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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
The Storm Runner is the second book published by Rick Riordan’s new imprint. It tells the story of Zane Obispo, who is told that he is destined to release the Mayan god of death from imprisonment and after this, he will have to defeat him to save the world.
I have read both of the books from this imprint so far, the other being Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, and what I have found is that both of these books are very reminiscent of The Lightning Thief. They follow very similar plot lines and events, something i have mixed feelings about.
I think that having books that follow similar plots are a great way to encourage young people to read, as they will definitely enjoy both these books of they are Rick Riordan fans. Having books available like these are a good next step into continuing to encourage reading, even in reluctant readers. And having them introduce different cultures and mythologies is something that I am a huge proponent of.
I find myself not liking that the books follow such similar plot lines, but I remind myself that I am much older than the intended age group and am much more likely to recognize the similarities, both because I have had read more books and have studied story telling structure.
So, letting go of my biases, and looking at this book as a stand alone story, The Storm Runner was an enjoyable book. I felt very connected with the characters and really thought that the world building and explanation of the mythology was done is a way that felt natural and never seemed like too much exposition.
I did feel that the plot dragged a little bit in places, mainly at the beginning of the book, which took a little too long to get into the meat of the story. It may deter a kid from continuing the book. I am glad I continued to read, but the beginning of the book was not as gripping as it could have been.
I have read both of the books from this imprint so far, the other being Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, and what I have found is that both of these books are very reminiscent of The Lightning Thief. They follow very similar plot lines and events, something i have mixed feelings about.
I think that having books that follow similar plots are a great way to encourage young people to read, as they will definitely enjoy both these books of they are Rick Riordan fans. Having books available like these are a good next step into continuing to encourage reading, even in reluctant readers. And having them introduce different cultures and mythologies is something that I am a huge proponent of.
I find myself not liking that the books follow such similar plot lines, but I remind myself that I am much older than the intended age group and am much more likely to recognize the similarities, both because I have had read more books and have studied story telling structure.
So, letting go of my biases, and looking at this book as a stand alone story, The Storm Runner was an enjoyable book. I felt very connected with the characters and really thought that the world building and explanation of the mythology was done is a way that felt natural and never seemed like too much exposition.
I did feel that the plot dragged a little bit in places, mainly at the beginning of the book, which took a little too long to get into the meat of the story. It may deter a kid from continuing the book. I am glad I continued to read, but the beginning of the book was not as gripping as it could have been.
1.5*
I am thoroughly upset that I didn't like this book. I've had my eye on it since its release and the synopsis really caught my attention. I had high hopes for this book but sadly it didn't deliver.
Zane Obispo is the main character and stands out a lot because of a limp that is caused by one leg being shorter than the other. This results in nicknames that kids in his age group call him. I was interested in this book because of the disability representation that I don't see in much books. But something about the way it was written seemed.... distasteful to say the least.
Also, this book is basically [b:The Lightning Thief|28187|The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)|Rick Riordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400602609l/28187._SY75_.jpg|3346751] except it's Mayan instead of Greek. Of course there are differences because these two books are written in a different time and by different authors. Yet there were too many similarities that I can't just gloss over.
Zane is Percy- The boy that turns out to be a child of a powerful being in mythology and has a prophecy written about him that will come to pass. Even the dialogue seemed too much like Percy's. Every time Zane tried to be sassy, I couldn't help but imagine Percy saying that line and delivering it much better.
Brooks is Annabeth - the one girl in a trio that has mysterious aura in the beginning and is there to aid the main character in his quest to basically save the word.
Hondo is Grover - the comic relief character that is written into the story to be the one who says something funny unconsciously and bring out a haha laugh out of people.
And finally, I'm sorry but I just can't get over the willy-nilly use of Spanish words. They're thrown in at random and while I would have enjoyed them if, I don't know, they made a scene more funny or intense but they didn't. Sometimes I even wondered why it was put in at all! Believe me, I have nothing against Spanish words being in books. Hell, Spanish is my first language and I love any excuse for it to be in books but this just wasn't it and I have examples:
"Whoa! Did I even know this mujer?"
"There's a grande chicken that's been pecking at the front door"
"Let's go see this pollo loco of yours" Now I know damn well this author didn't just pull a mention of Pollo Loco.
These lines honestly bothered me and it may seem extra but I don't care. She didn't have to put in those Spanish words to let the reader know that the character is Latinx.
I am thoroughly upset that I didn't like this book. I've had my eye on it since its release and the synopsis really caught my attention. I had high hopes for this book but sadly it didn't deliver.
Zane Obispo is the main character and stands out a lot because of a limp that is caused by one leg being shorter than the other. This results in nicknames that kids in his age group call him. I was interested in this book because of the disability representation that I don't see in much books. But something about the way it was written seemed.... distasteful to say the least.
Also, this book is basically [b:The Lightning Thief|28187|The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)|Rick Riordan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400602609l/28187._SY75_.jpg|3346751] except it's Mayan instead of Greek. Of course there are differences because these two books are written in a different time and by different authors. Yet there were too many similarities that I can't just gloss over.
Zane is Percy- The boy that turns out to be a child of a powerful being in mythology and has a prophecy written about him that will come to pass. Even the dialogue seemed too much like Percy's. Every time Zane tried to be sassy, I couldn't help but imagine Percy saying that line and delivering it much better.
Brooks is Annabeth - the one girl in a trio that has mysterious aura in the beginning and is there to aid the main character in his quest to basically save the word.
Hondo is Grover - the comic relief character that is written into the story to be the one who says something funny unconsciously and bring out a haha laugh out of people.
And finally, I'm sorry but I just can't get over the willy-nilly use of Spanish words. They're thrown in at random and while I would have enjoyed them if, I don't know, they made a scene more funny or intense but they didn't. Sometimes I even wondered why it was put in at all! Believe me, I have nothing against Spanish words being in books. Hell, Spanish is my first language and I love any excuse for it to be in books but this just wasn't it and I have examples:
"Whoa! Did I even know this mujer?"
"There's a grande chicken that's been pecking at the front door"
"Let's go see this pollo loco of yours" Now I know damn well this author didn't just pull a mention of Pollo Loco.
These lines honestly bothered me and it may seem extra but I don't care. She didn't have to put in those Spanish words to let the reader know that the character is Latinx.
“Here it is. The story you forced me to write, with the details up to the bitter and unhappy end. All so I could serve as your poster boy for what happens when anyone defies the gods.”
4 stars
This was such a fun ride! The Storm Runner follows Zane Obispo as he gets wrapped up in the wrath of Mayan gods after he unwittingly sets a god of death free into the mortal world. With the help of a nawal trickster and his wrestling-loving uncle, Zane uncovers the truth of his heritage and sets out to defeat the god he never meant to unleash.
If this book weren’t about Mayan mythology, I would’ve sworn Rick Riordan himself wrote it! If you’re a Percy Jackson fan like me, definitely check out this book! It had all the fun, adventurous beats of a Riordan book and I learned a lot about a mythology I was unfamiliar with. There are a lot of tough names to pronounce (much like the Greek/Roman/Norse names), but there’s a helpful glossary and pronunciation guide in the back.
My one complaint would be that I didn’t feel like the romance was necessary. I’m rarely a fan of romance in Middle Grade, and this was no exception.
Overall, this was such a fun book and I can’t wait for the sequel coming out next month!
4 stars
This was such a fun ride! The Storm Runner follows Zane Obispo as he gets wrapped up in the wrath of Mayan gods after he unwittingly sets a god of death free into the mortal world. With the help of a nawal trickster and his wrestling-loving uncle, Zane uncovers the truth of his heritage and sets out to defeat the god he never meant to unleash.
If this book weren’t about Mayan mythology, I would’ve sworn Rick Riordan himself wrote it! If you’re a Percy Jackson fan like me, definitely check out this book! It had all the fun, adventurous beats of a Riordan book and I learned a lot about a mythology I was unfamiliar with. There are a lot of tough names to pronounce (much like the Greek/Roman/Norse names), but there’s a helpful glossary and pronunciation guide in the back.
My one complaint would be that I didn’t feel like the romance was necessary. I’m rarely a fan of romance in Middle Grade, and this was no exception.
Overall, this was such a fun book and I can’t wait for the sequel coming out next month!
It was a fun read with all the great Maya mythology that I have been waiting for. I have wanted Rick Riordan to publish a Maya mythology series for a while since I've always been super interested in it. This was a really fun entry into the series and I can't wait to see where it goes.
The night before he has to go back to school, Zane witnesses a strange plane crash. From the crash, an alien like creature emerges searching for an object inside of the volcano, setting off events that sends Zane on an adventure, forever changing his life.
The mythology in this book was rich and well detailed. Cervantes showed a lot of love for the myths of the Mayans. The background and characters were what drove me on through this novel. I also really appreciated that there was a pronunciation guide and god and monster list was at the back of the book.
Unfortunately, the pacing was slow for the first half of the book. I was struggling to get through it at times. I was a bit uncomfortable with one character being persistent at trying to get another character to date him and it was seen as a positive trait he had. Also, Brooks didn’t feel fully developed. I didn’t really come to know her as a character. She has some really awesome powers and has potential to be a great character. I just wish I knew more about what drives her and more of what her personality is like.
The pacing picked up at the end and the final battle was very exciting. I loved seeing the conflicts between the gods and especially getting to know Ixtab at the very end. Despite my issues with pacing and two of the characters, I am excited for the second book.
The mythology in this book was rich and well detailed. Cervantes showed a lot of love for the myths of the Mayans. The background and characters were what drove me on through this novel. I also really appreciated that there was a pronunciation guide and god and monster list was at the back of the book.
Unfortunately, the pacing was slow for the first half of the book. I was struggling to get through it at times. I was a bit uncomfortable with one character being persistent at trying to get another character to date him and it was seen as a positive trait he had. Also, Brooks didn’t feel fully developed. I didn’t really come to know her as a character. She has some really awesome powers and has potential to be a great character. I just wish I knew more about what drives her and more of what her personality is like.
The pacing picked up at the end and the final battle was very exciting. I loved seeing the conflicts between the gods and especially getting to know Ixtab at the very end. Despite my issues with pacing and two of the characters, I am excited for the second book.
Absolutely loved it! It feels like a Riordan book but also provides a new narrative. The characters are great, the plot is great, it’s all great. Read it.
Not to my personal taste & lacked narrative focus.
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Yes