City of the Plague God (Sik and the Dragon Goddess, Book #1)

City of the Plague God (Sik and the Dragon Goddess) by Sarwat Chadda

Sikander "Sik" Aziz has a frantically busy life working in his parents' deli in Manhattan after school and on weekends. Sure, he misses game night with his friends and he wishes Daoud, a vain aspiring actor who is supposed to be an employee, would pull his weight. But Sik is dedicated to keeping his immigrant parents' American dream alive. After all, there's no one else they can count on now that their eldest son, Mo, is gone.

Mo loved Iraq, where he was born, and taught Sik all about ancient Mesopotamia and its mythology. As young boys, they even played at being Gilgamesh, the greatest hero of all time, and Enkidu, his trusty sidekick, battling make-believe monsters till dinnertime. All this role-playing becomes painfully real when Nergal, the ancient god of disease, crashes into Sik's life. Nergal is seeking a treasure he thinks Mo stole from Iraq, and if he doesn't get it, he will unleash a supernatural plague across New York City, transforming its inhabitants into monsters.

Sik must fight demons, join forces with the goddess Ishtar and her adopted daughter, and venture into the netherworld to save the people he loves, making heart-breaking sacrifices along the way. He must become a hero in his own right, or the city is doomed. But is that even possible for someone like him?

Disney/Hyperion, Hardcover, 1st Edition, 2nd Printing, 2021.