DAWN OF THE JAGUAR

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.