Man, the reviews for 'The Sun and the Star' have been... all over the place, honestly. Compared to the hype around earlier books like 'The Son of Neptune' or even the original 'The Lightning Thief', the reception feels a lot more muted. A lot of fans I've talked to were excited for a Nico-centric story, and while they delivered that, the pacing felt off. It's slower, more introspective.
I loved the dive into Nico and Will's dynamic, don't get me wrong, but the plot's journey through Tartarus again kind of lacked the high-stakes urgency of Percy and Annabeth's trip. The reviews I've seen split pretty cleanly: people there for the character growth and queer romance adored it, while readers craving the classic, propulsive Riordan adventure felt it meandered. It's definitely a 'vibes' book more than a plot-heavy one, which sets it apart.
For me, the character moments shine, but it doesn't have the same widespread, breathless acclaim the earlier series entries got. The quieter, more emotional focus seems to have divided the fandom more than unified it.