You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I did enjoy parts of the book (especially towards the end) but overall I just didn’t connect with the story 😣 maybe it’s just not for me, but I’m not sure I’ll be continuing on with the series!
Maybe I went into it with very high expectations, having Rick’s seal of approval and all, but this book just didn’t do it for me 😔. I did enjoy some parts though, so it wasn’t a total loss!
Maybe I went into it with very high expectations, having Rick’s seal of approval and all, but this book just didn’t do it for me 😔. I did enjoy some parts though, so it wasn’t a total loss!
I enjoyed this book. Learning more about world mythologies is always exciting. Out of the two books in the Riordan Presents series, I like this one less though. I love this mythology more than Indian mythology, but the book was less enjoyable than Aru Shah. I had some trouble getting into it, and the humor wasn’t as unique and sarcastic as I thought it would be. Also, some of the world’s rules were plain confusing. I didn’t know when something would work a certain way, like with someone’s powers for example. But my main problem was the pacing. I think the book could’ve been a bit shorter than it is, and it had a very slow pacing at first. The first hundred pages or so were introducing you to the world, but little happened in them. Other than that, I enjoyed the writing. It was simple and a bit funny. But it also included words in Maya and Spanish, which made it feel a bit more genuine as the main character and his family seem to be Latinos. The story was a bit convoluted, but it was definitely enjoyable. I liked the plot, and I definitely like where it is going. But there were some things that lingered a bit and slowed the pacing.
On to the characters. I kind of didn’t like Brooks. I don’t know it if was because Zane had such a big crush on her but looking at her through his eyes sort of annoyed me. I liked that she was a nawal, and that she could shapeshift. Her attitude was super sassy, and it was nice to see someone so badass and willing to fight for her loved ones. I liked Hondo, he did feel like the cool uncle. I’m interested to see his thoughts on the supernatural world he now lives in. Jazz is pretty much neutral to me. Zane was… an odd protagonist. I mean, he was a true dumbass most of the time. He had zero idea of what he was doing, and it felt more like things happened to him than him making things happen. He is not a hero. Not now. But he will be one. I liked that he decided to be courageous, most protagonists are that way. But he looked at his fate and even though he was scared he decided to go through it. His morals won through. I think he has a long way to go, he didn’t seem to have all that much character development. But he did grow up a bit. It was odd to read about a hero with a disability, but it was very nice to see him overcome that fact and still kick ass. The one thing that I hated about him, that made me want to punch him, was his initial obsession with- beware, there will be spoilers ahead- getting his dog back. He would not shut up about it and it kind of annoyed me. I mean, I get it. But he didn’t mention Rosie once in the middle of the story, almost like he forgot. I would’ve preferred a more toned down need to get his dog back that appeared throughout the book. The characters that take the cake for me were the Maya gods. Ah’Puch was genuinely creepy, and the rest of the gods were super interesting. Despite me having some problems with pacing or any other thing, what made me really enjoy this book was learning about the Maya pantheon. I must say, the Old World thing is still confusing, but I overthink these things. Getting to know the different personalities of the gods and how they fitted into the world was brilliant. It always made me perk up and read more closely. It definitely improved my enjoyment of the book. That is why I can give it four stars with ease.
On to the characters. I kind of didn’t like Brooks. I don’t know it if was because Zane had such a big crush on her but looking at her through his eyes sort of annoyed me. I liked that she was a nawal, and that she could shapeshift. Her attitude was super sassy, and it was nice to see someone so badass and willing to fight for her loved ones. I liked Hondo, he did feel like the cool uncle. I’m interested to see his thoughts on the supernatural world he now lives in. Jazz is pretty much neutral to me. Zane was… an odd protagonist. I mean, he was a true dumbass most of the time. He had zero idea of what he was doing, and it felt more like things happened to him than him making things happen. He is not a hero. Not now. But he will be one. I liked that he decided to be courageous, most protagonists are that way. But he looked at his fate and even though he was scared he decided to go through it. His morals won through. I think he has a long way to go, he didn’t seem to have all that much character development. But he did grow up a bit. It was odd to read about a hero with a disability, but it was very nice to see him overcome that fact and still kick ass. The one thing that I hated about him, that made me want to punch him, was his initial obsession with- beware, there will be spoilers ahead- getting his dog back. He would not shut up about it and it kind of annoyed me. I mean, I get it. But he didn’t mention Rosie once in the middle of the story, almost like he forgot. I would’ve preferred a more toned down need to get his dog back that appeared throughout the book. The characters that take the cake for me were the Maya gods. Ah’Puch was genuinely creepy, and the rest of the gods were super interesting. Despite me having some problems with pacing or any other thing, what made me really enjoy this book was learning about the Maya pantheon. I must say, the Old World thing is still confusing, but I overthink these things. Getting to know the different personalities of the gods and how they fitted into the world was brilliant. It always made me perk up and read more closely. It definitely improved my enjoyment of the book. That is why I can give it four stars with ease.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Rick Riordan. The fact that this books belongs to his “Rick Riordan Presents” collection did not disappoint. Why J.C. Cervantes has her own style and voice it does mimic the work of Riordan. I loved getting to learn about a new culture and until this book didn’t realize that the Myan culture had their own Gods. I look forward to continuing this series.
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
There was a lot I liked about this story: disabled main character, it was a funny and yet powerful story, the writing was ageless. There was really only one thing that kept this from being a 5, and that it my personal dislike of a certain plot line. The “main character knows nothing and yet is blamed for events” plot line. It frustrates me beyond belief. I would have added the adjacent “character is blamed for everything despite knowing nothing AND STILL people refuse to explain things,” but in this case it wasn’t as irksome. It still bothered me, but with the adjacent plot line, it made sense with the overall story; the gods are not good even if they represent good things. It made it easier to forgive that. And while my first issue can be seen in that light, it was extremely frustrating that people Zane saw as friends, that the readers were supposed to read as good did this.
Overall, a really good story, and still one I recommend in the Riordan Presents line up. I might not get the sequels until they come out in paperback, but I will still be keeping up with Zane.
(Side note: I love the trope of a bad guy in a suit. It’s kinda funny, especially when they’re a god known for their smell. I’m sure someone could give a good analysis of why bad guys often wear suits - or why Zeus in Percy Jackson wears one - but right now, I’m just living for it).
Overall, a really good story, and still one I recommend in the Riordan Presents line up. I might not get the sequels until they come out in paperback, but I will still be keeping up with Zane.
(Side note: I love the trope of a bad guy in a suit. It’s kinda funny, especially when they’re a god known for their smell. I’m sure someone could give a good analysis of why bad guys often wear suits - or why Zeus in Percy Jackson wears one - but right now, I’m just living for it).
I really liked this book it is always nice to read about a mythology that is not Greek or Roman. I really liked the characters especially Zane and Brooks I found them both to be easy to like characters their motivations were easy to understand. Zane is an easy to like character he is a boy judged for something that is not his fault who then finds out he is so much more than he ever dreamed. I really liked that he would go above and beyond for his dog Rosie I liked how that ended up. I really liked the plot it started with a boy and his dog with that boy losing his dog and finding things about himself he would never of put together on his own. So overall I really liked this book I will for sure read the sequel.
Für mich war die Geschichte anfangs immer 3 Sterne wert. Sie ist lustig, abenteuerreich, aber Zanes Entscheidungen waren für mich nicht immer ganz schlüssig. Doch das Ende hat es tatsächlich für mich noch einmal gekippt und es kam ein weiterer Stern dazu.
Weiter geht’s mit Band 2. Ich bin schon gespannt!
Weiter geht’s mit Band 2. Ich bin schon gespannt!
Wow. Wow. Just wow. I haven't felt this strongly about a book since the HOO series. The plot had the perfect pacing and the characters are infectious. I couldn't put down this book and I 100% recommend this for anyone else who felt a void since Heroes of Olympus ended. Wow.