So long, coherence. You’re not needed today.

In The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro, it’s been several months since Nico and Will returned from their ordeal in the Underworld, and Nico is getting a bit restless. So when his half-sister Hazel contacts him about needing help, he jumps at the chance. Upon arrival (with Will, of course) at Camp Jupiter, he discovers that the status quo has shifted: there are beings from the Underworld, once considered enemies of demigods, seeking asylum. Tensions at camp are high because of this, but Nico knows that they’ll need to find a way to coexist or else descend into chaos. But when some of the asylum-seekers start going missing, he and his friends realize that there’s a nefarious force out there… and it might be coming for Hazel next.

Yes, I’ve been on this earth for three decades, and yes, I’m still reading a series I started in middle school. Apparently, if Uncle Rick (and Mark Oshiro) keep cranking them out, I’ll keep reading them! But more on that later.

Now, it’s kind of insane that I’m still reading these. Most people my age have rightfully moved on from reading middle grade books, but as someone who works in a bookstore, it makes at least a little more sense that I’m doing so. And everyone needs their guilty pleasure genre, right? For some people it’s horror, or erotica, or just really fluffy romances, or anything else! For me, I guess it’s mythology retellings for kids. They’re basically literary candy to me; sweet and imperfect, and while I could be reading something else (and/or something better), I’ve chosen not to. Unfortunately, I have no one in real life to talk about this with at the moment, so I’m just going to be a little unhinged here.

First, Nico and Will are TOO CUTE TO BE ALLOWED. I feel like I got cute aggression because of them on a regular basis while reading this, because I’m a normal person, of course. I swear. It’s just so lovely to see these two very different people working together as a team, and adoring each other’s strengths and unique abilities. Plus, their playful banter is so charming. They’re such a delightful couple, and I could read many more pages of just their interactions.

However, this book does have a real plot aside from the Nico/Will love story, and it made me really happy. Move over, Daedalus Is Dead (a book that, despite my mostly favorable review, I haven’t thought about once since finishing it)! THIS is the Minotaur story I want and deserve in 2025! Because as you certainly gleaned from the cover, the Minotaur (or Asterion, as he prefers in this) is a major player in this book, and I actually adore him. I never would have expected to describe such a character as “so cute” or “so sweet” before this point, but here I am.

Because at its heart, this book is a story about second chances, about atonement and growth and redemption. It’s about questioning what makes a person “monstrous.” I love how this is explored, as well as how grief is explained and presented in this book. Riordan and Oshiro do a wonderful job, as they did in The Sun and Star, of tackling tough subjects without talking down to their intended audience. It’s not a subtle writing style—a lot of the concepts are kind of just spelled out, mostly during conversations between characters, sometimes in inner monolugues—but it is still effective. And to write about such things, especially grief, is so important for young readers. Because it’s not only adults who have to navigate grief and loss, so why not have books that speak about these things? We need books like this!

And it’s especially lovely to have discussions about grief in a book centered around Nico, a character who has dealt with the loss of many important people in his young life. We can see, through his connection with a younger character Savannah, how far he has come and how much he has learned, but also that he still struggles. It’s realistic, yet hopeful. I love it.

Further, the humor and adventure is also great. As a longtime fan of this universe (which I’ve lovingly dubbed the “Percyverse” before, though I think officially it’s the Camp Half Blood Chronicles), it’s fun to return to Camp Jupiter. Hazel and Frank, beloved characters from the Heroes of Olympus series, are here, and their growth is excellent. I particularly enjoyed the handful of chapters from Hazel’s perspective; it was like reuniting with an old friend. In a way, I guess that’s exactly what it was.

There are also lots of new characters, aside from Asterion. He’s obviously the standout, runaway favorite of mine, but the rest of the motley crew are also delightful. They’re goofy and quirky and strange, and that’s great. Clearly, they’re an allegory for real-life marginalized groups of people, but shown in a way that allows for levity, allows for them to live in truth and joy. That’s vital in this day and age, and I’m sure a lot of these themes are from Oshiro’s mind, since they are a queer person.

Another notable new character is Will’s mother, Naomi Solace (okay granted, she’s been mentioned several times, so “new” might be relative). When she showed up, I felt the delight and wonder that I imagine a person typically only feels when meeting their most favorite celebrity. But she’s just such an adorable, bubbly person, how can you not love her instantly? I feel that she and Percy Jackson’s mother Sally would get along so well, which is another reason to like Naomi. I also enjoyed her contribution to the plot.

(Apologies; I feel like this review has no structure, but is instead me jumping around from topic to topic as the fancy takes me. I guess that fits a book about ADHD demigods.)

Anyway, yes, there are a ton of things I adore about this book: characters, themes, plot, humor. However, I can’t review this and not point out something that really bugged me about this—and also about the last few releases by Riordan. I guess this man has no sense of time, or simply doesn’t care about when his books take place, because there are several pop culture references that wouldn’t have existed in the Percyverse at this point. I think this book is probably set in 2013, but even if I’m a little off, I know that several things referenced did not exist yet. For example, Moo Deng the baby hippo, a reference to the “mojo dojo casa house” from the 2023 Barbie movie, and several songs that were only released in the last few years. And this is sort of a trend in the last couple books, with timely pop culture or meme references as a form of joke. But Mr. Riordan, please, you didn’t used to do this! Any reference was to something more timeless, like Lord of the Rings or Star Wars, not relying on the short term fame of internet jokes. Can we please go back to that? As it is, these anachronisms jolt me out of the narrative, and that’s bad. Also, why would demigods who don’t have smartphones or regular access to the internet know about these things anyway?!

There was also a scene where Dionysus was watching television, and I have to ask how he was doing that. Technology in the Percyverse is well established as being a monster magnet, so what is this? I know that in the Norse world of Magnus Chase, Thor’s hammer doubles as a streaming device, but this isn’t the Norse world of Magnus Chase! Someone explain. And by someone, I mean Riordan and/or Oshiro.

Those things aside, I genuinely did enjoy this book. I do have to wonder, though, how many more books Riordan is planning to write (he’d claimed several years ago that the Camp Half Blood Chronicles was over, then announced Chalice of the Gods shortly thereafter). Surely there will be one more of the Percy Senior Year books, but what else is in store? I feel like after that, and perhaps after one final Nico book, we could easily close out the series as a whole. How much longer are we going to keep this up?

But in the end, The Court of the Dead is fun. I like the characters and the wacky adventure. The themes are excellent and touching, and it’s moving to see how far Nico has come. The climax of the story doesn’t have as much emotional impact as the showdown between Nico and Nyx in The Sun and Star, but it’s still dramatic and exciting. This is overall a good tale of finding new paths in life, forgiving and accepting others, and learning to enjoy the moment. It’s hopeful and sweet, and silly and weird, and I really liked it.

The Court of the Dead is available now!

PS Fans of the original Percy series will understand how big a deal it is when I say that Nico smiles and laughs so regularly now! Guys! He smiles and laughs REGULARLY now! I’m not crying; you’re crying!

PPS Asterion’s favorite movie, if this book were actually set in 2025, would absolutely be KPop Demon Hunters. You know I’m right.