City of the Plague God - by Sarwat Chadda (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Thirteen-year-old Sikander Aziz has to team up with the hero Gilgamesh in order to stop Nergal, the ancient god of plagues, from wiping out the population of Manhattan in this adventure based on Mesopotamian mythology"--

Book Synopsis

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents CITY OF THE PLAGUE GOD, an adventure based on ancient Mesopotamian mythology written by Sarwat Chadda, author of the Ash Mistry series.

An epic worthy of Gilgamesh. Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging humor and wit.--Kirkus Reviews

Thirteen-year-old Sik wants a simple life going to school and helping at his parents' deli in the evenings. But all that is blown to smithereens when Nergal comes looking for him, thinking that Sik holds the secret to eternal life.Turns out Sik is immortal but doesn't know it, and that's about to get him and the entire city into deep, deep trouble. Sik's not in this alone. He's got Belet, the adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war, on his side, and a former hero named Gilgamesh, who has taken up gardening in Central Park. Now all they have to do is retrieve the Flower of Immortality to save Manhattan from being wiped out by disease. To succeed, they'll have to conquer sly demons, treacherous gods, and their own darkest nightmares.

Featuring gods and goddesses, and importantly, Muslim heroes, this #OwnVoices tale eerily echoes our pandemic presents; but readers will find escape in the entertaining balance of an apocalyptic setting with irreverent humor.--School Library Journal


Look for these other best-selling Rick Riordan Presents titles:

• Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi
• The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes
• Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee
• Race to the Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
• Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky by Kwame Mbalia

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR SHADOW MAGIC

*Shadow Magic is a fast-paced read full of mystery, magic, misdirection, giant bats, and zombies. The characters are compelling, and the world is imaginative and well-crafted. Middle grade fantasy readers will find this book riveting and look for a sequel.--School Library Connection (starred review)

PRAISE FOR SHADOW MAGIC

*Short chapters filled with action, appealing characters, and cliff-hanger endings make this fantasy the kind of book readers will find hard to put down.--School Library Journal (starred review)

An epic adventure worthy of Gilgamesh. Chadda brings attention to the less well-recognized mythology of ancient Mesopotamia with engaging humor and wit.--Kirkus Reviews

This is a lush read with high appeal, full of apocalyptic drama, fight scenes, and stomach-turning descriptions of Neural and his band of demons, balanced with Sik's dry humor and a cast of quirky, vivid characters.--School Library Journal

About The Author

Sarwat Chadda, a first generation Muslim immigrant, has spent a lifetime integrating the best of his family's heritage with the country of his birth. There have been tensions as well as celebrations, but he wouldn't wish it any other way. As a lifelong gamer he decided to embrace his passion for over-the-top adventure stories by swapping a career in engineering for a new one as a writer. That resulted in his first novel, Devil's Kiss, back in 2009. Since then he has been published in a dozen languages, writing comic books, TV shows, and novels such as the award-winning Indian mythology-inspired Ash Mistry series and the epic high-fantasy Shadow Magic trilogy (as Joshua Khan). While he's traveled far and wide, including Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, he's most at home in London, where he lives with his wife, two more-or-less grown-up daughters, and an aloof cat. Feel free to drop him a line @sarwatchadda.