It’s been two years since the release of City of the Plague God by Sarwat Chadda, and with Fury of the Dragon Goddess hitting stores on August 1st, we can’t think of a better time to revisit Sik and Belet’s first adventure.
Whether you’re new to the book or just need a quick refresher (or you’re wondering where that giant ziggurat in the middle of Central Park came from), here are a few things you need to know about City of the Plague God.
Expect the wild plot twists, surprise characters, epic battles, tragic deaths, and an incredible ending that makes us cry every time.
New York State of Rhyme
At the beginning of City of the Plague God, we’re introduced to 13-year-old Sikander Aziz, a second-generation Iraqi immigrant born and raised in Manhattan. But can you really call it living when all your free time is spent working in your family’s deli? (Just on the corner of Fifteenth and Siegal. We recommend the falafel sandwich. Ask for the Baghdad chili sauce–only if you’re feeling especially brave).
Sik’s been putting in overtime ever since the loss of his amazing older brother, Mo. All that time spent in the kitchen with your unresolved grief . . . well, you’re likely to crumble under the weight of it all. You may even start seeing things. Unexplainable things, such as two demons in the alley behind the deli digging through the dumpsters. Nasty, violent demons who claim they’ve arrived straight from Kurnugi, aka the netherworld.
And the worst part? One of them speaks exclusively in rhyme.
Okay, maybe the worst part is that they want to kill Sik, destroy the deli, and steal a hidden treasure. But the rhymes are still pretty annoying!
Super Spreader
Luckily, Sik isn’t alone when the demons attack the deli. Unluckily, the only other person in the kitchen is Daoud, Mo’s best friend and aspiring actor. But as much as Daoud dreams of playing the action hero on TV (and not terrorist henchman #2), he’s not exactly prepared for actual action. And neither is Sik. Especially after the real big bad shows up: Nergal, the Mesopotamian god of plagues.
Turns out Sik is in possession of something Nergal wants. The only thing standing in the god’s way? A mysterious teenage ninja armed with a scimitar. She makes short work of Nergal’s demons and threatens to confront the plague god head-on.
Sensing defeat, Nergal retreats. But not before obliterating the deli. The villains may be gone, but the worst is yet to come—dealing with the insurance company.
From Patient Zero to Hero
After the ordeal with Nergal, Sik is left with way more questions than answers. It doesn’t take him long to uncover the identity of his ninja savior, Belet, his snooty classmate who allegedly has been kicked out of every decent school in the city. Let’s just say that the two don’t exactly get along.
But before you judge Belet for her attitude problem, maybe you should meet her adoptive mother, the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war, Ishtar. Yup, she also lives in the Big Apple. In the biggest, fanciest, swankiest brownstone you’ve ever seen. Along with her many cats – always a win, especially if they can transform into jungle predators with wings – there’s Kasusu, the legendary sword with way too much personality for a lump of metal.
Ishtar explains that Nergal is infecting the city with an ancient disease, and she needs Sik’s help to defeat him. Sik decides he’s not in the business of fighting plague gods and heads back home. But by the time he gets there, it’s too late. Nergal’s plague has hit Sik’s parents, and they’re being rushed to Manhattan General. To make matters worse, Sik is considered patient zero for the mysterious illness ravaging the city. So much for passing that health inspection . . .
Flower Power
Now Sik has no choice but to confront Nergal. Even with Ishtar, Belet, Daoud, and Kasusu on his side, the odds are against him. To end the menace of Nergal and save the city, Sik and his crew need to find two things:
1. The world’s first superhero with centuries of demon-fighting experience
2. A flower of immortality capable of healing any sickness that may or may not have been planted in Mo’s community garden
Man, wouldn’t be awful if the community garden had been paved over and the greatest hero of all time recently took a vow of non-violence? But just in case either of those things should happen, Ishtar has a backup plan. One that involves sending Sik away. Far, far away to the only other known location of the flower of immortality. Remember that netherworld we mentioned earlier?
Good news: we hear that Kurnugi is beautiful this time of year. Bad news: the only way to enter it from this side of reality is to well, um, die.
And that’s when things get really interesting.
Want to know the rest of the story? Grab yourself a copy of City of the Plague God today, and pre-order Fury of the Dragon Goddess to see what comes next!