Book Review: The Storm Runner (The Storm Runner #1) [GIVEAWAY ENDED]

Release Date: September 18, 2018
Author: J.C. Cervantes
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Length: 448 pages
Source: Review ARC from Publisher

A contemporary adventure based on Maya mythology from Rick Riordan Presents!

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:

Protagonist: Zane Obispo was born with one leg shorter than the other, thus he has to use a cane and limps around. Still, he likes going hiking on the volcano in his backyard with his three-legged dog Rosie. That is until one day he meets a girl named Brooks who tells him that he's the catalyst for an ancient prophecy that will lead to the release of Ah Puch, the Mayan god of death, darkness, and destruction. From there, Zane is pulled into a world of magic, gods, and secrets as he tries to make sure that Ah Puch doesn't end up destroying the world and those he loves along with it. I really love the character of Zane. He's not your run into danger first, ask questions later kind of protagonist, in fact, he asks quite a lot of questions, even when he probably shouldn't. He's apprehensive to go into danger, but he's kind and loyal and would face down any number of villains to protect those he loves. He can get a bit angsty and broody as the story unfolds, but it never felt unwarranted or forced in any way, it all felt like a natural extension of the story.

World Building: So, I'm just going to level with you, I knew next to nothing about Mayan mythology going into this story. Still, the world built in this story, the mix of modern day with ancient Mayan lore, felt so rich and vibrant. I'm not going to sit here and claim to have learned a great deal of Mayan mythology from this story because at the end of the day that's what it is, a story, and the mythology was used to enhance the story, not the other way around. There's still a lot to learn about Mayan gods, monsters, and magic and I loved every minute of it, but I can still feel there's a lot more to learn. In regards to the pacing of this book, well that's the only place I personally had a problem, and it's not even a big problem, see the pacing and story structure for this book ended up being very different than I had expected and so when things weren't unfolding at the rate I had expected them to, I had to adjust and get used to it, which took a little time, but in the end was completely worth it. Again, that might only have been a problem for me.

Predictability: As I said, since the story structure and pacing were different than expected, well, things didn't exactly go how I thought they would regardless. Looking back on the book as I whole, I can't remember predicting many of the twists that happened, save one or two that weren't that big. There are some mysteries that had a lot of build up, like who Zane's father is, maybe those with more knowledge of Mayan mythology could have guessed it before the reveal, but I certainly didn't know, and those mysteries were a lot of fun because you know a reveal is coming and having those questions finally answered is always so satisfying.

Ending: The ending of this book is pretty evil. The final climax didn't quite go down how I expected it to, but it was a very intense scene brimming with excitement and action, then there's the cooldown period before the epilogue/postscript, which would have included a very, VERY evil cliffhanger if not for the epilogue. The epilogue plays out as a final cooldown, tying up quite a few loose ends while hinting at, and sometimes straight up announcing, how the sequel will be set up without leaving a whole lot of room for that need for the next installment.

Rating:

I love this book so much, even with the pacing/story structure issue I faced, once I got a feel for the story everything was as right as rain and I could barely put this book down. If you're looking for a fun Middle-Grade adventure, a story with a disabled (Differently abled? Seriously, can someone help me out I'm not sure of the correct terminology) protagonist, and a rich and vibrant mythological tale, then look no further!

International Giveaway!!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TERMS AND CONDITIONS (PLEASE READ)

1. THERE WILL BE ONE (1) WINNER, WINNING ONE (1) ARC COPY OF THE STORM RUNNER (THE STORM RUNNER #1) BY J.C. CERVANTES

1. THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN TO INTERNATIONALLY.

1. THIS GIVEAWAY IS OPEN FROM JULY 18, 2018 AT 12:01 AM PST TO AUGUST 1, 2018 AT 12:01 AM PST

1. THIS GIVEAWAY IS IN NO WAY SPONSORED  ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH, RAFFLECOPTER.

1. ENTRANTS MAY NOT ENTER MULTIPLE TIMES BY USING DIFFERENT ACCOUNTS WITH THE SAME INFORMATION, DOING SO WILL BE GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION.

1. YOU, THE PARTICIPANT/ENTRANT ARE PROVIDING INFORMATION TO ZACH'S YA REVIEWS AND NOT RAFFLECOPTER. THIS INFORMATION WILL NOT BE GIVEN TO THIRD PARTIES OR USED IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN TO ENTER YOU INTO THE GIVEAWAY AND TO LET THE WINNER KNOW THAT THEY HAVE WON.

1. WINNER WILL BE NOTIFIED BY THE E-MAIL SUPPLIED IN THE ENTRY FORM AND IF APPLICABLE VIA THE TWITTER SUPPLIED AS WELL - THE WINNER NEEDS TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ME IN SOME WAY WITHIN FORTY-EIGHT (48) HOURS OF THE WINNING EMAIL/ANNOUNCEMENT BEING SENT, OR, UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRIZE WILL BE GIVEN TO ANOTHER ENTRANT.