City of the Plague God

Sik is closing up the family deli for the night when he is attacked by demons, absolutely not a normal occurrence for him.  Nergal, the god of plagues and war has become infested with flies and disease, and he is convinced Sik's family has the secret of eternal life.  Sik has no idea was the god is talking about.  As the demons begin trashing the family deli, Sik is pretty sure he's about to die.  Good thing a ninja shows up to save him.  Yeah, a girl dressed all in black with a killer sword.

That ninja turns out to be Belet, adopted daughter of Ishtar, the goddess of love and war.  It seems that all those characters in the Epic of Gilgamesh are real, including the gods.  Mesopotamia was one of the first civilizations on earth, so these guys have been around for a long time.  

Sik's older brother Mo would have loved this.  He was obsessed with Gilgamesh and all his exploits.  It just makes Sik miss him even more.  He's been grieving his older brother since he died in a motorcycle accident.  Mo was always taking trips back to Iraq and sending cuttings and seeds from strange plants back to his family in New York.  

A strange disease is spreading across the city, and it seems like Sik's parents are the first victims.  Nargal is spreading a plague across the city, and Sik, Belet, and Ishtar are the only ones who can stop him with a little help from Gilgamesh himself.  

Oh, there's one other thing.  It turns out Sik is actually immortal.  He discovers this in a pretty unpleasant way.  This could come in handy while he's trying to outwit a vengeful god and a city full of demons!

This new offering from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint by Sarwat Chadda explores the stories of ancient Mesopotamia and the style and humor readers have come to expect from these books.  This book is interesting as it grapples with how a practicing Muslim can hold his faith and still accept the existence of mythological creatures and gods.  Sik's grief over his brother's death is also very grounded in reality while also side-stepping into the mythological world.  This is another strong offering from the imprint, and Rick Riordan fans won't be disappointed.  Perhaps it will even stir interest in the original stories about Gilgamesh who may not be as familiar to young readers.  Highly recommended.