Rating: 5/5 stars
Sik is from your typical immigrant family. He's Iraqi Muslim, something you don't see represented in books very often. His oldest brother, Mo, had been taking trips back to Iraq and helping the communities there whilst Sik has been working every day to help his parents at the family deli.
I am just going to stop there, the rest of the synopsis can be found above. With that out of the way, let's get down to my thoughts:
This book was such a delight and such a wonderful read. Chadda does an amazing job with blending Mesopotamian mythology (Ishtar, Gilgamesh, the like) and Islam as well, staying true to the character's religion, without making the reader question how the two can co-exist. Gilgamesh, despite being the world's literal first hero, isn't taught about at school and even I, someone who loves mythologies from all around the world, had never heard of him until about 2-3 years back.
The writing was wonderful, the characters were so relatable, this is a wonderful novel about a boy who is determined to save his parents from an evil plague god.
I would have loved this when I was younger. There aren't many books that talk about positive things as immigrants, especially immigrants coming from a country ravaged by violence. All in all, I really loved the representation of this book and the blend of mythology and Islam was greatly appreciated.

City of the Plague God is a wonderful book.

From the very first page, the story pulled me in, and throughout the book, I never ceased to be entertained.

The book follows 13-year-old Sikander who lives in New York City. Sik spends a lot of time in his family’s deli and is mourning his brother, who died two years before the events of the book.

When the plague god Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds a secret that Nergal wants, Sik’s life spirals into a series of adventures involving Mesopotamian mythology.

This book, which comes out in just a few weeks is the latest in the Rick Riordan Presents publishing imprint, and came with everything that I’ve come to expect from the imprint.

The mythology woven into the book was very interesting but simple enough to understand without any prior knowledge of Mesopotamian mythology. The writing was wonderful and descriptive and was full of humor and sarcasm.

The way that the mythology was written into the story was very unique. Ishtar, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war was written really well and was one of my favorite characters. The depth in her character was amazing, and her entire personality was really fun to read about.

Sik’s character was also well done in my opinion. I thought that his story was fascinating, and he had a background that was written out in a way that really added to the book.

I did want to know more about Belet’s backstory, who she was before she met Sik. Belet is the adopted daughter of Ishtar and helps Sik on his adventures. I love how her ballet was the base of her fighting, and I overall thought she was a pretty great character. I just wanted more from where she came from, about her roots and everything.

The dialogue between characters helped move the book forward, and in general, the writing kept the book entertaining. It was fairly fast-paced, however it did seem like a very long book for middle-grade, at 400 pages.

I think that City of the Plague God could struggle to hold the attention of readers on the younger side of the target audience. However that is not because it can be dull at times, but more because of the length, and the complicated plot.

Those same aspects could, on the other hand, be more enjoyable to older readers, so I think it would really depend. This isn’t to discourage anyone from picking up the book, but to think about the attention span a younger reader might have, and if that would be fitting for a longer novel like this one.

City of the Plague God is a wonderful middle-grade book. The writing and dialogue are excellent, and the mythology is woven into the story in a unique way. The characters are entertaining and interesting, and the plot is very compelling.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Rick Riordan Presents strikes again! I loved this story so much. I think it will be great representation for young audiences who might finally get to see themselves in a middle grade story. I also love the juxtaposition of dealing with ancient gods but also being raised to believe in one god. I feel like for anyone who grew up believing in a singular god but is also interested in mythology this is a great book to read. The middle grade genre is better for having this story exist

This book started of so good for me but the further I got in it the more it lost me and I disliked it. I reallly liked the beginning of this book. Our two main charactes had an amazing dynamic and I really liked seeing them interact. Sik was a great main character. He very much read like a normal 13 year old. He was really funny and also very clever. I liked the discussions around culture and religion that were brought up in this book and I would have liked a bit more of that. I also would have liked more of the mythology. I don't know. I just feel like I didn't learn about any of it. We only touched upon 3 gods and 1 hero and I feel like it was just bare minimum and I just would have loved to see more. The main reason why I read books based on mythology is to learn more about that mythology. Anyway, that doesn't matter too much because the plot also went off the rails as the book continued and that's the main reason I didn't like this book. The pasing was all over the place. There were a lot of scenes that just weren't neccecary at all. On top of that all the action scenes just happened within the blink of an eye. I also just feel like too much happened or too many different things happen. I don't know if that makes sense but at times it felt more like a summary of a series rather than a standalone novel. Because all the action was so short I also felt like there were almost no stakes. It all just happened so quick and easy with almost no consequences, which just kept me from getting invested. I don't know. Maybe this book just wasn't for me but I sadly enough didn't like this book.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in one day. It was great to get a look into Mesopatamian mythology as well as Muslim culture.

City of the Plague God follows Sik, a thirteen year old Muslim boy who is dealing with the death of his older brother and the pressures of his responsibilities at home. Sik quickly becomes caught up in war between the gods and soon he's faced with the reality that the Mesopotamian gods and heroes right out of the stories that his brother was obsessed with really do exist. Now, with the help of Belet and her adoptive mother, who happens to be a goddess, Sik must defeat the god of plagues and war before the world as Sik knows it.

This book had all the makings of a great adventure and I loved every minute of it. I couldn't put it down and I think this would be a great read for anyone looking to know more about other cultures, mythology, and just looking for an all around good time and easy read.

I don't even know where to begin. I absolutely adored this book and winded up speeding through it in just two days. As someone who absolutely adores stories based in Greek and Roman myths, it was great to get the opportunity to learn about mythology that I wasn't overly familiar with. You better believe, I'll be looking into Mesopotamian myths as soon as I get the chance.

City of the Plague God follows Sik, a thirteen year old Muslim boy who is dealing with the grief of losing his older brother and the pressures of helping his family run their deli. It turns out that Sik's brother sent him something coveted by the Mesopotamian gods and heroes right out of the stories that his brother was obsessed with. Now, with the help of Belet and her adoptive mother, who happens to be a goddess, Sik must defeat the god of plagues and war before he destroys Sik's parents and his home in Manhattan.

What I loved about this was that it was so unapologetically Muslim. I'm not Muslim myself, but I think you'd have to be living under a rock not to notice how rampant Islamphobia is in all forms of the media and in every day life. As Chadda points out in his author's note, words like jihad and Allahu Akbar have been turned into sinister vocabulary, when in fact they are anything but. Being able to read a book that not only embraces beautiful mythology, but also a religion and heritage and is equally beautiful and so misunderstood was such a great way for me to bring 2020 to a close. Another interesting aspect of this is that there's actually a discussion of how religion and mythology intersect. As a devout character, Sik is of course at odds with his new reality. He believes in Allah and says as much to the goddess Ishtar. He questions whether or not she's an actual goddess and what that means for his faith and what he believes and the answer she gives him is amazing. I won't tell you what she says, so you'll just have to read it for yourself.

I hope that everyone goes into this story with their hearts and minds open because not only are you in for a great adventure with such relatable characters, but also the opportunity to either learn something you didn't know before or hopefully see yourself, your religion, and your culture reflected in a wonderful story.

Great book, great story. I've never read about this theme of mythology. It had a good twist in it. It was a lot of fun to read.

Mesopotamian mythology? Gilgamesh? Yes, please!

To say I was excited to read this would be a massive understatement. And, thankfully, this book did not disappoint. If Chadda does not make this a series, I will be devastated. Everything from the story to the characters to the settings was fantastic. This was the kind of epic tale that I did not know that I was missing and I will book talk the dickens out of this book to get into the hands of kids.

For Libraries: Buy it! Read it! And love it!

Wow this book was really something.

Sikandar Aziz is a 13-year old kid from New York City who helps run his family's deli Mo's. His brother Mo (the deli is named after him) died recently so he is just living his life one day at a time. That is, until Mo's is attacked by two demons and the Mesopotamian Plague god Nergal. Sik almost dies but is saved by a mysterious girl dressed like a ninja who we later learn is Belet. Now as a mysterious sickness/blight is spreading through New York City, Sik and Belet have to fight against gods, demons, and time in order to save the city they call home.

This book is really hard to rate. First off I'm going to address the obvious element in the room. This book does revolve around a plague that is consuming New York City not unlike the current COVID-19 pandemic. The author has a very descriptive writing style so if you are currently triggered or sensitive to anything pandemic related I would wait to read this. I personally did not have an issue with the sickness part in this book and I am a native New Yorker who had to deal with my entire family contracting COVID-19 for context. I was grossed out a lot by this book though because there were A LOT of bugs and bugs are my number 2 fear in life. As I mentioned, the descriptions are very vivid and, to be honest, kind of graphic. I was very surprised because this is a middle grade book but the content seems to veer towards an older audience. That being said, the writing style was very much directed towards a younger audience. It's difficult to explain but I felt like the writing was "dumbed down" at times, particularly the dialogue, while other parts of the book were not (like the descriptions).

I believe readers young and old will enjoy this book. I think the writing style makes it very accessible for younger readers and the humor definitely matched that of other middle grade books. Sikandar is a sarcastic and reluctant hero which makes for an entertaining read if he doesn't bother you too much. I found myself getting a little bored of his behavior because it never really changed. He would repeat inner monologue a lot so that felt overdone after a while. But if you really like this type of character personality then that isn't something you have to worry about. Belet is also a very strong (physically) female character and Sik never hesitates to admit that Belet is stronger than him. I really loved to see this reversal of masculinity and I think it is so important for young readers to see that gender roles are not absolute.

This book was constant action but it felt like there was not much character growth and development. I wanted more of that but this book is very plot driven. It is one magical attack after the other. That isn't a bad thing, especially for readers who just like to have a fun time, but I wanted more depth from the characters. Especially Sikandar. I was never really sure what his feelings were because it felt like he flip flopped a lot. One moment he hates everyone and the next he cares too much. I would have liked more exploration of his inner struggles.

One thing I really wish there was more of was Mesopotamian mythology. My knowledge of the subject is very limited. I learned about Mesopotamia when I was younger and I remember the story of Gilgamesh and the flower of immortality but that is pretty much it. The name Ishtar was also familiar but I did not have any recollection of who she was. Anytime something with mythology would come up it would not really be explained in depth. It would be something along the lines of someone mentioning something and Sik being like, "Oh is that blah blah? Yeah Mo told me about that he loved Mesopotamian mythology." And that would pretty much be it with a small description. I wanted more! Not only that but I wanted to learn more about the culture. This book was really focused on the more modern culture than the historical. I did learn a decent amount about the modern culture that I never knew before so I do appreciate that.

Lastly I want to touch on the other obvious topic. Sikandar is an Iraqi child of immigrants in New York City. So there are mentions/instances of racism in the book and Sik's feelings on the matter but it is not a big part. Sik is a character that tends to ignore things like that and to not let it get to him but he does talk about what people who look like him have to deal with everyday. I think it's important for people to read Sik's experiences especially if his is not your own.

I enjoyed this book and would definitely read a sequel. Especially if the Plague god is not around (he was really disgusting). My personal issues with this book were more analytical and because of my own triggers (bugs being one) but I would not let these color your view of the book. I think City of the Plague God was a fun and entertaining story involving a culture that is not very present in literature. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try.

I like mythology. I was not very familiar with Mesopotamian mythology, but I had heard of Gilgamesh. This was an excellent read. I read it in one setting. It had heroes, villains, and an epic quest. Very much looking forward to more.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a great read! I usually enjoy books in the Rick Riordan presents series and this one didn’t disappoint. From the beginning, there was mystery and intrigue, along with a cast of interesting characters, each with their own stories and problems. I loved learning about Mesopotamia and the heroes and villains. Sik is a terrific hero in so many ways. Enjoy this one!

I'm really glad I had the chance to read this. City of the Plague God is a lot of fun and our main protagonist Sik is extremely likeable. He really does bring a lot of life to this story! Younger people will definitely appreciate this story and relate to it a lot I'm sure.

But since I'm not the intended reader I have to give a few criticisms, while also acknowledging that these may not be as prominent for the aforementioned reader!

The overall plot is extremely straightforward to where you'll more than likely be able to, beat for beat, guess what will happen next. This happened more often than not during my read, but I still enjoyed how it played out.

When I think of a final battle, I envision something that takes up at least a few chapters to really build the tension and give you a good adrenaline rush. This was over in just a few pages and felt anticlimactic to a fault. The build-up was not worth the pay-off.

There was a small amount of social commentary sprinkled throughout (immigration, racism) that felt a bit too heavy-handed for me. I like more subtlety in my books, but I think the message will still come across as well-intentioned.

The references to Disney felt really out of place. I realize they're the publisher, but instead of it feeling natural to the characters it came across more that it was in a contract somewhere that references to the company have to be somewhere in the text.

3.5-stars rounded up to 4-stars. If there's a follow up to this story I'd definitely check it out!

Thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I found this book to be compelling and very entertaining. It was refreshing to see a main character who is "different." Having a Muslim-American character as the main character was refreshing. Even more so was that the vast majority of the supporting characters were as well. I enjoyed the different mythology that was used for the story. Going back to the Mesopotamian mythologies was interesting, and I even learned a little something about them in a way that I found interesting. Lots of strong action scenes. Lots of fun. I hope this is the first book of a series; I would read it.



I received and electronic ARC of this book through net galley.com in return for an honest review.

I have one word for this book... FANTASTIC!!!! FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC FANTASTIC!!!!! FINALLY!!!!! A book that makes my heart and soul quiver!!!!!!

Sik has a busy life; helping his parents run their Manhattan deli and cope with the traumatic loss of his older brother with the help of his brother's best friend, Daud. Mo was killed in a recent trip to the Middle East. Everywhere they look Mo has left memories, and it's hard to go on without him. Late after closing up the deli one night, the deli is attacked by strange creatures. They destroy the deli searching for a stolen treasure, and Sik is terrified and bewildered at the same time, but receives help from a stranger to fight them off.
Sik is taken to a hospital to treat the wounds a blisters from his fight, but is declared patient zero in a plague and kept in isolation. When he is attacked again by the same creatures in his hospital room, Belet, the stranger comes to his rescue again and takes him to her adopted mother, a goddess. Ishtar reveals the true reason for the attacks: a search for the Flower of Immortality.
With the help of Ishtar, Daud, and Belet, Sik battles, gods, demons, and fights to save his parents and his city from a deadly plague.

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

Thank you to Disney and Netgalley for approving my arc!

Tw:// mentions of refugee camps, islamaphobia, discrimination, racism, human trafficking, violence, body horror, gore

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!

This is about Mesopotamian mythology and it takes place in New York, two years after Sikander’s brothers death. He’s still grieving and missing his brother when Nergal, the god of plagues comes breaking the door down looking for something. What is it? Why does it have to do with Sik?

In this story there’s humor, sadness, HEAVILY RELATABLE GRIEF, and so much amazing action!

I found myself going, “Oh dang,” and “OMMMGG!”
I took my time with it, and I love it so much. It also has elements of d&d inspiration in it, so D&D lovers this one is for you. It also takes very serious issues like racism and discrimination against immigrants, or the fact that brown people are always playing villains in movies, it’s so digestible for a young audience.

This book is going to stick with me and I’m sad it’s only a standalone!

This was an exciting book. I love reading books about mythology. I will say that I struggled with the book mostly because I have never heard about Mesopotamian mythology. I loved learning new mythology. This book made me want to do research to learn more about Mesopotamian mythology.

As a middle school teacher, I know many students that will enjoy this book. I am glad that there is a book with a robust Muslim kid as the main character.

The book itself starts off quickly and keeps a steady, exciting pace throughout the entire book. I will say that this is my first book by this author, and it makes me want to go back and read more of their book.

I would recommend this book. This review is based on an ARC received from the publisher through NetGalley.

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for giving me an advance reader copy in exchange for a review.

The City of the Plague God is such a well done story. We follow Sikander, your typical NYC teenager, who helps out his family in their deli as they grieve the death of their older son, Mo. One night, something happens at the deli that changes the course of Sik's life, kickstarting a mythical adventure.

Sarwat Chadda has created such rich characters that have a welcome, lived in quality to them. He explores the Muslim community in NYC as well as the ancient gods and goddesses of Mesopotamia. The book is action-packed and leaves the reader constantly puzzling over what will happen next.

***ARC Review***

Cute, fun, and powerful, City of the Plague God is an absolute joy to read. Sik is an amazing main character and wonderful hero and every single side character is well developed. The author really got me invested in all of them and the inter-character relationships and backstory was perfect. (Also, I would like a YA spinoff about Daoud and Mo, please. 🤞) Before reading this book, I knew almost nothing about Mesopotamian mythology but I really love all mythology so learning about that was super fun and I will definitely be doing some more research on that topic in the near future. Chadda’s writing is lovely, a perfect mix of sophisticated and light-hearted. The plot is fast-paced, action-packed, and full of heart. My only complaint would be that having read so many Riordan and RRP books they’re starting to feel a bit repetitive, at least in the beginning, but after about 45% this story really took on a form of its own and truly is unique. This story will definitely leave you wishing for more and I can’t wait for a sequel.
A perfect next step for fans of the Riordanverse or anyone looking for an awesome, diverse read, City of the Plague God is a great book to dive right into.