A Fire Among Clouds: Codex Black
| Renaissance |
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 A Fire Among Clouds: Codex Black
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American History > Renaissance > Indigenous American History
Navigate through monsters, mysteries, and the will of the gods with two young extraordinary adventurers in fifteenth-century Mesoamerica as they search for a missing father.
Donají is a fearless Zapotec girl who, even though she’s only fifteen, is heralded as a hero by her village. In Codex Black, Donají sets out on an adventure--accompanied by the god that lives inside of her poncho--to find her missing father. Along the way, she meets a 17-year-old winged Mexica warrior named Itzcacalotl, and over time their temporary partnership blooms into an incredible friendship.
The search brings the young pair closer to danger and deeper into the mystery than either could have predicted. What exactly was Donají’s father involved with? And how did a simple search for a missing relative lead Donají and Itzcacalotl into a fight with a terrifying bat monster to defend an entire village?!
Emily's Review
This was so much fun and I feel like I learned so much about Mesoamerican mythology! I love reading books about mythology and mythology retellings, so this was right up my alley.
This is a story of two unexpected heroes coming together to solve a mystery. This first volume is the setup, introducing us to the characters and explaining the mystery. I found myself fully engaged with the narrative and found the characters to be really compelling and endearing. I cannot wait to see where the story goes in the next volume. I also really loved the art style, the colors are bold and bright, and the art just fits really well with the story.
The book is full of action and adventure, as our two protagonists, Donaji and Itzcacalotl travel through Mesoamerica in search of answers to the ever-growing mystery of who Donaji's father really is and what happened to him. There are monsters, a god inhabiting a poncho, and a warrior with the wings of a crow, the story is action-packed and it kept me reading to see what would happen next!
The most challenging aspect of this book for me was the names - I would have loved to have found an audiobook to pair with this just so that I could be sure I was pronouncing everything correctly, but there is a helpful guide at the back of the book.
I recommend this one for ages 12+!
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