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A review by phyrre
The Lords of Night by J.C. Cervantes
3.0
You can read my full review on my blog, The Bookwyrm's Den, here.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Overall
I’ve heard amazing things about The Storm Runner series, so when I saw the author was starting a new series (from Rick Riordan Presents, no less), I thought it would be the perfect chance to read some of her work! Plus, it’s kind of impossible for me to resist the idea of not only Aztec and Mayan mythology but also the idea of a shadow witch. Sounds pretty cool, right?
The Lords of Night is the first in a companion series to The Storm Runner series. It’s filled with magic, Mayan and Aztec gods, danger, adventure, and a really fun squad of superpowered godling children.
For some reason, I actually hadn’t realized that this is a companion series to The Storm Runner, which I think is a pretty big thing to keep in mind. You must read that series before reading this one, or this book makes a whoooole lot less sense. Despite missing out on a whole chunk of the story, I did enjoy the adventure and little bit of a mystery in this one. Plus, this squad? Oh my gosh, they are soooo fun. How do I get friends like this in the real world?
My Thoughts
- It’s really important to know that this is a companion series to The Storm Runner series by the same author, and reading that series is basically required for understanding what’s happening in this book. I say that because it’s something I wish I had known going in, but I had somehow missed that fact? I wanted to start my review with it, because it’s super important, big red letters, underlined, and lit up in neon. While it’s possible to read and enjoy this book without reading the other series (I mean, I did it, after all), you will not understand what’s going on in a lot of it, and you will be extremely confused. The book starts on a note that makes it feel like a sequel, which had me confused right from the start. The characters already know each other, and they make references to things that have already happened and that they’ve already been through. I’m not sure where the disconnect was with this one, if it was just poor marketing or my failure to pay attention, but I did notice that on Goodreads, the blurb of one edition mentions that The Storm Runner is a prequel series (at the very end) but the other editions do not. And of course, the edition that it defaults to when I look up the book does not include that information in it. So I’ve included it here, right upfront, just in case!
- The Lords of Night launches into action almost immediately and carries it right through the end, with plenty of action, adventure, and mystery to hook readers and take them along for the ride. Despite being confused at first, as I said, it doesn’t take long for the story to ramp up, which immediately grabbed my attention. Ren is involved in some pretty dark stuff . . . pun only sort of intended, considering she’s a shadow witch. Sorry, not sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Lords of Night are pretty quickly introduced, and I love the way it’s done, so I won’t ruin it for everyone. The writing for their introductions is so lovely and gripping! It really sets the tone. So not only do our intrepid young heroes need to figure out who the heck these Lords of Night are, but also how Ren is connected to them and why they seem so fixated on her. I was immediately hooked on this mystery and all the weird happenings surrounding it. Strange symbols, ghostly apparitions, and the way these lords seem to know something about Ren that she doesn’t. Cervantes weaves a very tense, suspenseful atmosphere that caught me up in it.
- This isn’t your everyday band of heroes. This squad is unexpected, unorthodox, and probably not recommended, but it sure is fun. Of course there’s Ren, the shadow witch, who’s at the center of it all. This is her story, obviously, so it makes sense that she’d be there. But there’s also Ah-Puch, also known as A.P. for short, who is a god with a bit of a teenager complex. By which I mean he’s definitely been de-aged into a teenager. I’m sure you can all imagine the nightmare that would be, especially if you were an all-powerful god previously.
Then there’s Edison, who’s . . . different. I’m not at liberty to say how. Shhhh, it’s a secret! Needless to say, he didn’t have a traditional upbringing, and he’s really just experiencing life out and among people for the first time in this book. It’s daunting, as one can imagine. He’s also delightfully out of touch with modern society, having spent way too much time watching old movies, and it shows. Still, it’s hard not to fall for his simple charm.
Then there’s Monty, who is . . . something else. She’s a bit younger than the others, but entirely eager to prove herself, both to them and to her family. For her, this quest must go right and successfully conclude. Everything is at stake for her. Not that it sours her mood any. On the contrary, she’s more determined than ever.
Despite everyone having kind of a lot going on in their lives right now, they’re all-in for this adventure, each for their own reasons. And together, as a team? Well, they almost get by. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they’re competent, but they certainly work well together, and they’re super funny, to boot!
- Despite everyone having kind of a lot going on in their lives right now, they’re all-in for this adventure, each for their own reasons. And together, as a team? Well, they almost get by. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they’re competent, but they certainly work well together, and they’re super funny, to boot! Ren, for example, starts the book off dealing with cyberbullying. Which may seem like such a simple thing in the face of all the things she’s been through, but even godborns have insecurities. And being called names never feels good. Each member of the squad has their own demons to overcome (sometimes literally), whether it be familial obligations and pressure, finding a place to belong, or, you know, suddenly finding yourself a teenager with no god powers (*shudders*). I appreciated how the personal journeys were slipped in alongside the overall quest. It added an extra depth to the characters.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Overall
I’ve heard amazing things about The Storm Runner series, so when I saw the author was starting a new series (from Rick Riordan Presents, no less), I thought it would be the perfect chance to read some of her work! Plus, it’s kind of impossible for me to resist the idea of not only Aztec and Mayan mythology but also the idea of a shadow witch. Sounds pretty cool, right?
The Lords of Night is the first in a companion series to The Storm Runner series. It’s filled with magic, Mayan and Aztec gods, danger, adventure, and a really fun squad of superpowered godling children.
For some reason, I actually hadn’t realized that this is a companion series to The Storm Runner, which I think is a pretty big thing to keep in mind. You must read that series before reading this one, or this book makes a whoooole lot less sense. Despite missing out on a whole chunk of the story, I did enjoy the adventure and little bit of a mystery in this one. Plus, this squad? Oh my gosh, they are soooo fun. How do I get friends like this in the real world?
My Thoughts
- It’s really important to know that this is a companion series to The Storm Runner series by the same author, and reading that series is basically required for understanding what’s happening in this book. I say that because it’s something I wish I had known going in, but I had somehow missed that fact? I wanted to start my review with it, because it’s super important, big red letters, underlined, and lit up in neon. While it’s possible to read and enjoy this book without reading the other series (I mean, I did it, after all), you will not understand what’s going on in a lot of it, and you will be extremely confused. The book starts on a note that makes it feel like a sequel, which had me confused right from the start. The characters already know each other, and they make references to things that have already happened and that they’ve already been through. I’m not sure where the disconnect was with this one, if it was just poor marketing or my failure to pay attention, but I did notice that on Goodreads, the blurb of one edition mentions that The Storm Runner is a prequel series (at the very end) but the other editions do not. And of course, the edition that it defaults to when I look up the book does not include that information in it. So I’ve included it here, right upfront, just in case!
- The Lords of Night launches into action almost immediately and carries it right through the end, with plenty of action, adventure, and mystery to hook readers and take them along for the ride. Despite being confused at first, as I said, it doesn’t take long for the story to ramp up, which immediately grabbed my attention. Ren is involved in some pretty dark stuff . . . pun only sort of intended, considering she’s a shadow witch. Sorry, not sorry. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ The Lords of Night are pretty quickly introduced, and I love the way it’s done, so I won’t ruin it for everyone. The writing for their introductions is so lovely and gripping! It really sets the tone. So not only do our intrepid young heroes need to figure out who the heck these Lords of Night are, but also how Ren is connected to them and why they seem so fixated on her. I was immediately hooked on this mystery and all the weird happenings surrounding it. Strange symbols, ghostly apparitions, and the way these lords seem to know something about Ren that she doesn’t. Cervantes weaves a very tense, suspenseful atmosphere that caught me up in it.
- This isn’t your everyday band of heroes. This squad is unexpected, unorthodox, and probably not recommended, but it sure is fun. Of course there’s Ren, the shadow witch, who’s at the center of it all. This is her story, obviously, so it makes sense that she’d be there. But there’s also Ah-Puch, also known as A.P. for short, who is a god with a bit of a teenager complex. By which I mean he’s definitely been de-aged into a teenager. I’m sure you can all imagine the nightmare that would be, especially if you were an all-powerful god previously.
Then there’s Edison, who’s . . . different. I’m not at liberty to say how. Shhhh, it’s a secret! Needless to say, he didn’t have a traditional upbringing, and he’s really just experiencing life out and among people for the first time in this book. It’s daunting, as one can imagine. He’s also delightfully out of touch with modern society, having spent way too much time watching old movies, and it shows. Still, it’s hard not to fall for his simple charm.
Then there’s Monty, who is . . . something else. She’s a bit younger than the others, but entirely eager to prove herself, both to them and to her family. For her, this quest must go right and successfully conclude. Everything is at stake for her. Not that it sours her mood any. On the contrary, she’s more determined than ever.
Despite everyone having kind of a lot going on in their lives right now, they’re all-in for this adventure, each for their own reasons. And together, as a team? Well, they almost get by. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they’re competent, but they certainly work well together, and they’re super funny, to boot!
- Despite everyone having kind of a lot going on in their lives right now, they’re all-in for this adventure, each for their own reasons. And together, as a team? Well, they almost get by. I wouldn’t go as far as saying they’re competent, but they certainly work well together, and they’re super funny, to boot! Ren, for example, starts the book off dealing with cyberbullying. Which may seem like such a simple thing in the face of all the things she’s been through, but even godborns have insecurities. And being called names never feels good. Each member of the squad has their own demons to overcome (sometimes literally), whether it be familial obligations and pressure, finding a place to belong, or, you know, suddenly finding yourself a teenager with no god powers (*shudders*). I appreciated how the personal journeys were slipped in alongside the overall quest. It added an extra depth to the characters.