and satisfying.

Sik is a thirteen-year-old boy who works in his family’s deli in NYC. Life has been difficult since his older brother Mo has passed away. One night while closing the deli, Sik’s life changed when the plague god Nergal comes looking for something. Luckily a ninja girl shows up and saves him. Even better this girl Belet is the daughter of the Goddess Ishtar. Will Sik save the city?

I picked this up because I recognized Rick Riordan’s name, but this also made me hesitant. There was a magic to the original Percy Jackson, and I have not had that connection with his other series. I am super happy I did pick this up because Chadda captures that feeling. You can tell Chadda was influenced by Riordan (sword disguised as a pen line was golden) but it is still his story. The story line revolves around Mesopotamian mythology which I know very little about, but I am super interested to learn more and read the coming books. Yes, there is religion as part of this book and the main character is Muslim, there are words I do not recognize or have some bad connotations in today’s mainstream society. It was interesting to read more about it and develop better understanding of the words.

The biggest criticisms I had with this book is that this took place in NYC and I personally didn’t always feel like I was in NYC. It was described but it wasn’t built into world Chadda is built. The other thing was I felt like the story was unfinished. These two things for me were almost there but just not hitting that mark. That being said. I still would recommend this book and give it 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Rick Riordan Presents, and Sarwat Chadda for the ARC. This was an honest review.

When Nergal, an ancient God, comes looking for him, Sik’s normal life gets flipped upside down. In order to save all of Manhattan, Sik must retrieve the flower of Immortality before it is too late. He turns to Ishtar, Godess of Love and War, for help and her adopted daughter, Belet, as well as Gilgamesh. Can they save the city in time?

I absolutely loved this middle grade hero’s quest fantasy adventure and was saddened to turn the final page. Sik is exactly the type of underdog hero I adore! He’s just an average kid. He has suffered the loss of his older brother and is trying to deal with that the best he can.

I liked so many characters but my absolute favorite was Ishtar, Goddess of Love and War. Seeing her inner turmoil was heartbreaking! A few others I really liked were Gilgamesh, Sik’s deceased brother, Mo, and of course, the lamassus! What amazing celestial beings they are! The battle scenes with them are truly epic!

This novel deals with so many themes but a few main ones are spirituality, loss, friendship and family.

Coming into this novel, I didn’t know much about Mesopotamian mythology but I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and devoured it quickly! The story is fun, fast paced, and exciting! These characters are wonderful, endearing and fascinating! I most certainly recommend this middle grade fantasy for anyone who enjoys a great mythological adventure!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for the Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for my honest review!

Book in a sentence: After the plague god of ancient Mesopotamia infiltrates New York and sickens his parents, Sikander must find the miracle cure before it's too late to save them—and maybe the whole city.

Stars: A solid 4

Things I Like About This Book:
• The humor. This book is just too funny. The dialogue had me laughing again and again.
• Chadda's writing style. The author makes this book delightful to read with zany characters and silly details.
• The nastiness. This is a book about the plague god and Chadda doesn't pull any punches when it comes to the grossness factor. It's high.
• A Muslim main character. How refreshing to not tiptoe about religion in a middle grade fantasy novel nor make it the center of everything. So, so well done there.
• A main character whose parents are refugees from Iraq. This is not done often. In fact, I can't remember a middle grade fantasy novel like this one. So grateful that Sik and his friends are the heroes here.
• The back glossary. A big thank you to taking the time to do that for Arabic, Islamic, and Mesopotamian words.

Things I Don't Like:
• Unfocused plot. I was never given clear direction to exactly where this book was headed and it left me feeling very ungrounded. I wish there were a little more clarity about Sik's journey to save the city from the get go. As the book now stands, the plot feels slightly random and I never have the slightest idea of what's coming next—I wish I had more of a preparation for each epic piece of the adventure because it would have felt a lot more epic with some warning.
• Scenes that don't feel fleshed out enough. I wish that there had been a little less action with a little bit more buildup in each scene. For example, the quest to get the flower went by so quickly that it diminished the significance of the quest as just another thing to do. I also felt that by making the scenes so short, characters weren't always given the time to become more fully developed.

Book Alikes: This mythological adventure story gave me many flashbacks of Percy Jackson. Both have funny, likable main characters and are a pleasure to read.

All in all, a solid middle grade debut. I'm excited to see where Chadda goes next.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Rick Riordan presents and Sarwat Chadda for the ARC of City of the Plague God in exchange for an honest review.
Sikander is an average, normal boy living in NYC, going to school and helping in his parents Deli. His family is still mourning the loss of his brother 2 years ago. Sik is approached by demons who want something they think Sik's brother stole from them. Sik doesn't know what they are talking about or that he is immortal. A ninja steps in to help him fight the demons and he finds out the ninja is Balet, a girl from school. This story shows friendship, which can be platonic between boys and girls, a strong family, mourning a loved one and strength in faith.
I enjoy mythology so as always, I enjoyed that aspect but also the positive theme of the Muslim faith. Young people need to see more of this and I hope this book helps with understanding and acceptance.

The newest entry in the fantastic Rick Riordan Presents series of mythological high adventure. It moves at the same breakneck pace with believable characters who are on unbelievable quests. Sik is a kid (who doesn't know he is immortal) just minding his own business (the family deli) when a nasty god comes looking for him to pry the secret of immortality from him. Sik's family like many others have fallen ill and soon New York City is crawling with creepy demons, out-of-control gods, and plague-ridden citizens. Author Sarwat Chadda opens up new mythology based on ancient Mesopotamia and Gilgamesh and features a Muslim boy of Iraqi parents which has not been written about in middle-grade fantasy before. He handles tough topics of grief and diversity and weaves in humor and issues that most middle-grade kids can relate to easily. This one is not going to spend very much time on the shelf. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The latest from Rick Riordan Presents features the gods of ancient Mesopotamia. Sikander, an Iraqi-American boy, helps his parents run a deli in NYC. His older brother died in a motorcycle accident while working and exploring Iraq. One night while Sik is working at the deli, some creepy characters show up, demanding that Sik give them something that Sik’s brother brought back from Iraq. Then a ninja girl comes to save the day, scaring off the creeps. Turns out that Nergal, the Plague God, wants this item and spreads a plague across Manhattan. With the help of Belet, the ninja girl, her mother, the goddess Ishtar, and the epic hero Gilgamesh, Sikander sets out to save his parents and the rest of the city.
I am truly enjoying these new fantasy books about other cultures’ gods and folklore. Sarwat Chadda does a great job mixing Sikander’s Muslim faith with the Mesopotamian gods. The action is nonstop and while this book can be a stand-alone, I don’t think this is the last we will see of Sikander and Belet. I would definitely recommend this book for readers in grades 4 and up.
#CityOfThePlagueGod #NetGalley

Sik is my new favorite character! I loved this heartfelt novel - it was the perfect combination of adventure, family, laughs, and emotion. Chadda doesn't shy away from heavy topics and handles them with a deft hand. Plus, Mesopotamian gods and goddesses in NYC? So fun!