The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes | Spoiler Free (Backlist) ARC Review

Title: The Storm Runner
Author: J. C. Cervantes
Publication Date: August 5, 2018
Genre(s): YA/Middle Grade, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology
Source: NetGalley/Library (audiobook)
Pages: 448
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Synopsis

Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging. He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno — for his one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy.

A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release an evil god from the ancient Maya relic he is imprisoned in — unless she can find and remove it first. Together they return to the volcano, where all kinds of crazy happens. Brooks turns into a hawk, a demon attacks them in a cave, and Rosie gives her all while trying to protect Zane. When Zane decides to save his dog no matter the cost, he is thrust into an adventure full of surprising discoveries, dangerous secrets, and an all-out war between the gods, one of whom happens to be his father. To survive, Zane will have to become the Storm Runner. But how can he run when he can’t even walk well without a cane?

Feisty heroes, tricky gods, murderous demons, and spirited giants are just some of the pleasures that await in this fresh and funny take on Maya mythology, as rich and delicious as a mug of authentic hot chocolate.

Review:

This book gave me way too many emotions and I was not prepared. As many of you know, I just lost my dog at the of September, so the plot point with Rosie had me in tears. Lots of tears. Like I just thought she would be kidnapped, but no. So fair warning for all you animal lovers out there.

Dog-related sadness aside, this book was actually super fun. I have a pretty non-existent knowledge of Mayan mythology, but I’ve seen a few specials on it and I’m actually quite interested in learning more. Getting to learn more about this mythology with Zane made for an incredibly enjoyable experience.

I also love Zane as the main character! He was funny, relatable, and though he made some dumb decisions there wasn’t anything that was outside of the realm of believability for a teenager. I also liked the disability rep that was in this book. Zane walks with a cane due to one of his legs being shorter than the other. I liked how this played into the plot once we found out who Zane’s father was, but I also liked how Zane wasn’t only charactered by his disability. We really got to know about him, his family, and how he views his situation.

I think one of the best parts of this book was the ending. Wow, I did not think it was going to end the way it does (at first), but I do enjoy the sequel hook. I can’t wait to see how this continues. Though Zane, buddy, please no stupid choices.

Um, as for cons, since I do need to include a few (I guess). Some of Zane’s choices has me screaming at my radio. For his age, they seemed pretty logical and in good faith, but wow that boy had me screaming.

Also, some of the phrasing in the ARC copy was, a bit much. The synonyms were a bit aggressive. However, some of the stuff that I had an issue with was removed in the final copy.

Oh, and the audiobook was a great way to experience this story. It was helpful for me to see hear how the names were pronounced while seeing the spelling. Also, the narrator did an amazing job bringing this story to life!

Final Thoughts:

Once again, another hit from the Rick Riordan Presents imprint! I love how we got to learn more about Mayan mythology with Zane and I can’t wait for more books so we can continue to learn more. I also loved some of the moments when Zane was talking to the reader. Getting his insight allowed for some great comic relief.

Lovers of other Rick Riordan or Rick Riordan Presents will love this one too!

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