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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
This was fun! Definitely had more Percy Jackson type vibes than the other first books in the presents books I've read so far. It sets up the world and the potential story arc to last for the series. Mayan gods in New Mexico? Girls turning into Hawks? Evil gods of the underworld? Volcanoes, demon runners, Giants?! Throw in some crazy adventures with a up-for adventure uncle, and what more could you ask for?
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Storm Runner is the first book in a brand series by J.C. Cervantes, brought to you by Rick Riordan Presents, which is a brand-new imprint started by Rick Riordan to bring us diverse stories by diverse authors! The Storm Runner is the second book that I’ve read from Rick Riordan Presents, (The first book was Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi, which was absolutely fantastic), and I couldn’t wait to get started on this new book to go on another new adventure! It definitely did not disappoint!!
The Storm Runner is a middle grade fantasy that is full of diversity and lots of Maya mythology. Admittedly, I have not read nearly enough books on Maya Mythology, and that made the storyline for this completely fascinating. Add in lots of interesting characters, and I was hooked. This book seriously has it all, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book as soon as possible to see what’s going to happen next!
Though I have a gorgeous finished copy of this book sitting on my shelf, I opted to read-along with the audiobook as I read, and I’m so glad I made this decision! The audio for this book is fantastic, and Ozzie Rodriguez did an excellent job with the voices and narration. I really enjoyed it!!
I also want to add how much I appreciate Rick Riordan and Disney for starting this imprint. These are the diverse stories that the children of today need to read, and I’m so glad that are getting out there in the world to check out. I absolutely can't wait to read more and more great stories from this imprint.
Overall; The Storm Runner by is the great start to what should prove to be an awesome series by J.C. Cervantes!! If you’re looking for a book that is full of diverse characters and interesting mythology, you should definitely add this book to your TBR. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, The Fire Keeper, which is currently set to release September 2019! And don’t forget to check out Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi as well!!
Happy Reading!!
The Storm Runner is a middle grade fantasy that is full of diversity and lots of Maya mythology. Admittedly, I have not read nearly enough books on Maya Mythology, and that made the storyline for this completely fascinating. Add in lots of interesting characters, and I was hooked. This book seriously has it all, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book as soon as possible to see what’s going to happen next!
Though I have a gorgeous finished copy of this book sitting on my shelf, I opted to read-along with the audiobook as I read, and I’m so glad I made this decision! The audio for this book is fantastic, and Ozzie Rodriguez did an excellent job with the voices and narration. I really enjoyed it!!
I also want to add how much I appreciate Rick Riordan and Disney for starting this imprint. These are the diverse stories that the children of today need to read, and I’m so glad that are getting out there in the world to check out. I absolutely can't wait to read more and more great stories from this imprint.
Overall; The Storm Runner by is the great start to what should prove to be an awesome series by J.C. Cervantes!! If you’re looking for a book that is full of diverse characters and interesting mythology, you should definitely add this book to your TBR. I can't wait to get my hands on the next book in the series, The Fire Keeper, which is currently set to release September 2019! And don’t forget to check out Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi as well!!
Happy Reading!!
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
I liked the adults, didn't much care for the kids
Great start. I don't know if I'd read the series, but I will definitely follow the author.
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First things first: am I the only one who noticed how many similarities this book had with PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS? Major and minor things. For example, the attack at the diner with the demons was similar to the diner scene in PERCY JACKSON, and of course the whole plot with a parent who broke an oath and triggered a massive, world-ending prophecy + kept the whole thing a secret was also very, very similar to PERCY JACKSON (among many other things). I feel like it's probably not plagiarism or copying because this book is from Rick Riordan's imprint and as far as I've heard, he's involved with every book under it, so I felt that maybe he's aware of these things and if it was a problem, then he or someone else in the team would've pointed it out.
That being said, it unfortunately did affect my overall judgement of the book. I was painfully aware of the differences between the similar aspects in THE STORM RUNNER and PERCY JACKSON and as much as I wish I could leave an unbiased review, I can't. THE STORM RUNNER was good, but it missed the chance to really blow me out of the water. Maybe if there was no comparison then these things wouldn't have been so obvious to me.
Aside from all that, THE STORM RUNNER was enjoyable enough. I don't like comparing books, but since it's from the same imprint, I will say that it was a lot more engaging than ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME in some places. Not all, but some. I loved the cast, especially Zane, Hondo, and Jazz. I liked that the cast was more or less restricted, because it opened up a lot of space for the main cast to really come to life and develop. At the same time, it did drag the beginning down a lot. It felt empty and bland with no other people (especially without other kids, which I felt was needed). It took me a while to get past the first half.
That being said, the second half was much, much better. It was easier to read and more interesting, but there was still something off-putting about it. I was completely invested in Zane, but I didn't find any of his enemies to be particularly terrifying or interesting. I skimmed a lot of the fights and stuck to reading Zane's internal narration most of the time, which was much, much more fun to read. I also didn't appreciate the vague way Ah-Puch died (did he really?) or the massive info-dump resolution at the end, which I felt left too many loose ends. I understand there's a sequel to pick up where this book leaves off, but I still wanted a sense of completion after finishing this book.
I'm giving this book four stars because I really love the concept and I adore Zane (I want to protect him forever) and I will try to give the sequel a read when it's out, but I definitely had difficulty making it through this book for a lot of reasons and I'm docking a star because of it. If anyone has the patience to read a long MG, I definitely recommend it! It's rare to see such diverse MG out there, and I really hope this series does well!
That being said, it unfortunately did affect my overall judgement of the book. I was painfully aware of the differences between the similar aspects in THE STORM RUNNER and PERCY JACKSON and as much as I wish I could leave an unbiased review, I can't. THE STORM RUNNER was good, but it missed the chance to really blow me out of the water. Maybe if there was no comparison then these things wouldn't have been so obvious to me.
Aside from all that, THE STORM RUNNER was enjoyable enough. I don't like comparing books, but since it's from the same imprint, I will say that it was a lot more engaging than ARU SHAH AND THE END OF TIME in some places. Not all, but some. I loved the cast, especially Zane, Hondo, and Jazz. I liked that the cast was more or less restricted, because it opened up a lot of space for the main cast to really come to life and develop. At the same time, it did drag the beginning down a lot. It felt empty and bland with no other people (especially without other kids, which I felt was needed). It took me a while to get past the first half.
That being said, the second half was much, much better. It was easier to read and more interesting, but there was still something off-putting about it. I was completely invested in Zane, but I didn't find any of his enemies to be particularly terrifying or interesting. I skimmed a lot of the fights and stuck to reading Zane's internal narration most of the time, which was much, much more fun to read. I also didn't appreciate the vague way Ah-Puch died (did he really?) or the massive info-dump resolution at the end, which I felt left too many loose ends. I understand there's a sequel to pick up where this book leaves off, but I still wanted a sense of completion after finishing this book.
I'm giving this book four stars because I really love the concept and I adore Zane (I want to protect him forever) and I will try to give the sequel a read when it's out, but I definitely had difficulty making it through this book for a lot of reasons and I'm docking a star because of it. If anyone has the patience to read a long MG, I definitely recommend it! It's rare to see such diverse MG out there, and I really hope this series does well!
Solid start to a series. I can't wait to see what happens next. Goddess of chocolate
READ ABOUT MAYA MYTHOLOGY ELSEWHERE!!!
My theory about why this (bad) book Is getting such good reviews is that people are so starved for diversity that they are willing, consciously or unconsciously, to overlook some pretty gnarly stuff.
AAAARRRRGGGHHH! This book had so much potential!! Maya mythology, a disabled hero, good friendships and family, and quirky secondary characters. Unfortunately, the hero was pretty slow on the uptake. Usually in these books the main characters are much smarter than their age warrants, and of course the reverse is true for adults. Read the 1 and 2 star reviews for lengthier reviews that echo my complaints (Zane’s rash immaturity (yes, he’s 12, but that doesn’t really matter with these books), his low-key misogony and internalized ableism, *especially* the ableism, SO MUCH ableism)- except the one (maybe more) that it is just like The Lightening Thief. Given that the Percy Jackson series is almost a 1:1 rip-off of Harry Potter (though extremely well written!! No shade to the great RR), and that all these mythology-based YA books have the same basic outline, that criticism dosn’t hold water with me.
Unfortunately I think I saw a picture of my nephew reading it at camp, so I may have to read the next one. Sigh. I like to be able to talk to them about what they’re reading. Maybe he didn’t like it! (She wrote hopefully)
*8/14 - It was a different book!! (Huge sigh of relief) this is a prime example of why I pre-read the books I give, and I feel really weird doing that. Like I’m morality policing. Which in a way, I guess I am, but I don’t really see an alternative. I’d be interested to know how many of the reviewers who noticed the ableism were younger readers. I’m a bit disappointed in RR for including this in his “...presents” series.
My theory about why this (bad) book Is getting such good reviews is that people are so starved for diversity that they are willing, consciously or unconsciously, to overlook some pretty gnarly stuff.
AAAARRRRGGGHHH! This book had so much potential!! Maya mythology, a disabled hero, good friendships and family, and quirky secondary characters. Unfortunately, the hero was pretty slow on the uptake. Usually in these books the main characters are much smarter than their age warrants, and of course the reverse is true for adults. Read the 1 and 2 star reviews for lengthier reviews that echo my complaints (Zane’s rash immaturity (yes, he’s 12, but that doesn’t really matter with these books), his low-key misogony and internalized ableism, *especially* the ableism, SO MUCH ableism)- except the one (maybe more) that it is just like The Lightening Thief. Given that the Percy Jackson series is almost a 1:1 rip-off of Harry Potter (though extremely well written!! No shade to the great RR), and that all these mythology-based YA books have the same basic outline, that criticism dosn’t hold water with me.
Unfortunately I think I saw a picture of my nephew reading it at camp, so I may have to read the next one. Sigh. I like to be able to talk to them about what they’re reading. Maybe he didn’t like it! (She wrote hopefully)
*8/14 - It was a different book!! (Huge sigh of relief) this is a prime example of why I pre-read the books I give, and I feel really weird doing that. Like I’m morality policing. Which in a way, I guess I am, but I don’t really see an alternative. I’d be interested to know how many of the reviewers who noticed the ableism were younger readers. I’m a bit disappointed in RR for including this in his “...presents” series.
