I found the mythology interesting and different. I really enjoyed the voice of Sik, the narrator and Hero of Manhattan.

Sik's family runs a deli in New York City, and he spends many hours there working for his family, especially since his older brother, Mo, was also fond of the business, but died in a car accident. His brother's friend, Daoud, also helps out a lot, and lives with the family since his acting/modeling career isn't going as well as he would like. When weird things start to happen, Sik's mother and father become ill and the deli is destroyed by rot and decay. It turns out that there are large creatures working for Nergal, the plague god, and hunting down Sik because it is thought his brother entrusted him with some secrets. Sik finds help from an unlikely source: Belet, a girl who is always in trouble at his school. Since his parents are in the hospital and he can't even visit because the authorities want to quarantine him, Belet and her mother take him in. They live in a very posh apartment, and Sik realizes that Belet's mother is the goddess Ishtar. Because she is the goddess of both love and war, she takes in children who have lost their entire families in miltary disputes. Sik brushes up on his fighting skills and learns a bit more about Nergal and his methods, but have trouble figuring out exactly what it is that Nergal wants from him. The plague continues to spread throughout the city, and things are looking grim. Without Ishtar to help them, will Belet and Sik be able to figure out Nergal's evil plans? The answer lies in Mo's love of flowers and gardening, an ancient but retired deity, and a flower in Central Park, but first there is plenty of fighting, pustulant rats, and maggots!
Strengths: This had a lot of nonstop action and plenty of gross details about Nergal's work; after the deli was destroyed, even the wood had rotted! There are creatures who talk in rhyme and spread mayhem, swords that talk, and some really fun details about Belet and Ishtar's life. Sik's backstory is woven into this well, and his connection with his brother, and his brother's connection to the story of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian legends sets the stage for a lot of emotional motivation. Sik's family is from Iraq, and Mo had spent time there doing humanitarian work, which was a nice touch. This concludes in a satisfying enough way that this could be a stand alone, which would be great-- I'd love to have more single book fantasies with cultural connection for my readers who don't want to commit to four or more 400 page books.
Weaknesses: I was 200 pages into the nonstop action before I realized that there was relatively little that had happened to move the plot forward, and I kept expecting more character development from Sik. That could be because a 7th grader and I have been having daily conversations about various books in the Rick Riordan series about how hard it is for me to keep plot and characters straight, but this somehow made it harder for me to get invested in the story.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, and glad to see Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian mythology involved in an action packed new story!

I was SO beyond excited to get approved for this one, there was just so much to love on, and something about reading about a plague during the pandemic with my teen that screamed must read. & I'm SO glad I got to share it with him thanks to Netgalley & Disney Publishing Worldwide.

From the beautiful cover to an action-packed book filled with heroic characters full of fun & entertainment, we were hooked and cannot wait to read more from this new to us author!

We'll be featuring this title on my bookstagram @booksaremagictoo with my teens hashtag #currenTEENlyreadingwithCaleb as we want to read ALL of the incredible Rick Riordan presents titles! Being able to read books like this one that combines reality + fantasy is such a joy in this crazy world we're living right now!

Another thrilling mythology adventure. This one features gods from Mesopotamia. I was familiar with some of the characters in the book but not all. Aki is the main character. He and his family own a NY deli. His brother Mo is deceased but his memory lives on. An evening attack by demons sets off the adventure.

The book explores the zenophobia, racism, and sexism experienced by Muslims, and persons with Middle Eastern ancestry. The story also deals with grief and what one feels when they have lost a loved one. There are so many lessons one can learn by reading this book. I hope this is the first in the series.

City of the Plague God
by Sarwat Chadda
Disney Publishing Worldwide
You Like Them
Rick Riordan Presents
Children's Fiction
Pub Date 12 Jan 2021 | Archive Date 12 Jan 2021

This is a book I can stand behind and recommend it to Middle-Grade readers. We have a lot of Rick Riordan fans and this fits perfectly in the genre. Thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for the ARC.

5 star

Sik is a young man whose family's roots are in Iraq. After loosing his brother Mohammed in a traffic accident when he was off doing good in Iraq Sik takes on the responsibility of helping his parents in their small business a Arab/Mediterranean store in Manhattan. He's a regular kid trying to be a help and support his parents with their business, go to school and try to stop missing his brother when one night when closing up his parents shop he hears a strange noise outside and runs into an even stranger man who speaks in rhymes. Turns out Sik's life has taken a turn for the strange and this encounter will make him sick, and wrap him in a mystical world where he gets to meet heroes, gods and a warrior girl Belet and goes on a journey where he gets to see someone that he loves and misses very much, dies and on the way becomes a hero.
I loved this book. The author really gets what it's like to be an immigrant kid. In my F.O.B. family I have "cousins" from the old country that become family because in a new land you make up family and find family as you go along. This was an amazing introduction to the Epic of Gilgamesh which I had read bits of but I have not retained much of what I've read. This is a very positive introduction to the Muslim religion for kids that may not know much about it or do not live in places where there are Muslims. I love the relationship between Sik and Belet. She's a girl that is still trying to find a place in the world but she's also a warrior, smart and loyal. Sik is city kid, smart, willing to listen, loyal a good friend and son. I could not get over how amazing this book is and I cannot wait for other people to discover it.

City of the Plague God may have been a bit on the nose for me to read in New York City in the summer of 2020, but it's a wonderful addition to the Rick Riordan presents catalog.

Sik is 13 - working hard to help his parents in their deli, still mourning his older brother that passed a few years earlier. When his deli is attacked by Nergal, the Mesopotamian God of death, war and destruction, Sik must team up with Goddess Ishtar and her daughter Belet to save New York City, and Sik's family.

This middle-grade book is informative, action-packed and relatable for students (and their grown-ups). Highly recommend!

13-year-old Sik spends a quiet life going to school, mourning his brother’s death, and helping at his parents at their restaurant. While working at the restaurant, he gets attacked by monsters. Soon, his parents come down with the plague going through the city. He meets Belet, adopted daughter of Ishtar. To save the city, they need to find the Flower of Immortality. Will Gilgamesh, a retired hero turned Central Park gardener, be able to help? Will they succeed? Delving into the myths of Mesopotamia, Sarwat does a great job of bringing to life a lesser known mythology. The plot is well developed and page-turning. The characters are unique and well portrayed. Readers who enjoy fantasy, adventure, and other Rick Riordan presents books will enjoy reading this book.

I absolutely loved City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda!! The story of Gilgamesh is brought to life with this tale re=told. It is on my highly recommend list for my middle-school students.

Full review on goodreads. This one is tough to review bc it’s one I requested to see if I could recommend it to students, but I had a feeling I myself wouldn’t love it. That was the case. However, I can see an appeal for fans of Riordan,

Another fabulous adventure from Rick Riordan Presents! This one mixes ancient Mesopotamian gods with life in modern day New York. I appreciated the way the author explained how the old gods could co-exist with modern Islam. I'm not sure if the timing of a book about a mysterious plague is brilliant or too much. Fans of Percy Jackson et al will love this no matter what! Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

A mythological must read! Anyone who loves mythology will definitely want to add this to their collection. We follow Sik, who meets many characters, on his magical journey.

Great character building. Multiple plot twists.

Reading a book about a plague during a global pandemic was probably not my wisest choice but I couldn't wait to read this book. I loved this story - set in modern day NYC with your average teen boy who is still dealing with the loss of his older brother. The last thing he needs is to be tossed into a battle between gods as the city starts to crumble around him. City of the Plague God starts off with a bang and doesn't let up until the very last page. Its filled with interesting mythology and the classic snarky humor that I have come to expect from a Sarwat Chadda book. This was book was a thrill ride and I hope that we get to see more of this world and these characters in the future!

City of the Plague God is the newest book in the Rick Riordan Presents series. This book follows Sik, a young boy living in Manahattan. Sik's brother, Mo, is an aspiring botanist who tragically passed away in a motorcycle accident. Sik has been helping his parents run their deli with the help of Mo's very close friend, Douad. The deli is attacked on by demons and the god of death, Nergal, seeking something that is hidden at the deli. With the help of his new friend, Belet, and the goddess Ishatar, they seek to save Manhattan from a plague that is descending on the city.

I have read the Epic of Gilgamesh but remember very little about it. I also have no experience with the pantheon of Mesopotamian mythology, but luckily knowledge of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian deities is not necessary to read and enjoy City of the Plague God. There are fun "easter egg" shout outs to the Percy Jackson series and the publisher, Disney. This novel touches on many relevant subjects to today, such as stereotypes and prejudices the characters face, the fear that spreads over pandemics, and the strength of familial bonds.

This was a very well written book - I love that rick Riordan is using his clout to promote mythologies from around the world and authors of color to write them.
This was everything you would expect: fast-paced, great writing, well-plotted.
The only drawback was a very personal one. I have a very low "creep tolerance" and found all the descriptions of the Plague God, his minions, and the plagues themselves to very too well written and evocative. So I kind of skimmed those bits.

**ARC from NetGalley**
As always, the Rick Riordan Presents imprint does another heritage justice. Sarwat Chadda did a wonderful job of creating characters that you wanted to keep rooting for throughout. Great storyline as well. Looking forward to recommending it after publishing. I've never had such a fun time with Mesopotamian folk before.

Delve into the myths of Mesopotamia, in this captivating story of Sikander and the gods of Mesopotamia. His brother, Mo, a botanist, was killed while off on an adventure to help people and discover his roots in the Middle East, but not before he sent samples of plants and photos home to his parent’s deli; Mo’s. But now the god Nergal has come to the deli and that is when, when Sikander’s troubles begin.
#CityofthePlagueGod #NetGalley

Myths, a plague god, goddess, zombies and a hero who is constantly proving that labeling a person based on their outward appearance and religion is a mistake. When I heard about this book I was excited to read it, especially since it is part of the Rick Riordan Presents series. The book starts off introducing us to the main character, Sik, a thirteen year old trying to help his family as he deals with the loss of his brother Mo. The excitement begins when he meets Belet and they start an interesting adventure that dives into the myths of Mesopotamia and how a Plague god can wreak havoc on a whole city and the world. The answer to help fight against such an evil force takes our heroes to the underworld, a fight with a giant and a hunt for the cure. Certain parts of the book were a bit dark, the character Daoud plays a part in comic relief but does very little to lighten the mood. Overall, this book is interesting and worth a read if you have enjoyed previous books from this series.

Rick Riordan Presents does such an amazing job of promoting so many different cultures and mythology with City of the Plague God fitting right in with the mix. This was my first experience with Mesopotamian mythology and Chadda does a great job of introducing characters and leading us on a great adventure. I would say this is a middle grade children's fiction as there are points in this story that, with Chadda’s vivid writing, I wanted to gag from the Plague God and gross demons, yes, I might have a weak stomach for creepy crawlies.

I was provided with an electronic ARC through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This one was particularly interesting because it follows a Muslim boy and the mythology of Mesopotamia which is essentially the start of civilization! There was plenty of action which will keep the attention of readers, and all the characters show some major growth which I applaud the author for that! I just could not get past the villain. He was so gross!!! It was also very eerie to read about a villain who is a god of disease after coming out of quarantine and watching the world around me fight Covid-19. There were some uncomfortable similarities, but that is powerful in of itself. I also really appreciated that the story brought to life the stereotype of Middle Eastern people in Hollywood, and it goes to show that there is still progress to be made!

Overall this is a great story that I know many will enjoy, and I hope there is a continuation of this story on the horizon!