The Sun and the Star
As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life—literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that's been the case so far...
Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld. He thinks he knows who it is: a reformed Titan named Bob whom Percy and Annabeth had to leave behind when they escaped Hades's realm. Nico's dreams and Rachel Dare's latest prophecy leave little doubt in Nico's mind that Bob is in some kind of trouble. Nico has to go on this quest, whether Mr. D and Chiron like it or not. And of course Will insists on coming with. But can a being made of light survive in the darkest part of the world? and what does the prophecy mean that Nico will have to "leave something of equal value behind?"
Nico will have to face demons both internal and external as his relationship with Will is tested to the core in this standalone adventure featuring two of the most popular characters in the Percy Jackson saga.
- Pages
- 466
- First published
- 2023
- ISBN
- 9781368081153
Reviews
Finished June 24, 2026
4.5⭐️ I loved this so much, Nico and Will are the absolute cutest and I can’t wait to read the next one.
Finished July 24, 2026
4.7/5 ⭐ The book starts with a Star Wars reference, so naturally I loved it right away. I also really liked the troglodyte sisters—they were such fun characters. But most importantly: Nico finally gets his own book and series! I’ve wanted this for so long. He has always been one of the most interesting and overpowered demigods in the entire Camp Half-Blood universe, and I loved seeing him take the central role for once. Rick Riordan’s books still have that special quality that makes me smile almost constantly while reading. The humour works so well, especially scenes like Rachel arriving and immediately vomiting out a prophecy. Percy’s occasional appearances in the books are also very welcome, since he remains one of my favourite characters. Will surprised me quite a lot too. He takes some time to warm up, but then suddenly starts pulling off Iron Man-style blasts. Dude! Also, this whole seeds storyline ties back to one of Nico’s arcs when he goes missing during the Heroes series, which made it feel like a continuation of that thread, although I honestly think that entire story could have worked as its own short story released alongside or shortly after The Heroes of Olympus. I did become annoyed by the voices tormenting Nico again. I thought he had already overcome them, so revisiting that struggle sometimes felt repetitive. My biggest criticism is that this is already the 19th official main book in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, yet the writing still feels firmly aimed at younger readers. Most of the people who started reading Percy Jackson as children are adults now, so I would appreciate a slightly more mature approach—stronger romance, more emotionally complex relationships and perhaps some 16+ content. I know Rick Riordan primarily writes children’s and middle-grade fiction, but after such a long-running series, it would be nice to see the universe grow up alongside its original audience. Still, the quest had some genuinely wild moments. Will nearly pulling a seppuku-level sacrifice made me wonder what the hell he was doing, while Nico having his strange collection of “children” reminded me of Loki. The ending of the quest was very satisfying, although I was surprised that we didn’t receive a new prophecy teasing the next book. Overall, I liked Nico, Will and the supporting cast so much more than the characters introduced in The Trials of Apollo. This felt much closer to the Camp Half-Blood stories I originally fell in love with: funny, adventurous, emotional and filled with characters I genuinely care about. I’m extremely happy that Nico finally received the spotlight he deserved.
Started April 22, 2024 · Finished April 28, 2024
Finished May 13, 2023
This book is going to be revolutionary. A perfect mixture of good life lessons on basic human decency, fast-paced, impactful action scenes, and cheesy references—this book has it all. Also, Hades is a GOOD freaking dad. I loved this book.