The Sun and the Star

Author: Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
Rating: It was amazing!
Recommendation: Middle Grade and Young Adults

The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro is a stand alone novel about Nico di Angelo and Will Solace who traverse through the mentally daunting depths of Tarturus, or hell in Greek mythology, to complete their quest. Anyone at least slightly familiar with the Riordanverse's book series' will have an easier time understanding this novel, since the quest itself traces back to Rick Riordan's 2013 novel, The House of Hades. The characters themselves have been introduced as far back as 2007, in The Titan’s Curse. (By comparison, TSATS was released this year)
Being Rick Riordan’s first co-authored novel, I must admit I was both excited and worried. Knowing that the characters are LGBT which is an important aspect to their development, I knew Mark Oshiro’s input as a queer author would increase the genuinity of the story and characters. Having never read Oshiro’s work, and being a fan of Riordan’s writing, I did not know how I would feel about his input into the novel. Thankfully, I felt like his input gave a fresh feel to the novel. I will definitely read Oshiro’s novels.
Unlike the rest of Riordan’s novels, this one was emotionally driven and more about the journey to, than the completion of the quest. (My only complaint is that 2/3 into the novel I begin to dread if it would end with a cliffhanger because the boys’ still weren’t even close to completing their quest) It was a pretty big change to what I’m used to. But, as Will Solace and Nico di Angelo’s incredibly insightful character development shows, change and difference isn’t a bad thing. Will and Nico themselves are polar opposites with completely different outlooks on life and death. Their journey embodies how hope and love are found in the darkest of situations, every person, and how accepting both people’s good and bad sides are fundamental to make them feel truly loved. It was amazing seeing how both Nico and Will grew and developed themselves and strengthened their relationship amid hardship.