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: The Storm Runner was a fun story that I enjoyed quite a lot. Zane meets a new girl named Brooks who tells him about a prophecy where he is going to unleash an evil god from its prison. Zane was a great character. I liked seeing how adventurous he was despite his physical limitations, and it was great seeing how he was able to keep himself entertained without necessarily needing a lot of friends. A lot of middle grade books tend to focus on kids who feel left out of things at school and try to overcome that. The Storm Runner allowed Zane to have more important priorities like saving the world. Brooks was fun as well. She gets right to the point when she meets Zane and their adventure begins.
Some aspects of the story were a bit predictable. It's a story about gods and lore, so there were some threads that were easy to see coming. That being said, the story never really slowed its pace down. I never felt bored while reading this. Like I said, Brooks tells Zane what's going on pretty early so the story doesn't need a lot of explaining and world building. The magic was interesting and I liked seeing how Mayan mythology influenced aspects of the story. There were some sad moments, but there were also many moments of triumph.
The entire story was a blast and I can't wait to see what J.C. Cervantes comes up with next.
4 howls
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