Description

• We’re kicking off this week’s news and updated by talking about SDCC.
• We had some boots on the ground at the convention and got a peek at what the campers were handing out.
• Next up, we talk in-depth about the new Percy Jackson and the Olympians character posters.
• Oh yeah, and there was even a flash mob!
• Don’t forget that Fury of the Dragon Goddess comes out on August 1!
• Books of Wonder is hosting a virtual tour, and it’s gonna be awesome.
• 
  Read Riordan also posted an article about Lugal, the god of insanity.
• On June 27, Rick wrote a blog post talking about the Chalice of the Gods book tour.
• We go through all of the tour stops, plus the Boston Book Festival happening in October.
• Can Rick talk about the show on tour?
• We also think he’ll be talking about his next project.
• Oh, and Karen will be at another stop!
• We also discuss whether we’ll stop our The Red Pyramid discussion to talk about Chalice of the Gods.
• Don’t forget to check out this Bookseller interview.

• Talking about this book has been a long time coming, and we’re so glad to finally discuss it on the podcast!
• What’s this book about?
• We talk about our overall feelings for the book and the writing.
• It’s wild to think this was written before COVID.
• But don’t worry, this book won’t remind you too much of the pandemic.
• It’s well worth reading the Foreword, if only to see what it was like to have Rick as a teacher.
• This book teaches us a lot about racism, being a hero, dealing with grief, and fighting for your home.
• It seems only right to kick off the character section by talking about Sikander Aziz.
• All work and no play makes Sik a tired boy.
• There’s so much to love about Sik, but especially his compassion for other people.
• We draw some parallels between Sik and Samirah/Magnus Chase.
• Daoud seems only skin-deep at first glance, but we both loved him from the beginning.
• We also loved Belet, who has a killer roundhouse kick.
• She’s so intense, but her and Sik balance each other out perfectly.
• SO. MANY. CATS.
• Kasusu is an amazing sword, and it reminds us a lot of another magical weapon from one of Rick’s books.
• What’s it like being both the goddess of love AND war?
• Ishtar is both amazing and terrifying.
• And then there’s Nergal.
• Sure, he’s the antagonist in this book, but he’s also a necessary balance to the circle of life.
• The spoiler section starts at 01:04:05.
• If you’re used to handling New Yorkers in the morning, you can definitely take on a pack of demons.
• SURPRISE, Sikander is immortal.
• We’re a little smitten with Gilgamesh, not gonna lie.
• How do you accidentally end up in the afterlife? By taking the wrong train, of course.
• The scenes between Sik and Mo were incredible but also heartbreaking.
• THE BAGHDAD SAUCE.
• It wasn’t easy to get the flower that grants immortality, but they did it.
• We learn something amazing about Mo and Daoud.
• Nergal is defeated in the most spectacular way.
• The end of the book gives us some interesting final moments between Sik and Daoud, his family, and even Belet.
• We’re so happy City of the Plague God gets a sequel in Fury of the Dragon Goddess.
• It’s fun to read the author’s note, and Sarwat has some wonderful things to tell us about this book and about Rick Riordan.

• This week, we’re discussing The Red Pyramid chapter 17!
• Carter becomes a chicken again, and we talk about what this dream could mean.
• Carter gets in trouble with Zia, but it informs us a lot about her AND about him.
• Gods, her story is tragic, and now we’re sad.
• Did someone steal Zia’s memories?
• It’s nice that Carter still remembers his mom.
• Are Carter and Zia going on a date!?
• Okay, it’s time to leave and go to…Paris!?
• Thank the gods for Bast.

• We got some wonderful mentions on Threads, and several people remind us how much they miss our old podcast, Book Hype.
• Did you know you can leave reviews for podcasts on Audible!?