A satisfying wrap-up of a gripping duology.
Young shadow bruja Renata Santiago scrambles to thwart the resurgent Lords of Night.
Following her preplanned death—intended to halt her forced coronation as queen of the nine formidable Aztec gods known as the Lords of Night—Ren wakes up in the Mayan underworld. There she makes a deal with the Mayan goddess Ixtab. In exchange for a return to the land of the living, Ren must retrieve Ixtab’s lost crown of jade and shadow and return it to her within seven days. Without her shadow magic and reliable time rope, during her brief detour through the underworld, Ren uncovers a surprising new set of powers, one stemming from her godborn might. To save the rogue godborns who have fallen under the Lords’ wrath and finally defeat the malevolent Aztec gods, Ren seeks to expose the truth behind the crown that threatens to upset her world forever. She’s assisted by friends Edison and Monty, as well as Ah-Puch, her best bud and newly restored Mayan god of death and destruction. Equal in thrills and twists to its predecessor, this duology closer crackles with a brisk pace that is maintained to the last page. Here the inspired blend of Mayan and Aztec lore takes a slight back seat to Ren’s journey of self-discovery, which proves to be captivating overall. Cervantes keeps the action humming along, and readers will appreciate reuniting with the enjoyable characters.
A satisfying wrap-up of a gripping duology. (glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Oct. 10, 2023
ISBN: 9781368067027
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents/Disney
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2023
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant.
Robot Roz undertakes an unusual ocean journey to save her adopted island home in this third series entry.
When a poison tide flowing across the ocean threatens their island, Roz works with the resident creatures to ensure that they will have clean water, but the destruction of vegetation and crowding of habitats jeopardize everyone’s survival. Brown’s tale of environmental depredation and turmoil is by turns poignant, graceful, endearing, and inspiring, with his (mostly) gentle robot protagonist at its heart. Though Roz is different from the creatures she lives with or encounters—including her son, Brightbill the goose, and his new mate, Glimmerwing—she makes connections through her versatile communication abilities and her desire to understand and help others. When Roz accidentally discovers that the replacement body given to her by Dr. Molovo is waterproof, she sets out to seek help and discovers the human-engineered source of the toxic tide. Brown’s rich descriptions of undersea landscapes, entertaining conversations between Roz and wild creatures, and concise yet powerful explanations of the effect of the poison tide on the ecology of the island are superb. Simple, spare illustrations offer just enough glimpses of Roz and her surroundings to spark the imagination. The climactic confrontation pits oceangoing mammals, seabirds, fish, and even zooplankton against hardware and technology in a nicely choreographed battle. But it is Roz’s heroism and peacemaking that save the day.
Hugely entertaining, timely, and triumphant. (author’s note) (Fiction. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9780316669412
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic.
A loyal black kitten’s boy is under supernatural attack.
Eleven-month-old Nimbus loves Fletcher, the boy who nursed her back to health following life-threatening injuries. When Fletcher becomes curious about a strange jar and opens it, releasing a terrible goblin, loyal Nim protects Fletcher, taking heavy damage in the process. But Fletcher’s aunt, who’s caring for him over spring break, believes Nim attacked Fletcher and dumps her far from home. Rhett, a stylish rat with star quality, befriends injured Nim and leads her to a witch’s house. While the witch cares for Nim, the witch’s cats (maternal Fern, bookish Rochester, standoffish Bianca, and openly hostile Abraxas) teach Nim important cat skills. She also discovers she has a supernatural ability: In destroying one eye of the nightmare demon in the fight to protect Fletcher, Nim gained its “dream sight.” But she also learns it might come back for Fletcher, who no longer has Nim to protect him, posing a time-sensitive, high-stakes threat. Even though the witch’s home is nice and magic itself seems to be telling her to stay put, Nim wants to find a way back to Fletcher. As a hero, Nimbus is as gritty and determined as she is adorable. Tear-jerker moments explore pet abandonment—readers may want their own pets on hand to hug—all the way through the magical, action-packed finale. Fletcher and the witch read white.
A deeply imaginative journey that puts the “cat” in cathartic. (Fantasy. 8-12)Pub Date: Sept. 5, 2023
ISBN: 9780062680372
Page Count: 336
Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
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