Dawn of the Jaguar is an action-packed finale to the ‘Shadow Bruja’ series by author J.C. Cervantes. In the final novel of the series Ren Santiago is looking to stop the evil Aztec Lords of the Night once and for all, and hopefully restore her life to some form of normalcy.
Having died in the first book, Ren makes a deal with Ixtab to escape the underworld and in exchange will gift the goddess of the underworld the jade crown. When she returns to the land of the living, Ren has only a handful of days to stop the Lords of the Night, find the crown, make amends with her friend the god of death Ah-Puch, and save herself from an early demise.
On her quest to save herself, Ren learns that she is more than what she thought she was. It turns out that Renata Santiago has the power of the jaguar inside of her. The only question is if Ren can harness this new ability to save herself.
The Rick Riordan Presents Imprint at Disney Books has provided a wealth of stories from diverse authors across the globe. From Maya to Hmong, readers of these Middle Grade novels will be exposed to a treasure of tales that paint a more global picture of readers and the cultures that make up the planet.
In Cervantes’ ‘Shadow Bruja’ novels, we get to follow a side character like Ren and see her story realized. While I was thrilled with the Storm Runner trilogy of epic battles and clashes that Zane Obispo deals with, Ren Santiago’s story takes a different form.
Cervantes could have duplicated her success with the second series by taking much of her outline in the original works and placing her new characters into the same situations. Rather, Cervantes has charted a unique and separate story with this nuanced and personal story of Ren finding her way in life, and in the underworld.
Not only are the ‘Shadow Bruja’ stories more personal, but it is the relationships that Ren has, and her belief in the best of everyone that makes this book so compelling.
I feel like I know this character on a human level. Cervantes’ gift with the story, and the blending of mythology into this fast paced coming of age story show what a talented writer she is. While Dawn of the Jaguar is a complex narrative of one girl, it’s Cervantes’ skill with words that turns one of the most fearsome characters, the Maya god of death, Ah-Puch, into a likable hero.
He has a complicated legacy from ‘The Storm Runner’ series, but Ah-Puch, or AP, is one of the best supporting characters in any book I have read in the last few years. I never thought I would connect with the feelings of a supposedly fearsome being like AP, but this connection that I felt with the god of death is a result of witnessing the transformation in character that he has thanks to his relationship with Ren.
Knowing that even the strongest most fearsome beings can be humanized once they have a friendship that is meaningful and loving, of course AP would have a change in heart, manner, and outlook. Ren is the tipping point for AP because she is the one who has always shown care and interest in him. Seeing how that relationship has impacted him, and helped AP grow, is why I really like him. Would it be too much to ask for a solo AP book?
Overall, Dawn of the Jaguar is a story of strength, growth in character, and a willingness to trust others when they tell you to trust them. This is a story about a character that could have been remembered as an excellent secondary character from a previous book series, but thanks to the skill and talent of author J.C. Cervantes, readers get a fresh perspective of a world they know and love.
While we have seen dubious choices made by godly figures in other famous novels, Dawn of the Jaguar is an excellent story that reminds readers that everyone has the power within themself to change their own life. The question is will you access that ability or keep it hidden away because of a fear of failure.
Cervantes presents readers with a character that is thoughtful, strong in mind and spirit, and a kind considerate person that even the god of death would change for because of the love that she emits. Who wouldn’t want to be friends with Ren Santiago.
Dawn of the Jaguar is on sale starting Tuesday, October 10.