From the World of Percy Jackson: The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure, commonly known asThe Sun and the Star, is a 2023Americanchildren's fantasyaction-adventuremiddle gradechildren's fiction novel based onGreco-Romanclassical mythologyco-written by American authorsRick Riordan andMark Oshiro. The book is a sequel to the 2020 novelThe Tower of Nero inThe Trials of Apollo series, and is the first book inThe Nico di Angelo Adventures series. The novel follows thedemigods andheroes,Nico di Angelo andWill Solace, the sons of theGreek GodsHades andApollo, respectively, as the boys follow aprophecy on aquest into the deep dark abyss ofTartarus, underneath theGreek underworld, to rescue an old friend of the boys, commonly known asBob, who is, in fact, theGreek TitanIapetus.
The Sun and the Star was originally published inAmerican English byDisney-Hyperion in theUnited States and inBritish English byPuffin Books in theUnited Kingdom. TheEnglish language version novel was released on May 2, 2023, and immediately became the number onebestseller onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books,[1][a] theAmerican Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers,[2][b] thePublishers Weekly Best Seller List for Children's Fiction,[3][c] andThe Globe and Mail Bestseller List for Juvenile books.[4][d] The book was listed onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books for a total of 73 weeks,[5][e] the American Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers for a total of 44 weeks,[6][f] thePublishers Weekly Best Seller List for Children's Fiction for a total of 33 weeks,[7][g] andThe Globe and Mail Bestseller List for Juvenile books for a total of 9 weeks.[8][h] The book was the number one overall bestseller on the American Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers for the entire year of 2023.[9][i]
The Sun and the Star was awarded the Common Sense Selection Seal for Families byCommon Sense Media,[10] listed as a Best Middle-Grade Fantasy of 2023 byKirkus Reviews,[11] and either simultaneously or subsequently translated into sixteen different languages.The Sun and the Star was originally intended to be a standalone book,[12] but the success of the novel led to the announcement of asequel,The Court of the Dead, which is the second book inThe Nico di Angelo Adventures series, which was released on September 23, 2025.[13][14][15]
The Sun and the Star was announced on October 6, 2021.[16] As acisgenderheterosexualman,Rick Riordan decided to collaborate writing the novel withMark Oshiro, an author ofmiddle grade fiction centered on characters who are LGBTI children, and a longtime fan and an avid reader of theCamp Half-Blood Chronicles, to ensure that the perspectives ofNico di Angelo andWill Solace, a young gay boy and a young bisexual boy, respectively, as well the romantic relationship between the boys, would be as authentic as possible. Riordan and Oshiro created the synopsis and manuscript together and received equal credit for the book.[17]
On September 28, 2022, both the cover art and the release date were revealed. Thecover art was illustrated by Malaysian artist Khadijah Khatib, and the release date for thehardcover version of the novel by bothDisney-Hyperion in theUnited States and byPuffin Books in theUnited Kingdom was announced as May 2, 2023. Riordan also announced a book tour of theUnited States andCanada with co-author Oshiro to promote the novel.[18]
The Sun and the Star was originally published inAmerican English byDisney-Hyperion in theUnited States and inBritish English byPuffin Books in theUnited Kingdom, both on May 2, 2023.
The Sun and the Star was either simultaneously or subsequently translated intoDutch asDe zon en de ster byVan Goor inNetherlands on May 2, 2023;Polish asSłońce i Gwiazda: Opowieść o Nicu di Angelo by Wydawnictwo Galeria Ksiazki inPoland on May 9, 2023;Italian asLuce e tenebra: Dal mondo di Percy Jackson byMondadori inItaly on May 23, 2023;Bulgarian asСлънцето и Звездата: Една история за Нико ди Анджело byEgmont inBulgaria on May 27, 2023; bothSpanish asLa profecía del rayo y las estrellas: Del universo de Percy Jackson andCatalan asLa profecia del llamp i les estrelles: De l'univers de Percy Jackson byMontena inSpain on June 1, 2023;Brazilian Portuguese asO Sol e a Estrela: Crônicas do Acampamento Meio-Sangue #17 byIntrinseca inBrazil on July 3, 2023;Taiwanese Mandarin as波西傑克森：烈日星辰 byYuan-Liou inTaiwan on August 30, 2023;German asNico und Will: Reise ins Dunkel byCarlsen inGermany on October 20, 2023;French asLe Soleil et l'Etoile: Une aventure de Nico Di Angelo byAlbin Michel inFrance on November 15, 2023;Turkish asGüneş ve Yıldız: Percy Jackson Evreninden: Bir Nico Di Angelo Macerası by Dex Yayinevi inTurkey on February 5, 2024;Czech asSlunce a hvězda: Dobrodružství Nika a Willa by bothFragment and Voxi in theCzech Republic on February 15, 2024;Danish asSolen og stjernen: Et Nico Di Angelo eventyr byCarlsen inDenmark on April 18, 2024;Israeli Hebrew asהשמש והכוכב byKinneret inIsrael on May 22, 2024;Thai asดาราหลับฝันตะวันผจญ byEnter Books inThailand on October 10, 2024;Finnish asAurinko ja tähti: Nico di Angelon seikkailu byOtava inFinland on October 14, 2024; and intoFrench again asLe Soleil et l'Etoile: Une aventure de Nico di Angelo byPoche Jeunesse inFrance on October 23, 2024.
The Sun and the Star was awarded the Common Sense Selection Seal for Families byCommon Sense Media,[19] and listed as a Best Middle-Grade Fantasy of 2023 byKirkus Reviews.[20]
The Sun and the Star immediately became the number one bestseller onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books,[21][j] continued to remain the number one bestseller onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books for an initial period of 6 weeks,[22][k] became the number one bestseller onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books again for another period of 8 weeks,[23][l][24][m] for a total of 14 weeks as the number one bestseller onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books,[25][n][26][o] continued to be continuously listed non-stop in the top ten onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books for 72 weeks,[27][p] and returned to the top ten onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books again for another week,[28][q] for a total of 73 weeks onThe New York Times Best Seller list for Children’s Middle Grade books.[29][r]
The Sun and the Star immediately became the number one bestseller on theAmerican Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers,[30][s] continued to remain the number one bestseller on the American Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers for 9 weeks,[31][t] continued to be continuously listed non-stop on the American Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers for a total of 44 weeks,[32][u] and became the number one overall bestseller on the American Booksellers AssociationIndieBound Best Seller List for Early & Middle Grade Readers for the entire year of 2023.[33][v]
The Sun and the Star immediately became the number one bestseller on thePublishers Weekly Bestseller List for Children's Fiction,[34][w] and continued to be continuously listed non-stop on thePublishers Weekly Bestseller List for Children's Fiction for a total of 33 weeks.[35][x]
The Sun and the Star immediately became the number one bestseller onThe Globe and Mail Bestseller List for Juvenile books,[36][y] and continued to be continuously listed non-stop onThe Globe and Mail Bestseller List for Juvenile books for a total of 9 weeks.[37][z]
Sharon Rawlins of theSchool Library Journal starredThe Sun and the Star, praised the novel as "a seamlessly written, action-packed story that’s also a sensitive, introspective character study", added that "fans who’ve been waiting for more of adorable couple Nico and Will won’t be disappointed", and recommended the book for children in third grade through seventh grade.[38]
Mia Manansala of theAmerican Library AssociationBooklist starredThe Sun and the Star, praised the novel as a "perfect read for fans of Percy Jackson, as well as those who love modern, inclusive takes on classic mythology", and recommended the book for children in sixth grade through ninth grade.[39]
Carrie Wheadon ofCommon Sense Media gaveThe Sun and the Star four out of five stars, praised the novel as an "exciting Percy Jackson spin-off" that "offers monster-filled adventures for fantasy fans and relationship goals for everyone", which "makes this read very worthwhile", and recommended the book for children ages 10 and up.[40]
Kirkus Reviews starredThe Sun and the Star, praised the novel as "a standout", stated that the "collaborative effort between Riordan and Oshiro maintains earlier Percy Jackson entries' glorious knack for mythical machinations, profoundly sharp conflicts, and contemporary humor", added that "this stellar tale centers a richly woven love story that shines with ease between two boys who are seemingly different from one another", and recommended the book for children ages 10 years old to 14 years old.[41]
Publishers Weekly praisedThe Sun and the Star for "reprising the Greek myth–grounded books' goofy humor, high-stakes action, and whimsical worldbuilding", stated that "the collaborators weave in tender romance and emotionally complex ruminations on change, self-identity, and mental health, balancing adventure with heart and heft", and recommended the book for children ages 10 years old to 14 years old.[42]
Two months after thedefeat of Nero and Python, theOracle of Delphi,Rachel Elizabeth Dare, provides the prophecy for thedemigods andheroes,Nico di Angelo andWill Solace, the sons of theGreek GodsHades andApollo, respectively, as the boys follow theprophecy on aquest into the deep dark abyss ofTartarus, underneath theGreek underworld, to rescue an old friend of the boys, commonly known asBob, who is, in fact, theGreek TitanIapetus.
Making their way into the Underworld through the Door ofOrpheus, which Nico and Percy hadpreviously used, the two demigods are immediately set upon by the demon of nightmares,Epiales, who reveals that their mother is after Nico before Will manages to kill the demon using his newly-discovered power to emit light. Nico and Will seek the help of the troglodytes, who agree to lead them to a shortcut to Tartarus. But first, they pass the farm of Menoetes, who only agrees not to tell Hades about their quest in exchange for some stolen fruit from Persephone's garden. Although the heist is successful, Will encounters Persephone herself, who offers advice on his struggles to understand Nico, suggesting that Will embraces his own inner darkness rather than rejecting it, before gifting Will the stolen pomegranates.
Pleased with their success, Menoetes reveals that Bob, while reforming from dying while helping Percy and Annabeth, was captured by the primordial goddess of night,Nyx, who seeks to force Bob to go back to being Iapetus despite Bob's continuous rejection of his past. Nico reveals that he had encountered Nyx while traveling through Tartarus beforegetting captured by the giants and she took an interest in him, realizing that Nyx is using Bob as bait to get at Nico. The trogs lead the demigods to theRiver Acheron, where the nymphGorgyra agrees to help them in exchange for Nico and Will sharing their story with her.
Using Gorgyra'scanoe, Nico and Will descend into Tartarus where the power of the river forces them to confront their insecurities and differences of opinion, particularly on the nature of the Underworld. Locating Bob's pet saber-toothed skeleton cat, Small Bob, the demigods discover that Percy and Annabeth's giant friendDamasen is still reforming and can't help them before finally reaching Nyx's home, the Mansion of Night, where Bob is imprisoned in a continuous regeneration cycle. By combining their powers, Nico and Will free Bob beforeNyx arrives withNemesis,Hypnos, a reformedEpiales, and an army of monsters to cut off their escape.
Nyx reveals that she has createdcacodemons out of manifestations of Nico's darkness and urges him to accept his darkness and stay in Tartarus, where the goddess believes he belongs. With the encouragement of Will and Bob, Nico fights back against Nyx's manipulations, embracing the fact that he is more than just his darkness, while Will accepts his own darkness to tap into Apollo's plague powers to fight Nyx. Taking control of the cacodemons, Nico decides to release them, symbolically letting go of his demons and fulfilling the part of the prophecy that he would have to leave something of equal value behind. Nemesis, Hypnos, and Epiales turn on Nyx and restrain her long enough for the group to get on the Acheron, which Nyx can't cross. To Nico's surprise, the cacodemons, which he renamesCocoa Puffs, decide to join them of their own free will.
As Bob sails the group back up the Acheron to the Underworld, Nico is visited in a dream by Hades and the spirits of his mother, Maria, and sister, Bianca. Hades reveals that he had sent Nico the prophecy so that he would rescue Bob, and arranged this dream. Maria and Bianca express their love and pride in Nico, as does Hades, who admits that Percy's actions have made him rethink his behavior towards his son, particularly when Hades realizes that the quest has risked Nico losing someone else that he loves. Hades, Maria, and Bianca urge Nico to enjoy his future with Will and find happiness.
Returning to Camp Half-Blood, Bob declines an invitation to stay and decides to head west to figure out his future, looking forward to finally having the freedom to do so. Nico and Will adopt the Cocoa Puffs and contactsPiper McLean and her new girlfriend Shel to discuss their shared grief over the loss ofJason Grace. With a more hopeful outlook on life, Nico looks forward to what the future holds for him.
The Sun and the Star was originally intended to be a standalone book,[43] but the success of the novel led to the announcement of asequel,The Court of the Dead, which is the second book inThe Nico di Angelo Adventures series, which was released on September 23, 2025.[44][45][46]
