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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Very much following the Percy Jackson story line but with the fun addition of Mayan Gods.
“If you wait long enough, your destiny will come knocking. Take it from me– someday, when you least expect it, the magic will call to you.“
I love mythology. I think that is quite clear. So, the discovery of Rick Riordan Presents was such a nice surprise - and just what I was looking for.
I don't know as much about Mesoamerica as I'd like, and certainly not Mayan mythology. I've read some on my own, and we've briefly dealt with it in my archaeology courses but... I want more. Thankfully, the university library is quite rich when it comes to mythology. I just felt like I needed a basic start, and what is better than this?
I really enjoyed reading this, even if it wasn't quite a good introduction as I'd say Riordan's book series are to their distinct mythologies. Perhaps because, as Cervantes notes, there are a lot of Mayan deities with not just local ones but big differences according to region and period and so on. Googling the five main Gods gave me results which only mentioned one of the main five in Cervantes' mythology... but that doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong, it's just different. But even so, it was a fun read and I felt the deities mostly stood out in personality the way Riordan is known for.
However one of my issues was the fact that Cervantes needs to trust her own voice more - it's there but she sometimes settles for a voice similar to Riordan's when it comes to humor, and it doesn't work... because she's not Riordan, she's Cervantes. And that's okay, because it isn't supposed to be Riordan. But I can understand a certain pressure, all of these Riordan fans expecting adventures similar to his. I only hope she's grown more confident of her own voice in the sequel. Even Riordan took quite some books for me to truly appreciate his writing, not just his plots or settings. Cervantes didn't wow me, but I'm definitely going to check out whatever she does next.
I love mythology. I think that is quite clear. So, the discovery of Rick Riordan Presents was such a nice surprise - and just what I was looking for.
I don't know as much about Mesoamerica as I'd like, and certainly not Mayan mythology. I've read some on my own, and we've briefly dealt with it in my archaeology courses but... I want more. Thankfully, the university library is quite rich when it comes to mythology. I just felt like I needed a basic start, and what is better than this?
I really enjoyed reading this, even if it wasn't quite a good introduction as I'd say Riordan's book series are to their distinct mythologies. Perhaps because, as Cervantes notes, there are a lot of Mayan deities with not just local ones but big differences according to region and period and so on. Googling the five main Gods gave me results which only mentioned one of the main five in Cervantes' mythology... but that doesn't necessarily mean it's wrong, it's just different. But even so, it was a fun read and I felt the deities mostly stood out in personality the way Riordan is known for.
However one of my issues was the fact that Cervantes needs to trust her own voice more - it's there but she sometimes settles for a voice similar to Riordan's when it comes to humor, and it doesn't work... because she's not Riordan, she's Cervantes. And that's okay, because it isn't supposed to be Riordan. But I can understand a certain pressure, all of these Riordan fans expecting adventures similar to his. I only hope she's grown more confident of her own voice in the sequel. Even Riordan took quite some books for me to truly appreciate his writing, not just his plots or settings. Cervantes didn't wow me, but I'm definitely going to check out whatever she does next.
I think this is an important book that exposes me to Mayan myths I had no clue about! Other than that there were few standouts from the book to win me over. I really wanted to fall in love with this book the way I love Aru Shah and Magnus Chase!
Maybe this book is meant for a younger audience and that’s why lost things were more straightforward? There were just more cliches than newer materials.
I still will have it as part of my classroom library.
Maybe this book is meant for a younger audience and that’s why lost things were more straightforward? There were just more cliches than newer materials.
I still will have it as part of my classroom library.
got about 1/3 through before I gave up. zero of tye decision-making made sense to me.
This is a children's book. I don't mean that in a bad way, I mean this is literally a book written for children, intentionally. I think it was good, but it certainly wasn't written for me. There was a lot of doubling back and explaining things a second or third time. The whole way through I was determined that this was a three star book. However, that last page changed it into a four. Am I really that easily swayed? Yes, yes I am.
>>Can TOTALLY see this as a kick butt movie. And I mean a good one.
>>I was completely swept up in the journey and the characters.
>>Full of surprises and twists
>>The ending gave me chills!
>>The only thing I didn't like was how Mr. O was cheered on for pursuing Ms. Cab when she's made her objections clear. Especially in a book that's bound to be popular among boys, that's a terrible message to encourage.
Favorite Quotes:
"Being a member of my family wasn't automatic--it had to be earned."
"I was getting pretty sick of that word deal. It was only four stupid letters strung together, but they had thorns that knew how to draw blood."
"But that's not what worried me about him. Sometimes the bruising on the inside is what gets you the worst."
"Like Mr.O had said, Destiny comes knocking, and if you don't open the door, she will come in through the window."
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
It was pretty good! Not my fav, but it'd recommend trying it out if you need something to read.
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If you like the Percy Jackson series, then this is like that but with Mayan myth.
It really felt like you were learning with Zane, rather than "here is a clueless character so we can spew info at you." He was a well fleshed-out character, and even though he didn't have much growth throughout the story, he does start to grow as a person. He took his flaws and wasn't letting them stop him anymore. Personality-wise he's just okay. I felt like it had a few flaws that didn't really make sense to his overall character, but nothing to complain about.
On the other hand, the side characters didn't change at all. They stayed the same throughout the whole book, and I know it's not about them, you still need your other characters to grow and change too. Otherwise, you have kind of flat characters. And that's exactly what happened here. You have Zane's "crush/love interest/best friend/companion" girl named Brooks, that is kind of mean, and only really wants to stop the prophecy to save her sister . And even though the "how" changes, her goal doesn't. Next, you have Zane's uncle Hondo. He's all about wrestling. and doesn't really care about anything else. Like he helps Zane with saving the world, but he does it with wrestling moves and brags about said moves after the battle is over. He compares himself to the wrestlers on TV, and that's it. That's his whole personality in a nutshell.
Now onto the gods themselves. I found each one had a slightly different personality, and when they had to explain to Zane something that he didn't get, they didn't get upset with him. At most, they were more in a hurry to tell him something and wanted to move on because they didn't have time, but even then they never got really frustrated or angry with him. Which is such a nice difference to the stories that have similar concepts.
Overall, I think if the other characters didn't have such flat personalities or grow throughout the story, I would have given this a solid 5/5.
It really felt like you were learning with Zane, rather than "here is a clueless character so we can spew info at you." He was a well fleshed-out character, and even though he didn't have much growth throughout the story, he does start to grow as a person. He took his flaws and wasn't letting them stop him anymore. Personality-wise he's just okay. I felt like it had a few flaws that didn't really make sense to his overall character, but nothing to complain about.
On the other hand, the side characters didn't change at all. They stayed the same throughout the whole book, and I know it's not about them, you still need your other characters to grow and change too. Otherwise, you have kind of flat characters. And that's exactly what happened here. You have Zane's "crush/love interest/best friend/companion" girl named Brooks, that is kind of mean, and only really wants to stop the prophecy
Now onto the gods themselves. I found each one had a slightly different personality, and when they had to explain to Zane something that he didn't get, they didn't get upset with him. At most, they were more in a hurry to tell him something and wanted to move on because they didn't have time, but even then they never got really frustrated or angry with him. Which is such a nice difference to the stories that have similar concepts.
Overall, I think if the other characters didn't have such flat personalities or grow throughout the story, I would have given this a solid 5/5.