The Hero Twins and the Magic of Song - David Bowles - ★★★.½
AUTHOR: David Bowles
ILLUSTRATOR: Charlene Bowles
SERIES: Tales of the Feathered Serpent, #2
GENRE: Middle-Grade Graphic Novel
PUBLICATION DATE: October 29, 2024
RATING: 3.5 stars.
In a Nutshell: The second standalone graphic novel in this series focussed on bringing Meso-American legends to middle-graders. Interesting story, but unlike in the first novel, the plot is not complete this time and goes much darker. Might be better suited to slightly older readers.
Plot Preview:
Long back when the gods walked the earth, One Hunahpu and his brother, both fun-loving demigods, wander into Xibalba, the Land of the Dead. When they fail to return to the overworld, their mother raises her firstborn’s twin sons.
Down below, One Hunahpu, in his new form, meets the young Lady Blood, daughter of two of the rulers of Xibalba. Their interactions lead to her pregnancy, and he asks her to move to the overworld where his mother could help her in taking care of her new grandsons. However, life above doesn’t exactly flow smoothly. How do One Hunahpu’s two sets of twins fulfil their destiny while adjusting to each other? Can they bring their father and their uncle back from the Land of the Dead?
This book is the second standalone title in the ‘Tales of the Feathered Serpent series’, which is a planned set of ten middle-grade graphic novels taking stories from the author’s nonfiction book, ‘Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky: Myths of Mexico’ and adapting them for younger readers. I had read the first book, ‘Rise of the Halfling King’, just some days ago and enjoyed it a lot. My experience with this second book was a bit more mixed, but definitely not bad.
The biggest pro of this book is that it focusses on Mesoamerican myths – something that most people in the world, whether middle-grade or older, are unaware of. It is a treat to read new mythical stories than to see the same old tales from Greek or Norse mythology being recycled and retold. The Mesoamerican world feels fresh in comparison. As the terms and the names are new, the book begins with a helpful and comprehensive Dramatis Personae that makes it easy to understand the interconnections of the characters.
The storytelling is simple and straightforward, with no needless frills or subplots. There are some fun moments and some magical events and a few interesting creatures. It is interesting to see three pairs of brothers in the story, with the two prominent pairs being twins. Their sibling connection comes out well, though not necessarily in a positive way. The plot also highlights the importance of duty and of prioritising work first over play.
Unlike the first book, which seemed to be suited well to the target reader age, this story is darker and more complicated. There are quite a few characters but not enough depth to most of them. Considering how the overall book is just 80 pages long, we get just a brief insight into each person, which is not enough to know why they behave the way they do. As the characters are really fascinating, it would have been great to learn more about them.
Moreover, the themes are distinctly adult this time. Death, parental abandonment, premarital pregnancy (not through sexual intercourse but via a strange exchange of something 🤐), childbirth – the story goes into territory that isn’t at all common in middle-grade fiction. Though the topics are handled well without getting graphic, they might still be overwhelming to the younger readers of that age group.
I am a bit disappointed to see that the main story arc isn’t complete this time around. Though the ending isn’t strictly a cliffhanger, it leaves a key plot point pending for the next novel, which will come out in 2025. (Goes without saying that I will read it!)
The illustrations are great. The artist does a wonderful job with the characters, keeping them distinct enough for us to remember such a huge cast. I especially loved the indigenous outfits, accessories, and body art. The graphics use simple colour blocks, making sure that the attention stays on the story.
All in all, the book is definitely interesting with its unique focus on an unknown mythology. I just wish the character development had been more detailed and that the story had been complete.
Recommended. This might be a bit too dark and complex for younger middle graders, but it could work better for teen readers (11-15 years.) Do take a look at the content details mentioned above and take an appropriate call for your wards.
My thanks to Hear Our Voices Book Tours, Lee & Low Books, and Cinco Punto Press for a complimentary copy of 'The Hero Twins and the Magic of Song' via Edelweiss+, and for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
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Blurb:
A series of middle-grade graphic novels retelling Indigenous Mexican tales, adapted from David Bowles's Feathered Serpent, Dark Heart of Sky, a translation of essential pre-Columbian stories from Mesoamerica.
In the age of Maya demigods, two carefree brothers are called to Xibalba, Land of the Dead. When they fail to return to the sea-ringed world above, One Hunahpu's firstborn sons are raised by their grandmother. Below, in Xibalba, One Hunahpu meets the rebellious Lady Blood, and their love leads to twin sons, destined to restore balance to the cosmos--though they might need some trickster magic to survive the cruelty of their older half-brothers!
Adapted from author David Bowles's retellings and translations of essential pre-Columbian texts like the Popol Vuh, the Tales of the Feathered Serpent series bring Indigenous Mesoamerican stories alive for young readers!
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Author David Bowles:
David Bowles is a Mexican American author and translator from south Texas. He has written several award-winning titles, most notably THEY CALL ME GÜERO and MY TWO BORDER TOWNS
His work has also been published in multiple anthologies, plus venues such as The New York Times, Strange Horizons, School Library Journal, Rattle, Translation Review, and the Journal of Children’s Literature.
Additionally, David has worked on several TV/film projects. In 2019, he co-founded the hashtag and activist movement #DignidadLiteraria, which has negotiated greater Latinx representation in publishing. He is presently the president of the Texas Institute of Letters and the co-publisher of Chispa Comics.
Connect with him on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidOBowles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidobowles/
Website: https://davidbowles.us/
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Check out this book:
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This has been a stop on the #TheHeroTwinsAndTheMagicOfSong blog tour conducted by Hear Our Voices Tours. (@hearourvoicestours) Thanks for stopping by!
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