I have never been more excited to have been approved for an arc, oh my gosh. I knew little to nothing about Mesopotamian mythology before I picked this up and it was fascinating! Our MC, Sik, is quickly becoming one of my favorite narrators. He’s witty and real, and I burst out laughing on more than one occasion. His navigation of the events plaguing (*ba dum tiss*) his city is admirable and I spent the entire book rooting for him. The way Sik feels so deeply about his family is gut wrenching and I cried. A lot. Hearing him discuss the loss of his brother made me bawl.

The other characters in the book are just as complex and deep. Belet is a fierce warrior, who still managed to tug at my heartstrings with her relationship with her mother. She made for an excellent contrast to Sik. (view spoiler) And her SWORD. Like who doesn't want a talking sword? Gilgamesh was a fascinating addition to the journey and I thoroughly enjoyed his presence.

This book has excellent Muslim rep! I’ve never seen a middle grade Muslim hero and I was rendered speechless multiple times. Seeing the words I grew up saying in a modern, mainstream book was amazing. I was originally nervous on how mythology would work with a monotheistic religion, but it was navigated with grace and respect and I loved every second of it. Muslim rep is so important and to see it in a Rick Riordan Presents book was amazing. I can’t wait to hand a copy of this book to my 13 year old brother and tell him that he’ll see himself in it.

This book comes out on January 12th and you NEED to pick it up! If you like mythology, humor, and 13 year olds saving the world, this book is for you.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGallley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book and can’t recommend it enough! Sik was such a fun character to follow and it was really interesting to learn about Mesopotamian mythology since I went into the book knowing nothing about it. The Muslim representation was done very well and I loved seeing how much Sik cared for his family and friends. I wish I could have read this when I was younger because I know I would have loved it even more

This was such a great new story! The Rick Riordan Presents books have all been blowing me away, and this was no different. Sik was a grand protagonist and I really liked his heart and love and passion, and how he was dealing with his grief over his brother's death. I adored Belet and her mother, Ishtar, and how the two of them worked with Sik to save the world. Daoud was a sweetheart and I really liked his role in Sik's life, how he was there for him because he had loved Sik's older brother, Mo. This was a grand tale of Mesopotamian gods and myths, and I loved Sik and Belet's journey.

Fresh mythology middle grade novel with series potential.

I love mythology stories. The Rick Riordan presents imprint has been a huge plus to the mythology fans in our stacks. Chadda delivers on his Mesopotamian mythology book while also dispelling stereotypes of Arabic and Muslim cultures.

Sik misses his brother and would do about anything to get him back. And when an ancient God of Plagues overtakes the city he may get his chance. With the help of the Goddess of Love and War and her daughter, Sik searches for a way to destroy these no-good gods before they overtake NYC and the world.

Funny and at times a little tear-inducing, Chadda gives Muslim and Arabic readers a mirror for heroes they don't often see as well as shows other readers windows into the lives and culture of the many different sides of Arabic culture.

As a woman of Syrian descent, I enjoyed getting a deeper look into the culture and stories of my ancestors and I can't wait to share this book with readers of all ages, ethnicities and cultures.

Sikander is a regular boy who helps his parents in their deli, Mo’s (named after his deceased brother). Everything in his life is normal until one day demons come to the deli and destroy it. After that his world becomes upside down, his parents are suddenly sick and he discovers ancient Mesopotamian gods as Nergal and Ishtar do exist and somehow he is in the middle of their battle. Can he save Manhattan before it is destroyed?

First of all i want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an eARC of this book in exchange of my honest opinion.

What can i say about this book? It was GREAT. Okay, let’s start there. It has great representation of poc characters, which is a blessing because normally you’ll get to see people from Iraqi as the bad guys but here you get to see them as normal people, honest people who just wanted to have a better life for their family. It brought me to tears once or twice while reading the book seeing such great represenation.

The book reads quickly, it entertaining and easy to read. The story never get boring, because something is happening all the time. You can see the author, Sarwat, didn’t run out of ideas while writing it.

It really reminded me of the books of Rick Riordan which makes sense, without the main character having to be perfect of the son of someone to be a hero. His friends, Belet and Daoud are badasses as much as he is, I totally loved the three of them, especially Belet who was a strong character and for me full of fire.

I did fell like i missed a bit hearing a little more about the Mesopotamian Mythology, but it was good for a first book. I know the author said it was written as a standalone, with the option of continuing, so please, let the author write more stories about these characters and this world because we deserve this kind of books.

I won’t get into the story much becuase i don’t wanna spoil anything, but let’s say there were some very emotional moments i absolutely adored.

The book it’s about adventure, sure, but also about friendship, loss, overcoming loss and familiar love.

I totally recommend it to people who like this kind of adventure books, because it is totally worth it. I gave it 4 stars just because i missed the mythology being a little more explained.

I hope you guys give the book a chance and enjoy it as much as i did!

This hit a lot of great middle grade fantasy/action/adventure buttons which are now familiar from Rick Riordan's books and those coming out from his imprint: regular kid main characters experiencing problems, smart and stubborn sidekicks and quirky side characters, super powerful villains, sassy weapons, and of course, mythology. Sik's grief and love for his brother were portrayed really nicely, although I wished Sik himself were a bit better defined as a character. I was particularly interested by the way Chadda balanced the beliefs of Islam, a current religion, with the gods of ancient Mesopotamia, now relegated to myth, and I was impressed by the subtle but effective way commonly used but often misunderstood terms such as jihad and shuhada were reframed and given proper context without becoming preachy or obvious about it (although I'd certainly like to hear from Muslim readers to see if they had the same view of it). The setting and especially the diner were portrayed very fully and the fighting/action sequences especially had a quality like a movie, although whether that is preferable probably depends on the reader. Overall, certainly a good option for those looking for more Percy Jackson readalikes or for anyone who wants more content featuring well-rounded, modern Muslim characters.

Thank you to the publisher, Disney Publishing Worldwide, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sikander Aziz’s normal life is turned upside down when one night, as he is working late at his family’s deli, he is attacked by demons who believe he holds the secret to immortality. He is saved by the unexpected appearance of a ninja – who he later finds out is his classmate, Belet, the adopted daughter of the goddess Ishtar – but the deli, his family’s livelihood is completely destroyed. Things only get worse as Nergal, the god who commands the demons, starts a disease in Manhattan – and the first to be affected are Sik’s own parents. Now Sik and Belet must go on a quest to find the Flower of Immortality before all of Manhattan is wiped out by the plague.

This will be a shorter review because when it comes to middle grade novels, I have a tendency to give away too much of the plot. I’ve been following the various Rick Riordan Presents series for some time now, but this is the only one apart from Aru Shah that I’ve actually picked up. My interest in mythology has largely been towards Greek, Roman, Egyptian and of course, Indian. Mesopotamian mythology, on the other hand, is one I have nearly no knowledge of beyond what we learnt during ancient civilizations in school.

This was a pretty fast paced book and full of adventure right from the very beginning. The pacing of the book doesn’t leave too much time for character development or backstories, but I liked how that was built up in bits and pieces over the course of the book, particularly with regards to Sik’s brother Mo. The mythological aspects were interesting, but I got the feeling I would have enjoyed it a lot more if I had some background as the story doesn’t go into too much depth in that aspect. The good thing though, is that it’s possible to follow along and enjoy the story even if you are completely new to the topic.

Sik is an excellent main character and it was nice to see for once, a hero without any special powers and only fighting with the determination to save his family. He has experienced a significant loss in life and this book takes the time to focus on his grief, and how he is working through it which is not typically a topic touched upon in middle-grade novels. I did feel however, that the story took too much time to get to the point with the real quest coming into play only in the last quarter of the book – also making the quest itself much shorter than I would have liked, and giving the overall plot a less structured feel.

Overall, this was a fun read and a solid debut, and one I would definitely recommend!

Loved this book so much, I wish there were a second book! The main character is witty and loveable and the story is just right. I will absolutely be recommending this book to everyone.

Here's another one published by Rick Riordan's imprint that I mentioned above, this time the story is related to the Gilgamesh story of Mesopotamian mythology. 13-year-old Sik Aziz's life gets thrown into chaos when a pair of demons attack him because they think he has something that holds the secret to eternal life. There's a bunch of page-turning action in this one and I felt like I learned a lot about an area of mythology that I wasn't familiar with.

City of the Plague God follows 13-year-old Sikander Aziz on an amazing adventure through Mesopotamian mythology. While working in the family deli one night, Sik is confronted by the demonic henchmen of the ancient plague god, Nergal. They claim he has something in his possession that the plague god wants, and they destroy the deli and family home in search of it before proceeding to infect the entirety of New York City with a festering, rotting plague. To save his parents and the city, Sik must find a cure for the plague. It's a tall order, but our hero can do it with a little help from none other than the goddess Ishtar, her mortal daughter Belet, and some advice from the epic hero Gilgamesh (now retired).

I absolutely loved this book. It opens the reader up to a whole world of new stories with which they are likely not familiar. I love that Sik is portrayed as a typical American teen with the usual teen concerns, who just happens to be Muslim. I thought the author did an excellent job of combining both the stories of ancient Mesopotamia and Sik's Muslim faith. And I thoroughly enjoyed the liberal use of Arabic terms throughout the story. These terms have been twisted in popular media to sound terrifying, so this goes a long way toward normalizing them and putting them in the proper context.

After thirteen-year-old Sikander Aziz’s brother died two years ago, Sik’s life has mainly consisted of working at his family’s Manhattan deli and going to school. Fighting monsters straight from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Mesopotamian mythology was definitely not in his plan. But when Nergal, the ancient god of plagues, and his creepy demon minions break into the deli, Sik is thrust into a battle for the very fate of Manhattan. Paired with a kickbutt ninja girl whose mother is the goddess of love and war, the two kids must find the heroes within themselves if want to save Manhattan and their families from a deadly disease and kick Nergal and his demons back to Kurnugi where they belong.

Sarwat Chadda has crafted another beautiful addition to the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. The Mesopotamian mythology is inserted seamlessly into the modern world of Manhattan, and the characters shine on the page. Sik has a fantastic and fun voice throughout and feels very authentic to a thirteen-year-old boy. Belet too is a wonderful character: feisty and fierce, but also sympathetic and real. As Sik struggles with the loss of his brother and his parents’ illness, readers will be able to identify and sympathize with themes of grief, family hardship, and fighting to understand one’s place in the world. I absolutely loved the Muslim and Arabic representation, and although the glossary in the back was helpful, I enjoyed using context clues to inherently understand what the Arabic, Islamic, and Mesopotamian terms meant. Fans of mythology, races against the clock, and magic will love this fast-paced middle-grade adventure.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change.)

City of the Plague God is about young Sikander Aziz, a boy born to an Arabic family living in New York City. Sik struggling with the loss of his beloved older brother, Mo, while helping out at the family's restaurant. One night, a strange creature, he calls himself a god, trashes Sik's beloved restaurant in search of something the god insists that he has. Here he meets the fearless and tough, Belet, a young girl who can definitely hold her own in a fight and has some interesting history of her own.

After the attack on the restaurant, Sik's parents become gravely ill and eventually the sickness begins spreading to the whole city, creating a new and dangerous plague. Sik and Belet must enlist the help of deities from ancient Mesopotamia in order to discover a cure and heal the millions of sick people, including Sik's parents.

What I loved about this book was learning more about Arabic culture and the gods and goddesses of ancient Mesopotamia. We've all heard of Zeus, Ra, and Odin, but I didn't even realize there were deities linked with our ancient world, such as Ishtar, Nergal, and the famous hero, Gilgamesh. It was a unique take on a Percy Jackson-type story. This book fit the theme of Rick Riordan's books. The author did an amazing job at emulating that style, but having a voice of their own. There are strong characters, epic battle scenes, a dash of humor, and a lot of heart. I highly recommend this read if you are a fan of the Percy Jackson series or if you just enjoy mythology in general.

Rick Riordan has a way of bringing mythology to life in a real and tangible way. Rick Riordan Presents captures that same magic while allowing new and exciting mythologies to be brought to the forefront and presented for young readers. I am a huge fan of this imprint.

City of the Plague God explores the Gods and Goddesses of Mesopotamia, which I am admittedly unfamiliar with. So I got to learn about a brand new mythology, that is actually the oldest mythology recorded by mankind. Cool! I liked the setting, New York City, the characters and the main characters struggle with grief over the loss of his older brother. I thought the story was really well done and interesting. It touched on some very important topics- islamophobia, mythology versus religion, and grief. Loved this book, even when the plague descriptions were gag-worthy!

If i could give this 4.5 stars I would!!!! I loved this adventure so much. I haven't read much Mesopotamian based fantasy and this was a perfect starting point! It's middle grade so it's perfect for people who don't know much about the myths in the first place, and the author does an amazing job introducing the gods and the aspects of the myths that people might not know about.

I cared about the main character so much and I was rooting for him the entire time, and at one point I almost cried because of how upset he was over something (that would be a spoiler soooo read it and you'll know lol).

Didn't reach a full 5 star, but it was set up in a way that it could have a sequel. I think the author mentioned wanting to write more as well.

I can't wait for my pre-order of this book to come in so I can see it's beautiful cover in real life!

Rick Riordan Presents is one of my favorite imprints in the world. I love that he gives underrepresented cultures and mythology a chance to shine.

City of the Plague Gods is no exception. I love that the Muslim boy is the hero in this story. I was not familiar with Mesopotamian mythology at all, but the author does a great job of including descriptions of the gods and goddesses without being too distracting. This story was nonstop action throughout, and the writing was so descriptive that it was easy to imagine the scenery and characters.

I received a digital ARC of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

I have been very entertained and have enjoyed the Rick Riordan Presents series of books. City of the Plague God is a welcome addition to the series. I enjoyed meeting Sik and his adventures with the deities of the Mesopotamian pantheon. The book is a stand alone, but I would like to read more on these characters and their universe.

I really liked this! The adventure was fun, and the characters were likeable. I wish the villain was more flushed out because he felt very one dimensional, but overall, a really fun, easy follow up to the Epic of Gilgamesh.

i'm not really sure what i was expecting in this story, but i did expect it to be a lot better. like, i feel like the whole story was honestly kind of shitty, and when we got Daoud was such a superficial character, since everything in this story was all about what he looked like. and then there was just parts that rubbed me the wrong way, like there was some talk about how all non-white characters are always the villains and especially how Muslims are terrorist and how they need to be that role. there was also a line towards the end of the novel that how the villains are always ugly and gross looking, so if you're ugly, you can never be the main character and always be the bad guy.

What qualities do you like to see in middle grade novels?

As with any novel, I like to see a thought-provoking premise that is executed thoughtfully in the narrative and compelling characters. Often when I read middle grade novels, I’m reading not only for my own enjoyment but also to determine whether I would recommend the book to teachers. For the latter, I look for novels that inspire deeper exploration and conversation, that introduce difficult questions and invite readers to continue the conversation after the book is over.

Sarwat Chadda’s The City of the Plague-God, which I received from @netgalley , is exactly that kind of novel. I highly recommend it for readers of all ages and especially for middle school teachers doing mythology units.

Set in Manhattan, the story kicks off with 13-year-old Sik (short for Sikander, Persian for Alexander, meaning “defender of the world”) encountering two demons outside the deli owned by his Iraqi immigrant parents. Nergal, the eponymous plague god, has sent the demons to recover something he needs, which may have been sent to Sik by his brother, who died in Iraq while helping rebuild his native land. After his parents, and gradually the entire city of Manhattan, fall ill, Sik races against time to figure out what Nergal wants and why before it’s too late. His quest leads him to team up with Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, goddess of war and love, as well as Daoud, the beloved friend of his brother, and Mesopotamian hero Gilgamesh.

Sik’s search for answers raises difficult questions about what it means to be a hero and about the interconnection between rot and vitality, adversity and perseverance, competition and integration, whether cross-cultural, inter-cultural, or within a family unit. Sik’s relationship with his brother, his accommodation of Mesopotamian mythological concepts with Islam, and his struggle to find a creative vs. destructive solution to the challenges he faces are handled with sensitivity and nuance.

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.