REVIEW The Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro

The Court of the Dead: A Nico Di Angelo Adventure by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: September 23, 2025
Format: Audiobook and Hardcover
Publisher: Disney Hyperion

The Court of the Dead by Mark Oshiro and Rick Riordan, second book in the Nico DiAngelo adventures and set in the same world as the Percy Jackson universe, was the perfect follow up to The Sun and the Star. As someone who's been a lifelong fan of the stories in this universe, I really appreciated getting to see the characters’ growth and development from the first time each of them appeared on the page.

For this story to feature monsters who don't want to be monsters anymore (and instead prefer the term "mythics"), it felt like a full circle moment. For Asterion, or the Minotaur, to be one of the monsters leading the efforts for integration, that also felt like a full circle moment as he is one of the first monsters Percy meets in The Lightning Thief. All of the campers in this book, Nico and Will included, have to deal with complex emotions. Yes, monsters are known for killing demigods. Yes, they have been trained by their respective camps to kill monsters for most of their lives. But these specific monsters are not responsible for their troubles, and shouldn't really be held accountable for others' decisions in that way. There is less action in this book, and a lot more moments with the fan favorite characters and as a reader I appreciated that. Not every book has to be them fighting for their lives. Sometimes being a teenage demigod is dealing with really complex emotions, and having to learn to deal with other people as they deal with their complex emotions.

Overall, another fantastic addition to the world of Percy Jackson. I really enjoyed all of the Solangelo moments in this book, as well as the sibling relationship between Hazel and Nico. Audiobook narrators AJ Beckles and Mieko Gavia did an excellent job with their performances and bringing the story to life.