RR does it again by bringing another gem under the umbrella. It's peppered with Arabic and normalizes Islamic faith, it of course has PoC and gives children/readers non-White heroes, it properly exposes Mesopotamian mythology, and it educates (which is redundant to my normalizing remark earlier). You can't generalize - not all Muslims are 'evil', not all jihads are extreme. And not every story needs Obvious Romance/Sexual Tension!11!

I found the writing mature, approachable, and lovely. As a person with bi-racial parents, this also spoke to me on different levels, and I'll again express my appreciation for Riordan creating this publishing safe place for others to tell their stories where they're not the villains, but the motherfucking heroes. A place that humanizes and normalizes and educates, because I've been learning so much from these marvelous cultures.

This middle grade features A MUSLIM CHARACTER. And guess what? He’s actually happy with his faith!!!! (As I say this, yes, I know the standards are SO LOW) Anyway, I knew I’d enjoy this because a) mythology and b) unapologetically Muslim rep!

I really enjoyed seeing this story from Sikander’s point of view. He’s sassy, hilarious, and cares so much for his family. It was nice to see a young boy that is emotional and strong all at once. We don’t get to see that too much and it was really refreshing! It was also really interesting to see the world through his point of view because Sikander was a well rounded and somewhat flawed character that grew. And you could see that growth not only by the way the story was told, but also because of his changed perceptions about other people in the story.

I also just really loved that there were just really casual mentions of Islam without having to really pause and explain. There were some jokes that were even funnier for those that are Muslim, which just made it even more relatable and personal. I learned a lot about Mesopotamian mythology and I especially loved how it all tied to Iraq and seeing bits and pieces of history woven into the stories was just really interesting and well done!

Another thing we really don’t get to see is just platonic friendship. And I loved seeing just a nice friendship bloom between Belet and Sikander. Reluctant friendships are honestly so fun!

Sikander is also not like a natural fighter. He’s more reliant on other skills which is awesome. Sure, fighters are great, but we need to see more characters that actually have other strengths!

I grew to love both Belet and Daoud. It was great seeing them both grow not only as characters, but also as friends through Sikander’s POV. They were all passionate and powerful and somewhat flawed, making them realer and more relatable.

Of course, I definitely loved the mythology. I learned some new stories in a fun new way, and it was genuinely such a fun book!

I would recommend this to anyone that loves a good mythology book, casual and unapologetic Muslim characters, a main lead that is more of a “lover than a fighter”, talking swords, magical cats, bad rhymes, and interesting discussions about immortality. If you love some fun sassy characters, possible Tangled references (and also a few little Percy Jackson jokes), great platonic friendships as well as beautiful sibling relationships then you’ll definitely enjoy this book!

City of the Plague God is full of adventure, but it's also about family and loss.

Sik lives in NYC and works at his parent's deli. His brother, Mo, was killed two years earlier and Sik still struggles with the loss. He even talks to Mo. Mo's best friend, Daoud, lives with the family and annoys Sik on a daily basis. One day at work, Sik hears some noises outside and makes the mistake of checking it out. What he finds are demons. Multiple demons that look more like animals than humans. A ninja comes in and helps save him. The ninja ends up being a young girl at his school named Belet. Balet's adoptive mom is Ishtar, a goddess. There is a god, Nergal, that believes Mo stole something and he wants it. But Sik has no idea what that is. Nergal starts a plague and Sik's parents are the first to be infected. That infection is slowly killing and changing all of NYC. The people are changing into creatures and the plants are all dying. Sik and Belet team up with Ishtar to stop Negral.

There is a lot of action and creatures in the book. All of the mythology was interesting and the pacing was good. What I really loved was the focus on family, loss, and Islamophobia. It was sad to hear that Daoud knew he would only ever get roles as a terrorist villain. Belet losing her parents in war and Sik losing his brother were both sad. I thought the author showed their grief well. Belet was always angry and Sik just had trouble accepting his brother was really gone. I thought everything was handled well. There were some really creepy creatures and the author didn't shy away from some gore, even with the book being middle grade.

I gave this book 4 stars. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy. Please make sure you read the author's note, too.

Warnings for death of animals, people, Islamophobia, grief, violence, talk of war, and some gore.

Sik thought he was a normal teenager, he attends school, has fun with friends and helps in the family Deli, where you will taste the best falafel sandwich of your life. He had a quiet life until Nergal, the plague god, attacks the Deli, spreading a strange disease, starting with Sik's parents, then New York City.
Sik is on a mission, find a cure to the disease and stop Nergal, and he will not be alone, he will have the help of Belet, a classmate that was trained in weapons thanks to his adoptive mother, the goddess Ishtar, Daoud, a co-worker and other mythical compantions, important in Mesopotemic culture.

It is a novel full of adventures, I loved the mix between Mesopotamian mythology, Arabic and Muslim stories, it has a good balance between ancient mythology and current religion and it is not necessary to have prior knowledge, everything is explained in an entertaining way.

Love the plot twists, I did not see them coming, was my favorite part of the novel, Sik's adventure, it was not only a journey to find a cure, it was also a journey of personal and spiritual growth.

It is a standalone, which leaves you wanting to know more, although Sik's story is well-closed, the other characters deserve their own adventure.

This book was an enjoyable ride from start to finish! There was so much I enjoyed about this story, beginning with Sikander- our protagonist. There is so much to love about him! His unrelenting positivity in the face of every challenge he faces is intoxicating. His love for his brother, and grief over losing him makes him incredibly relatable and opens up a very important conversation about grief in childhood. Sik has lost someone he loved and his process of moving through that, opens up a conversation about grief that is often absent from books. The scene where Sik and Mo re-unite in search of the flower of immortality broke my heart, but also had some really important lessons about what grief means and exposed emotions we often feel (can you tell I’m getting emotional writing this lol). Sik also has an unrelating faith that is beautiful to see. I feel like characters of faith are rare to see in YA and middle-grade books, and even more so for Muslims- Sik is great example of why faith is so important to so many people. Sik also has a Percy Jackson-esque level of sass that I loved and brought back so many memories.
One fun aspect of this story that I loved was the Disney and Percy Jackson references sprinkled throughout the entire thing! My inner child loved it!
This book also doesn’t shy away from racism and islamophobia- topics that need to be discussed. You might think that because it is a middle grade book, these topics don’t need to be discussed, but that implies that racism and islamophobia doesn’t affect young individuals of color or young Muslims- this book does an excellent job of starting these discussions, thereby raising awareness.
I also loved the great character arcs we saw throughout the book. Daoud probably had the best arc and it was lovely to see him grow, and become central to saving the city. Belet and Sik also grow in the story as well and it is lovely to see them become heroes.
Overall, I give this story five out of five stars and highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking of reading it. If you love Percy Jackson, books with important messages, amazing main characters, and an engaging plot, be sure to check this one out!

I received a free e-ARC of City of the Plague God thanks to NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents/Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this story we follow 13-year-old Sikander Aziz as he battles the God, Nergal, for the fate of Manhattan. To succeed, he’ll have to join with his friend Belet, former hero Gilgamesh, takeover where Ishtar—Goddess of war and love—left off, defeat demons, and find the Flower of Immortality.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: whenever I see Rick Riordan is coming out with something, whether it’s from him or his imprint, I immediately hit my to-be-read button. I love the stories that he writes and that his imprint puts out. They’re full of adventure and tell wonderfully epic tales of unlikely heroes and show teens and young adults that they can make a difference. They also do a great job of reviving and giving a new spin on classic tales and myths.

This story was no different. I loved it right from the beginning. I’d been in a bit of a reading slump when I got the email saying I’d been approved to read this. I knew this was the ticket to getting me out of it. From the very first page, I was hooked. This is my first book by Chadda, but it won’t be my last.

Sik is an unassuming hero. He’s used to being in the background while others do the glamorous or important things. When Nergal comes for him, he’s genuinely perplexed. This is part of the book that I really liked, because I think it will resonate with a lot of readers. The idea that you can have extraordinary things happen to you, or make a difference in the world, no matter your circumstance is so important. It’s reiterated throughout the book, while Sik is constantly doubting himself and others are reassuring him.

I liked the inclusion of the Islamic faith. It’s important for everyone to grow up seeing their cultures and values represented in the books that they’re reading.

Overall, I enjoyed this story from start to finish. Although this is a middle grade read, I think anyone can pick it up and have a great time joining Sik while he fights Nergal to save his family and Manhattan. I hope we get more stories following Sik and his friends. Be sure to pick up your copy in January when it hits shelves!

I received a free e-ARC of City of the Plague God thanks to NetGalley and Rick Riordan Presents/Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

In this story we follow 13-year-old Sikander Aziz as he battles the God, Nergal, for the fate of Manhattan. To succeed, he’ll have to join with his friend Belet, former hero Gilgamesh, takeover where Ishtar—Goddess of war and love—left off, defeat demons, and find the Flower of Immortality.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: whenever I see Rick Riordan is coming out with something, whether it’s from him or his imprint, I immediately hit my to-be-read button. I love the stories that he writes and that his imprint puts out. They’re full of adventure and tell wonderfully epic tales of unlikely heroes and show teens and young adults that they can make a difference. They also do a great job of reviving and giving a new spin on classic tales and myths.

This story was no different. I loved it right from the beginning. I’d been in a bit of a reading slump when I got the email saying I’d been approved to read this. I knew this was the ticket to getting me out of it. From the very first page, I was hooked. This is my first book by Chadda, but it won’t be my last.

Sik is an unassuming hero. He’s used to being in the background while others do the glamorous or important things. When Nergal comes for him, he’s genuinely perplexed. This is part of the book that I really liked, because I think it will resonate with a lot of readers. The idea that you can have extraordinary things happen to you, or make a difference in the world, no matter your circumstance is so important. It’s reiterated throughout the book, while Sik is constantly doubting himself and others are reassuring him.

I liked the inclusion of the Islamic faith. It’s important for everyone to grow up seeing their cultures and values represented in the books that they’re reading.

Overall, I enjoyed this story from start to finish. Although this is a middle grade read, I think anyone can pick it up and have a great time joining Sik while he fights Nergal to save his family and Manhattan. I hope we get more stories following Sik and his friends. Be sure to pick up your copy in January when it hits shelves!

City of the Plague God brings something new and fresh to Middle Grade genre - a BIPOC Muslim main character and Mesopotamian mythology brought into a whole new light.

Sarwat Chadda presents the youthful character of Sik and, by golly, is he a character! Sik has experienced a significant loss in his life; and I'm glad that as readers we see this play out in City of the Plague God . I find it's not a topic addressed by most Middle-Grade books, and as readers, we see Sik grief and how he deals with the death, as well as how he lives with his grief and in spite of his grief. Sik is a sweet boy, who feels like he needs to hold his family together, helping his mum and dad in the deli. I enjoyed how Chadda showed Sik as hero with no special powers but a will to fight for his family and his city.

The plot of City of the Plague God unfolds almost immediately and the pace stays fast throughout the entire book. Chadda writes with a humour and wittiness that makes City of the Plague God hard to put down so I devoured City of the Plague God in two days. The mythology was done decently in City of the Plague God . Emphasis was on Gilimesh and his spectacular feats, and a little bit of information about the other gods (Ishtar, Nergal, and Ereshkgal) were sprinkled throughout City of the Plague God , as well as other Mesopotamian mythology like the creation of the world etc. The aspect of the gods, not being almighty everlasting gods was very very intriguing to me; I enjoyed that a lot in City of the Plague God .

The other characters in City of the Plague God , Belet and Daoud brought a lot to the table. Belet is a bada** girl with a heart of gold. Daoud is a sweetie and aspiring actor, who is so overlooked. I enjoyed the sub-plot that shed light on to how hard it was for Daoud to be cast (or seen) as anything other than a terrorist or criminal. Chadda manages for the reader to see the good and bad of all the characters, even the bad guy, Nergal.

The climax is so (dare I say) climatic! The ending was everything I thought it'd be. City of the Plague God was a cozy read with some deep themes running through it. The splash of different language words, here and there were nice and added a layer to Chadda's writing. The plot kept me guessing the entire way, up until the very end.

I enjoyed this book I didn’t know much about these gods, it was very interesting finding out more about Mesopotamia and just different parts of their culture I did find some of the words hard to read and I have to look them up it would have been nice to have a glossary in the front of the book for the pronunciation. By the time you get to the back of the book you have probably pronounced them all wrong in your head I did enjoy finding out what the different words and phrases meant I would really like to get this book on audio I think my kids would get more from it that way my oldest who is 12 did enjoy the story as well as I do. I would recommend this book.

Along the same lines as Rick Riordan's mythology series, this author explored the Mesopotamian gods. A normal Iraqi boy living in New York City stumbles upon a plague demon who believes this boy has something of great import that his brother had sent him. As the boy fights against the time to save his family and New York City from a plague like the world has never seen, he meets up with gods, goddesses and warriors from Mesopotamian lore. Fat-moving action and very enjoyable!

City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda was a fabulous adventure.
I haven’t read any of Riordan’s books yet, despite them being up my alley, or even any of the the RR presents imprint. Not because I don’t want to, because there are some I really, really want to read, but time. So much to read and so little time to do it in.
Figures I make time when one of them offers a Mesopotamian twist.
How much did I love this story? Way too much, I even got over my dislike of first person narrative for this book.
***
Sik is a normal thirteen year old boy, helping his parents out at their deli, and still mourning the loss of his older brother Mo. He’s getting by, and loves the deli and the work and his family, but his life is put into a tailspin when Nergal shows up, convinced that Sik has something he needs. The answer to immortality.
Unfortunately for Nergal, Sik has no idea what he’s going on about and would just like the plague god to take his pestilence and ruin far away from his city and the people there. Not that easy.
Sik is taken under the care of the goddess Ishtar and her adopted daughter, the surly Belet. Sik puts to use the lessons his brother taught him about Mesopotamian myths and legends and does his best to get out on the other side of this battle, because he’s no warrior, he’s just really experienced at customer service and has wit on his side.
****
I loved this book, even the things that made me go eww (because plague and rot and ruin and really gross demons). I loved Sik who was just a good kid who loved his home and the people there. I loved Belet who just seemed to want to punch everything, because for her violence is the answer (okay, I probably adore her for that probably more than I should).
This book was funny and heartbreaking. Adventurous and grounded. Sik is a kid who doesn’t see himself as a hero, and he’s okay with that. He has Belet to be the hero for him (it was incredibly refreshing to have a boy not being upset that a girl was better at things than him, the only time he was upset was when things she said were pretty cruel because Belet is not exactly subtle or gentle, but she is kind).
Honestly, this story reminded me that I’d bought a new translation of Gilgamesh that I need to break into soon because I’d been wanting to refresh my knowledge on Mesopotamian mythology, but this was a nice refresher of some of what I’d forgotten.
This was a fun story.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for providing me with an excerpt in exchange for a honest review.

This book is a part of the Rick Riordan presents series which it deals with Muslim main characters, deals with a lot of culture from the Middle East and deals with Mesopotamian mythology. I've only read one other presents series which was Roshani Chokshi (which is amazing, please read All of her books they do not get appreciated enough. Truly.) so this was another foot into starting another presents series. I personally have no idea about Mesopotamian mythology nor did I even know it existed honestly before reading this but I love me all kinds of mythology!

I have a good amount of positives but I don't have a huge opinion over the book as well. I could just say I didn't mind the book and review done but considering it's an arc, it seems inappropriate. I did like the characters, although it took me about just after 1/3 through to get me really into them.
I did like the introduction to the mythology although, personally I would've liked to see more, especially since it seems that this is going to be Chadda's only book for these characters. Even if there was more story or even another character from the mythology I would've been very intrigued in that.

The only thing that I could see as a negative was that I often forgot this was supposed to be a book towards middle graders. I mean, I don't know what middle graders are like reading wise but comparing to Riordan's and Chokshi's (in presents) books, I felt like during descriptions or actions may be hard for someone at middle grade age to understand? Perhaps I don't know what the reading comprehension is for middle graders again but that's the only full criticism I could give honestly.

Aside from that, it was a nice book, if you've read any presents series, you would probably enjoy this as well!

This book was a lot of fun and fits in perfectly with the Rick Riordan Presents line--I'd definitely feel comfortable that any kid who liked Percy Jackson would also like this story steeped in Mesopotamian mythology. I liked the side character Daoud, an actor who is frustrated that the only roles he's offered are terrorists--he's a funny, vain character but also a good way to gently open the eyes of young white readers to think a bit about stereotypes in media.

I do have one quibble: [the reveal that Daoud and Sik's late older brother, Mohammad, had actually been a gay couple rather than the platonic friendship the family had assumed, was actually so vague that I think a lot of kids might miss it? I know Rick Riordan has had openly queer characters and relationships in his books so I don't think this is a case of the author trying to sneak something in past a disapproving publisher. Why not just have them say "boyfriends" or "dating" or "in a relationship" or something?? Maybe (hopefully) they'll dig a bit more into that in the inevitable sequel.

This was an enjoyable addition to the Rick Riordan imprint. I love that this imprint means branching out into other culture's myth/folklore etc.

I found the gods here very interesting, and the plot was compelling.

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
A wonderful addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint.
Sik is a middle school boy in New York City. His family escaped from Iraq and has created a life in the city as deli owners. They are all still grieving the loss of Sik's brother Mo. This is the background setting for the events that unfold throughout the book. It's a delight to see Chadda tackle the Mesopotamian gods and balance that with Sik's Muslim beliefs. Background information on this culture and their gods is woven into the action of the story. It's refreshing to see a hero who is an average young man working in his family's business. His first encounter with the demons comes quickly and the plot takes off. Readers follow Sik and his new friend Belet as they seek to defeat a god, Nergal, and his massive demons. They receive help along the way from other gods and heroes. I especially like how Chadda portrays Gilgamesh throughout. Nergal is defeated by the end of the book but the world does not instantly return to sparkling condition. I appreciate the realistic portrayal of the aftermath of the plagues and pestilence and the subtle subtheme that some people may be monsters inside.
Sid is a character our kids need to see their own voice in books. The main characters carry their faith in different ways just as real people do.
I hope we see more of Belet's story in a second book.

An awesome fun quick read. I was sick this past month and it really gave me a great escape and I can't recommend it enough

This book was a fantastic book to read. I was very thrilled to review this wonderful book! It is a must read for any young adult! Highly recommended!

Sik Aziz lives an ordinary life in New York City, working at the deli owned by his Iraqi, Muslim, immigrant parents. Things have been hard ever since his older brother, Mo, died in an accident while in Iraq, helping rebuild the country he was born in and left as a small child. Mo was the adventurous one, the one who breathed life into everything, the storyteller. And as much as Sik misses him, he can't help but resent his brother for abandoning him--not just by dying, but going off on his own adventures, both in the city and abroad.

Adventure comes to Sik one night in the form of two demons who attack the deli, demanding a treasure that Mo supposedly stole, one that grants immortality. The next day, Sik's parents fall deathly ill with a sickness no one has ever seen before. And it is spreading, and spreading fast all over the city. It is the wrath of the Mesopotamian plague god, Nergal, raining down on the city, trying to force Sik to hand over the treasure. But Sik can't hand over what he doesn't have. And obviously Mo didn't find the secret of immortality: he's dead.

Nevertheless, Sik knows that it is his jihad to stop Nergal, and teams up with Ishtar, the goddess of love and war; her adopted daughter, Belet, who is basically a ballerina ninja; Sik's coworker/Mo's best friend/actor wannabe Daoud; a talking scimitar; and an army of cats. Adventures, secrets, and living legends await in the newest highly anticipated title from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint!

"City of the Plague God" is highly addictive (read it all in pretty much one sitting!) and an amazing introduction for many young readers (and adults!) into one of the oldest mythologies in the world, Mesopotamian! This is also a phenomenal first in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint, as Sik is the first Muslim main character. Chadda is a masterful storyteller from start to finish, beautifully blending ancient and modern, with fantastic contemporary characters and wonderful utilization of mythological figures. At this point, "City of the Plague God" is a stand-alone, but fingers crossed for more of Sik and Belet!

I received this book via NetGalley.

Rick Riordan is doing wonderful work through his imprint that publishes middle grade books written by authors who draw from their own heritage to create fun, imaginative worlds. This book by Sarwat Chadda is another fantastic addition to the line.

Plague God is set in the modern era, following Sik, a Manhattan Muslim kid of Iraqi immigrant parents. His family was nearly shattered by the recent death of his older brother, a botanist doing good work in Iraq, but they get by, staying busy with their restaurant. Then late one night, a couple creeps barge in that seem genuinely demonic, and they think Sik is hiding something important. A weird ninja girl arrives and scares the rotting creeps off, but things don’t get better. Sik’s parents fall sick. So do a lot of other people. The city itself begins to rot. Sik finds the gods and beings of ancient Mesopotamia may not be mythological after all.

This book is pure fun, the sort that feels cozy even when reading it for the first time. Sik is a great kid, flawed but well-meaning. The action goes along at a fast clip. I read the book in just a few sittings and I had a hard time putting it down. I wish books like this could've been around when I was a kid to help me see behind my small town protestant world.

Book: City of the Plague God
Author: Sarwat Chadda
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Rick Riordan Presents, for sending me an ARC. I am still kind of stunned that I even got this, so thank you so much.

I loved Percy Jackson and I love that Rick now has his own line of books about gods and goddesses from different cultures. This one is about Mesopotamian mythology and the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is just downright cool. I love the fact that this has a lot of the light hearted nature that I have come to know and expect from Rick Riordan Presents. It also does a great job of adding in Middle Eastern culture and the difficulties that people from that region experience. We get to see how people have fled from the region to have a better life. We get to see the struggles they face as well as the deep bonds that they characters form with each other. It’s not all dark. We have deep bonds of family and friendship, which is something that I love in books.

I really enjoyed the main characters a lot. Sik is our main character. He just wants a normal and simple life. However, this all changes when the gods arrive in Manhattan. Nergal is hunting him, thinking that this thirteen year old holds all of the secrets to an enteral life. Of course, this turns Sik’s life upside down and we see that everything that he has ever known is gone. This includes his family’s business, which his parents have worked so hard for. We see his parents become sicken by Nergal’s disease and now Sik is on the run because he has been labelled as the “Plague Boy.” We get to see him also transform from this somewhat meek character to this person who will do anything to make sure that all of his family’s hard work and dreams don’t go up in smoke. I guess he was like that before now that I think about it. However, the way that it is presented is just pure perfection. This is how a good character arc is done. You will find yourself cheering for Sik and the rest of the gang and your heart breaking whenever things fall apart.

The use of the Mesopotamian mythology and the Epic of Gilgamesh is golden too. You don’t have to know anything about any of that in order to follow along with what his happening. Sarwat does a great job at making sure you understand who is who and what their roles are. This isn’t done through info dumping either, but through carefully crafted storytelling. You are given little bits of information at all of the right times to know for sure just who is who and what their powers actually are. It’s kind of down in a similar fashion to Rick’s books-if you have read them, then you know what I’m talking about. The way that everything is woven together is just the mark of master storytelling.

The plot is pretty fast paced as well. As soon as the story is started, we are thrown right into the thick of things. This means that there really isn’t a lot of time in the beginning to get to know the characters and their backstory. However, like with the mythology, we get to see bits of the characters’ lives mixed in with the over arcing story. Again, this is the mark of a skilled writer.

As a middle school social studies teacher, I know my students will love this title. They recently discovered Percy Jackson and have been loving it. I cannot wait to share this title with them and for them to read it. One of my classes is actually getting ready to study Mesopotamia, so I couldn’t have gotten this ARC at a better time.

Anyway, this book comes out on January 5, 2021.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/Jizi_3fVx8A