I absolutely LOVED <i>City of the Plague God,"</i> the first in this series. In this second book, Sik Aziz goes on vacation to London, expecting to hang out with his friend, but ends up with the mythical "Tablet of Destinies" which allows him to bring his brother Mo back to life. This is where the problems begin. The relationship described between Mo and Daoud was out of the blue - not even hinted at in the first book. Sik had finally seemed to come to terms with Mo's death - which took a LOT of work on his part, a lot of grieving and healing - and that was all just discounted with how it was handled in this book. The Mesopotamian gods introduced in this book were nowhere near as cool as those in the first book. And, the destruction was so complete in this one, that I have a hard time understanding how it was going to be explained away to the average Londoner.

What I did like was how the relationship between Sik and Belet continued to develop as they are there for each other and help each other grow. I did like Rabisu and found her to be a nice comic relief.

Sadly, this one just didn't live up to the first one for me. It was entertaining, but not nearly as intricately plotted or well-paced. I was wavering between three and four stars, but the ending just about ruined it for me. I loved the picture on the wall of the deli (I'm trying to not give spoilers!) but the overall resolution just left me feeling let down after everything the family went through in the first book.
3 1/4 stars

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I really appreciate what the writer does in this book. I don’t think any of the mythology is westernized, but it is presented in such a way that somebody who doesn’t have a lot of knowledge is still able to understand and relate. I thought the story was well done and engaging. I am a huge fan of the Rick Riordan presents, because I do believe that these are fantastic writers typically that are representing their cultures in YA literature.

I was a little taken aback at first, as it had been a hot minute since reading City of the Plague God. As I continued to read, it felt more familiar and then Chadda threw me for a loop with the whole tablet of fate thing!

I wasn't sure going in, but ended up quite pleased with how things turned out in the second book. There are some solid middle-grade life lessons built into the plot that make it a wholesome, heartwarming tale while also being funny and action-packed. I actually enjoyed all the Marvel and D&D references. I don't necessarily want this to be a series that continues--I mean, how much bigger can you get than an immortal kid who saves the world twice? I'd really like to see more stand-alone mythology-based fantasy that is less than 300 pages, especially as this is a title aimed at upper elementary and middle grade.

Sikander is trying to deal with his new immortality, the demon Rabisu, and his complicated feelings for Belet. Daoud invites Sik to London while he's doing a magazine cover shoot. Belet joins them much to Rabisu's dismay. The group goes to an auction where Belet hopes to buy a tablet her mother always wanted. It turns out the tablet is more than any of them ever thought it could be: the tablet of destiny. One misplaced wish that brings Sik's brother Mo back to life turns everything upside down. Now Sik and friends have to find out how to prevent the end of the world...again.

Sik is in England this time and the world is ending yet again. Belet is in search of a mystical tablet and Sik is along for the adventure. In between keeping the demon from eating all the pigeons, getting his brother back from the dead and stopping the apocalypse once again Sik is learning all sorts of new things. I love this series because it's always something new to learn, something new to feel and something new to embrace. The world is wide and there's still so much to learn.

Another wonderful Rick Riordan presents story. When I read in the back that there wasn't supposed to be a sequel to Sik's first adventure, I was saddened but so glad that Sarwat Chadda listened to the fans and continued his story! Learning more about Mesopotamian mythology has been fascinating and a book that shares this deep and rich history and shows Muslims in a positive light is greatly needed in our world today. At the end of the day, all anyone ever wants no matter their beliefs are loyal friends and a loving family and Sik and his crew have both. This will be an addition to our classroom bookshelf once published!

I loved "The City of the Plague God", Chadda's first book about Sik and the world of Mesopotamian legend. So I couldn't wait to read this sequel. And I did enjoy it, but it didn't grab me as much as the first one did. I was also somewhat disappointed by some plot twists, especially the ending. While the first book dealt well with Sik's grief over Mo's death, I felt like this book negated that.
Still, despite not being blown away like I was by the first book, I did enjoy this one and would definitely recommend it to readers who enjoyed Sik's first adventure.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me review this book. I enjoyed Sarwat Chadda’s first book and the sequel doesn’t disappoint! This one has more gods and bad guys to explore. I’ve always enjoyed reading mythologies and how writers put their own unique spin on them.

I recieved a free eARC of this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

One of the things I appreciate most about Rick Riordan is that, after creating a world in "familiar" mythologies, instead of branching off into different cultures, he amplified members of that culture in writing based on their own heritage legends.

This is one of those books. This is a sequel to an earlier book, so there were some places I felt like I was coming in at the middle, but I was able to follow it.

Aziz is moving on in his life. Which now includes immortality, a demon friend, and a girlfriend/friend who is the daughter of Ishtar, as well as working in his family's deli. When he goes to a high end auction to help Belin regain an artifact that hee mother wants out of the public's hands, he accidentally starts a cascade of changaz in the past and present.

This is a book that fans of Percy Jackaon will enjoy. It also gives a cultural view often absent in middle grades literature. Well done.

Sarwat Chadda delights again with a creative and enjoyable story woven through with mythology. I love the representation this series affords and hope for a third entry to share with my students.