ARC Review: The Storm Runner by J. C. Cervantes

The Storm Runner
Author: J.C. Cervantes
Series: The Storm Runner, Book 1
Publication: Rick Riordan Presents (September 18, 2018)

Description: A contemporary adventure based on Maya mythology from Rick Riordan Presents!

Zane Obispo spends every day exploring the sleeping volcano in his backyard. "The Beast," as he calls it, is the one place where he can escape other kids, who make fun of him because he has a limp and walks with a cane.

After a twin-engine plane crashes into The Beast, a mysterious girl named Brooks shows up at Zane's doorstep, insisting that they meet at the volcano, where she will reveal a terrible secret. Zane agrees, mostly because beautiful girls like her don't usually talk to him. Brooks tells him that the volcano is actually a centuries-old prison for the Maya god of death, whose destiny is directly tied to Zane's. No way, Zane thinks. He's just a thirteen-year old nobody, and destiny or no destiny, he wants nothing to do with any of it, especially some god of death. 

But Brooks opens his eyes to the truth: magic, monsters, and gods are real, and Zane is at the center of an ancient prophecy that could mean the destruction of the world.Suddenly finding himself entangled in a web of dangerous secrets, Zane embarks on a quest that will take him far from home and test him to the very core.

Feisty heroes, tricky gods, murderous demons, and spirited giants are just some of the pleasures that await in this fresh and funny take on Maya mythology, as rich and delicious as a mug of authentic hot chocolate.

My Thoughts: Zane Obispo has been happy being home-schooled for the past year. His one short leg and needing to use a cane has made him a target for bullies at his middle school. He has been content exploring his surrounding - including a mysterious volcano - with his three-legged rescue dog Rosie. But a plane crash into the volcano and the appearance of a beautiful girl at his first day at his new school opens him up to an adventure he couldn't have imagined.

Zane finds himself involved with Mayan gods and their schemes. He learns that there is a prophecy about him and that he has a destiny. He also learns about the father who left his mother before he was born.

He has to free an ancient god Au-Puch who is the god of death, darkness and destruction in order to save his new friend Brooks and his beloved dog Rosie. Now he has to find a way to kill him before he manages to destroy this world and make Zane one of Au-Puch's soldier of death for eternity.

Zane gathers both friends and enemies on his quest including a giant who is an inventor and twins who have built a big reputation on the basis of a lie. His protector gets turned into a chicken who can only visit him in dreams and who wants Zane to get on with things so that she won't have to be a chicken forever.

This was a fast-paced story with tons of Mayan mythology. I liked the way Zane changed during the course of the book as he found his courage and his destiny.

Favorite Quote:

Mat inched back and looked down at the frozen ocean. "Water takes many forms. It becomes what it needs to become. You, Zane Obispo, must become...what you were meant to become. The Old World is the only place you can do that."

Why did people always give me vague responses? Why couldn't anyone just provide a straight answer with a step-by-step diagram? "You mean become the Storm Runner."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.