Race to the Sun is my third book from Rick Riordan Presents and I can now say that it is an imprint that I completely trust. And on top that, I read three of Roanhorse’s books this year and they were all stellar. Combine the two and you’ve got the makings of a very good book!

Nizhoni (Z) Begay is a Native American young woman who sticks out a bit, but not always in a good way. Like the time she called for the last shot in the basketball game… but instead of being the hero, she’s distracted by a monster in the stands (who only she can see) and takes a pass off the nose. The other team took her face-rebound and took it to the other end of the court for the win. Pretty soon Nizhoni, her good friend Davery, and Z’s brother Mac figure what out what the monster’s goals are and how they’re connected to her family.

With the help of small horned toad, Nizhoni is able to truly see the power of her gifts. Oh, and those of her brother… They are the Hero Twins of Navajo legend. And Davery? He’s just super duper smart. The three are instructed to go off on a quest to find ancient artifacts they can trade for the weapons that will help them defeat their foes.

The first three chapters of this book got me so into this story. Nizhoni’s character is developed so quickly with the story of the basketball game and then when the magic drops in the subsequent chapters, the book just takes off. Roanhorse does such a great job blending the 20th century teens with the Navajo mythology and the great setting of Albuquerque and its surroundings. I was taken in immediately… great flying birds, a lightning sword, and plenty of action.

I would highly recommend this book to middle-grade readers and up. The themes of family loyalty, racism, and the power of myth. I will definitely continue to read Riordan’s imprint which is full of quality YA own-voices fantasy.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Rick Riordan Presents, and the author for an advanced copy for review.

I am especially thankful that I received the e-ARC for this book from the author, publisher, and NetGalley during finals week. For a little bit of context, I am a second-year graduate student, and I taught freshmen composition courses for the first time this semester. As I closed the semester, I really struggled with impostor syndrome and feared that I had let my students down. I am very happy to say that the time I spent with Nizhoni on her journey, along with my students' strong final essays, was just what I needed in my moment of darkness. I won't spoil anything about the story, but I will say that I felt inspired to be my best self after finishing this book. I also loved how Roanhorse incorporated traditional Navajo stories in a topical narrative filled to the brim with hope for the future and the utmost respect for the past. All in all, I look forward to sharing this book with my future kids and hope that they treasure it as much as I do.

Score: 3.7 Stars.

This is the first book I read from Rick Riordan Presents and I loved it!

The objective behind this book hooked me from the beginning. The fact that this book was made to provide more representation to other ethnic and cultural groups in the United States, in this case, Race to the Sun is about the Navajos.

I should start by saying that this is a middle-grade book, which I think is perfectly appropiate, since I think that the younger readers are the ones that would completely enjoy this story. I feel this is the kind of books I would read to my kids!
Since the beginning the story hooked me. Our main character is Zhijoni, a Navajo teenager that lives with her dad and her brother. She has always wanted to be special and recognized for any talent, but she has always failed on that goal. The hook of the story is that she can perceive monsters and her family don't believe in her.

I personally liked all the characters, except for Mac (Zhijoni's brother), he was annoying 90% of the time.

I recommend this novel since it's a book that can be read easily and fast! In one or two weeks you can finish this book.

Having enjoyed Rebecca Roanhorse’s adult fiction, I was delighted to get ahold of Race to the Sun, part of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. This #ownvoices story does not disappoint, transporting us into the folklore of the Diné, or Navajo, fleshing out myth with memorable characters, a fast-paced storyline and witty dialogue.

Like Percy Jackson – Nizhoni Begay is a hero with her own personal struggles. She is less skilled at basketball than she would like to be, her mother’s leaving of the family has deeply hurt her, and her dad’s long work hours are tiresome. Her journey is as much about embracing her flawed self as hero as it is about saving the world, and her father from the clutches of evil.

The issue of fracking is raised (with the Evil Monster disguised as the business owner of an oil and gas company) but does not get explored in much detail, and it seems like an opportunity missed to explore the concept and its’ environmental and social impact with young readers.

Overall, Race to the Sun is a fantastic middle-grade read, exploring themes of family, friendship and self-discovery in an enjoyable, memorable story.

I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Nizhoni Begay is having a tough time in seventh grade, her old normal school she was different for being Navajo. Her new reservation school she is different for being different. Than when her dad brings home his new boss, Mr. Charles, Nizhoni see that he is a monster something only she and her brother know she can do. But when Nizhoni sneaks home the next day to get her forgotten lunch she see Mr. Charles and his henchman kidnapping her dad, that is when Nizoni, her brother and her best and smartest friend Davery decide to go after him by way of their Navajo ancestors.

This is such a good book, especially if you like hearing different lore, this book is Native American Indian lore, and if you read carefully you can catch several different stories in there. I love these diverse, woke books we need many more of them or the stories will die as you hear Nizhoni talk about. We can all be keepers of the stories we just need to listen first, and hopefully you do to this book as it has a lot to teach us all.


This review will appear on my blog Jan 14th

I really wanted to love this book. I do think the storytelling is pretty good. There's humor, drama, adventure, all the things we've come to expect from a book connected to Rick Riordan. And I was really, really excited to see a book about a modern Navajo kid. However, after reading articles about the stories and characters used in this book, I am not comfortable having this book in my library. I am not Navajo and don't feel qualified to evaluate this book for appropriateness. Perhaps in time I will be convinced that it's fine. Until then, I will hold off on ordering it for my library.

Nizhoni Begay is a normal seventh grader in many respects, minus the thing where she can see monsters. One day, she gets home from school to see a monster in her kitchen masquerading as her dad's potential boss. Sure enough, the boss-monster kidnaps her dad, and Nizhoni, her brother Max and their best friend Davery take off on a race to the House of the Sun to find weapons they can use to defeat the boss-monster and save Nizhoni's dad.

I really liked this one! All of Rick Riordan's books and the books on his imprint have something of a sameness to them, but that's not necessarily a bad thing (I'd compare it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe). You know you're going to get a snarky teenager narrating an epic quest to save the world where they'll be attacked non-stop by monsters from some sort of mythology. That's what you get here, but its the Navajo edition. I liked it a lot - I think it helps when the mythology being referenced originated more or less in your backyard, and as a Coloradan, it was a lot of fun to read. Plus, the mythology itself is just cool - Black Jet Girl, Spider Woman, and Crystal Rock Boy were particularly fun.

For readers who like mythology, action, adventure and snarky main characters. I really enjoyed this one, and will add this series to the list of books I listen to while I run! 4 stars - I really liked it.

Thanks to Disney-Hyperion and Netgalley for the eARC, which I received in exchanged for an unbiased review. Race to the Sun will be released on 14 January, but you can put your copy on hold today!

Having read Ms. Roanhorse’s YA books, and loving them, I was sure that this one was going to be equally awesome. I was not disappointed. This book has in fact jumped to my number one best Middle grade book of the year. This book has a lot of heart and I just love how she weaves the Navajo mythology so seamlessly throughout the book.

Nizhoni is such a great character, so full of spunk and fiercely loyal to her family and friends. I also liked that she was somewhat awkward and clumsy like most kids that age. And even though she respected her heritage she didn’t think that it was important to her life until things really start to happen. Then she has to work to remember what she has learned and put it to use. Her abilities were equally awesome and pretty badass for a tween. Nizhoni is a little bit of a rebel, but she really works hard to do what is right as well.

I loved her little brother Mac. His power to control water is pretty awesome and useful too. Mac was also somewhat clueless most of the time but when he goes into action, watch out. He was also brave when he needed to be. Even though he and Nizhoni bickered quite a bit, you could tell that the love was there underneath.

Davery was a great addition to this story. He is biracial, and a total nerd. He loved to read and his superpower was the ability to find the answer to anything. It really wasn’t a power, but it certainly seemed so when he would come up with the answers to things. He and Nizhoni were great friends who always had each others backs.

The plot was most excellent. Riveting, exciting, fast paced and hard to put down. As I already mentioned the mythology is so finely woven into the story that it makes it move along that much smoother. No info dumping or stops for explanations. The trials that Nizhoni has to go through to get to the House of the Sun were very modern and amusing. The quirky characters that were the Holy people were also delightful to read and often made me smile.

I have only read a couple of these Rick Riordan Presents books, but this one is my absolute favorite so far. My only disappointment is that it appears to be a standalone. I certainly hope not. I would love to see more books with this trio and their adventures.

Loved this new title from Rick Riordan Presents! Definitely one of my favorites so far. Nizhoni is the spunky, funny heroine I would've loved as a 7th grader and there is so much to love in this story from the strong familial relationships and friendships to the action packed plot and woven in mythology. An absolute joy to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the title!

Rebecca Roanhouse knocks this one out of the park early on – Nizhoni and her colourful supporting cast are wonderfully brought to life. For a middle grade adventure story to be this good is unexpected, but appreciated.

Setting and Plot: I’ve never been to New Mexico, but Roanhouse paints it and the culture with excellent audiovisual descriptors. The story itself draws from Dine beliefs and the characters are on a ‘hero’s journey’ type story to rescue their father (/best friend’s father). While not entirely an original adventure story, the perspective is new. Our leads (Nizhoni, her brother, Davery) are all indigenous leads.

Final Thoughts:
As a reader of Metis heritage, Rebecca Roanhouse has been on my radar for a while now as an interesting voice of indigenous heritage. Unfortunately, up to this point, I have not actually read any of her titles, however, now I think I may make Trail of Lightning a priority.

9/10

Recommended Grade lvl : 3-8

I have been looooving the diversity with all these incredible Rick Riordan Presents stories, and this one did no disappoint! It is such an amazing story for young readers who don't often get to see themselves represented in literature. I really loved the inclusion of all the different Navajo myths and stories. Nizhoni was a really great protagonist and I loved her relationship with her brother Mac and her friendship with Davery. I loved how the three of them went on the quest together and saved everyone <3

The Rick Riordan presents series continues to publish excellent books based on world mythology. Race to the Sun is no exception. I loved following 7th grade Nizhoni, her younger brother Mac and her best friend, Davery as their modern world intersects with their Navajo (or more properly, Dine) culture. One small note that detracts from the story is the rather awkward weaving in of issues around the environment and fracking. Important topics, but they weren't developed enough to feel integral to the story. However, this is a minor complaint. Plenty of action combined with depth of character development makes this highly recommended for middle grade readers.
Review based on an ARC received through NetGalley.

Nizhoni Begay struggles a bit. She manages to embarrass herself on the basketball court, watches out for her younger brother Mac because her mother left several years previously, and has to deal with her father's long work hours. When he is approached by Mr. Charles, who wants him to relocate the family to Tulsa, Nizhoni is concerned about moving but also because Mr. Charles is a monster! A statue of a toad, Mr. Yazzie, that she has in her room comes to life and reinforces this information, and is very helpful. Her father doesn't believe that Mr. Charles wants to kill her because she can see monsters, so when she and her brother are called to the office at school, Nizhoni decides to run away, getting help from her best friend Davery (who helpfully has a credit card!). Mr. Yazzie sends them off to try to find Spider woman, who can help get their father back from Mr. Charles. In order to request a map from her, there is a quest to get four jewels from the Four Sacred Mountains, as described in a song that a Diné Holy Person has given them. When they finally meet the Spider Woman, she tells them that a map is not needed, but Nizhoni still needs to travel the path to the sun in order to free her father. Along the way, there are trials and tribulations, she briefly loses both Mac and Davery, and she finds someone from her past who is able to help. In the end, will her skills and powers as a Hero Twin be enough to send Mr. Charles and his monsters back and keep the world safe?

Strengths: This was much easier to follow than most fantasy books, and had a lot of action and adventure. The inclusion of Navajo mythology was well done, and Riordan's note that "mythology" means tales of gods and goddesses and does NOT necessarily mean false or untrue stories was very helpful. Nizhoni learns more about her culture from a variety of sources, embraces her role as a hero, and undertakes her quest with good humor. This was definitely one of the better books from this imprint; not a surprise, given the author's award winning background.
Weaknesses: I could have done without Nizhoni's problems in school; they didn't really add much to the story and felt as if they were included because all middle grade novels now must included problems.
What I really think: Definitely purchasing, but I wish that the Rick Riordan Presents books would be stand alones and not series. If they are series, it would be nice to have trilogies. I spend a lot of money on later books in a series that very few students read. I can't imagine they sell terribly well.

Due to her mother's abandonment and her father's absenteeism, Nizhoni wants more than anything to be popular and famous. Unfortunately, her one great talent is not something she can show off around school: Nizhoni sees monsters just like those in her grandmother's stories. The newest monster is her father's new boss, and not just because he keeps fracking on tribal lands. In order to save her dad, Nizhoni, her little brother Mac, and her genius friend Davery will have to go on an epic quest. She might have help from legendary Navajo figures, but Nizhoni must find her own path to heroism. Another fun, fast-paced adventure Rick Riordan Presents novel.

What a fun adventure! Great cast of characters, each with her/his own individual and endearing traits (uh, excluding Mr. Charles and his band of monsters, of course - not endearing at all. ug. ;) ).. I read Race to the Sun with my 12-year-old daughter and we had a great time with it. My daughter especially liked the colorful characters, exciting story line, and entertaining dialogue. We laughed and acted out scenes from the book, complete with Nizhoni facial expressions and Mr. Yazzie hand signals (do horned toads even have hands?). Lots of action, fun-filled witty dialogue and clever exchanges, scary and perilous challenges, loads of Navajo mythology, and a large portion of personal growth on the part of Nizhoni. We can both highly recommend this wonderful adventure to kids and adults alike!

My daughter had one critique/worry: She'd like to know what happened to the kids (with ancestral powers) that Mr. Charles had previously kidnapped to work for him -- she was concerned about them and hoped that they would be rescued and perhaps also brought to the reservation. Perhaps this issue could be addressed, even in a single sentence, before the final version is published.

I adored this book! There aren't nearly enough books like it on the market, and if you like your heroes flawed but brave, your adventures fast-paced and well timed, and your mythology truly an original take, look no further than this gem of a book!

Another incredible addition to the Rick riordan presents series.

Rebecca roanhorse wrote an amazing novel that people from all ages will enjoy.
The world she created is anything but ordinary and I can’t wait to read more from her.

I received an arc from netgalley.

I actually really liked this one! It was action packed, while still teaching you about some of the Navajo stories. Kids who liked other books published by Rick Riordan will love these!

Seventh-grader Nizhoni Begay strives to carve out space where she can shine. She thought by going to an All Native school that she would finally find a place where she fit in. Sadly, this was not the case. One awful night, she notices that her dad’s new boss is not what he seems. Nizhoni must go on a heroic adventure to save the world. Through this journey, Nizhoni learns that she is important to her Navajo people and has a vital role to play.

I loved this story and cannot wait to pick up a copy for our family collection. If you like adventure, mythology, and stories about self-discovery than you will love Race to the Sun.

Race to the Sun is a wonderful addition to the world of mythology! As someone who grew up on similar stories based on Navajo culture I was delighted to be given the opportunity to read this book. The vivid imagery made me long for the landscape that is just as diverse as this book portrays it. The characters are what bring everything together in a masterful piece.