The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure

Set in Riordan’s Percy Jackson universe, this thrilling queer standalone from Riordan and Oshiro (You Only Live Once, David Bravo) follows two demigods in love—Nico di Angelo, teenage son of Hades, and Nico’s boyfriend, Will Solace, son of Apollo—on their journey to Tartarus, the Underworld’s deepest abyss. Summer at Camp Half-Blood is over, but Nico and Will have nowhere to go, so the pair is planning a quiet season with the camp’s staff when cries for help start haunting Nico’s dreams. Nico believes he’s hearing the voice of Bob, a Titan who helped two beings escape Tartarus only to become trapped there himself. After a prophecy directs Nico to find the entity calling for him, he and Will commence a quest to do just that—never mind that Hades has banned the living from the Underworld, that Will needs sunlight to survive, or that something seems to be shadowing their every step. Reprising the Greek myth–grounded books’ goofy humor, high-stakes action, and whimsical worldbuilding, the collaborators weave in tender romance and emotionally complex ruminations on change, self-identity, and mental health, balancing adventure with heart and heft. Characters are intersectionally diverse. Ages 10–14. Agents: (for Riordan) Nancy Gallt, Gallt & Zacker Literary; (for Oshiro) DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary. (May)