The Storm Runner by JC Cervantes fit almost perfectly into the Rick Riordan world. Zane Obispo is not your ordinary teenager. He's spent the recent past being home-schooled, avoiding the ridicule from the other students. Zane looks different, using a cane to help him walk since one of his legs is smaller than the other. When his mother makes him return to school, though, he meets a girl that starts helping him on a journey to figure out his heritage and his place in the Mayan world.

In typical Rick Riordan fashion, this book was an action-packed adventure from start to finish. There were a few chapters that were a bit slower at the beginning, but this book was amazing at keeping the plot moving. JC Cervantes wrote a book that was just as exciting as any Rick Riordan book dealing with other gods. If you're looking for a light-hearted romp through an ancient culture, make sure you check this book out!

Excellent book for fans of mythology inspired adventures like Percy Jackson. This comes from the "Rick Riordan imprint" and is written by Jennifer Cervantes. Zane is living a relatively normal life in New Mexico with his mom, uncle, and beloved dog, Rosie, when he comes to realize that he is godborn and has unknowingly part of an ancient prophecy. He must battle Ah-Puch, the smelly and disgusting god of death, darkness, and destruction. Wild escapades and new friends (and new enemies) spill out as Zane fulfills his role in the Mayan prophecy that might or might not end the world as we know it. Great characters, quality writing, and a great mix of action and humor make this a perfect pick for fans of fantasy and adventure.

ok so first of all: THE DOG DIES


OVERALL this fits in the same formula as Rick Riordan's books and also the first RR Presents book, Aru Shah and the End of Time.

I didn't love it as much as Aru Shah and I think a big part of it was this recurring subplot with Zane's two older neighbors, the seer Ms. Cab and the mortal gardener Mr. Ortiz, who kept persistently asking out Ms. Cab even though she kept saying no, and Zane kept saying how much he admired how "persistent" Mr. Ortiz was about asking out Ms. Cab and I was like NO WAY MAN BACK OFF. ([and then it fuckin worked and at the end Ms. Cab went out to dinner with Mr. Ortiz)])

That's not necessarily something that's going to be on the radar of most of the middle-grade kids reading this but still, seems like it's just contributing to some generally kind of gross background radiation.

THAT ASIDE, hell ya disabled Latino kid going on fantasy adventures! The meat of the book is cool and the Mayan myths are definitely a compelling basis for Percy Jackson-style shenanigans.

Zane Obispo is just your normal kid living in the desert at the bottom of a volcano. Then a demon crashes a plane into the volcano and he discovers he is part of a Mayan prophecy. Zane is destined to release the god Au-Puch from his prison in the volcano and set about the destruction of the world. To help him on his journey to kill Au-Puch he has a narwal named Brooks and his uncle Hondo. Plus there are Mayan gods on his side. Of course the rest of the Mayan gods want to kill him for not only releasing Au-Puch but for being the son of a god.

I think kids are really going to enjoy this book in the Rick Riordan Presents series. It has a lot of action, great mythology and a fantastic main character. I loved that Zane has a bum leg and is not as able bodied as most kids. I also liked that this is Mayan mythology instead of the regular Greek or Norse. It is interesting to learn about different mythologies and I think the kids reading this will benefit from it. What I didn't like so much was that these books are starting to feel very formulaic. There is a kid who is the child of a god. There is a prophecy of doom. There is a quest. There are supernatural beings assisting the hero. There were a few breaks from the formula but for the most part this book follows the same script as a lot of the mythology based middle grade novels out there right now. That being said kids won't care and will read anything with Rick Riordan's name on it.

This book will be published in September 2018.

I wanted to like this book so much. I loved the idea because I love this mythology. However, the pacing was sluggish. I forced myself to keep reading but gave up at the halfway point. It just didn’t hold my attention. The plot felt too predictable which was disappointing to say the least. Characters making bad decisions? Check. A sidekick with a secret? Check. Etc. Needless to say, it wasn’t a big hit for me despite the cool mythology.

An uneven addition to the Rick Riordan Presents series of diverse YA supernatural titles. I liked the concept but felt the main character's motivations weren't well developed and led to some clunky plot progression at times. That being said, the brewing war between the Gods (which will be further developed in future books) and the [spoiler redacted] in the last third of the book left me intrigued enough to add the second title in the series to me 'To Read' list.

Teen protagonist Zane Obispo is destined to release the Maya god of death and destruction from his prison in a dormant volcano. Desperate to do whatever it takes to protect those he cares about, Zane finds himself at the center of a war between Maya gods. Altogether, I found a lot to like about J.C. Cervantes’ book, and I look forward to reading its sequel.

Zane Obispo has all the characteristics of a godborn- funny, detrrmined, loyal, and pretty Clueless until the time is right. This story has earned a place among Rick Riordan’s imprint.

I really enjoyed looking at the Mayan culture. It is a little darker or more sinister I think than some of the others, which is cool. I really liked that there is a goddess of chocolate. I would say these character names definitely need to come with a pronunciation guide though. The only one I could pronounce was due to the movie El Dorado.
I love the characters and that they are not perfect but they are family. Great supporting characters in the book! I highly recommend this book for our middle grade readers and those that like mythology!

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of Rick Riordan rejoice! With his imprint, there are plenty of books to read while waiting for the next Trials of Apollo. The Storm Runner is based in Maya mythology and set in modern times. Zane Obispo lives in New Mexico with his mother and uncle. He has one leg that is shorter than the other and needs a cane to help him walk. He loves to hike the volcano in his backyard with his rescue dog Rosie. Zane's life is upended when a small plane crashes into the volcano and he meets Brooks, a girl full of mystery. Zane discovers that he is the subject of an ancient prophecy that could bring about the end of the world. Zane, Brooks, and Uncle Hondo embark on a journey to prevent Ah-Puch, the god of death, disaster, and destruction, from ending the world.

I would definitely recommend this book middle grade readers and adult fans of Rick Riordan. Although this book was written as a stand-alone, I think we will see more of Zane Obispo to come.

Zane Obispo is not happy when his mother tells him it’s time to go to private school after being homeschooled for a year. He’d rather study at home and explore the extinct volcano in his back yard in New Mexico with his beloved three-legged dog Rosie. But mom insists, so Zane prepares to go to school, hoping he won’t be bullied about his mismatched legs and his cane. The night before he’s due to start, a small plane crashes into his volcano under mysterious circumstances, and Zane is sure he saw a monster in the pilot’s seat. Soon, Zane meets an intriguing girl and learns that there is more to his neighbors than he ever knew… and that there is a very big reason he doesn’t know much about his father, who’s from Yucatán. In a whirlwind, Zane saves his friend, loses his dog, and unleashes a demon onto the world.

Presented by Rick Riordan, this story will please fans of Riordan’s books, where ordinary kids become heroes. People who are into Mayan myths will enjoy the integration of the myths into Zane’s adventures, while his adventures will introduce the ancient gods to new readers. At the beginning, the story feels slow, despite all of the events that take place, but the pace does pick up about halfway through. The conclusion leaves room for sequels without making the reader wait for the next book to see how the character’s main problems are resolved. Most importantly for the readers who love dogs, Rosie the dog’s storyline is resolved in a satisfying way

Oh how excited I was when this title became available and then I was approved! I have always been a mythology fan and Rick Riordan only fanned the flame by giving me new and exciting stories and new mythologies to explore. I had high hopes for this imprint and Aru Shah was right on the money. This book, although still great, left me a little disappointed.
Our main characters of Zane and Brooks were highly developed and had great personalities that played into one another and kept the reader excited to learn more. The story had twists and turns, action and adventure, miracles and destruction, and a great sense of humor to contrast the dark moments.
What I felt was lacking was a fluid writing that strung the story together. Much of the book felt broken up and became stagnant a few times. I pushed through these, yet found myself bored when I should have been furiously turning the pages. I also wanted more of the mythology. The gods were there (and what a mouthful they were), yet I wanted more of the history and culture surrounding them as I do not know a lot about Mayan mythology. I liked that Zane nicknamed Ah-Puch Puke-face as it made it easier to say and remember (and it made me laugh even though I’m over thirty) and wished that he had nicknamed more so that I could remember them better and to string along a trend. I may just not be a fan of Cervantes writing style and understand that every author isn’t going to be right for me. I still think that this book will circulate well in the library and that a great story is to be had from it.