I am thrilled to be hosting a spot
on the BALLAD & DAGGER by Daniel José Older Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out
my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Daniel José Older
Pub. Date: May 3, 2022
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 384
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org
Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Daniel José Older's music-and-magic-filled YA urban fantasy about two teens who discover each other and their powers during a political battle within a unique diaspora community.
Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the
sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New
York.
While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday
finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy
living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused
on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval.
Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party
celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews
that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.
But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the
night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a
brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.
Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans.
Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power
that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking
the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.
From the author of the award-winning Shadowshaper Cypher series comes the
first novel in the Outlaw Saints duology--a brilliant story that will transport
readers to a world where magic, myth, and gods reign over the streets of
Brooklyn.
That being said, there was a LOT I didn't know with this book. I have no familiarity with Yoruba and its culture and religion, with some aspects of Jewish culture, and the same goes with Santeria. It was really interesting to learn some new things, like about orishas and the combination of religion and history that surrounds this particular diaspora. I knew some elements from the included history, but not others. This is a great book for entertainingly learning about diaspora and colonialism's impacts, as well as how cultural history impacts a community.
The characters in this book are great. They were all distinct and fun to read about. I am really looking forward to seeing them again in the future. Chela and Matteo are amazing and I feel like there might be more secrets ahead. The musical element and the theme of secrets kept things really intriguing. I've not read many books with music as such a CORE element and given my background as a music lover (and clarinet player) -- this was one of my favorite parts of the book.
I don't have anything particularly negative to say about this book. It had intrigue, adventure, and I'm all in on this world. I'm definitely going to be reading a sequel when it comes out, I'm going to be snatching up Riordan Presents titles, and I'm absolutely going to look into more of Older's works (next will likely be his Star Wars work). I give Ballad & Dagger a Lone Star rating of ✯✯✯✯ stars. I recommend it for sure. This one won't be for everyone and I can see how the cultural elements may not flow as easily for other readers, but I definitely think it's worth a read or two and I'll be re-reading it at some point.
About Daniel José Older:
Daniel José Older is a New York Times
best-selling author and story architect. He has published fourteen novels and
numerous short stories and essays, and he is a regular comics writer for Star
Wars: The High Republic Adventures and Marvel. He won the
International Latino Book Award and has been a finalist for the Kirkus Prize,
the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the World
Fantasy Award. 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, as well as on
YouTube, @djolder on Twitter, @danieljose1 on Instagram, and @danieljoseolder
on TikTok. He and his family live in New Orleans.
Website | Twitter |
Facebook | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of BALLAD & DAGGER, US Only.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
|
5/1/2022 |
Excerpt |
|
|
5/2/2022 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
|
|
5/3/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/4/2022 |
IG Review |
|
|
5/5/2022 |
IG Review |
|
|
5/6/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/7/2022 |
IG Review |
Week Two:
|
5/8/2022 |
Review |
|
|
5/9/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/10/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/11/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/12/2022 |
IG Review/TikTok Post |
|
|
5/13/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/14/2022 |
IG Review |
Week Three:
|
5/15/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/16/2022 |
IG Review |
|
|
5/17/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/18/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/19/2022 |
Review |
|
|
5/20/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/21/2022 |
Review/IG Post/TikTok Post |
Week Four:
|
5/22/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/23/2022 |
Review |
|
|
5/24/2022 |
Review |
|
|
5/25/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/26/2022 |
Review/IG Post/TikTok Post |
|
|
5/27/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/28/2022 |
Review |
Week Five:
|
5/29/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/30/2022 |
Review/IG Post |
|
|
5/31/2022 |
Review/IG Post/TikTok Post |
Comments
Post a Comment