The Sun and the Star

Did You Know?

• The novel was announced on October 6, 2021.
• Rick Riordan collaborated with Mark Oshiro to ensure authentic representation of the LGBT+ characters.
• The cover art was illustrated by Malaysian artist Khadijah Khatib.

Plot

Two months after the defeat of Nero and Python, the Oracle of Delphi, Rachel Elizabeth Dare, delivers a prophecy to Nico di Angelo and Will Solace. The demigods follow the prophecy into Tartarus to rescue their friend Bob, the Titan Iapetus. They enter the Underworld through the Door of Orpheus and are attacked by the demon Epiales, who reveals that his mother is after Nico. Will kills Epiales using his newly discovered power to emit light.

The troglodytes agree to lead them to a shortcut to Tartarus after they pass the farm of Menoetes, who demands stolen fruit from Persephone's garden in exchange for silence. Will encounters Persephone, who advises him to embrace his inner darkness and gifts him the stolen pomegranates. Menoetes reveals that Bob was captured by the primordial goddess Nyx while reforming after dying to help Percy and Annabeth. Nyx wants to force Bob to become Iapetus again and is using him as bait for Nico.

The trogs lead the demigods to the River Acheron, where the nymph Gorgyra helps them in exchange for their story. Using her canoe, Nico and Will descend into Tartarus, where the river forces them to confront their insecurities. They find Bob's pet saber-toothed skeleton cat, Small Bob, and learn that Damasen is still reforming. At Nyx's Mansion of Night, Bob is imprisoned in a regeneration cycle.

Combining their powers, Nico and Will free Bob, but Nyx arrives with Nemesis, Hypnos, a reformed Epiales, and an army of monsters to block their escape.

Characters

Niccolò di Angelo, known as Nico di Angelo, is an Italian-born Greek demigod son of Hades and the mortal Maria di Angelo. He first appears at age 10 in The Titan's Curse and is 15 in The Sun and the Star. He has black hair, dark brown eyes, and olive skin. He is the first openly gay character in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles and the protagonist of The Nico di Angelo Adventures series.

He is the boyfriend of Will Solace. William Andrew Solace, known as Will Solace, is an American-born Greek demigod son of Apollo and the mortal Naomi Solace. He first appears at age 11 in The Last Olympian and is 16 in The Sun and the Star. He has blond hair, light blue eyes, and white skin.

He is the first openly bisexual character in the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles and the deuteragonist of The Nico di Angelo Adventures series. He is the boyfriend of Nico di Angelo. Iapetus, commonly called Bob the Titan, is a Greek Titan and the Lord of the West, father of Atlas. He appears as an antagonist in the short story Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades, a main character in The House of Hades, and the tritagonist of The Sun and the Star.

Publication history

The Sun and the Star was published in American English by Disney-Hyperion in the United States and in British English by Puffin Books in the United Kingdom on May 2, 2023. The novel has been translated into 17 languages. Dutch translation De zon en de ster was published by Van Goor on May 2, 2023. Polish translation Słońce i Gwiazda: Opowieść o Nicu di Angelo was published by Wydawnictwo Galeria Ksiazki on May 9, 2023.

Italian translation Luce e tenebra: Dal mondo di Percy Jackson was published by Mondadori on May 23, 2023. Bulgarian translation Слънцето и Звездата: Една история за Нико ди Анджело was published by Egmont on May 27, 2023. Spanish translation La profecía del rayo y las estrellas: Del universo de Percy Jackson was published by Montena on June 1, 2023. Catalan translation La profecia del llamp i les estrelles: De l'univers de Percy Jackson was published by Montena on June 1, 2023.

Brazilian Portuguese translation O Sol e a Estrela: Crônicas do Acampamento Meio-Sangue #17 was published by Intrinseca on July 3, 2023. Taiwanese Mandarin translation 波西傑克森：烈日星辰 was published by Yuan-Liou on August 30, 2023. German translation Nico und Will: Reise ins Dunkel was published by Carlsen on October 20, 2023. French translation Le Soleil et l'Etoile: Une aventure de Nico Di Angelo was published by Albin Michel on November 15, 2023.

Turkish translation Güneş ve Yıldız: Percy Jackson Evreninden: Bir Nico Di Angelo Macerası was published by Dex Yayinevi on February 5, 2024. Czech translation Slunce a hvězda: Dobrodružství Nika a Willa was published by Fragment and Voxi on February 15, 2024. Danish translation Solen og stjernen: Et Nico Di Angelo eventyr was published by Carlsen on April 18, 2024. Israeli Hebrew translation השמש והכוכב was published by Kinneret on May 22, 2024.

Thai translation ดาราหลับฝันตะวันผจญ was published by Enter Books on October 10, 2024. Finnish translation Aurinko ja tähti: Nico di Angelon seikkailu was published by Otava on October 14, 2024. A second French edition Le Soleil et l'Etoile: Une aventure de Nico di Angelo was published by Poche Jeunesse on October 23, 2024.

Reception

The Sun and the Star received the Common Sense Selection Seal for Families from Common Sense Media and was listed as a Best Middle-Grade Fantasy of 2023 by Kirkus Reviews. The novel became the number one bestseller on The New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books immediately upon release. It remained number one for an initial 6 weeks and later returned to number one for another 8 weeks, totaling 14 weeks at number one. It was continuously listed in the top ten for 72 weeks and returned for one additional week, for a total of 73 weeks on the list.

The book became the number one bestseller on the American Booksellers Association IndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers immediately, remaining number one for 9 weeks and staying on the list for 44 weeks. It was the number one overall bestseller on that list for the entire year of 2023. The novel became the number one bestseller on the Publishers Weekly Bestseller List for Children's Fiction immediately and remained on the list for 33 weeks.

It became the number one bestseller on The Globe and Mail Bestseller List for Juvenile books immediately and stayed on the list for 9 weeks.