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Gods Squad #1
Chicken House Oh Maya Gods!.
Meet the brand-new Gods Squad led by Vesper, the bossy, football-mad adopted daughter of Elliot Hooper. Along with Virgo’s son, Aster, she heads to ancient Mesoamerica to save the world from Maya immortals messing with astronomy, chocolate and human sacrifice ...
336 pages, Paperback
Published September 28, 2023
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276 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 30, 2024
An entertaining fun middle grade book about adventures with the Maya Gods! And deserves an extra star for the amazing narration by the author.
May 30, 2024
Fun book filled with humor and Mayan death gods. This was fast paced, had some cool adventures to the underworld, and had a lesson about working together to solve problems. I would definitely read a sequel featuring other underworlds and gods.
April 10, 2024
یه کم ی باحال مخصوص طرفداران خدایان المپ و مایاها
https://youtu.be/Wh-i1zxXN90?si=GK5Rs...
https://youtu.be/Wh-i1zxXN90?si=GK5Rs...
May 14, 2023
Fabulous to be back with the WLTGO crew!
Fabulous, pacy adventure - a perfect continuation of the series.
It’s a series I recommend on a regular basis in Tell Tales. Had such a blast reading the first book to a year five class when I was still working in school - with a writing style that is funny and east to slip into & characters that are not perfect but are engaging and easy to get behind- she’s an author I can rely on. The way Maz gives the Gods their characters is just fantastic, so clever. Read the series- I don’t think you’ll regret it. It’s not a serious, heavy tome - but if you like a funny, fast paced adventure this is for you.
Fabulous, pacy adventure - a perfect continuation of the series.
It’s a series I recommend on a regular basis in Tell Tales. Had such a blast reading the first book to a year five class when I was still working in school - with a writing style that is funny and east to slip into & characters that are not perfect but are engaging and easy to get behind- she’s an author I can rely on. The way Maz gives the Gods their characters is just fantastic, so clever. Read the series- I don’t think you’ll regret it. It’s not a serious, heavy tome - but if you like a funny, fast paced adventure this is for you.
February 3, 2025
What an adventure! I genuinely didn't expect much from this book - I accidentally found it in the YA section, but boy oh boy, I won't ever judge a book by it's cover again! It's funny, it's witty, it has many surprising twists and it's an easy read. 100% recommend.
October 14, 2024
This was really, really funny! It could have been higher in educational value - I feel that for a series centered around different historical cultures and gods, you actually learn incredibly little about them - but it was a fast-paced, entertaining read with heartwarming family values.
October 23, 2024
First Maz Evans book I’ve read. Has adventure, quirky characters. Was expecting a little more of the historical element of the Maya to be woven through. I lost my way on whose PoV a few times with the switches.
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February 5, 2026read this to my grade 4s as part of their social studies & literacy unit on ancient maya.
July 16, 2024
2.5 stars. I like the inclusion of godly legends and beliefs around the world but I’d rather have followed Elliot and Virgo as adults instead of their children. Adventurous spirit but many chapters felt a bit filler.
November 11, 2023
Well, I just loved this. New friends, old friends, LOTS of brilliant jokes, a trip to the Maya underworld to meet some Maya gods and loads of just quintessential Gods Squad magnificence. So lush to be back with some familiar faces and I am most curious about some of the new “friends”. Honestly, my heart is so happy right now. I didn’t want this to end and now it’s over I’m THRILLED there’s another to come!
January 21, 2026
There's one thing that has always bothered me about this series: he's hoarding all of the good deity-related jokes! Maz Evans has written: Who Let The Gods Out, Simply The Quest, Beyond The Odyssey, Against All Gods, Oh Maya Gods, Oh Mummy Mia, and Oh What A Knight. That's a frankly dizzying amount of mythological humor, and I even once had an idea for a book called Who Let The Gods Out before finding out about this series!
Apologies, that was an admittedly ridiculous rant. I'd best get on to the scathing critique quickly now. Firstly, the main character's main skill is football, which I do not understand in the slightest. Luckily, one does not have to understand football to read this book, as the game to settle the fate of humanity is the Maya Pok-A-Tok. Also, I now know that Maya is the correct adjective, not Mayan. Mayan is one of the Maya languages, one of which is also called Maya. One learns some very specific things when reading about kids trapped in the Maya underworld.
As for the characters, Vesper has two character arks: she must learn to share the spotlight, and more importantly, not be horrible to her cousin. Unfortunately, the execution of the former is a bit contrived, mainly because Vesper really is the omnipotent football player she thinks she is. In order to create situations where there's a good reason to share the spotlight, the author gives her an ankle injury. She gets this injury at the start of the book, forgets about it even as she treks through the vast Maya underworld, then is cursed by it near the end. In some stories this might work, but in fantasy stories, we are trained to accept that injuries will just disappear overnight. Then, in the falling action, there's another football game. She's recovered back to her mythical strength, but even though she knows she can win, she passes it to another player. That's certainly an altruistic decision, but it's completely unrelated to what she just learned.
Next, I have to talk about the villains of this book because I just love beings who live to cause mass destruction. The death god, Kizin, is a typical trickster- he's far too powerful for our mortal heroes to take down, but he does love games. This is why they have a Pok-A-Tok game that will decide the fate of the universe, and it's a very important strategy for villains if one wants normal mortals to defeat gods.
Morgan Le Fay (from the myth of King Arthur) is a different kind of trickster, one who manipulates the heroes to uncertain goals. Her plot is very confusing, at least in this book. She saves their lives several times, but also makes Vesper eat poisoned fruit that will kill her slowly. Why not just let her die in the Maya underworld? Perhaps she has plans for Vesper within those few weeks, though that's unlikely if Morgan has already gained magical powers by the end of the book.
Finally, the saving grace of this book is simple humor. Near the start, Vesper meets an old man who claims to be a 'fellow mortal' who has been imprisoned and requires the touch of her hand to save him. This is the kind of trick that heroes in stories like this fall for completely, despite how obvious it is that something is wrong. Vesper considers the offer carefully and after much thought says: no thanks. There's plenty more where that came from, like Kizin, a death god who really thinks that he's funny. This humor can really save any book from any problems it might have. Let that be a lesson- all problems can be solved with a good joke.
Apologies, that was an admittedly ridiculous rant. I'd best get on to the scathing critique quickly now. Firstly, the main character's main skill is football, which I do not understand in the slightest. Luckily, one does not have to understand football to read this book, as the game to settle the fate of humanity is the Maya Pok-A-Tok. Also, I now know that Maya is the correct adjective, not Mayan. Mayan is one of the Maya languages, one of which is also called Maya. One learns some very specific things when reading about kids trapped in the Maya underworld.
As for the characters, Vesper has two character arks: she must learn to share the spotlight, and more importantly, not be horrible to her cousin. Unfortunately, the execution of the former is a bit contrived, mainly because Vesper really is the omnipotent football player she thinks she is. In order to create situations where there's a good reason to share the spotlight, the author gives her an ankle injury. She gets this injury at the start of the book, forgets about it even as she treks through the vast Maya underworld, then is cursed by it near the end. In some stories this might work, but in fantasy stories, we are trained to accept that injuries will just disappear overnight. Then, in the falling action, there's another football game. She's recovered back to her mythical strength, but even though she knows she can win, she passes it to another player. That's certainly an altruistic decision, but it's completely unrelated to what she just learned.
Next, I have to talk about the villains of this book because I just love beings who live to cause mass destruction. The death god, Kizin, is a typical trickster- he's far too powerful for our mortal heroes to take down, but he does love games. This is why they have a Pok-A-Tok game that will decide the fate of the universe, and it's a very important strategy for villains if one wants normal mortals to defeat gods.
Morgan Le Fay (from the myth of King Arthur) is a different kind of trickster, one who manipulates the heroes to uncertain goals. Her plot is very confusing, at least in this book. She saves their lives several times, but also makes Vesper eat poisoned fruit that will kill her slowly. Why not just let her die in the Maya underworld? Perhaps she has plans for Vesper within those few weeks, though that's unlikely if Morgan has already gained magical powers by the end of the book.
Finally, the saving grace of this book is simple humor. Near the start, Vesper meets an old man who claims to be a 'fellow mortal' who has been imprisoned and requires the touch of her hand to save him. This is the kind of trick that heroes in stories like this fall for completely, despite how obvious it is that something is wrong. Vesper considers the offer carefully and after much thought says: no thanks. There's plenty more where that came from, like Kizin, a death god who really thinks that he's funny. This humor can really save any book from any problems it might have. Let that be a lesson- all problems can be solved with a good joke.
March 27, 2024
My son and I absolutely adore Maz Evans's writing, and this book did not disappoint. This is a continuation of the Who Let the Gods Out series, and this time features the next generation! Elliot and Virgo have grown up and had kids (not together, don't worry!), and this book follows the adventures of Vesper and Aster.
And again, don't worry, Virgo and Elliot still appear, as well as the Old Gods; but this times we have new Maya Gods to meet, who don't seem to have the mortals best interests at heart...
Maz Evans's writing is hilarious, and just flows seamlessly. In this book she effortlessly sets the scene for two further books in the series, which will feature Egyptian Gods and Arthurian legend (I cannot wait for that one!).
I also loved that we learned about a different culture (they loved chocolate :-D), and that we can now correct everyone who says Mayan Gods - IT'S MAYA GODS!!
And again, don't worry, Virgo and Elliot still appear, as well as the Old Gods; but this times we have new Maya Gods to meet, who don't seem to have the mortals best interests at heart...
Maz Evans's writing is hilarious, and just flows seamlessly. In this book she effortlessly sets the scene for two further books in the series, which will feature Egyptian Gods and Arthurian legend (I cannot wait for that one!).
I also loved that we learned about a different culture (they loved chocolate :-D), and that we can now correct everyone who says Mayan Gods - IT'S MAYA GODS!!
October 13, 2023
Having read all of Who Let The Gods Out series, I was excited for our household to get into the sequel of Oh Maya Gods!
We meet the children of the (now grown up) Elliott and Virgo. Vesper (Elliott's football mad daughter) and Aster (Virgo's book loving son). They stumble across some rather naughty Maya immortals and have to overcome a series of challenges to save the world.
This can absolutely be read as a standalone book, but for those who have read the original series, there are plenty of nods to the previous storylines to have you chuckling.
Evans is a master at getting children to engage in her funny, outrageous stories. I highly recommend.
We meet the children of the (now grown up) Elliott and Virgo. Vesper (Elliott's football mad daughter) and Aster (Virgo's book loving son). They stumble across some rather naughty Maya immortals and have to overcome a series of challenges to save the world.
This can absolutely be read as a standalone book, but for those who have read the original series, there are plenty of nods to the previous storylines to have you chuckling.
Evans is a master at getting children to engage in her funny, outrageous stories. I highly recommend.
November 10, 2023
3.75 stars. Well written and entertaining. If you liked the Who Let the Gods Out books, theres a strong chance youre going to like this one too. Children of the main characters having an adventure of their own. While I enjoyed reading this one, it seemed a little too reminiscent of the previous books. Overall a pleasant read.
March 14, 2024
Class read for this term and both myself and the children loved it. It has a fast enough plot to keep my year 5s invested with both humour and heart. I loved the amount of historical knowledge they were hearing throughout as it matched our History unit on Ancient Maya so well. Lots want the sequel as our next class read!
June 11, 2025
A great first book in the spin-off/extended series. It goes the Rick Riordan way of introducing new characters and amalgamating them with cameos of fan favorites.
I love how this trilogy focuses on different mythologies instead of over-saturating the plot with one.
Also, Vesper and Aster's dynamic is absolutely adorable.
I love how this trilogy focuses on different mythologies instead of over-saturating the plot with one.
Also, Vesper and Aster's dynamic is absolutely adorable.
February 10, 2024
Really funny. I like how it continues the Elliot and Virgo's story, but through the eyes of their kids. Also shows how love doesn't just come from blood family through Elliot and Vesper, with Vesper being adopted.
May 13, 2024
Loved this book, the crew from WLTGO are back, all grown up and with kids of their own …. Sort of! This adventure involves immortals from the Mayans. But there is a darker immortal pulling the strings.
Loved the story, loved the humour. Love that there’s two more!
Loved the story, loved the humour. Love that there’s two more!
December 4, 2023
It took me a while to realise, but I loved that it's Elliot and Virgo, all grown up!!!
More great main characters and mythical gods, goddesses and beings.
More great main characters and mythical gods, goddesses and beings.
December 18, 2023
Highly optimal and epic mega bosh - that’s all I have to say.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 4, 2024
3.5. I enjoyed it , however not as much as the WLTGO series .
January 6, 2024
Interesting links to different ancient civilisations and their deities.
January 12, 2024
I laughed. A LOT!!!
February 6, 2024
Brilliant start to the second series. The God squad are back!! Can't wait for the next book in this series!
September 7, 2024
Amazing. So funny - I loved it! 🤣🤣🤣
September 24, 2024
3.5 stars
March 23, 2025
Solid fun mythological adventure
Pros:
Funny
Character growth
Good foreshadowing
Pros:
Funny
Character growth
Good foreshadowing
October 6, 2024
I've read Maz Evans' other book series avidly and have loved and treasured them immensely. Now that she returns with a prequel to her original, and my favourite series, I've loved it even more. In the book, we join Vesper (Elliott's daughter) and Aster (Virgo's son) who have to save the world after Vesper - unbeknownst to her - has released 3 evil, mythological leaders from their imprisonment. The Maya God of Death, Kizin, is one of the criminals released and he gives the Gods of the World an ultimatum: win against us in a game of Mayan Football (Pok-A-Tok), or the world is destroyed in an apocalyptic event.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. Because we met returning characters, and found other hidden easter eggs, it made it even more enjoyable to read.
The characters were hilarious and well written and the plot flowed perfectly - fitting the theme and detail that I was hoping for. All in all, Oh Maya Gods was an immensely satisfying read and I can't wait for the next two in the trilogy when they come out.
I really, really enjoyed reading this book. Because we met returning characters, and found other hidden easter eggs, it made it even more enjoyable to read.
The characters were hilarious and well written and the plot flowed perfectly - fitting the theme and detail that I was hoping for. All in all, Oh Maya Gods was an immensely satisfying read and I can't wait for the next two in the trilogy when they come out.
October 24, 2025
This had my class hooked from the start. It was perfect for our daily Guided Reading sessions. The children have insisted that we read 'Who Let The Gods Out?' as a class reader next term.
I love the fusion of modern-day with mythology, which perfectly complemented our topic about the Maya. I also liked how the characters, especially our MC Vesper, are flawed and imperfect. It's comforting and inspiring for children to read.
Maz Evans is something special!
I love the fusion of modern-day with mythology, which perfectly complemented our topic about the Maya. I also liked how the characters, especially our MC Vesper, are flawed and imperfect. It's comforting and inspiring for children to read.
Maz Evans is something special!
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews