The Sun and the Star

The Sun and the Star
Attribution
Author	Rick Riordan Mark Oshiro
Cover artist	Khadijah Khatib
Publication Information
Publisher	Disney-Hyperion (United States) Puffin Books (United Kingdom)
Release date	May 2, 2023
Pages	480
Chronology
Preceded by	The Tower of Nero
Followed by	Un Natale Mezzosangue (chronological order) The Chalice of the Gods (publication order)

The Sun and the Star (also known as The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure or From the World of Percy Jackson: The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure) is a 2023 American fantasy-adventure middle grade novel based on Greek-Roman classical mythology co-written by authors Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro. It is a standalone sequel to the 2020 novel The Tower of Nero in The Trials of Apollo series and the final book of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles in chronological order. The story follows the adolescent demigods and boyfriends Nico di Angelo and Will Solace, the sons of Hades and Apollo, respectively, on their quest into Tartarus to rescue their old friend Bob, who is, in fact, the Titan Iapetus.

The Sun and the Star was published by Disney-Hyperion in the United States and by Puffin Books in the United Kingdom, and was released on May 2, 2023.

Development

The Sun and the Star was announced on October 6, 2021. As a heterosexual man, Rick Riordan decided to co-write the novel with Mark Oshiro, an author of young adult literature and middle grade literature centered on young LGBT characters, to make sure that both Nico's point of view as a gay person as well as Nico and Will's romantic relationship would be as authentic as possible. Riordan and Oshiro created the synopsis and manuscript together and received equal credit for the book. Oshiro is also a longtime fan and an avid reader of the Camp Half-Blood Chronicles.

On September 28, 2022, the cover art was announced alongside the final release date for the project. The cover art was done by Khadijah Khatib, and the release date for North America and the United Kingdom was May 2, 2023. Riordan also announced that he would be doing a limited North American tour with co-author Oshiro.

Synopsis

As the son of Hades, Nico di Angelo has been through so much, from the premature deaths of his mother and sister, to being outed against his will, to losing his friend Jason during the trials of Apollo. But there is a ray of sunshine in his life–literally: his boyfriend, Will Solace, the son of Apollo. Together the two demigods can overcome any obstacle or foe. At least, that’s been the case so far . . .

Now Nico is being plagued by a voice calling out to him from Tartarus, the lowest part of the Underworld. He thinks he knows who it is: a reformed Titan named Bob whom Percy and Annabeth had to leave behind when they escaped Hades’s realm. Nico’s dreams and Rachel Dare’s latest prophecy leave little doubt in Nico’s mind that Bob is in some kind of trouble. Nico has to go on this quest, whether Mr. D and Chiron like it or not. And of course Will insists on coming with. But can a being made of light survive in the darkest part of the world? and what does the prophecy mean that Nico will have to “leave something of equal value behind?”

Nico will have to face demons both internal and external as his relationship with Will is tested to the core in this standalone adventure featuring two of the most popular characters in the Percy Jackson saga.

Plot

Summers End and Warning Dreams

Nico di Angelo

As the summer session ends, Nico di Angelo and Will Solace walk with Austin Lake and Kayla Knowles to Half-Blood Hill, the son of Hades is asked which Star Wars character he would date and answers Darth Vader. When they arrive, Austin and Kayla are nervous about their travel arrangements as Chiron calls the Gray Sisters' Taxi. As it arrives, Austin reveals his mother moved to Harlem after he got into school there and Kayla is going back to Toronto. Will says he is staying at camp since his mother is touring for her new album. As Will's siblings leave, he and Nico- the only demigods currently at camp- walk to the Dining Pavilion. As they walk Nico thinks about the prophecy he heard a few weeks ago and thinks of the ghosts he will eventually meet. When they arrive, they see Chiron and Dionysus talking. Seeing this, Nico remembers how he was urged to speak with Dionysus and how their morning meetings formed.

After dinner, Nico rests in his cabin thinking about Iapetus and tries to to fall asleep. He initially fails but hears a voice as he drifts into sleep. In his dream, Nico hears the voice of his mother speaking in Italian; telling him to listen. Then, Nico finds himself in a room at the Lotus Hotel and Casino and sees Bianca sleeping in the other bed in her hunter outfit. Nico gets out of bed and looks in a mirror to find his mouth missing and looks over to find his sister missing. Nico then finds himself on the Williamsburg Bridge during the Battle of Manhattan and sees Kronos. He backs away but Percy, Annabeth, and Michael Yew push him towards the titan and Michael tells him to listen or he will meet the same fate as him. Nico then appears in the jar Ephialtes and Otis kept him in and the lid opens to reveal Percy trying to pull Nico out. The son of Poseidon vanishes, then reappears with crying eyes. He tells Nico he made a mistake and the son of Hades must fix it. Nico next finds himself in Croatia as Favonius tells him he has to meet with someone and he soon hears Cupid. Cupid, while invisible, tells Nico to look at him. Nico says he cannot and is pinned against a column. Cupid appears in the form of Will and tells Nico he must tell the truth when the time comes. As Nico is about to be eaten, he wakes up and kicks Will, who came over after hearing the son of Hades screaming in his sleep. As Will hugs Nico, Chiron appears with Rachel Elizabeth Dare in tow, saying she needs to tell him something.

Rachel recites the prophecy she emitted two weeks after Nero's downfall and says that is the twelfth time she recited it. Chiron is unnerved by this revelation as Dionysus walks in with a bowl of popcorn. Nico tells them everything that he knows and insists that he must go to Tartarus to get Iapetus back. Chiron and Dionysus are hesitant to move forward with this plan, as they question if Bob has truly reformed or if it is a trap. When Dionysus mentions that Hades closed off the Underworld to the living, Nico says they will be in and out before his father notices. Chiron states he will need three to go on a quest and Nico insists he and Will go by themselves, since Percy and Annabeth managed the previous summer. They question Nico leaving something of equal value behind and he fears Will might sacrifice himself. The son of Apollo says he will not and he will make sure that Nico does not either. Chiron reluctantly agrees to authorize the quest as Nico questions his own decisions.

In the morning, Chiron helps Nico and Will pack their bags and has them pack Ambrosia and Nectar. After taking a mortal cab to the train station, they ride the rails to Manhattan. Along the way, Will tells Nico of the time he and his mother came to New York City and says the first time he was in the city his satyr found him and brought him to Camp Half-Blood. As they reach the penultimate train stop, Nico decides to take a detour. When the train reaches Penn Station, they head out to go uptown. They make their way to the subway and, after several delays, reach the Jackson-Blofis Apartment and are greeted by Sally Jackson and Estelle Blofis. After explaining their quest, and promising Sally that they only want advice from Percy, Sally says Percy should have a free period at the moment. She takes them to his bedroom where they use a humidifier and a lamp to contact Percy. By sending an Iris Message, they speak to Percy and Annabeth. After Sally leaves the room, Nico and Will explain their quest and Percy and Annabeth express their guilt that they forgot about Bob. After the son of Poseidon and daughter of Athena fail to talk them out of it, they tell the sons of Hades and Apollo that their best chance at surviving Tartarus is to stick together. They end the call and, after saying goodbye to Sally, continue on.

Entering the Underworld and Meeting with the Troglodytes

Will Solace

Nico and Will head to the southern most point of Central Park and stop at a pile of rocks. Nico explains that these are the Door of Orpheus and Will needs to sing to open them. The son of Apollo reluctantly agrees to sing and the doors open. Before the doors close, Nico thinks he saw something but brushes it aside. As they descend the stars, Will expresses his concern as Nico comforts him. Eventually they reach the Underworld and upon welcoming Will, he asks the son of Hades what he means by that. Soon the scene changes and Nico realizes they are still on the stairs, much to his confusion. The boys descend again, however they soon find themselves back in Central Park at night and Will collapses to his knees in exhaustion. Nico helps Will up and they open the Door of Orpheus again. This time, Will glows and they reach the Underworld. However, the son of Apollo collapses in exhaustion and struggles to stay awake. Nico tries to wake him with little success and soon falls asleep as well.

In a dream, Will finds Nico ahead of him and runs to catch up, but Nico has gained an energy boost. Nico jumps into the River Styx and urges Will to follow. The son of Apollo reluctantly jumps in and feels as if he is swimming in fire. Nico quickly gets out and Will follows him. Soon Nico vanishes and Will becomes unnerved. Then, a shadowy shroud envelopes Will and he is too tired to fight back.

Nico wakes up and sees a mass of dark tendrils nearby, hovering over Will. Nico attacks the creature and it takes a more humanoid form. The creature introduces themselves as Epiales, a demon who has been watching Nico for some time and Nico realizes they trapped him and Will in a dream. After stating they do not work for Hades, Nico searches for bones to utilize as a weapon. However upon finding some bones, Epiales wraps their tendrils around Nico's wrist and berates him for thinking they are that naïve. Soon Will wakes up and Epiales puts them both back to sleep.

Nico dreams of the day he learned Bianca died. As he walks into the Big House, he sees Chiron and the councilors looking at him sadly. However when Chiron speaks in Epiales' voice, the son of Hades regains control and threatens Epiales. After accusing them of tormenting his dreams for months, the demon only admits that they have been manipulating Nico's dreams since the stairs. Will dreams of the day he, Nico, Rachel, Meg McCaffrey, and his father ran from the Tauri Sylvestres. The son of Apollo sees his boyfriend motionless and struggles to heal him as the others mock Will's healing abilities. Nico then wakes up and drains Will of light. In the real world, Nico wakes up and attacks the demon, pinning them down and summoning skeletons. However, Epiales disintegrates the skeletons and creates an illusion of Dr. Thorn. Soon Will wakes up and, realizing everything he experienced was a dream, he blasts the demon with light upon seeing Nico in danger. Epiales looks at Will in shock and says the boys will meet the demon's mother soon enough. Will hesitates in finishing the demon off, but does so after they try to attack Nico again. After Nico thanks him, the son of Apollo passes out.

While Will is resting, Nico reflects on the fact that he has a boyfriend due to his decades in the Lotus Hotel and questions what would have happened if he was never put in the hotel in the first place. When Will wakes up, he explains to Nico how he has been training with his control over light. The two set out and Will tells Nico about the dream Epiales gave him. When they reach the River Styx, Nico points out a path past a waterfall to avoid Hades and Will puts a sweatshirt to cover as much skin as possible. The boys make it past the waterfall and Nico calls out to the troglodytes.

Screech-Bling welcomes the pair and takes them to his people's new home. The demigods are impressed by what they did and are surprised the troglodytes have rerouted the River Styx and Screech-Bling says his kind have no ill effect from the water. He takes Nico and Will to the communal dining area and Click-Wrong gives the boys human food. The boys enjoy it until he reveals it is tomato soup with lizard and shoe laces (noodles). Nico laughs while Will shutters in disgust. Soon the troglodytes start sniffing the demigods and they reveal they have been smelling the same scent for the past few weeks. After thinking, Nico gets an idea about who is sending him the dreams and the son of Hades asks Screech-Bling to call his council. Screech-Bling leaves and the demigods follow him. Once the council is gathered and introduce themselves- Howl-Smith, Clack-Jones, Shriek-Vibes, and Hiss-Majesty- Nico reveals that he thinks they are going to face Nyx. The troglodytes are shocked and Will questions who Nyx is. Nico explains that she is a being older then the gods and titans. Nico reveals that he met her before, during his first visit to Tartarus. Will is stunned and Nico reveals it was too hard for him to share and told no one. After saying he needs to tell it now, the son of Hades reveals what happened the last time he was in Tartarus.

Nico's First Visit

Nemesis

During the Second Giant War, Nico was wandering through the Underworld when he found the entrance to Tartarus. Not long after, he encountered the Chimera and Echidna, momentarily mistaking the later for his grandmother. After taunting the pair, they attacked Nico and the son of Hades was pulled into Tartarus. After falling, Nico was surprised that none of his bones are broken and got up. After spotting the Giant Army, Nico was spotted by wolves and ran away. As the wolves were gaining on him, he saw a house nearby and someone waving at him. The son of Hades made it to the house and he was greeted by Nemesis. Nemesis insists that she's there to help Nico, but he does not believe it. The goddess took the form of Hades and told Nico to correct the imbalances in his own heart. She gave Nico pomegranate seeds from his step-mother’s garden, which Nico questioned. After saying she is weaker in Tartarus, the goddess told Nico to follow the River Phlegethon downstream in order to reach the Doors of Death and to restore balance in his heart. The goddess vanished, but not before warning Nico of her mother. Now alone, Nico saw a bubble of puss. It burst and an Empousa emerged, he killed her as she complained that she had just reformed, then the son of Hades ran away. He found the river of fire and followed the goddess’s instructions.

Nyx

Nico followed the river of flames and, as he did, slowly lost his sanity and wondered if he will die in Tartarus. Soon after reaching a forest, he gave in to his thirst and drank from the Phlegethon. To the son of Hades's utter shock, the river's flames were cold and he survived drinking from it. Nico continued to follow the river and finds it bent at a right angle before a wall of darkness. Nico saw an archway and, thinking it was the Doors of Death, walked through. After he crossed, Nico realized it was not the Doors of Death. Then, Nico heard a mother and son talking. Nico tried to sneak away, but he was caught. Nico soon realized these two were Nyx and Hypnos. Nyx interrogated Nico as Hypnos said he made a mistake coming to his mother’s domain. Nico tried to play dumb, but Nyx quickly realized he is a demigod son of Hades and learned his name.

Then, Ephialtes and Otis arrived and demand Nico. Nyx was reluctant to hand him over, so Nico tried but failed to get the four to turn on each other. Nico managed to slip away, but became petrified at the true sight of the Mansion of Night. He cried in despair and Nyx taunted him and agreed to the giant’s deal. As Nico was stuffed into the jar, Nyx told him that she wanted to see him again if he survived.

Dreams and Ventures

After Nico finishes his story, Will and the troglodytes stare at him in shock. Nico wells up and cries into Will's shoulder. After Nico calms down, the troglodytes express their concern that Nyx is after them in an attempt to get to Nico. The sons of Hades and Apollo theorize that Bob has been trying to get help from Nico since Nyx is trying to force him to be his old self. Nyx thinks people can only be one thing for their life and cannot accept that they can change. The troglodytes agree to allow Nico and Will to sleep there until morning. Will expresses his displeasure with the Underworld, hurting Nico. After they are taken to the nursery, they fall asleep. Nico dreams that he is before a covert and Nyx takes the form of Bianca. He tries to ignore her, but the goddess fires an arrow at his chest, causing him real pain. She says she will be waiting for Nico and he wakes up.

Will dreams of the day he met his satyr, Maron. He and his mother are walking through Washington Square Park and and are attacked by Stymphalian Birds when Maron saves them. However, in the dream, Maron and his mother tell Will that Nico will abandon him. Will wakes up to find Nico missing but he finds him outside the nursery. Nico offers him broth. Will is hesitant until Nico says the troglodytes diet is mostly similar to a human's. Screech-Bling and Hiss-Majesty arrive and take them to a tunnel. Will gives Hiss-Majesty his sun globe to light the way and they crawl through. Will starts to become claustrophobic and hums a song his mother wrote about her time with Apollo. Will inadvertently starts to glow and Nico suggests that he instead, conserve his energy. They emerge from the tunnel and Will is exhausted. Nico rests him on a boulder as Screech-Bling and Hiss-Majesty hunt for lizards. As Will rests, Nico looks into the distance at his father’s palace and realizes he is unfamiliar with this part of the Underworld. Will asks Nico if Hades was always in Nico's life, Nico says his father was and Will says he only learned what he was at ten and only met Apollo years later. Will expresses his desire to meet Hades the next time they are in the Underworld. Soon the troglodytes return and state that they must pass a farm. Nico vaguely remembers his father telling him about a farm but does not recall the details. Will is shocked that a farm could function in the Underworld and Nico is hurt by this comment. Soon they find the farm and spot a bull man with red skin. He spots the four and runs over quickly to meet them.

The bull man greets them and Nico introduces him as Menoetes, a demon assigned to tend to Hades' cattle. After accidentally revealing their quest, Menoetes informs the boys that he must tell Hades they are in the Underworld. However, Menoetes agrees to keep their presence a secret if they go on a quest for him. Nico asks what he wants, and Menoetes says he wants them to sneak into Persephone's Garden to steal fruit for his boyfriend Geryon. Nico is shocked that he is dating the giant who nearly sold him to Kronos but Menoetes insists that Geryon has changed and wants to do something special for him. Reluctantly, Nico agrees to the quest and Menoetes calls forth donkeys for the demigods to ride on. Screech-Bling and Hiss-Majesty stay on the farm as the demigods head out.

Detour to the Garden and Reaching the Shortcut

When they reach Hades' Palace, the boys dismount and Will is disturbed by the images of death on the gates. Nico leads the pair to a hidden gate and opens it with a bone from his pocket that he fashions into a key. They sneak inside and the son of Apollo is captivated by all the plants and the sight of Persephone. Nico tells him to stay vigilant as the Queen of the Underworld moves to the far side of the garden. The boys wonder if this is a trap, but Will thinks Menoetes is genuine in wanting to surprise his boyfriend. Nico takes Will to the center of the garden and they take pomegranates. While Nico is unable to touch them, Will easily picks three of them. The boys sneak back to the gate and, as Nico scouts ahead, Persephone finds Will. Will notices that Nico is frozen in place and he struggles to give Persephone a straight answer as he tries to explain they trespassed in her garden as part of their quest. However, the goddess does not get angry and explains that she grew to care for Nico. When Will asks how she can love the Underworld, Persephone explains that she grew to love it after getting to know it. She explains that love and understanding is vital in any relationship, romantic or not. Persephone shows Will a flower that only blooms in the presence of darkness and he is shocked to learn that he has darkness within him. As Persephone says it is key to balance one’s light and dark sides, Will offers to return the pomegranates but Persephone tells Will to keep them and not tell Nico about their conversation. The goddess leaves and Nico, unaware of the conversation, unfreezes and tells Will they have to go.

Back at the farm, Nico and Will see Hiss-Majesty joyfully herding cattle. When they arrive and present Menoetes with the pomegranates, the bull man eats one and explains he is happy where he is in life. As Will recounts their quest to the troglodytes, Menoetes tells Nico that many residents of the Underworld -including himself- have heard Bob’s scream. The bull man recounts a report from one of his workers who said upon regenerating recently that Nyx is forcing Bob to stay in a regeneration blister until he becomes Iapetus again. The demigods are angered as they learn it is agonizing to stay in one for too long. Menoetes tells Nico and Will that once they enter Tartarus, they should emerge close to a swamp where the hut of Damasen is located and that Bob is not far from there. Screech-Bling and Hiss-Majesty tell Nico and Will that it is time to leave.

As the group walks along a slope, Will becomes sluggish. They spot a pair of drakons and try to avoid them, but Will falls down the side of the slope and Nico shouts, attracting the drakons. Nico goes over to his boyfriend as the troglodytes distract the drakons. Nico inspects Will, who is unconscious, as Screech-Bling comes over having just narrowly avoided the drakon's flames. After Screech-Bling offers to watch over Will, the son of Hades attacks the drakons. At first his sword bounces off, but his second blow severs one of the drakon's legs. It disintegrates as the other one runs off. Nico attends to the son of Apollo’s injuries and they move out. As they walk, Will slowly heals, but his wounds soon open along with a fresh gash in his torso. They reach the River Acheron, where souls who are deemed too evil for the fields of punishment are bathed to cleanse them of their past actions. The demigods, believing they have to swim through the river, are hesitant and start to argue loudly. Once the fighting dies down, Screech-Blings says they can take a boat and points out a woman by a hut. The troglodytes turn back, with Hiss-Majesty saying they will return to Menoetes's farm. The say their goodbyes and Nico and Will head towards the hut.

Gaining Passage and Reaching Tartarus

Gorgyra

As they reach the hut, the woman - a nymph - greets the two and introduces herself as Gorgyra. Both Nico and Will, (having never heard of her) look at each other in confusion and Gorgyra is not surprised. She explains that her husband, Acheron, merged with the river one day and since then, she has been weaving the souls of the depressed and remorseful into her dress. Nico hears the voices of the souls and tears up. The nymph pulls a thread of soul from the sons of Hades and Apollo and they are shocked and disturbed by what they hear. She says they can use her canoe to cross into Tartarus, as it will allow them to survive the trip, however, they will still experience the effects of the river. When the boys ask what the price is, the nymph says she wants them to tell her their story. Once they catch up to the present, Nico and Will tell Gorgyra about the gifts they exchanged after the Battle of Nero's Tower. Will gave Nico a bronze coin with a replica of Will's stylized sun tattoo on one side and the Helm of Darkness one the other, and Nico gave Will his skull ring. Gorgyra is impressed by their story and feels sympathy for the pain they felt, but says they need the pain to grow as people. The demigods board the canoe and set sail, hoping for the best. As Nico and Will set out, they hear the souls of the Acheron shouting at them, telling them they are vile for all their past actions. Nico and Will try to tone it out as they fall into Tartarus.

As they fall, they feel like they are falling for days. Nico and Will see only darkness and hear the agonizing screams from the river. Soon they see clouds that Nico realizes are full of blood. When the ground comes into view, Will tells Nico he believes in him and the son of Hades summons countless bones to create a ramp to guide them to the ground. When they stop, Will laughs and compliments Nico on his quick thinking and the son of Hades welcomes the son of Apollo to Tartarus.

Nico passes out soon after and Will watches over the son of Hades. As he watches his boyfriend, Will thinks of their argument and decides to apologize. Will looks around Tartarus and is unnerved by the sights around him; however, he is curious after seeing several Regeneration Pods on a hill. After covering Nico with the canoe like a tent; the son of Apollo goes to investigate. He climbs up the hill, theorizing the goo might have healing properties, but stumbles when he gets close to the top. Will slides down and his foot penetrates a blister, burning his ankle. He pulls out his injured foot and a flock of Stymphalian Birds appear. They swarm around Will but do not attack. They pick him up and, as he is carried away, Will sees something inspecting the canoe.

Amphithemis

Nico wakes up under the boat alone and finds a satyr like creature sniffing him. The satyr asks him if he has seen a child and claims to smell the child on Nico. Nico says he has not and asks the creature who he is and if he has seen Will. The satyr introduces himself as a Lamian Centaur named Amphithemis. Amphithemis says he has not seen Will and continues to ask about the missing child. After Amphithemis asks if Nico is a child of Zeus or Hera, he says he is a son of Hades and the two agree to help each other. Amphithemis sniffs Nico and they cross the Acheron in order to follow Will's scent, albeit reluctantly on Nico's part. After crossing, Amphithemis forgets who Nico is and asks about a missing child again. Nico is confused and is stunned when Amphithemis reveals he was tasked with looking after Dionysus. Nico wades back through the river of pain and Amphithemis follows him. The son of Hades collapses in despair as Amphithemis tries to help him up. However, their hands pass through one another and Nico pulls his away in shock. Amphithemis gets angry and his eyes glow red, causing the son of Hades to realize he died long ago and is now a mania.

Will tries to steer the Stymphalian Birds back to Nico and his shirt rips, causing him to fall into a field of regeneration blisters. He bounces off them and soon they open to reveal Cynocephali and they attack the son of Apollo. Back at the river, Nico tries to fend off Amphithemis but fails as he lacks any imperial gold weapons. Thankfully most of the Lamian centaur’s attacks phase through the son of Hades, however, his left cheek is slashed in the tussle. Soon Nico sees Will and runs after him with Amphithemis on his tail. As Will fends off his attackers, a saber tooth tiger appears and goes after the dog men. Soon it runs towards Will and changes into a cat. Will realizes this is Small Bob. As more dog men appear, Will uses his ultrasonic whistle to stun them. Will sees Nico running up to him with the creature that Will noticed earlier and the son of Hades introduces him as a mania named Amphithemis and say he is looking for Dionysus. After seeing Small Bob injured, Will convinces Amphithemis that the dog men have the missing child so Amphithemis attacks them as the demigods and Small Bob run away. When they get a good distance away, Nico berates Will as he was planning on helping Amphithemis pass on and also chastises the son of Apollo for leaving him alone. Soon they argue again and Will breaks down in tears and apologizes. He patches up Nico to the best of his ability but suspects the son of Hades will have light scarring on his cheek. They then head back to the canoe.

Will rests as Nico wonders if meeting Amphithemis was orchestrated by Nyx. When Will wakes up, he apologizes for leaving Nico and the son of Hades forgives him. They then try to figure out which direction to go as Will downs the last of the first canteen of nectar. The two notice Small Bob tying to push the canoe back into the river and they theorize they will reach the hut if they sail down the river. Will and Small Bob jump in as Nico pushes the canoe and, ignoring the voices of the souls, jumps in and the three set off.

Reaching the Swamp

As they sail down the Acheron, Will falls asleep as Nico inspects their surroundings. As they pass a volcano, Nico starts to see the flesh that composes Tartarus. When the river goes through a mountain pass, Nico hears something and thinks they are being followed, but does not shift his gaze for fear of an ambush from the sides. As they exit the mountain pass, Will wakes up. The boys cough as they realize they are being digested in the stomach of Tartarus. Small Bob meows and Will notices mangrove trees and realizes they are in the swamp. The son of Apollo jumps out and wades through the river of pain to beach the canoe. Once ashore, Nico gets off and Will apologizes for not seeing the beauty of the Underworld. Soon they see seven Cynocephali and Nico summons the dead to fight them. However, a skeletal creature forms and attacks the dog men. The boys and Small Bob try to flee, but a second creature appears in front of them.

As the first monster finishes off the Cynocephali, Nico attacks the second and it calls out in pain before the first asks why he attacked them. The boys look on, confused as the monsters introduce themselves as Carl and Bartholomew, a pair of Aetera. The aetera beg the demigods to kill them so that they can collect more bones and threaten to eat them when they refuse. Small Bob kills the aetera, much to their joy, and Nico and Will vow to keep this interaction to themselves. They trudge through the swamp for hours and Nico helps Will stand. Will says he feels himself fading so Nico talks about his life before meeting Percy. When Will reveals he is scared that Nico will leave him behind to save Bob, the son of Hades swears on the Styx and the two demigods confess their love for each other. Soon they reach the hut and Nico calls out for Damasen. The son of Hades searches the hut but no one is inside. As they wonder why Damasen has not regenerated since the Battle For Control of the Doors of Death, the two decide to shelter at the hut. They start a fire with some bones and Will is able to feel some sense of relief. Nico soon falls asleep and dreams he is watching a parade in Venice with his mother. However when he addresses Bianca, he notices she is not there. His mother vanishes and a voice says he does not deserve their love. Nico wakes up to find Will next to him and Nico decides he should be more open with his boyfriend before falling back asleep.

Nico wakes up and walks outside, Will joins him soon after, and after Nico fails to convince Will to rest more, the demigods head out. As they walk, Will hums a song his mother wrote and asks Nico about his mother. The son of Hades says he remembers few things before his mother’s death but thinks of them as someone else’s memories, which he says is a coping mechanism used by those dealing with post traumatic stress. As they trudge on, Will starts to weaken and Nico takes out their last piece of ambrosia. Will tells him to save it for when they really need it. Soon they reach a wall of darkness that only Nico can see. Remembering it from his first trip to Tartarus, Nico realizes they are close. He urges Will, who does not believe there is anything in front of them, to trust him and they enter. Soon Will sees what Nico sees and Nico almost falls into an invisible abyss, but Will catches him. Soon they find Bob.

Freeing Bob and Facing Nyx

Hypnos

Nico and Will go over to the pod and see Bob shift from Iapetus to Bob and back again. Nico apologizes to Bob for taking so long and Bob says he was worried he could not hear him, however Bob becomes confused when Nico mentions a prophecy. Bob says it is not only Nyx who is doing this to him. Nico tries to slice open the pod and fails, then Will fails to open the pod with sound. Bob says they must do it together and, while working together, the demigods break the pod open. They enjoy a group hug until they notice Nyx is behind them.

The goddess unfolds her wings to reveal an army consisting of Cynocephali, Telekhines, Pit Scorpions, and dark pegesai, as well as Nemesis and Hypnos and Dr. Thorn. As Nyx starts to talk about tourism to her realm increasing, Nemesis and Hypnos silently criticize their mother. Dr. Thorn goes to attack, but Nyx traps him in a vortex of darkness. A fight breaks out and Nico and his companions manage to hold off Nyx's forces with Will managing to hurt one of Nyx's wings. Soon Will goes limp and Nico rushes over to him. Nyx subdues Bob and Nico realizes she will do anything to keep them in her domain. Nico urges Will to eat their last piece of ambrosia, but the son of Apollo refuses as the Mansion of Night appears and Will starts to lose what is left of his mental strength. Soon Bob breaks free and he and Small Bob attack Nyx as her children and minions watch. Then the Mansion of Night catches on fire and Bob and Small Bob run over to the demigods, they pick up Will and leave Nyx's realm. Upon exiting, they find themselves by the River Phlegethon and the River Cocytus, causing the group to realize Nyx's realm moves around. When the goddess of night appears before them, she accuses them of arson, but they pin the blame on her children as Nemesis, Hypnos, and Epiales appear from behind. Nyx ignores her children's pleas to stop as Nico, Will, and Bob say they have changed and so can Nyx. Nyx ignores their words and she pushes Nico to reveal a final detail he left out about telling the truth when the time comes and that if Nyx and her children fail to stop Nico, Nico's children will. The four look at Nyx in confusion and the goddess calls forth over a dozen shadowy figures, claiming they are the son of Hades' offspring.

Will questions what Nyx means and Bob offers to destroy the figures, but Nico stops him and goes over to the creatures and realizes they are Cacodemons; beings created out of negative emotions. The goddess introduces each one to Nico as his worst memories appear before him. Nyx takes this as proof that Nico is meant to be guided by trauma his entire life and Nico attacks the goddess. Nico summons the dead and Bob and Will soon join in. After realizing Nico has been his driving force the entire quest, Will manifests the ability to inflict sickness and gives Nyx hay fever. The goddess commands the cacodemons to defend her and they swarm the son of Apollo. Realizing the cacodemons must obey their makers, Nico commands them to stop and they obey Nico with the commands from Nyx being ignored. Nyx commands her children to attack, but they refuse and subdue the goddess of night as Nico tells Nyx she helped him overcome his trauma and, after remembering the prophecy, releases the cacodemons to be their own beings to fulfill the prophecy. Bob picks up Will and Nico and jumps into the combined rivers, shielding the demigods from the effects. When they make it ashore, Nemesis appears and tells them she will do what she can to increase their chances of getting out of Tartarus but tells them to never return. When the canoe arrives, they sail down the river of pain and see Nyx transform into a black hole.

Nico and Will start to panic, but Bob tells them they are safe and points out that the river of pain spins silently. They watch as Nyx touches the Acheron and her skin burns. Nico realizes that since Nyx is nothing but pain and agony, the river rejects her. The group sees the hoard of cacodemons running along the river and Nico realizes they want to come with them. The son of Hades tells Bob to stop so they could board despite Will's hesitation. As the cacodemons board the canoe. Nico starts to cry at the thought that the quest might finally be over and falls asleep. Will reflects on their journeys as Bob cries tears of joy. Nico wakes up and Will apologizes for his behavior and wanting to change a part of Nico that could never be changed. Nico forgives him and the two kiss as Bob calls them his sun and star. Nico falls back asleep and one of the cacodemons curls up next to Will as the son of Apollo drifts into sleep, thinking about how love has led him to happiness with Nico.

Goodbyes and Homecomings

Bianca di Angelo

Nico dreams he is back at the Lotus Hotel and Casino and he hears a voice. Thinking it is Nyx, he hides under the covers, but then he listens again and realizes he knows that voice. The son of Hades looks out from under the covers and sees Bianca di Angelo. Thinking it is a trick, Nico refuses to believe it is his sister. Soon he sees another person in a chair and realizes it is his mother. They tell Nico they have been granted permission to speak with him as a reward for completing his quest. Nico refuses to believe them until Hades appears. His father tells him he sent the prophecy and is proud that he saved Bob. Hades decides to grant Nico a wish and fulfill it if it is possible. Nico wishes for Amphithemis to finally find peace and Hades agrees. The King of the Underworld tells Nico to find happiness for himself and to break the tradition of his children leading miserable lives. Hades leaves and Nico tells his mother and sister goodbye. They vanish and he wakes up. Bob tells him to go back to sleep as he is taking them to the land of the living his own way. Nico looks over to find the son of Apollo cuddling up with the cacodemons before falling back asleep.

When Nico wakes up, he realizes it is morning on the Long Island Sound and they are heading towards camp. Nico is happy to see Peleus as they sail down a river through the Camp Half-Blood Forest and end up in the Canoe Lake. They see Chiron at the dock. Nico jumps overboard and swims to shore before hugging Chiron. The centaur explains that they have been gone a week as Bob helps Will out of the canoe. Chiron is shocked at the sight of the cacodemons and Nico reassures him they are harmless. Bob desires to head west to find himself as he rejects the demigod's and Chiron's offers to stay at camp. As the reformed titan walks into the forest, Chiron offers the demigods breakfast and they walk to the Dining Pavilion. When they arrive, Dionysus greets them and the boys take turns recounting their quest. By the end of it, Dionysus is happy with the outcome and intrigued by the cacodemons. Next, Nico goes back to his cabin to call Piper McLean. After sending an Iris Message, he is surprised to find Piper with a girl. Nico tells them about his quest and -after mentioning Jason- the girl, Shel, leaves the room. They talk about their shared grief and how Piper has been discovering her sexuality since the son of Jupiter's death. They say their goodbyes as the daughter of Aphrodite goes on a hike and the son of Hades goes to sleep.

Nico wakes up and goes to the Apollo Cabin to find Will talking with Austin and Kayla via Iris Message. They ask if the son of Hades is okay and they hang up. Nico and Will talk about how their experience in Tartarus brought certain aspects of their relationship to life. Will again apologizes for wanting to change Nico and Nico accepts the apology. As they lay side by side, the cacodemons enter and cuddle up with them. Once they are settled, Nico eagerly awaits what the future holds for him.

Prophecy

Nico di Angelo and Will Solace first received this prophecy at the end of The Tower of Nero, but Rachel Elizabeth Dare gives it to them a second time and tells them that she has said the prophecy a total of twelve times. It is later revealed that the prophecy was sent to Nico by Hades. Despite being accompanied by Will with Iapetus and Small Bob being the other quest members, the prophecy pertains solely to Nico and Bob's roles with none of the lines directly referencing Will and Small Bob's roles in the quest.

Go forth and find the one who calls out your name,
Who suffers and despairs for refusing to remain;
There leave something of equal value behind,
Or your body and soul no one will ever find.

Unraveling the Prophecy

1. This refers to Bob calling out to Nico for help from Tartarus and Nico going to rescue him.
2. Nyx is attempting to force Bob to regenerate back into Iapetus, causing him to suffer as he resists her efforts to force him to remain as he was over Bob's desire to change.
3. In order to escape from Nyx and Tartarus with Will, Bob and Small Bob, Nico gives his cacodemons - literally the manifestation of his inner demons - their freedom, thus leaving his demons behind as Nico escapes with his life. The act of releasing them fulfills this part of the prophecy even though the demons aren't literally left behind. They use their new freedom to decide to go with Nico which he didn't expect.
4. This likely refers to what would have happened if Nico gave in to Nyx: he would've stayed in Tartarus where no one would've ever been likely to find his body or soul.

Characters

• Nico di Angelo
• Will Solace
• Iapetus
• Kayla Knowles
• Austin Lake
• Dionysus
• Chiron
• Wasp
• Anger
• Tempest
• Rachel Elizabeth Dare
• Sally Jackson
• Estelle Blofis
• Percy Jackson
• Annabeth Chase
• Amphithemis
• Hypnos
• Epiales
• Screech-Bling
• Hiss-Majesty
• Menoetes
• Persephone
• Gorgyra
• Nyx
• Nemesis
• Small Bob
• Dr. Thorn
• Carl
• Bartholomew
• Bianca di Angelo
• Maria di Angelo
• Hades
• Peleus
• Piper McLean
• Shel

Chapters

The book consists of fifty-one unnamed chapters told in the third person from Nico and Will's perspectives. While most chapters consist of one perspective per chapter, there are cases where the perspective shifts mid-chapter; sometimes multiple times.

Gallery

The announcement banner from RR.

Cover without text.

UK Cover

Videos

The cover for The Sun and the Star- The Sun and the Star- A Nico di Angelo Adventure

Trivia

• This is the first and so far only book written by Rick Riordan to be co-authored.
• Mark came up with the title of the book. In an interview, Mark explains that "I chose to title the outline this in my own files. I give all my projects a working title at the beginning that I know won’t make it through the publishing process. This specific line from Bob felt like a beautiful summary of what Rick and I were going to attempt in the book, so it was only meant to inspire me. AND THEN IT BECAME THE OFFICIAL TITLE. This never happens to me! I’m still in shock, haha."
  • In the same interview, Rick Riordan explains about the title that "the meaning is up for debate and can have many interpretations. The obvious one is that Bob is harkening back to what he told Percy Jackson in the Heroes of Olympus: “Say hello to the sun and the stars for me,” because he has not seen the sky since he fell into Tartarus. The sun and the star also refer to Will and Nico, as you mentioned, though I think the way they fit those celestial symbols is up for discussion. Here’s one personal take that brings me joy: the sun is a star. The two words are synonyms. Whether we call something a sun or a star is really just a matter of distance. One is associated with day. The other is associated with night. But that’s a false dichotomy. The closer you get to a star, the more it becomes a sun. There is commonality even in things that seem like exact opposites. This is certainly true of Will and Nico. They are soulmates of equal brightness, no matter how different or far away they seem from one another."
• This is the first book to feature Nico and Will on a cover.
• The first part of the book is framed as Nico and Will telling the story to Gorgyra in exchange for her help. This ends when they catch up to the present and leave for Tartarus.
• During the part of the book where Nico tells the story of his first trip through Tartarus, the pages of that section of the book are physically darker to the point that they can be easily identified from outside the book.
• The blisters in Tartarus where monsters reform are revealed to be called regeneration pods.
• On page 168, Nico states it was Hypnos who put everyone in Manhattan to sleep when Kronos attacked. In reality, it was Morpheus.
• In a minor goof, Nico tells Nyx that Bianca di Angelo is his mother on page 401 rather than Maria di Angelo.
• On page 398, the Phlegethon is said to meet with the Cocytus. However, on page 419, the same convergence is made of the Acheron and Cocytus instead.
• Will is revealed to have inherited Apollo's plague powers. He can now also weaponize his Photokinesis by shooting a powerful ray of light from his body.
• By the time of the book, which takes place two months after The Tower of Nero, demigod communications appear to have been completely restored as Nico is able to Iris Message with Piper McLean without any difficulty meaning that the Demigod Communications Blackout is finally over.
• The sun and the star are what Bob refers to Will and Nico as: when they combine their powers together to free Bob, Will is described as burning with the brightness of a thousand suns while Nico burns like a red giant, a star ready to explode.
• The insides of the front and back of the book contain a map of Nico and Will's journey with the map in the back ending with "will they ever make it back home??"
• Bob is revealed to have been trapped in a regeneration bubble by Nyx who was attempting to use his regeneration to force him to turn back into Iapetus. After finding no sign of Damasen in his swamp, Nico concludes that the Gigantes must still be reforming even over a year after The House of Hades, much to Nico's frustration.
  • This reveals that, despite Tartarus' anger at the two, he did not ultimately destroy them and consume their essence, instead allowing Bob and Damasen to die and reform.
  • Small Bob appears to have either reformed already or escaped death as Nico and Will find him wandering Tartarus.
• Returning monsters in this book include Pit Scorpions like the one that Luke Castellan tried to kill Percy with in The Lightning Thief as well as Echidna and the Chimera in Nico's flashback, Stymphalian Birds like the ones seen in The Sea of Monsters, cynocephali like the ones seen in The Blood of Olympus, manticores, including Dr. Thorn, from The Titan's Curse and basilisks like the ones seen in The Son of Neptune and The Blood of Olympus.
• Nyx mentions Percy and Annabeth's complaints about there being no brochures for the Tartarus tour in The House of Hades. Still unaware that the two demigods were tricking her, Nyx has enlisted Hypnos' help to create actual brochures.
• It's revealed that Paolo Montes, Malcolm Pace and Jake Mason are all LGBTQ+, coming out after being inspired by Nico publicly asking Will out. Will, who is revealed to identify as bisexual, wasn't out either until he accepted the date, although he also wasn't particularly subtle as Nico, Connor Stoll, Kayla and Austin had all picked up on his interest in the son of Hades.
• Geryon and his role in The Battle of the Labyrinth is mentioned. Having reformed and lost everything, including the Triple G Ranch, Geryon is now trying to change.