read-knit-rinse-repeat

[read-knit-rinse-repeat]

The Storm Runner, J.C. Cervantes

4/5💜

This was the first book that i’ve read out of the Rick Riordan Presents series(?), and it honestly felt like it was an extension of the Percy Jackson universe I’m so fond of. J.C. Cervantes created a whole new world with this novel, and through it, new characters to fall in love with. Like most books though, this book had it’s ups and downs.

Pros:

Zane Obispo. This boy radiates hufflepuff energy (i.e. willing to die for his friends) (or in this case release the god of death for them) and he is SO relatable as a character. J.C. Cervantes created a character who managed to make me feel like a pre-teen again, including the angst of a first crush, the pain of being different, and the crippling feeling of not knowing what’s happening. Just seeing the amount of development this guy went through, from being the “I have a limp and it sucks” boy, to “i’m prepared to die over my mistake,” guy is amazing. He could still stand to do better with his crush situation though.

Hondo Obispo IS MY BOY. i tend to fixate on one character throughout any series, and i have the feeling he is going to be the one. When i first started the book i genuinely thought he was going to be the lazy, slobbery uncle type, instead he turned out to be closer to the cool older brother that is also willing to be your cheerleader but in a bro way. Like the ultimate Chad, if Chad wasn’t a douchebag. I don’t think i can explain how much I love Hondo, and as of right now i would reread this book simply for him.

Representation. This matters SO MUCH to me, since i am not white, and not straight. Firstly, all of the characters are not white. This feels like such an obvious point, especially since the novel is peppered with Spanish phrases and it literally has to do with Mayan gods, but it’s set in New Mexico. If this were turned into a movie, it would be so incredibly easy for the director to white wash all of the characters. (If this book ever gets turned into a movie, please boycott it if the director white washes it. Please.) Growing up, i was not only the “token Asian,” but there was also approximately only one character per tv show that i could even relate to. Now there’s a whole novel of them, and granted, i am not hispanic, but i am so happy to see that representation. Secondly, the main character has a physical deformity, and he doesn’t save the world by suddenly getting rid of it. He saved the world with a leg that is not the same size as the other. And that leg is actually what made him special (as clichéd as that sounds).

The plot. It was a traditional “boy starts the apocalypse, boy works to stop it,” type story, and honestly? That was all i wanted.

Cons:

Most of the personalities of the gods mushed together. The only ones that were noticeably different were Mat (K’ukumatz/Kulkulkan), Hurakan, and good ol’ Puke Face. I don’t know if it’s because the gods barely had any “screen time,” but even when they did, they felt one-sided. I hope that in the following books there will be more time for Zane to interact with the other gods (although that could mean death for him), so that we as the reader can figure out each of their personalities.

It felt like it was ghost written by Rick Riordan. As much as i like this book, it was just too similar to the original Percy Jackson series, and specifically Percy himself. Zane and Percy both have a lot of sassy comments, can both sometimes be a little slow to pick up literally anything, and were both considered the “bad kids” and would constantly be kicked out of schools. There was also a repeat of a “superhero trio” in the form of Brooks, Zane, and Hondo, which has similarities to Percy, Annabeth, and Grover. On the one hand, it makes sense because Riordan was the original writer of series like this, and he is the sponsor for this series, but there can still be individuality. Unfortunately, i couldn’t find much of it in this book.

If you are a huge fan of the Percy Jackson series like i am, you will not be disappointed by this book. It felt like it expanded upon the universe already created by Riordan, and on top of that, it brings mythology to life. As a devout fiction reader, and someone who researched Mayan mythology for fun in elementary school, this book combined them together in a way i wish 10-year old Jen could have read.

[read-knit-rinse-repeat]

Books to Read before 2020

Y/A Fiction:

Tortall: A Spy's Guide

I got into this series through one of Tamora Pierce's other series The Circle Opens. Due to my love for that series I've now since moved on to her other works, and this novel is a companion novel in the Tortall universe. I love these kinds of novels since they really make the universe its from come to life.

The Fork, the Witch, and the Worm (Tales from Alagaësia #1)

As with the previous one, this is a companion novel for The Inheritance Series by Christopher Paolini. That series has been on the top list of my favourites since my grandparents bought it for me when I was in elementary school. I was over the moon when I found out he released another book with three short stories around three of the characters I love the most, I had to buy it on the spot.

Given to the Earth (Given Duet #2)

This is mostly just on my list because I started this book last January and haven't finished it. The first book in this novel is Given to the Sea, by Mindy McGinnis.

Enchanted Forest Chronicles

Another on my list of ultimate loves. I inevitably end up doing a re-read of this series once every couple of years, and it's been an itch on my mind for a couple months now.

Children of Virtue and Vengeance* (Legacy of Orïsha #2)

I picked up Children of Blood and Bone, by Tomi Adeyemi, for the simple reason that the characters were POC. In case you're new to Y/A fiction novels, the main character is usually white, quirky, and falls for the bad boy (usually). This novel is full of black kids, who are facing unimaginable amounts of racism due to the colour of their hair (and honestly, the afterword by Ms. Adeyemi equal parts shattered me and made the novel That Much Better.)

Motivational:

Gmorning, Gnight!: Little Pep Talks for Me & You

Lin-Manuel Miranda is the sunrise on the darkest night imaginable. I'm not even joking, this book had me on the verge of crying after every single verse. It's on this list now because I haven't finished it. When I started it, midterms had just started for me which meant, no time at all essentially. Plus, combined with almost constant happy tears, it was a bit hard to read.

Non-Fiction:

War in the World 1450-1600

One of my friends in St. Catharines lives near an outlet bookstore, and this was the purchase  I made there. I haven't started it yet, but my understanding on it is that it shows how wars from 1450-1600 have shaped our world. I get that war isn't exactly a nice topic, but it's important to remember these events so that when patterns in history repeat, it can get stopped.

*hasn't been released at time of writing this post