Last Canto of the Dead

Outlaw Saints #2

by Daniel José Older

Two gods-turned-teenagers wage simultaneous battles in the Caribbean and Brooklyn in this sequel to Ballad & Dagger.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. Mateo Matisse and Chela Hidalgo are not just two teenagers in love--they're powerful gods in human form. Powerful enough to have saved their Brooklyn diaspora community from the wrath of an ancient enemy and to have raised their once-sunken native island of San Madrigal from the sea.

But soon they discover that their problems are far from over. On the shores of San Madrigal, two creature armies are battling for survival. And on the streets of Brooklyn, a once tight-knit community is divided, with two sides at each other's throats. But worst of all, a heartbreaking prophecy rips these two young lovers apart, sending Mateo back to the city, where cops are now patrolling the streets, and keeping Chela tethered to the island, where chaos and death lurk around every corner.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. As gods, their powers know no limits. But as teenagers--separated, desperate, grieving--what will become of them? And what will become of their people?

Join their battle and witness their love in this thrilling conclusion to the epic saga that began with BALLAD & DAGGER.

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

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction

400 pages, Unknown Binding

First published May 16, 2023

About the author

Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.

Reviews

[Lata · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matteo and Chela head to the island of San Madrigal to find out what's happening there. Too soon after arriving, Chela sends him back home to find some things out for her, not telling him that she found out that according to the spirits on the island the two cannot be together because it could be explosive.

We then see the pair, in the two different locations, finding out more about their powers, and about the intentions and machinations behind the interest in the island and the actions of certain groups in the neighbourhood. Matteo's parents also return, and his dad cannot accept that Matteo has fundamentally changed.

At the same time, the police are targeting certain members of the NYC neighbourhood, and arresting them in a bid to get their hands on Matteo. Chela meanwhile is learning much more about her abilities, and gaining control over them.

Eventually, Matteo and others from the neighbourhood must rush back to the island, where Chela has already begun fighting against the forces intent on controlling the island.

I love Daniel Jose Older's work, and make it a point to read everything I can by this author. I had been looking forward to this book since I read its predecessor. I wished I had enjoyed it more, especially as Matteo and Chela are such great characters, and the world, its magic and history are so compelling. I found that my attention flagged about halfway in, and though I was interested in a positive resolution to the conflict and Matteo and Chela's fledgling romance, I felt like the book was a little longer than I liked.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

My opinion improved as I read the second part of this duology but I still ultimately found it confusing and rather unsatisfying in many ways. Who lived, who died? Other than the the one dimensional baddie and his monstrous “pet” which is tied to Chela’s and Mateo’s immortality, I’m not sure. Nor am I sure if it matters. I’m also unclear on the point of this story. As in the first book, I might rewrite this entire review once I get around to rereading this series. Obviously I think the immortal two made the right decision but do teens understand the value of life yet? (Many mass massacres in the United States seem to indicate: no.) I’m not too sure I really figured out the theme of this story or if I care. I’m going to give it 3 stars since some of it swept me along while some irritated me. Right now a part of me is thinking of lowering it to 2 stars but I’ll wait before changing it.

[Karen Cohn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had trouble reading this book. It was disjointed and hard to follow, and the first quarter or so was focused largely on the social problems caused by Chela's and Mateo's new powers, as well as their developing relationship, rather than anything necessary to the plot. I read the first book and enjoyed it, but even so, I had trouble getting through this one. The repetition of fights with the bambaruto and the evolution of the bambaruto seemed tangential at best. The book got better as it progressed, and more text was spent on the plot than on character development, but it wasn't enough to redeem the book for me; it was barely enough to get me through the end of the book. The focus of the novel seems to be Chela and Mateo trying to deal with life after finding out they've become gods - in Chela's case, two gods with opposing powers and desires - as well as finding out they are now immortal... but that's kind of a key characteristic of gods to me, so I don't know why it was such a big deal.

There are people who will love the chaos that occurs throughout the book, but for myself, I found it difficult to follow and thought some of it was irrelevant to advancing the storyline or exploring the characters. It just didn't do it for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Eric Nhem · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the theme of leaning on your community and wisdom of your ancestors. The writing got too flowery for me, and that’s saying something. The whole book felt like Mateo and Chela being hormonal teenagers who wanted to make out with each other but couldn’t because they had to save the world first.

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Lisa Andres · Rating 3 out of 5]

TL;DR: Second book in DJO's Outlaw Saints duology (although the door is left open for a potential 3rd book) which fell short of the first book (for me) -- spending too much time with the pining lovers and battling the bambaruto to fully flesh out the villains. The world that DJO brought to life so vividly in Book #1 ultimately gets lost in the Epic Battle Between Good and Evil.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Netgalley & Disney Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

Vibes: IDK. Kinda Lost + Greek epic with at attempt at Tolkien-level stakes.

Genre: YA Fantasy / Romance

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
There is *a lot* of angsty pining in this book -- Chela & Mateo are apart for most of the book and Mateo in particular spends a lot of time thinking about Chela and their relationship, and it's made even more angsty since they're these supernatural beings who have been together for centuries.

Character MVP: Meh. They were all a little flatter than in Book #1, and my favorite, Tia Lucia is technically dead and not a player anymore. I'm going to go with Ode Kan, who was giving Artemis vibes and I do love a strong female character.

Verdict: 3 stars, and it pained me to do it. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, so much so that I went back and reread Book #1 because I wanted to be clear on the characters and relationships and mythology.

But in Book #2....IDK. It's like DJO wanted to raise the stakes -- shifting the setting from *entirely* within Little Madrigal in Brooklyn to the island, and in doing so, he wanted to raise the mythological stakes so that Chela/Madrigal/Okanla and Mateo/Galanika could have this Epic Love Story and Epic Battle and it just...didn't work for me.

Here's why (warning: spoilers):
✖️ -- WAY too much angsty pining. Chela & Mateo's relationship was hinted at in Book #1, and they kinda danced around it before getting together, but here it was like BAM. "We are epic supernatural beings and We ARE IN LOVE" and it was a bit much.

✖️ -- There was a lot of fighting with the bambaruto and killing of the bambaruto. I got very bored with the bambaruto.

✖️ -- One of my favorite parts of Book #1 was being entirely in Mateo's head and seeing his relationships with the other characters, notably Tams and Tia Lucia, and even Tolo. But those characters have significantly reduced roles and splitting time between Mateo & Chela means we get less of Mateo's personality and voice. And maybe because they've fully awakened their supernatural powers, they read as more dramatic and similar; there were times I had to pause and reorient myself to which character was talking.

✖️ -- One of my biggest issues was the villains/antagonists. There are 3 here:
(1) Mateo's dad -- super flat and seems like the conflict was contrived to give Mateo "no place else" to go, especially since the parents were absent from the first book.
(2) Vedo -- who was in Book #1, but as about as much page time there as he does here. He is, I think, supposed to be the mastermind behind the logistical elements, but he gets about 4 scenes and his "you killed my mom" revenge thing felt very flat.
(3) Archibaldo -- again, alluded to in Book #1, and is supposed to be The Big Bad but I just have questions. Like, how he is communicating with Evil Henchmen Rejects from a Bond movie, on an isolated island? I'm assuming it's Vedo, but that's never made clear.

✖️ -- Finally, the biggest issue for me was -- and I fully admit I may have missed something obvious because there were times I skimmed and glazed over -- I didn't fully understand the stakes.
That is -- Chela learns that this whole situation exists because the, last time Madrigal/Okanla and Galanika were incarnated in human forms, Madrigal/Okanla made a deal with Archibaldo to make them immortal.
Which...made me VERY confused. Because I was under the impression that these were gods/goddesses, a big part of which is being immortal. Now, maybe not, but I missed that part somewhere then. After all, these were beings who created the island as a safe haven and then watched over humans for centuries -- is that not immortal? In Book #1, they remember seeing the first humans arrive there, so like 1500s-ish. But it's not until 1810 that they're immortal? And "immortal" doesn't mean tied to human bodies, apparently, because after 1810 it takes like 200 years for them to be incarnated again.
So, I had questions that really distracted me from the plot.

The shift from the microcosm of Brooklyn to the macrocosm of the Epic Battle on the island just...narrowed the focus of the story for me in a way to deflated all of the cool, intriguing elements I loved so much about the first book. Not 'bad,' necessarily, but a seemingly incongruous follow-up to the story of Book #1.

[Arezou · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the first book in a series ends with a long-lost island rising out of the sea, you’d better hope the follow-up delivers on that level of epic, and scale, and magic. Fortunately Last Canto of the Dead, Daniel José Older’s sequel to last year’s fantastic Ballad and Dagger delivers exactly that, combined with a sweeping love story for the ages that makes for a thoroughly engrossing read.

Mateo and Chela, teenage embodiments of the gods of the island of San Madrigal have a problem. Or several, rather. The newly-risen island is overtaken with mysterious creatures, and their diaspora community back home is crumbling. To make matters worse for the couple, a prophecy foretells of chaos and destruction if the two remain together.

With Chela fighting on the San Madrigal front, and Mateo banished back to Brookyln, their only connection comes in the form of a spiritual, otherworldly connection at midnight. But even that begins to crumble as both of the homes they know start to change forever.

Last Canto of the Dead ups the ante in every possible way in bringing Mateo and Chela’s story to a close. The action scenes are essential, never existing for the sake of action, but instead to keep the reader grounded in why this fight matters to Mateo, Chela, and all the people of San Madrigal. The magic woven throughout the novel is just a little more ethereal, intangible, as such things should be. It’s not unclear to the reader so much as it’s so much a part of the world they inhabit that to ask for a clear list of magical rules is to do a disservice to how organic it’s meant to be.

The history and mythology is absolutely beautiful, familiar in a way that when combined with lyrical prose it makes you feel like you’re reading a story you should know already, a history you perhaps did know once, but now it feels just out of reach of your memory.

And then there’s the romance. Oh, the romance. Mateo and Chela are so very in tune with their own emotions, it makes for a refreshing change of pace. Then again, it’s also a necessary choice given the sheer amount of larger-than-life things happening around them and due in large part to their great love story. In an interview, Older cited the myth of Eros and Psyche as one of the influences for the romance here, and it really does show. There is a predestined certainty to their love that never stops you from rooting for them to succeed against all odds, and though romance is not strictly the focus of the book, it is so omnipresent, and just as important as any other element.

With Last Canto of the Dead, Older brings his Outlaw Saints duology to a heart-pounding close, creating an original-yet-familiar world for his characters that will have readers of all ages completely under its spell.

Last Canto of the Dead hits shelves on May 16, 2023. Special thank you to Disney Books for the advance copy for review purposes.

[K.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This takes place one second after the last book ends, and to put it simply, Mateo and Chela's lives become utter chaos. The island rising from the ocean may be a dream come true, but it also sank for a reason. Monsters have infested the land, and there are some other hidden secrets as well. This is especially difficult for Chela, who is as much the spirit Madrigal as she is literally the island itself. A bit confusing for any teenager, but Chela can hold her own.

This book makes quick work of separating Mateo and Chela near the beginning of the story, and I think it’s all the better for it. The narrative benefits from Chela being on the island, exploring her powers and making a new friend (my favorite character in the book, by the way). I loved seeing Chela struggle and overcome, loved living in her head, which is full of so much strength and determination. Going solo makes her ultimate success even more resounding. Mateo, on the other hand, is sent back to Little Madrigal to dig into the history of the island. It’s fun seeing him step into a leadership role, become closer with Tolo, and work through the grief and sacrifice from Ballad & Dagger. We reconnect with family and friends—and foes!—from the last book, and even though little time has passed since we last saw them, everything has changed. His time back home isn’t always easy, but it’s certainly worth it.

There is truly something special about how vivid these books are, how they are like music for your eyes. There’s a rhythm beneath the story that bubbles up to the surface in the dialog and action sequences. Both of these books are so easy to read because they push you forward with an urgency that makes you excited to turn each and every page. History and culture collide in Last Canto of the Dead, but this is as much a story about us versus them as it is about us versus ourselves. There is a political undertone that’s difficult to ignore; a conversation between Mateo and various characters about the correct way to fight for your rights, to forgive those who wronged you, to pave a path for the generation to come.

The story comes to a resounding crescendo that shakes the very earth of the island as the past and the present collide. I know this is the last we’ll see of the Outlaw Saints series, but with a world so full of life, I hope that one day Daniel José Older will treat us to a new song as sweet and symphonious as this one.

[Jason · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Disney Publishing Worldwide for the review copy of this book.

This dad read Last Canto of the Dead, the second novel in the Outlaw Saints series by Daniel José Older. We jump right back into the story of Mateo and Chela, a pair of teenagers-turned-gods that must fight for their love and the salvation of their native island, San Madrigal. What book one, Ballad & Dagger, had going for it was a unique take on the YA/fantasy genre. With its rich culture filled with music, language, and magic, I was delighted to jump into a world that felt ready for adventure. Did Last Canto of the Dead live up to my expectations? Let’s dig in.

Last Canto of the Dead sets up an intriguing second chapter for the Outlaw Saints. Mateo and Chela are not just teenagers in love but they’re now the embodiment of literal gods. With San Madrigal back on the map and a number of new threats on the horizon (including one that would make it near impossible for the duo to stay together), Canto primes readers for an epic experience. The story that unfolds ends up being unnecessarily intricate, a narrative that occasionally stumbles and ultimately left me unsatisfied.

At the very least I was expecting things that I always enjoy about Older’s writing: humor, humanity, and heart. While those three elements are definitely present in Last Canto of the Dead, they got lost amongst fight scenes, exposition, and a plot that never quite got off the ground. By the end of the novel I found myself confused at what exactly the stakes were for our heroes. I think that broadening the scope of the story actually hurt the novel in the long run. I can see what Older is doing here, blending fantasy, romance, and lore, but I think a smaller, more tightly focused plot revolving around Mateo and Chela’s relationship would have left me more satisfied.

Ultimately, Last Canto of the Dead is a stew with too many ingredients, resulting in an edible meal that won’t leave you asking for seconds. Hyperbole aside, this book left me wanting more; Older’s skill and personality definitely shine through and if you’re a fan of his writing and enjoyed book one I’d say give it a shot.

[Kaitlyn Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to give Last Canto of the Dead 5 stars because I was pulled in from the beginning and didn’t want to stop reading until the end. I loved the conclusion to Mateo and Chela’s story! It’s filled with action, adventure, love, demons, family, and friends, all while being centred around two teenagers in love who are also gods in human form and a pirate community!
I loved getting Chela’s POV in addition to Mateo’s in this book. Not only is it necessary for the plot, they are thousands of miles apart, I also really enjoyed learning more about her and seeing her grow. Chela was always a badass but I love seeing her figure out who she really is and accepting all the parts of herself.
Chela being on their risen again home island and trying to figure out the war happening there doesn’t take away from Mateo returning home to find answers and finding the police rounding their people up. He has plenty of adventure and schemes to do. I also love his growth from the first book! He’s much more confident now and his willingness to fight for family and friends is amazing.
There are some new characters that I love, and some that I do not like at all. Plus there’s all the amazing returning characters that I love. I have to say Tolo is my favourite just because I love his gangster ways!
Last year I got the first book in one of my OwlCrate boxes and I’m very glad that I was introduced to this duology and decided to get the second book! I love the writing, world, characters, and plot!!

[Georgina Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last Canto of the Dead is the wonderfully explosive second book of the Outlaw Saints series by Daniel Jose Older. This book really kept up the momentum of the first book with all the action and adventure that came with San Madrigal, but takes the conflict and adventure from their Brooklyn home in Little San Madrigal to the newly risen island of San Madrigal. Chela and Mateo are in for the battle of their lives and the precious island as they rally themselves to deal with what it means to be spirits incarnate, fight off evil plots, internal conflict & being in love in this brilliant, but messy state of their lives. There was a lot to keep up with in the story so I can see how some of it might confuse readers a bit, but I strongly recommend reading these in order. You won't understand the context without the first book. For those returning to the series, strap in for a great ride. I highly recommend it for ages 15+. It's a 5/5 for me. Thank you so much to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this wonderful arc and a chance to relive the magic of San Madrigal again.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving a 4-Star review to Last Canto of the Dead has broken my nearly month-long streak of 5-Star reviews. This is the 2nd and final book in Daniel Jose Older's Outlaw Saints duology. You may recall that I also gave 4 stars to the 1st book, Ballad and Dagger, when I read it last year. In certain ways, the sequel was an improvement upon the original book. Ballad and Dagger was told entirely from the POV of Mateo Matisse. Last Canto of the Dead is told from the POV's of both Mateo and Chela Hidalgo-sometimes switching perspectives within the same chapters. This mostly happened at the very beginning and very end of the book. The rest of the book is a chapter-by-chapter switch, more or less. And I don't really mind dueling perspectives. But the way it's used here took a little getting used to, which influenced my rating. Still, though, Last Canto of the Dead was satisfying conclusion to this series.

[Rubi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got a lil weird

I think I liked book 1 a bit more, minus the romance. The romance went up a notch, or 10 notches lol Really cute.
But thinks got a lil weird and dramatic. Mateo and Chela were seperated for a good chunk of the book and while apart I felt Mateo did most of the work. Chela kept annoying me by keeping things from him. She would be like "I need but....I can't talk to you." "i don't know how to say it..." "I can't explain...." Like, girl....TRY 😒 Then she'd whine about "Mateo, don't pull away!" Ugh
Luckily for her, Mateo was head of heels for her and would do literally ANYTHING for her haha
Then we had Mateo's father acting a fool and making Mateo's life harder. The villain's son was causing chaos and acting like Mateo was at fault for HIS bad life 😑 And....the author even threw in ZOMBIES 🧟‍♂️🧟‍♀️
It was just all over the place. Not bad but....just a bit chaotic and dramatic for my taste. Had a good ending though 👍👍

[Trisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mateo and Chela are not just teens in love but they are also gods, the gods of creation, healing and destruction and they are fighting to not just save the world most people know, Brooklyn, but also their mythical world, San Madrigal. They have both lost so much but must find their way through to save what they do have left.
This is the sequel to Ballad and Dagger, and has so much action and suspense packed into it I can’t believe the book still shuts. I am not sure if it seemed a bit slow at times because I haven’t read the first book or there was just so much detail. But in all it was a good book and I would like to go read the first now.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mateo and Chela are where we left them in book one. They’ve just reached the island of San Madrigal and are about to go exploring. There are multitudes of secrets and many foes to confront. At one point the pair split up and Mateo heads back home to Brooklyn. His parents have returned, and his father seems to be siding with the Pirates. Then there is a shift in power and the police who have not had jurisdiction within their community are suddenly hunting Mateo and his friends and family. Along with the adventure and romance, comes subtle current social commentary. last Canto of the Dead is a fun, action packed adventure story.

[Gina Malanga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 of this duology jumps right into the action on San Madrigal as Mateo and Chela fight to be together and keep their newly raised island afloat. That is proving to be difficult with Mateo’s evil uncle and his terrible beings trying to defeat them at every turn. This is a book about finding your roots, holding onto what they are and confronting the uncomfortable parts of that because all of it makes us who we are! There is love her: between Chela and Mateo, for their island, for their friends and family and for who they know they can be. A great duology!

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Last of the Dead picks up right where Ballad & Dagger left of. It jumps right back into the thrilling world of magic, gods and love. Mateo and Chela are thrust into battles that forces then apart. As the two teens are actually gods in disguise they must find a way to save everyone from their enemies. Mateo and Chela must find their way back together while saving everyone in the process. I
really enjoyed this installment of the Ballad & Dagger but I did have to go back to the first to refresh on some of the world building,

[Megan Chasteen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and DisneyBooks for this free digital copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out now!

Last Canto of the Dead is the sequel to last year's Ballad & Dagger, and it picks up immediately from where that first story leaves off. I loved Mateo and Chela and was so glad to be back with them and their world. Sequels are always hard for me to talk about because I worry about spoilers, but like the first one, I found this to be stunning. Older has created a world that feels so familiar yet also so unique. His prose is lyrical and rhythmic and powerful.

Last Canto has BIPOC Jewish rep, LGBTQ+ rep, and really plays with the concept of questioning who writes your history...and whose history they leave out while doing so. The story goes back and forth between Chela and Mateo as they soon have to separate and you are with each as they grapple with who they are in the present, and the spirits they have always been throughout time. I also love how much Spanish is weaved throughout the text.

My only issue was not with the book at all--I went back and forth between the digital ebook and the audiobook, and I found myself getting pretty confused in some parts with the audiobook. Personally, I think this was a me problem, because the narrator (Lee Osorio) is amazing. I will definitely be purchasing these books so I can reread!

[Nathan Dehoff · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second books in the Outlaw Saints duology alternates between Mateo, who's dealing with divisions in the Brooklyn community and issues with his parents, and Chela, who's on the just-restored San Madrigal fighting monsters with the hunter Odé Kan. We learn more about the history of the community, and of the gods who have incarnated as Mateo and Chela. The characters deal with the aftermath of the last story, and reconcile with each other. Really, the premise is rather complicated, perhaps a little too much at times, but I liked it. And it's very distrustful of imperialism and the police.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and was so confused. Older drops the reader right into the action which confused me a little because of the gap between reading the first and this one I quickly remembered and became invested only to have the characters go from an intimate moment to being completely separated. Eventually I was able to figure things out even though I somehow felt fully invested. this narrative does not have clear edges or a defined magic system which I do not prefer but also did not mind. I still do not one hundred percent know how I feel about this one.

[Kristen (belles_bookshelves) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"This is history - it's already been written."

Literally had completely forgotten that I never finished this duology and now I'm disappointed in myself.

It has Aru Shah and the End of Time vibes, which I guess tracks since they're both along the lines of The Lightning Thief. I'll never get enough mythology retellings.

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mateo and Chela (Galanika and Oklana and Madrigal) raise the island of San Madrigal from the ocean and are immediately faced with more problems. Somehow Mateo's ancestor Archibaldo and Tolo's mother Mimi survived the island's sinking. Mateo and Chela must delve deep into the island's (and their) history to save the island. This one sort of drug on a little too much for me until the last quarter. #LastCantooftheDead #NetGalley

[kayu99 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I preferred the first book, but this is a solid continuation. I don't necessarily like the trope of "one character conceals vital information because they are afraid to tell the other," and in this case, it seemed to resolve itself too easily. The ending also felt slightly rushed and like everything just happened. I did like the expansion of the worldbuilding and also getting to meet Mateo's parents. This is a good duology that feels immersive and is a nice escape.

[CJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

After the first one I was looking forward to this sequel and loving it as much as I did the first but this book was such a disappointment. Switching back and forth took me too much out of the story. It felt like Chela became watered down and the book focused too much in their love than anything. The battle that the first book set up only happens in like the last 30 pages or so and there were times it felt like things happened and the author forgot about it or didn't explain it at all.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this eARC via netgalley. I enjoyed this, though there was a lot going on. I also wish I had been able to get into it faster. The 3 stars is partly for that, and partly that I was confused for a good portion of the book until the end. Which, granted, was how Chela and Mateo were feeling, too lol. I don't regret reading this, it just definitely was average for me!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second book of a duology that follows a pair of teens from a fictional community in Brooklyn made up of santeros, sefardi Jews and pirates. The culture continues to be fascinating, and this book ups the tension level as police come in from outside and only cause trouble. It also involves exploring personal abilities and relationships. A solid conclusion to this duology.

[KA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very disjointed, jagged storytelling, and flat characters. The characters actually feel like they lost depth since the first book. Kind of a slog to read; I actually wish I'd stopped after the first novel.

[Kevin Sells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing. Lyrical.

An enchanting story that's unputdownable. Definitely leaves an emptiness when its over. The dialogue is crisp and snappy. The plotlines twist and turn and tumble in the most intriguing and delightful ways. Highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this DRC.
Although I found this book very interesting, I did find myself not paying attention. Something about it was a little slow or a little too long in parts.


#LastCantooftheDead #NetGalley

[Debra Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a little slow in the beginning but totally worth the wait. This duology as a whole is wonderful! A unique combination of music, culture, romance and adventure! I really enjoyed it and hope to read something else from Daniel soon!