Okay so The Boy, the Mountain, and the Serpent Who Ate the Moon by Caris Avendaño Cruz totally surprised me—in the best way. I don’t usually get super into fantasy (it’s just such an overwatered genre, like how many ancient prophecies and chosen ones do we need?), but this one actually pulled me in. The writing felt lyrical without trying too hard, the world-building was lush but not overwhelming, and the vibes were just right.

What really sold it for me, though, was that the main characters weren’t white. It’s such a breath of fresh air to read a fantasy that doesn’t default to some medieval Europe blueprint. The cultural elements were woven in so naturally, and it gave the whole story this rich, grounded feeling that made the magic hit even harder. Plus, the character dynamics? Loved. A little strange, a little sad, a little hopeful—right up my alley.

If you’re into books like The Girl Who Drank the Moon or The Storm Runner, this one will probably be your jam. It’s got that dreamy, myth-meets-heartache vibe that lingers after the last page. 4 out of 5 stars from this not-usually-a-fantasy-girl.

This is my first contact with the works of this author and I liked the mood, the humor (bridge scene), and how it gets a bit darker but I had trouble keeping up with the Filipino lore, mythology, and references (it's probably my ignorance and not the book's fault, sometimes I don't know if a word is a term, a name or an expression). This slows down the reading.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗱, 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝘆.

What a powerful book to kick off my 2025 reading year! I was moved in so many ways and I just knew that its impact will stay with me for a long time.

Special thanks to @netgalley for this digital ARC. I just couldn't wait for the official release because this book is written by one of my favorite Filipina authors, @carisavencruz !

It's Pistang Bayan, but our little hero is grounded. Still, Bayani always finds a way - he always does. Bayani loves chasing adventures, even when it lands him in trouble. And this time, he is about to experience one he never saw coming. Oh sure, Bayani found a way to join the festivities - thanks to his sister, Isay. They joined the prusisyon with their cousin, Aaron.

And so begins the tale of three children who went the wrong way, lost in the "hamog", and found themselves in a mysterious place of everlasting night. With only a candle each to guide them - its flame enchanted by a Kapre to never die unless someone huffs on it - they must find their way home through the unknown.

"...𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸... 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲. 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻."

This book is a masterful blend of eerie suspense and heartfelt warmth. It gave me hair-raising, spine-tingling moments that kept me on edge,yet at its heart, it radiated hope, the strength of community, and the power of believing in oneself.

"...𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗵𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗸 - 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿 - 𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗵𝗮 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿 - 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘄..."

With familiar elements of Filipino culture, beliefs, and mythical creatures, this book weaves a story that truly lingers in the heart of every Filipino yet also holds an appeal that everyone in the world can connect with. May we all be Lightbringers!

This is absolutely a 5⭐ read!

From the author of Marikit and the Ocean of Stars, a magical middle grade adventure about three Filipino children who must find their way through a mystical land filled with monsters and gods from Filipino lore. The story is light and I find myself attract from beginning until the end.

I was a big fan on Cruz' previous book and while I liked this one, I found it less engaging and much more explicitly religious. I also felt like the work provided less contextual clues than the other for Filipino terms and creatures, which made it a little confusing from time to time. That being said, I would absolutely by it for my library and featuring it in various displays.

I’ve been really enjoying middle grade books lately and this was no exception! This story is about three Filipino children who must find their way through a mystical land filled with monsters and gods from Filipino lore.

The story follows Bayani, Isay, and Aaron who end up in the long-forgotten island of myth. There’s creatures and monsters and spooky things! They have to work together to find their way back home. The setting was intriguing, the characters loveable, and the plot was fantastic!