Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Queer demigods' emotionally intelligent second quest.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE COURT OF THE DEAD: A NICO DI ANGELO ADVENTURE, Nico and Will are doing their best to welcome new campers at Camp Half-Blood when they get an urgent summons from Nico's half-sister Hazel at Camp Jupiter. The boyfriends shadow-travel across the country to find surprising newcomers in the camp: a gaggle of reformed monsters, who now call themselves mythics. Thanks to Nico and Will's trip to Tartarus, they've been set free from doing the bidding of the world's villains, and now they want to live in peace, knit sweaters, and even teach kindergarten in New Rome. That's all great, except none of the demigods in Camp Jupiter can stand them, not after years spent fighting and despising monsters. The worst is yet to come when the mythics, one after another, go missing from camp.
Is It Any Good?
The second adventure of the demigod boyfriends extraordinaire is slow to ramp up, but full of fascinating characters and social-emotional learning. While the social-emotional aspect won't hold the attention of most kids, and it does slow down the story in the first half, it adds a depth you won't see in a lot of mythical adventures. Nico learns to live in the present, ask for help, and face his cacodemons—living balls of energy representing everything from defiance to grief. He helps others deal with grief and loss and reminds them that their pain is valid. Kids going through tough times will feel seen by this book. Kids just looking for a fun adventure will be rewarded for their patience with mysterious disappearing mythics, sneaky new minor gods, and a quest to save one of the best characters from The Heroes of Olympus series—not saying who. Also, we get to meet Will's mom along the way, who, after Percy Jackson's mom, is about as cool as a mom can get.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about mythics in The Court of the Dead. Why have they changed their name? How does the new name help these former monsters forge new paths? Can you think of other groups that have changed derogatory names to more positive ones?
Why is it so hard for the mythics to be accepted at Camp Jupiter? How does Nico's past help him find empathy for the mythics? When and why do the other demigods decide to accept the mythics?
There are so many social-emotional tools communicated, from asking for help to being in the present. Were you able to sit with the lessons like Nico begins to sit with his cacodemons? Are some lessons harder to implement than others?
What camp would you like to join, Camp Half-Blood or Camp Jupiter? Why?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Adventures , Family Stories , Fantasy ( Ghosts , Magic , Monsters ) , Friendship , Travel
- Character Strengths : Communication , Compassion , Courage , Curiosity , Empathy , Integrity , Perseverance , Self-control , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date : September 23, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 10 - 14
- Number of pages : 448
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : October 3, 2025
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