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.

REVIEW The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch

The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (Magic and Romance #1) by Sara Raasch
Rating: 5 Stars 
Release Date: August 26, 2025
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited) + Audiobook (Library) 
Publisher: Bramble

Sara Raasch's Royals and Romance books were so much fun that it was a no brainer to read her newest series, Magic and Romance. The first book in the series, The Entanglement of Rival Wizards, was so much fun to read. Sam Stark did an excellent job bringing Thio and Sebastian's story to life. And while it doesn't even release till May 2026, I am very very excited for the sequel to this book, The Fake Divination Offensive, which covers Orok's story (Sebastian's best friend who you meet in this book).

Hailed as a fantasy academia rom-com,. the author wholeheartedly delivers on that premise. I really loved how she wove together the magical elements of the story along with some more modern references (i.e. Sebastian's familiar is named after a character in Zootopia instead of something more 'mystical'). There are also some more magical crosses like the game of rawball (which Orok specializes in), which seems like a cross between rugby and live Dungeons and Dragons, given that the players roles are things like tank and rogue.

Thio and Sebastian's relationship was fun to watch to develop. They went from academic rivals, to reluctant lab partners, to competing together and finally in a relationship together. They both have a lot of emotional baggage to deal with, especially in the family department, and it was rewarding as a reader to see them take back what they lost in those dynamics. It was also fun to see how they interacted with those in their orbit. Orok, for example, is Sebastian's best friend and ride or die. They have been dependent on each other for years, but when he realizes Sebastian's burgeoning feelings for Thio he meddles to get them to actually talk to each other and work things out. I'm so excited to see how Sebastian inevitably becomes a part of Orok's relationship with Alexo in the next book.

Overall, a great book and a very entertaining read. I highly recommend it for fans of romantic comedy, as well as LGBTQ romances and fantasy novels. The Royals and Romance series and the Magic and Romance series are completely separate, but I highly recommend you check out the Royals and Romance series if you like this one.