SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: The Daggers of Ire
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.jennifercervantes.com/
CITY:
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COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 389
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in San Diego, CA; married Joseph Cervantes (an attorney and state legislator); children: Alex; Bella, Jules (daughters).
EDUCATION:University of New Mexico, B.A.; New Mexico State University, M.A.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and educator. New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, assistant dean for advancement and alumni relations in College of Health and Social Services.
AVOCATIONS:Travel, spending time with family, reading.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
AWARDS:New Voice selection, Association of Children’s Booksellers, Best Book selection, and Bank Street College of Education, both 2010, and New Mexico Book Award finalist, 2011, all for Tortilla Sun; New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, 2023.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
(open new1)Jennifer Cervantes, who frequently publishes as J.C. Cervantes, is a writer of adult, young adult, and middle grade fantasy novels that often focus on Mayan and Aztec gods. She has published the “Storm Runner” and “Shadow Bruja” series, as well as numerous other fantasy novels. In an interview in New Mexico magazine, Cervantes talked about the influence of the women in her family, as well as the stories told by her grandmother that inspired her imagination and creative writing. She admitted: “The women in my family have always been magical to me. They just felt like these magical beings who could make things happen with powerful prayer or powerful thought.”(close new1)
In Tortilla Sun, Cervantes’s debut novel, a curious and sensitive twelve-year-old searches for clues to the mystery surrounding her father’s death. The novel introduces Isadora “Izzy” Roybal, who is spending the summer with her maternal grandmother in New Mexico while her widowed and still-grieving mother completes a research project. When she arrives at Nana’s village, Izzy finds herself drawn to the beauty of the New Mexico landscape as well as to her grandmother’s traditional lifestyle, which includes an amazing array of unusual home-cooked meals. With the help of Socorro, a local storyteller, Mateo, an adventurous neighbor, and Maggie, an orphaned youngster, Izzy begins to unlock the secrets of her family’s complicated past.
Tortilla Sun garnered solid reviews from critics, some of whom applauded the author’s use of magical realism to advance the narrative. “Cervantes fills her story with mystical possibilities,” noted a Publishers Weekly contributor, the critic describing the work as an “imaginative yet grounded novel.” According to School Library Journal reviewer Marilyn Taniguchi, “Cervantes’s prose is lean and lightly spiced with evocative metaphor,” and a critic in Kirkus Reviews observed that the author “develops a memorable cast of characters, brought to life through Izzy’s heartfelt narration.”
In The Storm Runner, Cervantes introduces a new hero and new series in the same vein as Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” novels. In fact, the volume is part of an imprint called “Rick Riordan Presents,” and it introduces Zane Obispo as its protagonist. “Zane has always enjoyed exploring the dormant volcano near his home in New Mexico, even though hiking it is challenging,” said Bill Capossere in Fantasy Literature. “He’d much rather hang out there with his dog, Rosie, than go to middle school, where kids call him Sir Limps a Lot, McGimpster, or Uno—for his one good leg. What Zane doesn’t know is that the volcano is a gateway to another world and he is at the center of a powerful prophecy. A new girl at school, Brooks, informs him that he’s destined to release [the Mayan god of death].” “And so begins a race against time,” explained a Kirkus Reviews contributor, “as Zane, Brooks, and a growing band of sidekicks race across the Southwest to find Ah-Puch.”
Critics celebrated the first volume of Cervantes’s new series. “Zane and his dog Rosie are instantly likeable,” said Karen Rought in Hypable. “They’re both deeply loyal to each other and their bond will undoubtedly melt your heart. It doesn’t hurt that they’re both a bit rebellious and have an us-against-the-world attitude.” “Cervantes wastes no time getting right into the action,” wrote Kristina Pino in Booklist, “and her conversational tone and suspenseful pacing will keep … pages turning.” “The further that I got into the book, the more excited and engrossed I became,” declared a reviewer on MuggleNet.com. “Not only did the aspect of learning about Mayan mythology intrigue me, but the way the story plays out keeps you hooked until the end.” “One book just isn’t enough to seep oneself into another culture and, thankfully, there will be at least one [more] book in the series,” stated Bonnie Lynn Wagner in Broadway World. “I was so desolate as the book came to a close—this can’t end here; I want more—and then the final segment alleviated all of my fears. I’m already eager to hold the sequel in my hands!”
Reviewers also pointed out that The Storm Runner broke ground in featuring a Latino protagonist and a Latin American mythology. “J.C. Cervantes has a platform in her novel where she can make readers, the young adult audience that will flock to this story, learn about being better people,” stated Bill Gowsell in Laughing Place. “From helping to illuminate a world that is often overlooked, to tackling a bullying issue head on, Cervantes is doing great work with her book. The Storm Runner is not just another Percy Jackson book. Rather, The Storm Runner is a book that will continue the trend of the Rick Riordan Presents label of breaking down barriers, opening people’s minds to other cultures, while providing highly entertaining books for kids.” “For me, the most emotional aspect is knowing that not only are brown children going to be able to celebrate their own rich cultures and see themselves as heroes,” Cervantes said in a Booklist interview with Maggie Reagan, “but those who don’t come from that background will have their perspectives broadened.”
Zane and his cohorts hide from the Maya gods on Holbox Island off the coast of Mexico in the second book in the “Storm Runner” series, The Fire Keeper. Zane prepares to journey off the island in search of his disgraced Maya god father, Hurakan, but just before he leaves a godborn named Ren shows up on the island and sets off a series of events that push everyone away from the safety of the island. Zane agrees to team up with Ren to help find two kidnapped godborns, and Ren agrees to help Zane find his father. Along the way Zane discovers that there are actually many more godborns than he had realized. Worse yet, Zane uncovers that the godborns face an existential threat to their existence and he must intervene before time runs out. “What gives the book its charm is the many Maya gods and demons … come with all the snark and melodrama of any 21st-century character,” wrote a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. Writing in School Library Journal, Selenia Paz concluded that The Fire Keeper is “a fast-paced addition to a solid middle grade series whose mythological roots are sure to satisfy fans of the first book.”
(open new2)The final volume in the trilogy, The Shadow Crosser, was published in 2020. Zane finds that the sixty-fourth and final godborn that he has found is actually twins Alana and Adrik. They must travel back in time to rescue the kidnapped gods that were banished to the past. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described it as being “action-packed and entertaining.”
The Lord of Night is the first novel in the “Shadow Bruja” young adult duology. Fourteen-year-old godborn Renata Santiago is the daughter of the Mayan goddess of time, Pacific. While following a lead to investigate aliens, she finds a curious marking in a cornfield that tells her of the Lords of Night from Aztec legends. She teams up with the nearly powerless Mayan god of death and destruction, Ah-Puch, as well as the teenaged demon hybrid Edison and eleven-year-old Aztec hunter Montero to stop a rogue group of godborns from aiding the Lords of Night. A Kirkus Reviews contributor insisted that this “engrossing, god-filled delight … is accessible to readers who are new to this world.”
Its sequel, Dawn of the Jaguar, starts with Ren waking up in the Mayan underworld as part of her planned death to prevent being crowned as queen of the Lords of Night. Ixtab allows her to return to life if she brings back her crown of jade and shadow in the period of seven days. Ren, Edison, and Montero help her to expose the truth about the crown and prevent catastrophe. A Kirkus Reviews contributor observed that “Cervantes keeps the action humming along, and readers will appreciate reuniting with the enjoyable characters.”
In Flirting with Fate, seventeen-year-old Ava Granados was supposed to receive the magical blessing of her grandmother as she passed away. However, because Ava was unable to get to her grandmother’s death bed in time, her family’s gift will be lost forever unless she can find and befriend the man who received the blessing in passing. A Kirkus Reviews contributor called it “an original twist on the modern fairy tale amplified by sisterly affection and a poignant sense of place.”
With Fractured Path, high school senior and aspiring artist Blake Estancia comes from a magical family. However, her ability to see abstract impressions after touching objects seems very weak compared to her relatives. After several nightmares, she learns about her family’s curse and sets her mind on breaking it once and for all. With help from Olivia and Ian, she must find her grandfather Phillip’s mirror. A Kirkus Reviews contributor labelled it “a meandering story lacking momentum.”
The Daggers of Ire centers on twelve-year-old Esmerelda Santos, who seems to be the only brujxes in the city of San Bosco who cannot control fire, earth, water, and air. Rather, she is a witch of Chaos, which is frowned upon by the magical society. When all the other witches disappear, Esme must find one of the town’s original witches, who has been missing for more than a century. A contributor to Publishers Weekly noted that the author “doesn’t let the rollicking fun overshadow themes such as sisterhood and grief, all of which is handled with care.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor found it to be “an adventurous, otherworldly story that explores emotional themes.”(close new2)
“My road to publication was long and sometimes quiet,” Cervantes once told SATA. “I didn’t set out to write a novel (I’d never written a word of fiction), but when my youngest daughter Juliana asked me to write her a story one day, I picked up a pen and was hooked! As I got to know the characters, one idea led to the next and I had to see what happened to them, so I wrote until I had completed the manuscript. After joining a critique group and editing over and over, I sent out queries to agents and the rest is history.
“People will often ask me what has changed for me since publication: the one element that has changed significantly is that I now have a larger stage to discuss education, literacy, and books. I have been fortunate to travel all over the United States to various events and conferences sharing my love of books and learning from teachers, authors, and students. Oftentimes, others will ask me if I have any advice for a new writer and I always have the same answer: Read, read, read. Study the style, plotting, word choice, and literary elements used by authors you like and admire. Believe in yourself, be passionate, and join a supportive writing group whose members can share the journey with you.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Albuquerque Journal, August 8, 2010, David Steinberg, “A Little Magic, and Anything’s Possible under Sun.”
Booklist, August 1, 2018, Maggie Reagan, “Talking With: J.C. Cervantes”; August 1, 2018, Kristina Pino, review of The Storm Runner, p. 84; April 15, 2022, Kristina Pino, review of Flirting with Fate, p. 50.
Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 2010, review of Tortilla Sun; July 15, 2018, review of The Storm Runner; June 15, 2019, review of The Fire Keeper; November 16, 2020, review of The Shadow Crosser; February 15, 2022, review of Flirting with Fate; August 1, 2022, review of Fractured Path; August 1, 2022, review of The Lords of Night; April 15, 2023, review of Always Isn’t Forever; August 15, 2023, review of Dawn of the Jaguar; July 15, 2024, review of The Daggers of Ire.
Publishers Weekly, May 24, 2010, review of Tortilla Sun, p. 52; February 28, 2022, review of Flirting with Fate, p. 71; July 15, 2024, review of The Daggers of Ire, p. 99.
School Library Journal, June 1, 2010, Marilyn Taniguchi, review of Tortilla Sun, p. 98; September 1, 2019, Selenia Paz, review of The Fire Keeper, p. 112.
ONLINE
Broadway World, https://www.broadwayworld.com/ (September 26, 2018), Bonnie Lynn Wagner, review of The Storm Runner.
Desert Exposure, http://www.desertexposure.com/ (February, 2011), Jeff Berg, “Las Cruces Author Jennifer Cervantes Is a Rising Star in Young-Adult Fiction.”
Fantasy Literature, http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ (November 14, 2018), Bill Capossere, review of The Storm Runner.
Hypable, https://www.hypable.com/ (October 2, 2018), Karen Rought, review of The Storm Runner.
J.C. Cervantes website, https://jccervantes.com (September 20, 2024).
Las Cruces Bulletin, https://www.lascrucesbulletin.com/ (April 18, 2022), Mike Cook, author interview.
Laughing Place, https://www.laughingplace.com/ (September 13, 2018), Bill Gowsell, review of The Storm Runner.
MuggleNet.com, http://blog.mugglenet.com/ (September, 2018), review of The Storm Runner.
New Mexico, https://www.newmexicomagazine.org/ (Janaury 6, 2021), Steve Gleydura, “Author J.C. Cervantes’s Love Letter to New Mexico.”
J C Cervantes
aka Jennifer Cervantes
J. C. Cervantes grew up in San Diego and was fascinated by stories about Maya gods and magic as a child. Those tales inspired her to write a best-selling middle grade fantasy trilogy about children of Maya and Aztec gods for Rick Riordan Presents: The Storm Runner, The Fire Keeper, and The Shadow Crosser, two of which featured Ren as a main character. Jen's short story "The Cave of Doom" in the best-selling The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities anthology also ties into this book. For more work by J. C. Cervantes, look for her YA rom com, Flirting with Fate, and her entry in the YA fiction series The Mirror: Fractured Path. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter: @jencerv, and Instagram: #authorjcervantes.
Series
Storm Runner
1. The Storm Runner (2018)
2. The Fire Keeper (2019)
3. The Shadow Crosser (2020)
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Shadow Bruja
1. The Lords of Night (2022)
2. Dawn of the Jaguar (2023)
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Flirting with Fate
1. Flirting with Fate (2022)
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Novels
Tortilla Sun (2010) (as by Jennifer Cervantes)
The Enchanted Hacienda (2023)
Always Isn't Forever (2023)
The Daggers of Ire (2024)
The Anatomy of Magic (2025)
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Series contributed to
Rick Riordan Presents
The Storm Runner (2018)
The Fire Keeper (2019)
The Shadow Crosser (2020)
The Lords of Night (2022)
Dawn of the Jaguar (2023)
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Mirror
3. Fractured Path (2022)
J.C. is a New York Times best-selling author. Her books for children, young adults, and adults have been published in more than twelve countries and have appeared on national lists, including the American Booksellers Association New Voices, Barnes and Noble’s Best Young Reader Books, as well as Amazon’s, Apple’s, and Audible’s Best Books of the Month. She has earned multiple awards and recognitions, including the New Mexico Book Award and the NM Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
She currently resides in the Land of Enchantment with her family and spoiled pups, but keeps part of her heart in Southern California, where she was born and raised. When she isn’t writing, she is haunting bookstores and searching for magic in all corners of the world.
Her work is represented by Holly Root at Root Literary.
Author J.C. Cervantes's Love Letter to New Mexico
The bestselling author draws inspiration from her heritage, magical women, and Rocky Balboa.
Jan. 06, 2021
Updated Aug. 06, 2024
By Steve Gleydura
J.C. CERVANTES DIDN’T KNOW she was writing a book when she began Tortilla Sun. Her youngest daughter just wanted a story about her teddy bear. The self-proclaimed bibliophile had never written fiction, but her story eventually grew into the enchanting tale of 12-year-old Izzy’s summer with her Nana in a New Mexico village. “Tortilla Sun became a love letter to New Mexico,” says the Las Cruces mother of three girls. Although her first novel received much acclaim, it took eight years before her second, The Storm Runner, was released by Disney Hyperion. The final installment in that Zane Obispo trilogy of Mayan myth, The Shadow Crosser, debuted in September, and Cervantes continues to spin her magic. She has read a script for a Storm Runner pilot on Apple TV, and three novels—Flirting with Fate, The Mirror: Fractured Past, and Throne of Sand—are slated for release in 2022.
I feel like I came out of the womb interested in mythology. When I was a kid, I devoured D’Aulaires’ Book of Greek Myths.
My grandmother would tell these stories of the god of death. I think that’s the one she knew best—stories of Xib’alb’a and what the underworld represented to this ancient civilization.
I was terrified. When you’re a kid, you’re scared, but you want them to keep going.
They’re ancestral stories that are carried in the blood and bones.
I remember going to the library in third grade and asking for Mayan and Mesoamerican mythology because my grandmother used to tell me these tales. They said, “We don’t have anything.” I remember thinking, It’s not an important topic, because it’s not in a book.
My family is from northern New Mexico for as many generations as we can go back, but this was all Mexico.
For my grandmother and grandfather, Spanish was their first language. My mom used to tell me that she was embarrassed by that.
I grew up in southern California, very close to the Mexico border. I was always so proud of my Mexican heritage. But my father’s Anglo. His mother was French.
I can remember feeling very torn between cultures and not feeling like I belonged anywhere. I think you see that in Izzy’s story.
The rejections made it very difficult to find any peace around writing. I would try to pray away the seed that had been planted in my heart to write, because I wanted to be happy.
It was even more difficult because we got so close, so often.
I learned a lot about how to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. I have stubborn hope.
I have always been a huge Rocky fan.
Find someone or something that inspires you. Let that be your golden nugget that you carry in your pocket.
We have a view of the valley and then to the mesa. There are all these dormant volcanoes out there. I was mesmerized by them. I thought, What if something dark and terrifying was lurking inside those volcanoes? That’s how The Storm Runner was born.
Writing The Storm Runner was a reclamation of my own heritage in a very powerful way.
The women in my family have always been magical to me. They just felt like these magical beings who could make things happen with powerful prayer or powerful thought.
I’m a very firm believer in fate and destiny.
I finished The Mirror in February or March. It’s part of a quartet of novels based on this family curse.
I really love writing dark stuff, but when COVID hit I remember stepping back: I need something fun.
When I wrote Flirting With Fate, I almost wrote it in a healing way for myself. Every day coming to the page with those characters was the greatest light and joy in a very dark time in this world and in our country.
That book came from a place of pure, pure joy.
Cervantes, J.C.: THE DAGGERS OF IRE.
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Date: July 15, 2024
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Children's review; Brief article
Length: 266 words
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Cervantes, J.C. THE DAGGERS OF IRE Harper/HarperCollins (Children's None) $19.99 9, 3 ISBN: 9780063312074
A 12-year-old witch is responsible for saving her family and town from evil.
Esmerelda Santos is a bruja--a descendant of one of the four original witches, who vanished along with their special daggers. Usually, brujxes can command one element. Esme's sister, Lenny, is of Water, and her best friend, Tiago, is of Air, but Esme is a Chaos witch. All she wants to do with her power is ease her father's grief over her mother's death. When she finds a heart spell, Esme believes she can use it to heal him. While she and Tiago are off gathering the ingredients, however, a storm hits, and all the witches vanish, along with the town's magic. Esme returns to find Lenny, who's been stabbed with a dagger. Lenny delivers a cryptic message before going up in smoke: They must find an original witch from the Legend of Ire. Esme and Tiago travel to a "banished realm where forbidden magic runs wild," befriend a cursed fox, and find their way through portals to confront an unknown evil. If they fail, their families will be lost to Oblivion and their town of San Bosco will cease to exist. While readers must initially follow many different threads, the storyline smooths out as it develops. Once the worldbuilding is established, readers will be rewarded by being transported into the magical, mysterious world Esme inhabits as they follow her journey of self-discovery through grief and love. Final art not seen.
An adventurous, otherworldly story that explores emotional themes.(Fantasy. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Cervantes, J.C.: THE DAGGERS OF IRE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 July 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A801499545/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=382131fc. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
The Daggers of Ire (The Daggers of Ire #1).
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Date: July 15, 2024
From: Publishers Weekly(Vol. 271, Issue 27)
Publisher: PWxyz, LLC
Document Type: Book review; Children's review; Brief article
Length: 203 words
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The Daggers of Ire (The Daggers of Ire #1)
J.C. Cervantes. HarperCollins, $19.99 (384p)
ISBN 978-0-06331-207-4
All the brujxes of the city of San Bosco have a magical specialty that involves dominion over one of four elements: fire, earth, water, and air. All except 12-year-old Esmerelda Santos. She's secretly a witch of Chaos, an element considered illegal by magical society. Following her mother's death in an accident, Esme is desperate to help her father, who has since "curled up into a ball of grief." She soon finds a spell to "render a heart full again," but before she can cast it, all the other witches of San Bosco suddenly disappear. At her older sister's final behest before her vanishing, Esme and her involuntarily shape-shifting friend embark on a quest to find one of San Bosco's original witches, whom no one has seen in over a century. A somewhat slow start evolves into an adventure of epic proportions, brimming with talking animals, mysterious realms, and witch hunters. Cervantes (Dawn of the Jaguar) doesn't let the rollicking fun overshadow themes such as sisterhood and grief, all of which is handled with care. Major characters cue as Latinx. Ages 8-12. Agent: Holly Root, Root Literary. (Sept.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"The Daggers of Ire (The Daggers of Ire #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 27, 15 July 2024, p. 99. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802348169/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=760d91e8. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cervantes, J.C.: DAWN OF THE JAGUAR.
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Date: Aug. 15, 2023
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Children's review; Brief article
Length: 257 words
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Cervantes, J.C. DAWN OF THE JAGUAR Rick Riordan Presents/Disney (Children's None) $17.99 10, 10 ISBN: 9781368067027
Young shadow bruja Renata Santiago scrambles to thwart the resurgent Lords of Night.
Following her preplanned death--intended to halt her forced coronation as queen of the nine formidable Aztec gods known as the Lords of Night--Ren wakes up in the Mayan underworld. There she makes a deal with the Mayan goddess Ixtab. In exchange for a return to the land of the living, Ren must retrieve Ixtab's lost crown of jade and shadow and return it to her within seven days. Without her shadow magic and reliable time rope, during her brief detour through the underworld, Ren uncovers a surprising new set of powers, one stemming from her godborn might. To save the rogue godborns who have fallen under the Lords' wrath and finally defeat the malevolent Aztec gods, Ren seeks to expose the truth behind the crown that threatens to upset her world forever. She's assisted by friends Edison and Monty, as well as Ah-Puch, her best bud and newly restored Mayan god of death and destruction. Equal in thrills and twists to its predecessor, this duology closer crackles with a brisk pace that is maintained to the last page. Here the inspired blend of Mayan and Aztec lore takes a slight back seat to Ren's journey of self-discovery, which proves to be captivating overall. Cervantes keeps the action humming along, and readers will appreciate reuniting with the enjoyable characters.
A satisfying wrap-up of a gripping duology. (glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)
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"Cervantes, J.C.: DAWN OF THE JAGUAR." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A760508087/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a31ed6d0. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cervantes, J.C.: ALWAYS ISN'T FOREVER.
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Date: Apr. 15, 2023
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Young adult review; Brief article
Length: 257 words
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Cervantes, J.C. ALWAYS ISN'T FOREVER Razorbill/Penguin (Teen None) $18.99 6, 6 ISBN: 9780593404485
A romantic story of young love and grief with a fantastical twist.
High school seniors and soul mates Hart Augusto and Ruby Armenta have known each other since they were kids, their personalities complementing each other's and propelling them toward a shiny future together. But their dreams come to a tragic end when Hart drowns while saving a child's life. Five months later, Ruby is stuck in her grief, not wanting to heal and move on. That's when Hart wakes up to find that he has died, but an angel named Lourdes has intervened to give him a second chance at living--in the body of someone who is near death. He requests to be a boy close to Ruby's age in their little California town of El Cielo, hoping they can be reunited--and his soul is placed in the body of arrogant, obnoxious football player Jameson Romanelli, their classmate who's in a coma following a motorcycle accident. Hart is unable to tell anyone who he really is and will gradually forget his former life. Can he convince Ruby he is back and rekindle what they had? While the relationship between Ruby and Hart has endearing elements, readers may wonder what makes theirs a more special and true romance that warrants this heavenly intervention, making it hard to fully invest in the central premise. Most characters are Latine; Jameson is White.
Well-written and designed to be a tear-jerker but ultimately fails to persuade. (Fiction. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Cervantes, J.C.: ALWAYS ISN'T FOREVER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A745234545/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=568f5bc5. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cervantes, J.C.: THE LORDS OF NIGHT.
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Date: Aug. 1, 2022
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Children's review; Brief article
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Cervantes, J.C. THE LORDS OF NIGHT Rick Riordan Presents/Disney (Children's None) $17.99 10, 4 ISBN: 978-1-368-06656-3
In this companion to Cervantes' Storm Runner trilogy, powerful godborn Renata Santiago must unearth a way to prevent the resurrection of the Lords of Night.
Grappling with her return to relative normality, 14-year-old Ren--daughter of Pacific, the Mayan goddess of time, and heir of the most powerful shadow brujxs on her father's side--pursues a tip emailed to her alien-sighting blog, Eyes in the Sky. Ren's search for alien life leads her to an unsettling discovery: a strange symbol etched into a cornfield, where a sinister voice fills her head. It references the mysterious Lords of Night, nine powerful Aztec gods who were linked to fates both good and bad. Worse yet, the cinco, a rogue band of godborns, could be involved. Aided (somewhat) by her bestie Ah-Puch--the Mayan god of death and destruction, now mostly powerless from a recent misadventure--Ren teams up with Edison, a teen demon hybrid, and 11-year-old Aztec hunter Montero. Their mission: to hunt the cinco and stop their ungodly alliance with the Lords of Night even as shadows inexplicably pull Ren closer to an unforeseen fate. This volume sizzles with madcap fun, interweaving icons and figures from Mayan and Aztec mythology with dizzying results. The author excels at making these gods and goddesses cool and familiar. In the second half, many truths kept from Ren fall into fabulous place, spiraling into an exciting cliffhanger. This duology opener is accessible to readers who are new to this world.
An engrossing, god-filled delight. (glossary) (Fantasy. 8-12)
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"Cervantes, J.C.: THE LORDS OF NIGHT." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711906462/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2a21d37f. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cervantes, J.C.: FRACTURED PATH.
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Date: Aug. 1, 2022
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Young adult review; Brief article
Length: 252 words
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Cervantes, J.C. FRACTURED PATH Disney-Hyperion (Teen None) $18.99 7, 19 ISBN: 978-1-368-04640-4
In 1965 San Francisco, high school senior Blake Estancia is plagued by cryptic visions.
Magic runs in Blake's family, but it has barely manifested in her. Unlike her telekinetic maternal grandmother, Zora, introduced in Dhonielle Clayton's Shattered Midnight (2022), or her healer abuela, the teen's power is relatively unimpressive: She receives abstract impressions when touching an object. Resigned to this, Blake focuses on becoming a professional artist, but it's not easy for a young woman to break into the male-dominated art world. When startling visions begin appearing--first in her dreams and then in her waking hours--Blake turns to the aunt and uncle who raised her after her parents' deaths for answers. She learns the truth about a family curse and a lost magic heirloom: her grandfather Phillip's mirror. Blaming the curse for the many tragedies in her family's history, Blake decides to break it by following the clues in her visions to find the mirror. She's accompanied by her best friend, Olivia, and a British boy named Ian whose immediate connection with Blake seems fated. The book's inherent suspense and initial forward motion are stalled by Blake's unfamiliarity with her family history. When she begins her investigation into the curse, she finds fragments of answers, random breadcrumbs lacking in context that lead to a sudden and not quite conclusive ending. Blake's mother was biracial (Black and White), and her father was Mexican.
A meandering story lacking momentum. (Historical fantasy. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Cervantes, J.C.: FRACTURED PATH." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A711906562/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e4c1d2a8. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Flirting with Fate.
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Author: Kristina Pino
Date: Apr. 15, 2022
From: Booklist(Vol. 118, Issue 16)
Publisher: American Library Association
Document Type: Book review; Young adult review; Brief article
Length: 191 words
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Flirting with Fate. By J. C. Cervantes. Apr. 2022. 384p. Razorbill, $18.99 (9780593404454). Gr. 8-11.
It's traditional in Ava's family for each female member to inherit a blessing from another who is on her deathbed. When Ava's grandmother is about to pass, Ava doesn't make it in time to receive her blessing. In an unexpected twist of fate, however, the introverted teen learns that her grandmother cannot move on from being a wandering ghost unless Ava retrieves the blessing from Orion, the cute boy who accidentally inherited it. Although the story is told in third person, Ava's perspective is the focus, so the various mysteries of the different characters and developing predicament of extracting a blessing from a virtual stranger remain intact. Lots of characters and subplots, especially those concerning Ava's family dynamics (absent mother; hardworking, self-made father; affectionate and caring sisters), enliven the overall story. Ava's goal of helping her grandmother by retrieving her blessing with the help of a saint is complicated by the guilt she feels about lying to Orion about her motives. A stirring romance where the magic is rooted in the relationships among the characters.--Kristina Pino
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
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Pino, Kristina. "Flirting with Fate." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 16, 15 Apr. 2022, p. 50. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A702054503/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d69ad51c. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Flirting with Fate.
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Date: Feb. 28, 2022
From: Publishers Weekly(Vol. 269, Issue 9)
Publisher: PWxyz, LLC
Document Type: Book review; Young adult review; Brief article
Length: 207 words
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Flirting with Fate
J.C. Cervantes. Razorbill, $18.99 (384p) ISBN 978-0-593-40445-4
In Cervantes's (the Storm Runner series) heartening romantic comedy with a speculative twist, a 17-year-old journalism intern of Mexican heritage must befriend a handsome stranger to reclaim a family blessing, or risk cutting off her kin from otherworldly gifts forever. While "stubborn, quick-witted" rising high school senior Ava Granados "thinks very little" of fate, she does believe in benedicion: a magical deathbed blessing that women of the Granados family can bestow upon their female descendants. After a storm and minor car accident delay her en route to see her dying grandmother, Margarita, Ava arrives with just enough time to say goodbye--and learn that it's too late to receive her blessing. But when the ghost of Margarita Granados returns with a saint in tow, Ava learns that all might not be lost if she can find the guy who received her blessing, instead. With playful banter ("I truly despise being a ghost, mi ja, and do not recommend it"), well-drawn intergenerational familial relarionships, and a delightfully atmospheric meet-cute, Cervantes s romantic tale will charm readers in search of a little magic--and a touch of outside narration a hjane the Virgin. Ages 12up. Agent: Holly Root. Root Literary. (Apr.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Flirting with Fate." Publishers Weekly, vol. 269, no. 9, 28 Feb. 2022, p. 71. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A696341908/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=43069455. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Cervantes, J.C.: FLIRTING WITH FATE.
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Date: Feb. 15, 2022
From: Kirkus Reviews
Publisher: Kirkus Media LLC
Document Type: Book review; Young adult review; Brief article
Length: 249 words
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Cervantes, J.C. FLIRTING WITH FATE Razorbill/Penguin (Teen None) $18.99 4, 19 ISBN: 978-0-593-40445-4
Seventeen, studying journalism, and living with her sisters in the City of Angels, Ava Granados believes only in that which she can see. She's about to see a lot more.
The women of the Granados family have the gift of blessings: Upon her death, a matriarch like Ava's beloved Nana has the chance to bestow blessings upon her female descendants. When a freak storm keeps Ava from reaching Nana's bedside in time and disrupts the passage of her blessing before Nana dies, Ava is faced with an unlooked-for challenge, unbelievable new companions, and a boy she has no intention of falling for. Intertwining past and present, stories already told and stories yet to be discovered, debut author Cervantes carries Ava through the tumultuous summer before her senior year of high school with style, charm, and wisdom. This novel will especially resonate with any young person whose formative years have been paved with stories of fierce and industrious ancestors. The Mexican American Granados sisters sit at the junction of Hollywood affluence and immigrant grit, their perspectives adding a vibrant thread to the contemporary tapestry of Latine fiction. And Los Angeles, a city of bold dreams and glittering destinies, is a character all its own: Each lovingly described neighborhood, canyon, and beach brings new emotion to the narrative.
An original twist on the modern fairy tale amplified by sisterly affection and a poignant sense of place. (Fiction. 12-17)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Cervantes, J.C.: FLIRTING WITH FATE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Feb. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A693214608/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=29c1877c. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.