A review by sydneyraereads
The Storm Runner by J.C. Cervantes

adventurous tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I love mythological middle grade fantasy and this book was no exception. I appreciated the representation of a disabled character (however, the disability needing to be magic to be accepted isn't a great message). This could also be read as accepting his disability is what is magical, but that doesn't exactly feel true. I love the close relationships between Zane and his family (including Ms. Cab and Mr. O) since it shows community spirit and unconventional family structures. Maya mythology is not familiar to me but I was able to keep up with the relationships between the gods, the role of prophecy, the side characters, etc. throughout the story.

The one gripe that I have is Brooks felt very flat and lacking personality. I couldn't get a read on who Brooks was as a person and this made the closeness between her and Zane feel very forced and one-dimensional. Zane mentions how beautiful she is a lot but not much else about her actual personality. Perhaps the flaw I saw in her character was caused by Zane's singular focus on her beauty.