This was a solid and fun book! While I know that I'm not the right age group, this was still fun. Maya has great friends and her love for her parents really shines. Plus some of the Dark world was creative and the plot was fun. The modern references to geeky culture was also fun to see and stuff I could relate to. I know so many kids will love this and I agree with other people that this really has the Rick Riordan Presents feel to it. I'm glad that I gave this a try!

I had a real fun time on Maya’s journey. Maya is a 12 year old girl, when on the search for her missing father she finds herself in the middle of a war between two sides of the world - the Orishas and the Darkbringers. It was great to read a middle grade with African mythology, as this is definitely not something I’ve read before!

When putting this through CAWPILE (the rating system I use) this came out at an overall score of 6.71, which is a high 3 star rating. I found the characters great fun and very easy to root for, their individual personalities shining through along with the bond of their friendship. The community atmosphere of Maya’s home town was very apparent, with clear references to the side characters that make the community cast.

I feel this story is very comparable to Percy Jackson, for a number of reasons. 1. The story follows a young ‘godling’ (child of a god and human) coming into their powers and learning about the godly side of their parentage. 2. The chapter titles were similarly structures (I.e. I Nearly Become Bird Food). 3. The inclusivity and diversity of the cast of characters. 4. The writing style, it was humorous in a way, easy to follow and fall into the story.

I definitely had a fun time with this, and enjoyed my reading experience, but it was missing something for me - I didn’t feel particularly emotional for the characters or at any point throughout the plot, it just didn’t suck me in that way. The plot was definitely action packed with conflicts and troubles facing the main trio often, but I didn’t feel any emotion unfortunately.

That being said, I had an enjoyable reading experience and would for sure recommend to a fan of middle grade fantasy!

I received this e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Twelve-year-old Maya lives on the South Side of Chicago with her mom and frequently traveling dad. She has two best friends – Frankie who is super smart and Eli who is totally into the paranormal. Maya starts seeing strange things happening around her and somehow her dad is connected to it. Frankie and Maya sneak out one night and are attacked by werehyenas! The trio learn that they are godlings, descended from orishas, gods from African mythology. Shortly after this discovery, Maya’s orisha father is taken by the Lord of Shadows while trying to repair the veil that separates their worlds. Maya and her friends take it upon themselves to rescue her father from the Dark against the wishes of their elders.
I am a big fan of mythology and I love how there are new middle grade stories coming out with mythologies that aren’t familiar. This is a fast-paced action fantasy that pulls you in from the start. Being that there’s a #1 after the title, more Maya stories will be forthcoming. I will be looking forward to them! I would recommend this title for grades 3 and up.
#MayaAndTheRisingDark #NetGalley

This book will fit right in with others in the fantasy/mythology genre like the Rick Riordan presents books -- maybe too well, as there didn't seem to be much that felt new. While I enjoyed the characters, storyline and mythology involved, I feel like there was some background knowledge I didn't have which may have prevented me from fully appeciating the book.

In a time when there is so much chaos and uncertainty, this book came along. It is an inspiring tale of not giving up, loyalty and family above all. Great messages for all right now! I loved escaping into Maya's Chicago and unlocking the mysteries she didn't know existed around her. She is a wonderful character who handles everything that comes her way with courage and honor. I can't wait to put this in my school library and recommend it to my students!

I will definitely be purchasing a copy of this for the middle school library. Loved the characters. Maya, Frankie, Eli, the parents, the Lord is Shadows, the twins, etc. They’re all interesting and well developed. I appreciate that Elegguá and The Lord of Shadows are neither all good or bad as hero and villain and are complex. Some of the early battle pacing was a bit disjointed for me, and I thought there was going to be a twist with the epicenter or a connection between Lord of Shadows and Maya and was slightly bummed there wasn’t. Still a really good book. Would definitely recommend to middle school librarians to purchase.

I really liked this book. It was fast-paced, full of action and adventure. I especially loved the relationships throughout the book- the friendships, the family relationships and the role of the neighborhood/community. I can't wait to read Maya's next adventure. This will be a great choice for middle grade fantasy/mythology/super hero fans.

I have a fantastic new book review to share with you today. Please note: I received a digital ARC of this book (via NetGalley) from its publisher in exchange for an honest and fair review.

This was such an enjoyable read! Maya and the Rising Dark is a fun mythology/urban fantasy full of great characters and action. Let's start with the cover...GORGEOUS! Maya is super cute and I love the bright and dusky color scheme. I wish I had a book like this to read when I was in middle grade, with a protagonist I can identify with, and a mythology I grew up with. Orishas are not only in African mythology but also Latinx mythology, specifically the Afro-Latinx community. I was really excited to see them represented in this story. The pacing was good, but sometimes felt a little rushed.

This world Rena Barron has created is absolutely brilliant. There are beautifully detailed alternate worlds, a complex magical system, scary creatures, and fierce gods! It feels real and totally unique. If you love fantasies, epic adventures, stories about friendship, and believe in kick ass heroines, then this book is for you!

Published by HMH Books for Young Readers, this gem set to release on September 22nd, and is available for pre-order from all major booksellers. I give Maya and the Rising Dark 4 out of 5 gems. I cannot wait to read more stories set in this universe. Happy Reading!

This is a fun and fast-paced read! It fits the same niche as the Rick Riordan Presents books in that it's an #ownvoices middle grade story about cultural mythology coming to life, so if you enjoy those books, you will definitely be a fan of this one as well.

What really stood out to me about this story is that it's a clever twist on The Chosen One trope. I don't want to say too much, but Maya is *not* the only characters with powers, and in fact she's part of an incredible community that knows all about orisha magic. It seems like a hallmark of The Chosen One narrative, especially in modern stories, is an element of isolation--the hero not being able to tell anyone what they're going through simply because there's no way others could begin to understand.

But that is not the case in this story. Maya is surrounded by strong, magical people who are on her side 100%. They are there to help her through discovering these powers and this whole other world, they are not there to be a hindrance to her. She does not have to hide herself from anyone.

I also appreciate how this story acknowledges that if your actions come at the expense of others, then they cannot be called heroic. There are very real consequences that come with magic and keeping the human world safe, and the understanding that sometimes you're the prey and other times you're the monster is an essential one. I'm intrigued to see how that develops in future books.

Yes, I did think the main villain was a little hokey at times, and I wish the alternate dimensions were fleshed out a bit more vividly, but overall I really enjoyed this story and I appreciate all it has to offer!

Such a beautifully written story! My attention was held the entire time. The decisions of such dynamic characters should be celebrated. I was so lucky in gaining an early copy. The plot was nicely executed. I wish I could give this more than 5 stars.

A wonderful contemporary fantasy with great representation. This fast-paced and engaging title will appeal to a wide variety of readers. Highly recommended.

Maya is a remarkable twelve year old girl with even more remarkable friends who will stand by her even in the dark. Into the dark is where they must go to find and rescue Maya's dad, the keeper of the veil. Maya finds out the hard way that her dads business is not quite what it seems, and her neighborhood as well, almost like her dads stories set in her favorite comic book world. Her dad is a god and is tasked with keeping the veil between our world and the dark intact so the darklings don't cross into our world.

I left the summary of the book short on purpose I didn't want to have any spoilers. But this is a wonderful book where science and comic book stories rule, and tweens learn their own strengths. This is a well thought out books with awesome characters that anyone can relate to one or more of, and can hold the attention of even a reluctant readers.

This review will appear on my blog on Sept 22nd, 2020.

This was a lot of fun to read.

Maya lives with her parents in Chicago. Her mom works nights at the hospital. Maya's father travels a lot for his work which he calls very important. When Maya's father is home, he tells her all kinds of stories about creatures and things that happened to him. Maya knew he was just making things up, but she always paid attention. While in school, Maya had her "anemia" which makes her dizzy. This time, the color drained and time stopped. Her teacher didn't move and 30 minutes had passed. Maya had no idea what happened and was afraid to tell her parents.

Maya did tell her best friends, Frankie and Eli. Frankie is a genius, especially with science. Eli is obsessed with ghosts. Since Eli had to help his nana with Bingo, Frankie agreed to go out with Maya after she told them the story of her dad disappearing. Frankie was sure there had to be a scientific reason, but there wasn't. Growing up, Maya had loved reading her Oya comics. The stories of Orishas, the spirit goddesses. When Maya's twin neighbors had to save them, it was time to come clean about everything. Maya, Frankie, and Eli were godlings. Maya's dad is the guardian of the world and he mends the tears in the veil that keeps the darkbringers out. It is also to keep the Lord of Shadows out of the human world. He wants revenge on Maya's father for something he did a long time earlier. Some of the people in the neighborhood ended up being Orishas. They were all there for a purpose. When Maya's dad was taken to the Dark, no one was willing to rush in and save him. So Maya and her friends decide to do it on their own. The Dark is full of danger from the second they get there. Maya's afraid for herself, but for her father and friends even more. The kids must battle all kinds of darkbringers to survive The Dark long enough to get to Maya's dad. Maya knows the Lord of Shadows was setting a trap, but she was willing to risk anything to get her father back. The three kids learn a lot about their magic and The Dark while they're gone.

Even if Maya can rescue her dad, the tears in the veil were getting worse. The Orishas have to work together to figure out the best way to keep the darkbringers and Lord of Shadows from getting into the human world.

I gave this 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5. Thank you to HMH Young Readers for my review copy. I think a lot of kids will love the stories in this book, but adults will enjoy it, too.

This is a lovely story and a nice addition to the mythology/urban fantasy genre that has been cropping up of late for the middle grades. I enjoyed learning about this African mythology, and meeting Maya and her family and friends.

Maya is a wonderful main character. She is sweet and loyal and has a great relationship with her parents. I really enjoyed learning about the people in her neighborhood, some of whom turn out to be orisha. Maya has some confidence issues like all kids her age, but she does step up when things get crazy and lives are at stake. Her friendships with Eli and Frankie were spot on. They all look out for each other but still support each other in wonderful ways. I loved Frankie’s scientific theories, that she tried to use to explain the magic. And Eli’s fascination with the paranormal was fun as well. Maya’s relationship with her father was great, and I just loved his ‘stories’ that he told her to actually teach her something about his world.

There are lots of other adults that are supportive of Maya and her friends, but I especially enjoyed the twins, Ida and Lucille Johnston. They often showed up just in time to help save the kids, but they also added some moments of levity to the situation.

The Dark is full of pretty scary creatures and the Lord of Shadows made for a good villain. There were a few times that I was worried that Maya and her friends were going to get into some real trouble, but they always managed to get out of it in time. I appreciated that they tried to avoid killing some of the creatures, and when it was unavoidable, they felt bad about it and had some guilt. Not something you usually see in fantasy.

The basic plot is typical of the genre, but it is well done. We get enough backstory on the mythology from Maya to make the story engaging and fun. The pacing was good, but sometimes felt a little rushed. There are some scary bits, but nothing too bad, the werehyenas in particular were not my favorites. The world building was good, I especially liked the descriptions of the wormholes through the veil and the Dark.

Overall a nice addition to this growing genre. A must read if you enjoy learning about other culture’s mythology with a fantasy twist.

A clear recommend to those looking for Rick Riordan Presents style mythology meeting modern middle grade adventure. Takes on morally complex issues. Well-grounded in Maya's love for her father and the network of characters from the neighborhood, though I did find myself wishing that Maya was a little better defined as a character and that the pacing felt less rushed.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus



Maya is starting to see some weird things in her South Side Chicago neighborhood, but she doesn't say anything to her parents. Her father is gone a lot for his work, since he is an engineer who travels to lots of different countries to fix edifices. The two share a love for comic books, and are planning on going to Comic Con. She does mention the odd things to her friends Eli and Frankie, which is helpful when the group is attacked. Maya learns that her father, as well as many of the neighborhood denizens, are orishas, gods who have special powers. They are all keeping the darkbringers at bay, but they are seeping into the neighborhood more and more. Maya finds out that she and her friends are all godlings; they have one parent who is a god and one who is human. When her father, who is the guardian of the veil that separates our world from the realm of the gods, goes missing, it is up to Maya and her friends to defeat the Lord of the Shadows, bring her father back, and keep her neighborhood safe. Since Maya becomes an official guardian in training at the end of the book, there is surely a sequel in the offing!

Strengths: I loved the author's note at the beginning of the book; she says that she wanted to write a book about the south side of Chicago but not dwell on its problems to the exclusion of the sense of family and community, she wanted to learn about West African traditions, and she wanted a character who loved superheroes and comics. The story is well organized and progresses quickly, and the mythical characters are well explained. Maya and her friends area fun group, although Maya's concern for her father is definitely what drives the story. Like Roanhorse's Race to the Sun, this is an excellent fantasy book that brings in interesting elements from other cultures.

Weaknesses: I was really intrigued by a comment early on about Maya's anemia making her feel dizzy sometimes, but it wasn't elaborated on and now I'm just curious!
What I really think: Definitely purchasing. There are so many good fantasies now that draw from cultures other than medieval Europe! I'm looking forward to see what Maya's next adventure is!

This was such a great book! It was exciting and full of adventure, magic, and friendship. I loved that the protagonist was a young Black girl, Maya. She, along with her friends, set out on a mission to save her father, and along the way, discovers that she is a lot more powerful than she thought. Maya and the Rising Dark is up there with J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson. It's so refreshing to have a children's/young adult series with wonderful characters that are Black and brown. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Shout out to Net Galley for the ARC.
This is a great addition to the mythology-centric books that are so popular with tweens right now. It centers around Maya and her two best friends, Frankie and Eli. When strange things begin happening in their Chicago neighborhood, they band together to figure out what is going on. The world-building reminded me a bit of Gaiman - which helped draw me into the story. And I did want to see how the trio managed to accomplish their quest. This is one that I will definitely order for my collection and recommend to patrons.

This book was received as an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group - HMH Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I absolutely loved everything about this book. Such an enticing tale of Maya and the dreams she has been having that she first thinks of messages from her family especially her papa. Later on she realizes that these visual dreams might mean more to her than she thinks and might be key for progression along in her life. When her papa disappears, Maya's world has turned upside down and all she has to rely on is her dreams of darkness she's had. Maya later finds out that she is a godling, half human, half god and the dreams she has been having are signs of her special gift. She later comes face to face with the Lord of Shadows who happens to be the man in all of her dreams. He is set on destroying the human world and it is up to Maya to stop him and save the world. This book definitely was similar to Aru Shah but I also saw some similarities to the Percy Jackson series as well so fans of Percy Jackson will appreciate this book as well. I hope this continues and becomes a series and I know our young readers will love this.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

A fantasy YA in the vein of Rick Riordan's various secretly-children-of-the-gods genre, featuring the Orisha of Nigeria & the Caribbean. Unlike most Riordan texts, however, the role of the Orisha and godlings is very much a community affair. The language is also skewed a bit younger than most Riordan books, which should be a delight to younger fantasy fans.