The Sun and the Star is a new Percy Jackson World novel featuring fan-favourite characters, Nico and Will!
From New York Times #1 best-selling author Rick Riordan and award-winning author Mark Oshiro comes a new standalone adventure featuring two of the most popular characters from the world of Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
Nico di Angelo is pretty familiar with the realms of death, being the son of Hades and all. So when a desperate voice starts plaguing his dreams, Nico is convinced it’s coming from the Underworld and belongs to an old friend – a reformed Titan called Bob. Then an ominous prophecy leaves Nico in no doubt – Bob needs his help and Nico must rescue him.
Of course, Nico’s boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo (the god of light) insists on joining the quest too. But can Will even survive in the darkest part of the world? And what does the prophecy mean when it says that Nico will have to leave something of equal value behind?
As Nico faces demons both internal and external, his relationship with Will is tested to its very core. Can love find its way, even through the depths of hell?
In this hotly-anticipated addition to the Percy Jackson universe, Riordan and Oshiro have crafted a new arc with imagination and sensitivity, keeping it relevant for today’s reader while remaining true to expectations for long-term fans.
I love that Riordan has gone a step beyond sensitivity with this book, making sure the queer representation is on point every step of the way by collaborating with Oshiro from the get-go. Collaborations like this one really ensure that representations are accurate and resonate with readers – something that’s especially important for a book with a reach as big as this one.
Oshiro, who has published a range of award-winning YA and middle-grade books, along with a considerable amount of online spec-fic and pop culture critique, identifies as queer, Latinx and nonbinary. They’re also a self-described Percy Jackson megafan. Basically, they’re the perfect choice for this collab.
The Sun and the Star is thick with the unmatched lore and world-building that Percy Jackson fans know and love. Right from the get-go, the stakes and tensions run sky-high – when we first meet Nico and Will in the book’s prologue, it’s clear that Will is in a bad way.
But for me, what really sets this novel apart is the relationship dynamic between Will and Nico, which is skillfully layered into a complex storyline that jumps back and forth in time. The boys’ internal anxieties are highly relatable, and their tender, youthful affection is made all the more poignant by the challenging, high-stakes backdrop against which it is set.
Percy Jackson fans of all ages are obviously going to love The Sun and the Star – the online hype in the lead-up to its release has been immense. But as a standalone adventure, it will also make a great introduction to the series for readers who are yet to dip a toe into the universe. And once they start, there’ll be a whole world to discover…
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