The Sun and The Star by Mark Oshiro and Rick Riordan | Spoiler Free Review

“Three words.

A promise of hope.

The words tingled in Will's ear.

They ignited his heart.

'I love you.'

And they fell.”

The Sun and The Star is the latest book in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles, co-written by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. For months, Nico di Angelo has been plagued by nightmares. As a son of Hades, this isn't exactly new to him. But then he starts hearing a voice, whispering to him from far away...and he knows he has to save the Titan on the other side of it. Alongside his boyfriend Will Solace (a son of Apollo) Nico must face his deepest fears and darkest memories, and travel once again into the depths of Tartarus to rescue an old friend. 

Ladies and gentlequeers, we have finally received the Nico di Angelo book we've been craving for over a decade. And let me tell you, it is everything and more than what I was expecting. As a longtime fan of the Percy Jackson universe (14 years and counting), I watched happily as more and more stories were told through the mythology lens. We really went from feeling big-brained at the Patrochilles comparison with Clarisse and Silena, to nearly every character mentioned being canonically queer in some way. To think a middle-aged cis/het white man could make me feel so seen and safe in my own skin. Hats off to you, Uncle Rick, you are the ultimate ally. 

What made my excitement about Nico's book grow even larger was when Rick announced that he was co-writing it with award winning author, Mark Oshiro. Rick acknowledged that he doesn't have the experience required to write a gay relationship from such an intimate angle, and he wanted to make sure this book would be as authentic as possible. I don't know many authors who would even admit to not understanding the characters that they literally made up in their heads, let alone who would agree to bring someone else into their world. It's truly humbling. 

Okay I need to stop gushing about Rick Riordan, damn. I haven't read anything else by Mark Oshiro, but you can bet that I will be rectifying that as soon as possible. I'd love to read what they've created by themselves. 

Now onto the book itself. I already knew that I loved Nico and Will's relationship, but seeing like this brought that love up to a whole new level. These characters felt so incredibly raw, it was like I was staring right into their souls. A feeling that left me in tears more than once while reading. Nico and Will remind me a lot of Yin and Yang. One made of darkness, the other of light, but each balancing the other out. Will isn't all sunshine and rainbows (though he's pretty darn close) and, despite his trying to deny it, Nico isn't just a grumpy ball of darkness. They each have something of the other inside them, and that's what makes them so perfect for each other. 

“There cannot be light without darkness, nor darkness without light. You must have the contrast for both to exist.”

I wasn't super hyped to see Tartarus again, to be honest. I had plenty of it from The House of Hades, thank you very much. But even though it was a recycled location, it didn't feel stale or overused. Still full of lava. Still full of monsters. Still full of terror. 

Once last thing I want to mention is Nico's depression and PTSD. I thought it was wonderfully handled in this book. Actually, maybe even a little too well handled. There were moments I had to put the book down and wipe away tears before they stained the pages. As someone who has struggled with manic depression for as long as I've been reading these books, some of Nico's internalized thoughts hit a little close to home. I'm not saying I've dealt with nearly as much trauma as he has, but I recognized each of his own personal demons as mirrors of my own. 

In short, I felt doubly represented by this novel. Like Nico, I am a very depressed and traumatized person who has a lot to work on, mental health wise. And like Will, I am a disaster bisexual child of Apollo who lives for other people. Let me tell you, that duality is hard to swallow sometimes. But I wouldn't be me without all of these pieces fitting together. 

“Pain is a part of all lives, mortal and immortal...It is inescapable. We all must navigate this river to get where we want to be. [...] Pain helps us learn...It is unfortunate, but we rarely forget the lessons taught to us in moments of pain.”

I would recommend The Sun and The Star to anyone who enjoys Greek Mythology, who is feeling a little lost, and everyone who needs a little extra sunshine in their life. 

I gave TSaTs a CAWPILE score of 9.14, which of course comes out to a grand total of 5 out of 5 stars.

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Well, this ended up being more of a gush than an actual review. Sorry, not sorry. I'm not sure where I would rank this on the PJO universe scale, but it's definitely up there. Top 5, at least. What a way to kick off Pride Month, am I right? 

I'd love to know your thoughts on The Sun and The Star. Let me know what you liked/disliked about it in the comments below, or DM me on Instagram (link in sidebar under the heading "More Media). 

Until next time, demigods!