Happy Book Birthday, Charlie Hernandez and the Golden Dooms by Ryan Calejo!

I'm a little late today...okay, very late...in getting this celebration going, but there's no way I'm going to forget to scream out something fun like a book birthday. This one is the third in a fantasy series for upper middle graders, which takes Southern American folklore into an adventure, which reminds of the Percy Jackson series just a little bit....a tinsy-tiny-really-not-quite bit. Yep, I've been following this series from the beginning, so I kind of know what to expect. And it is good...or I wouldn't have agreed to take a peek.

Ready for some meetings with death, morphing, mystery and more? 

CHARLIE HERNANDEZ & THE GOLDEN DOOMS

by Ryan Calejo

Aladdin Publishing

Middle Grade Fantasy

384 pages

ages 8 to 12

Inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America, this third book in the Charlie Hernández series follows Charlie as he fights against an army of the dead.

After hitchhiking across Central and South America to rescue the Witch Queen and face off against La Mano Peluda, Charlie Hernández is pretty much grounded for life. But after all he’s been through, some quiet time at home with his parents might be nice. Though it would be better if he didn’t have to share his room with his obnoxiously perfect cousin Raúl, who’s staying with them.

But quiet is hard to come by when you’re the fifth and final morphling, and it’s not long before death walks back into Charlie’s life. Or at least, the dead do, starting with a mysterious young calaca who corners him at school, dropping cryptic hints about trouble brewing in the 305. With the League of Shadows focused on repairing fractured alliances and tracking gathering armies, this one’s up to Charlie to solve.

Following the clues only leads to more questions, and not even teenage investigative journalist extraordinaire Violet Rey can figure out how a sudden rooster infestation, earthquakes, missing persons, and a pet-napping gang of lizard-men—whom Charlie doesn’t recognize from any legend—are all connected. Most concerning of all is when they learn a map has been stolen that reveals the locations of the Golden Dooms, the twelve ancient calaca watchmen who form the magical barrier between the realms.

To stop the impending invasion, Charlie and Violet must outwit an ancient evil and unravel the most sinister of schemes. That is, unless they’d rather watch the Land of the Living get overrun by the dead.

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59363863-charlie-hern-ndez-the-golden-dooms

BOOKSHOP: https://bookshop.org/books/charlie-hernandez-the-golden-dooms/9781534484214

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/?ean=9781534484214

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Hern%C3%A1ndez-Golden-Dooms-3/dp/1534484213

MY TIDBITS

Hispanic folklore meets fast-paced adventure with a twist of mystery and more than a few dabs of humor to create a fun read.

Charlie is grounded after the last adventure and definitely not ready to get him mother even more angry than before. But monsters and ancient evil isn't going to sit down and wait for his mother to relax. Forced into a girl's bathroom at school by a dead girl, a new mystery begins, and this time, evil is more determined than ever to stake its claim.

This is the third book in the series, and while it isn't too hard to launch off into the story from here, it does build from the other books and should be read as a series and not as a stand-alone.

While every book up until now has been adventurous, this one seems to notch up the pace even a hair more. Charlie starts out the first chapter very babbly with a waterfall of scattered thoughts, but then, he is facing a beautiful, yet very dead girl in a locked bathroom...and still finding footing after his last adventure. Luckily, he quickly settles into his usual groove and is off on another mission. Of course, his group of friends are there, too, and more than ready (actually more excited than him) to solve the next problem. Thanks to the first two books, the characters now feel familiar, making it fun to simply dive into the adventure with them...like old friends.

There are new characters as well and some changing relationship dynamics. Charlie's taking some interest in Violet, but this remains gentle and age appropriate. The biggest change comes when a cousin moves in and even shares a bedroom with Charlie. I did enjoy the cousin's vibrant personality, since it does add a new flair to the bunch.  

A large cast of creatures from the Hispanic folklore is also included, old as well as a few new. As usual, the author slides this cultural aspect in seamlessly. There were one or two creatures, which made me stop and wish there'd been a bit more about them (curious to learn more about the myths surrounding them), but most come across with just the right amount of description and background to introduce them before heading off into more excitement. 

Charlie is never given a moment's rest as he zips from one creature to the next, constantly heads into dangerous situations, and never knows where he'll be taken next. It's probably my favorite book in the series so far.

And here he is...

Ryan Calejo is the author of the Charlie Hernández series. He was born and raised in south Florida, where he graduated from the University of Miami with a BA. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called “Capital of Latin America,” Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to.

Review: Charlie Hernandez & The League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo

CHARLIE HERNANDEZ &

THE LEAGUE OF SHADOWS

by Ryan Calejo

Aladdin

Middle Grade Adventure / Fantasy

256 pages

The Lightning Thief meets the Story Thieves series in this middle grade fantasy inspired by Hispanic folklore, legends, and myths from the Iberian Peninsula and Central and South America.

Charlie Hernández has always been proud of his Latin American heritage. He loves the culture, the art, and especially the myths. Thanks to his abuela’s stories, Charlie possesses an almost encyclopedic knowledge of the monsters and ghouls who have spent the last five hundred years haunting the imaginations of children all across the Iberian Peninsula, as well as Central and South America. And even though his grandmother sometimes hinted that the tales might be more than mere myth, Charlie’s always been a pragmatist. Even barely out of diapers, he knew the stories were just make-believe—nothing more than intricately woven fables meant to keep little kids from misbehaving.

But when Charlie begins to experience freaky bodily manifestations—ones all too similar to those described by his grandma in his favorite legend—he is suddenly swept up in a world where the mythical beings he’s spent his entire life hearing about seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Hispanic folklore and into his life. And even stranger, they seem to know more about him than he knows about himself.

Soon, Charlie finds himself in the middle of an ancient battle between La Liga, a secret society of legendary mythological beings sworn to protect the Land of the Living, and La Mano Negra (a.k.a. the Black Hand), a cabal of evil spirits determined to rule mankind. With only the help of his lifelong crush, Violet Rey, and his grandmother’s stories to guide him, Charlie must navigate a world where monsters and brujas rule and things he couldn’t possibly imagine go bump in the night. That is, if he has any hope of discovering what’s happening to him and saving his missing parents (oh, and maybe even the world).

No pressure, muchacho.

MY TIDBITS

With fast-paced adventure, this book steers through Central and South American myths in an exciting and fun frenzy.

Charlie is a middle-schooler, who was normal until his house burnt down and his parents disappeared. A couple of months later, and living in a foster home, his life gets really strange. Horns grow out of his head, feathers burst from his chest, and even more. If it wasn't for a sudden new friend, Violet, he might think he's loosing it. Her instincts as an investigative reporter have her more than willing to help him figure out what's happening and maybe, what happened to his parents. But neither of them expected to run face-to-face with practically every mythical creature Charlie's grandmother once taught him about. And most of them are not exactly friendly.

This is a whirl-wind adventure. The beginning reminds a bit of the Goonies but quickly steers into an extremely fast-paced adventure, reminding a bit of Rick Riordan's tales. Except in these pages, there is little time to catch a breath. Once the creatures start to appear, Charlie runs into one after another. The danger and tension fly nonstop as he and Violet try their best to figure out what is happening. 

The story heads in the prophecy direction when it comes to Charlie, but it does take an interesting twist with the mounds of myths tossed in. For anyone not familiar with the myths, it's definitely a learning experience and opens up to the richness of these cultures. It also feels like jumping into cold water. With every new creature, the author builds in a very short summary to give the reader a quick glimpse behind the corresponding tale since many readers probably won't necessarily be familiar with them. But there are a lot of different myths built it. The creatures hit rapid fire, and while this definitely keeps the pace high, some pass by with a blink before the next one already swoops in. In any case, it is an exciting read that is sure to hold until the very last page. 

Charlie and Violet make a wonderful duo, balancing each other with very different personalities. Charlie has the myth knowledge but is in a little over his head. Still, he does what needs to be done and reacts pretty well on his feet. Violet is gung-ho and more than ready to dive into any situation. Still, she keeps a good head on her shoulders and knows when to stop. The middle-schoolers do act a bit old for their age at times, but it reels back in during other scenes to keep it believable. Either way, it's fun and easy to root for Charlie and Violet until the very last page.

This is a fun adventure for action fans, and those who love reading tales of all those things hiding in the shadows. The myths are interesting and definitely an extra treat.

And here he is...

Ryan Calejo was born and raised in south Florida. He teaches swimming to elementary school students, chess to middle school students, and writing to high school students. Having been born into a family of immigrants and growing up in the so-called 'Capital of Latin America', Ryan knows the importance of diversity in our communities and is passionate about writing books that children of all ethnicities can relate to. Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows is his first novel.