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Dry your eyes, dear reader. We know that for some of you, even the mere mention of Bianca di Angelo is enough to start the waterworks. But for those out there who do not yet fully comprehend the significance of Nico’s lost sister—or for those of you in need of a refresher—sit back and heed the story of this doomed demigod. After all, you never know when Bianca’s backstory will once again become relevant to Nico and Hades.
(But if we had to guess, we’d put our money on 5/2, which also happens to coincide with the release of The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure.)
The Right Lotus
Along with her younger brother, Bianca grew up in Italy during the 1930s and 40s, for a time blissfully unaware that they were the children of Hades, god of the Underworld. But eventually, our family drama always catches up with us. And often with explosive results.
In Zeus’s horribly misguided quest to destroy the demigod children of Hades and Poseidon (in order to avoid the Great Prophecy, which foretold that one of these demigods would eventually betray the gods), he struck the di Angelo house with a massive bolt of lightning. Bianca’s and Nico’s lives were spared thanks to an intervention from Hades, but their mother perished. Shortly thereafter, Hades wiped his offspring’s memories and hid the brother and sister in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. If you’re thinking, “A casino is no place for a couple of orphans to grow up,” you’d be right! Not to worry, though. Bianca and Nico spent only two months at the Lotus.
Well, technically, they were there for two months on the inside . . . while 70 years passed on the outside. Time really does fly when you’re on vacation.
Westover and Out
Because he had no suitable legal guardian to watch over them, Hades worked behind the scenes to transfer the di Angelo children to Westover Hall, an elite military boarding school. As if adjusting to a new life in a new school in a new century wasn’t hard enough, the di Angelo siblings were also frequently attacked by monsters wherever they went.
Losing your mother and your memories at a young age, missing out on over 60 years of social progress, and then being forced to protect yourself and your precocious little brother from evil manticore dudes with names like Dr. Thorn . . . It’s no wonder Bianca quickly made friends with people who could bust her out of there.
Much Ado About Hunting
Always remember: dropping out of school is a perfectly acceptable option if the vice principal turns out to be a manticore. Just make sure you have a backup plan. Bianca’s plan B came in the form of an invitation to join the Hunters of Artemis shortly after she met Artemis, Thalia Grace, and Zoë Nightshade. For the first time in her life, young Bianca found a purpose beyond simply protecting herself and Nico from the dangers of the outside world.
And in the short time that Bianca was a member of the Hunters of Artemis, she proved to be a naturally gifted archer. Considering her heroic spirit and drive to protect her loved ones, she would have been named a top lieutenant in no time. Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
We can’t get into what happened next without breaking into tears ourselves, but if you know, you know.
Ghost in the Spell
For a lucky few demigods, death is not necessarily the end of their story. Since her untimely demise, Bianca has reappeared as a ghost several times, mostly to provide Nico with a sense of closure and warn him against contacting the spirit of their mother. For a while, Nico was convinced that he would eventually break into the Underworld to free Bianca. But last we heard, Bianca has chosen to undergo the process of rebirth. Whether or not we will one day see a reincarnated version of Bianca hanging out at Camp Half-Blood remains up in the air.
Nico has grown up a lot since Bianca’s death, and his grieving process contributed greatly to his development as a hero. We all would have preferred to see Bianca live a long, full life with her brother, but Nico seems to have fully processed the loss by now. As long as you ignore his recurring dreams of her.
Will we see more of Bianca in The Sun and the Star? You’ll have to read the book to find out. All we’ll say is this: You’d better have a box of tissues nearby. Maybe two.
What do you think the future has in store for Bianca? Be sure to let us know!
2017 Read Riordan. All Rights Reserved.
