I absolutely love this series and the concept of what it is doing. While this book is not associate with the Rick Riordan Presets imprint, it is very similar to what is trying to be one with those books and I love the way that Hispanic folklore is being woven into this series. In a perfect world, I would curate my classroom library fantasy collection to be exactly like this one.

Like its predecessor, Charlie Hernandez & the Castle of Bones delivers yet another wild ride of an adventure, this time crossing continents, taking readers throughout Latin America. The book introduces even more creatures and figures from Latinx legends and myths who pose as enemies or allies to Charlie and Violet in their journey. Though the book is long, it never feels like a drag because the pacing is done well, with new questions and twists and perilous situations to keep you turning the pages. Charlie's knowledge, wits, and bravery are put to the test time and again on this quest to stop an ancient evil from rising again. The themes of friendship and love feature prominently in key moments, giving the story its heart. As with the previous book, the ending sets you up for even more magic and danger to come, and I can't wait for the next installment.

Castle of Bones is just as exciting as book 1. Charlie’s humor hasn’t faded at all, but we do get to see a different side of him. He seems more mature and ready to face obstacles. Violet is at her best in this book. She’s in her glory as she unearths one mystery at a time. I just know this book series will be a movie someday — I can visualize it in my mind right now!

This book picks up shortly after the events of Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows. Charlie, a Morphling, is still trying to control his manifestations and he is struggling. He is put to the test when the witch Queen Joanna is kidnapped. Charlie and Violet are transported to South America where they crisscross the continent, encountering people and demons from Hispanic and Latino mythology. Each place they visit leads to more clues, more danger, and more questions about what is really going on.

Ryan Calejo seamlessly works in the Hispanic and Latino mythology into this fast paced sequel. If you haven’t read League of Shadows, it will be difficult to follow the events in Castle of Bones. I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel and can’t wait for book 3! I highly recommend this book.

I received an electronic ARC from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing through NetGalley.
The second book in this series is a significantly longer book. Calejo continues to provide an action filled story for middle grade readers. My concern is whether readers will stay with the book during some of the longer descriptive sections. He introduces and further develops the mythological beings as well as providing further character development for his main two characters - Charlie and Violet.
The two travel all over South America to locate Joanna and figure out how to stop the league of evil beings from destroying the world and raising the necromancer. Again, Calejo slips in geographic information along with the action.
I do feel this book needed one last edit to trim some of the extraneous details but the plot finishes strong and leaves a broad hint about the third book to come.

An excellent follow-up to Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows, Calejo drops the reader right into the action and never stops. An engaging, fast-paced book that expertly weaves latinx mythology with universal themes of growing up. Readers will love Charlie’s continued adventures and I personally loved seeing another kidlit book which showcased a latinx hero.