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A review by carlyoc
Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Not as good as the Shadowshapre series but I love the Sephardic Jewish rep! That's not a culture I see in media often, especially fantasy children's fiction. Older sprinkles Spanish, Ladino (the spanish-sounding language of the Jews of the Iberian peninsula), and Lucumí (an African-derived language used by practitioners of Santeria) throughout the novel, which made my linguist brain happy.
The protagonist Matteo has crippling social anxiety and a sparky but immature inner monologuing that i think would appeal more to middle grade readers than even adults who love YA like myself.
He feels like an outsider in his own community, which is a group living in Brooklyn, New York after being displaced from their magical Atlantic Island San Madrigal when it sunk beneath the waves when Matteo was a baby.
The San Madrigal community is composed of a mix of pirates, Santerios, and Sephardic Jews who all found shelter their fleeing the ills of empire, capitalism, inquisition, and the slave trade.
Now, one of the pirate leaders claims to have found a way to raise the island back from under the sea. But she us hiding dark secrets and has no qualms unleashing monsters and violence on any who stand in the way of her designs.
Matteo and his teenage friends must discover the truth about their own connections to the island to ensure that the truth gets out and island is raised the right way if at all.
The protagonist Matteo has crippling social anxiety and a sparky but immature inner monologuing that i think would appeal more to middle grade readers than even adults who love YA like myself.
He feels like an outsider in his own community, which is a group living in Brooklyn, New York after being displaced from their magical Atlantic Island San Madrigal when it sunk beneath the waves when Matteo was a baby.
The San Madrigal community is composed of a mix of pirates, Santerios, and Sephardic Jews who all found shelter their fleeing the ills of empire, capitalism, inquisition, and the slave trade.
Now, one of the pirate leaders claims to have found a way to raise the island back from under the sea. But she us hiding dark secrets and has no qualms unleashing monsters and violence on any who stand in the way of her designs.
Matteo and his teenage friends must discover the truth about their own connections to the island to ensure that the truth gets out and island is raised the right way if at all.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Injury/Injury detail