The Fire Keeper (A Storm Runner Novel, Book 2)

by J. C. Cervantes

Overview

Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents J.C. Cervantes'fiery and fast-paced sequel to The Storm Runner.

"An excellent sequel that doesn't fall short, gearing readers up for big battles in the future.The story's cast has grown considerably, but the characters are all distinct and relatable in their own ways."—Booklist

Zane Obispo has an impossible choice to make: save other godborns like him from the angry gods, or rescue his father Hurakan from his eternal prison.

Zane Obispo's new life on a beautiful secluded tropical island, complete with his family and closest friends, should be perfect. But he can't control his newfound fire skills yet (inherited from his father, the Maya god Hurakan); there's a painful rift between him and his dog ever since she became a hell hound; and he doesn't know what to do with his feelings for Brooks.

One day he discovers that by writing the book about his misadventures with the Maya gods, he unintentionally put other godborn children at risk. Unless Zane can find the godborns before the gods do, they will be killed.
To make matters worse, Zane learns that Hurakan is scheduled to be executed. Zane knows he must rescue him, no matter the cost. Can he accomplish both tasks without the gods detecting him, or will he end up a permanent resident of the underworld?

In this cleverly plotted sequel to The Storm Runner, the gang is back together again with spirited new characters, sneaky gods, Aztec royalty, unlikely alliances, and secrets darker than Zane could ever have imagined. Secrets that will change him forever.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781368042376
Publisher:	Disney Press
Publication date:	09/01/2020
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	40,492
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.50(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

J. C. Cervantes (www.jennifercervantes.com) is the New York Times best-selling author of The Storm Runner, which Booklist called "a rip-roaring adventure" in a starred review. Her first novel, Tortilla Sun, was a 2010 New Voices pick by the American Booksellers Association and was named to Bank Street's 2011 Best Book List. Jen grew up in San Diego and was fascinated by stories about Maya gods and magic. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter: @jencerv, and Instagram: #authorjcervantes.

Editorial Reviews

PRAISE FOR STORM RUNNER, THE

". . .the high stakes will grab kids who just want to turn the pages as quickly as possible. . . .Zane's incredibly appealing kid voice and wry internal interjections make him easy to root for."—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2019-05-26
Zane Obispo must die in order to save all the other young godborns of the world after he accidentally reveals their existence to the gods.

Since the events of series opener The Storm Runner (2018), Mexican American Zane has been holed up on an island off Mexico's Caribbean coast with his mother, uncle Hondo, best-friend-and-maybe-crush Brooks, and Ms. Cab the seer, kept hidden from the other Maya gods' eyes by a magical barrier drawn by the goddess Ixtab. When another godborn named Ren shows up, she sets off a chain of events that forces them off the island to save both other godborns, who have been kidnapped, and Zane's father, the disgraced Maya god Hurakan. That journey will take them to the underworld and back to the U.S. in search of a god named the Fire Keeper. As in the first book, the plot is busy, and the conclusion feels unfinished, even for a series entry. Readers without a detailed memory of the first book may find themselves confused for the lack of backstory. The female characters, though full of personality and with major magical powers, feel underused, alas. What gives the book its charm is the many Maya gods and demons, who do not present like stereotypical old, wise beings but come with all the snark and melodrama of any 21st-century character.

Diagnosis: middle-book syndrome, but it'll satisfy hungry readers who are fans of fast-paced stories. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews