August 1, 2022
In this companion to Cervantes' Storm Runner trilogy, powerful godborn Renata Santiago must unearth a way to prevent the resurrection of the Lords of Night. Grappling with her return to relative normality, 14-year-old Ren--daughter of Pacific, the Mayan goddess of time, and heir of the most powerful shadow brujxs on her father's side--pursues a tip emailed to her alien-sighting blog, Eyes in the Sky. Ren's search for alien life leads her to an unsettling discovery: a strange symbol etched into a cornfield, where a sinister voice fills her head. It references the mysterious Lords of Night, nine powerful Aztec gods who were linked to fates both good and bad. Worse yet, the cinco, a rogue band of godborns, could be involved. Aided (somewhat) by her bestie Ah-Puch--the Mayan god of death and destruction, now mostly powerless from a recent misadventure--Ren teams up with Edison, a teen demon hybrid, and 11-year-old Aztec hunter Montero. Their mission: to hunt the cinco and stop their ungodly alliance with the Lords of Night even as shadows inexplicably pull Ren closer to an unforeseen fate. This volume sizzles with madcap fun, interweaving icons and figures from Mayan and Aztec mythology with dizzying results. The author excels at making these gods and goddesses cool and familiar. In the second half, many truths kept from Ren fall into fabulous place, spiraling into an exciting cliffhanger. This duology opener is accessible to readers who are new to this world. An engrossing, god-filled delight. (glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)
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