A review by kristinasshelves
City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda
5.0
Anything published by Rick Riordan's imprint catches my attention and this certainly lived up to my high expectations! Sikander Aziz works in his family's deli and has an average life for a New Yorker, until he is met with demons from Mesopotamian mythology one night. He quickly finds himself immersed in the world of goddesses, ancient heroes, a plauge and a battle for good and evil. Sikander is also dealing with the loss of his older brother, who frequently travelled to Iraq to retain a sense of their culture and homeland.
Chadda deals with the themes of this story in a very approachable way, while still staying true to the culture being represented by Sikander and his family. Arabic phrases are used by the characters frequently, with an included glossary. I appreciate that there was mention of xenophobia and stereotyping, which were both handled well for the target audience. The introduction written by Riordan and the acknowledgments section both serve to highlight that this book was authored prior to the 2020 pandemic, but editing was certainly done to make subtle references to current events.
I enjoyed learning about Mesopotamia's early civilization back in middle school, but was never exposed to the mythology of this time. I wish that were the case, as there had been no shortage about information about Greek and Roman mythology, even outside of Latin courses. Prior to reading this, I was familiar with The Epic of Gilgamesh in name only, but will now certainly add it to my list of must read books. I'll also be on the lookout for more books from this author. Unfortunately, this seems to be a stand alone within the Riordan universe, and although it is ended nicely and more is not needed, I would gladly read a companion novel or sequel.
Chadda deals with the themes of this story in a very approachable way, while still staying true to the culture being represented by Sikander and his family. Arabic phrases are used by the characters frequently, with an included glossary. I appreciate that there was mention of xenophobia and stereotyping, which were both handled well for the target audience. The introduction written by Riordan and the acknowledgments section both serve to highlight that this book was authored prior to the 2020 pandemic, but editing was certainly done to make subtle references to current events.
I enjoyed learning about Mesopotamia's early civilization back in middle school, but was never exposed to the mythology of this time. I wish that were the case, as there had been no shortage about information about Greek and Roman mythology, even outside of Latin courses. Prior to reading this, I was familiar with The Epic of Gilgamesh in name only, but will now certainly add it to my list of must read books. I'll also be on the lookout for more books from this author. Unfortunately, this seems to be a stand alone within the Riordan universe, and although it is ended nicely and more is not needed, I would gladly read a companion novel or sequel.