Hello myth chasers and mythomaniacs!
It’s book review time again, and I’m really excited to share my thoughts on Charlie Hernández and the League of Shadows (Charlie Hernández #1) by Ryan Calejo.
This is more of a mythology-based fantasy, so if that’s your cup of tea, keep on reading to see how this read went. On to the review!
Blurb
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.
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The Review
Holy frijoles, this book was a lot of fun!
In this series starter we follow young Charlie Hernandez. His life has been a wreck for the past couple of months. His parents disappeared, and he’s experiencing some bizarre physical manifestations. But as this and other strange events take place, he is swept into a mythological world under the surface of his reality on a journey to find his parents and understand what is happening to him.
I’ve got to say, I loved all of the mythology in this book. I’ve never looked much into Latinx mythology, but there is so much there! It made this novel extremely interesting, and I couldn’t wait to see what strange beings lurked behind each corner. At times I did get a little confused with the abundance of characters and who was who, but that didn’t happen too often.
This book moved at a nice quick pace and didn’t let up for a second. I loved the system of good versus evil that was introduced, and there was a lot of magic and mystery packed in along with some slightly darker elements.
Charlie was a great MC to follow around. He’s curious and has a kind heart that won me over right away. His personal journey led him to self acceptance, which is a great theme younger readers can learn from. There were also some themes on bullying, friendship, and doing the right thing, which all felt authentic and real.
What else can I say? If you’re looking for a mythological fantasy adventure with heart, you can’t go wrong with this one!
That’s A Wrap!
Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!
Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!
Have a great day!
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