The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities is out now. While Rick Riordan is no stranger to short story collections, this time it includes the other authors from his Presents line of books. Ten different writers grace the 464 pages of this book. Myths from all over the world and most of the continents are represented. At first glance, it’s a bold experiment.

Rick Riordan perfected his style in his earlier Percy Jackson books. There’s a spunky hero, usually a bit sarcastic, who feels out of place among their school and family. At times, it follows the Joseph Campbell’s Hero Journey with reluctance at their calling. Along the way, the reader is either introduced or reacquainted with classic mythology. His Presents line replicates this success by finding other authors that have a similar style to write about the mythology from their specific upbringing instead of having a white guy write about Anansi. At the bookstore, Riordan’s series are available as a set with all Book Ones together. There is also a set of all Book Ones from the Presents line. Those sets can feel intimidating, but this book serves the same purpose in one volume. It makes a lot more sense for one book to introduce a variety of heroes for the reader to pursue afterwards.

Telling a short story is a skill. All these authors have published full-length books so it’s clear some forgot how to write a shorter tale or never had it. These weaker stories have pacing problems, depending too much on telling instead of showing. However, they’re very few. The majority of stories have a natural starting place and a believable flow, making one eager to start the next one.

One of the stand-out “Calamities” is Kwame Mbalia’s tale about the Gum Baby. She’s a modern retelling of the “tar baby” from the Uncle Remus stories and such a delight that Tristan Strong’s absence wasn’t felt until that last line. I’d still love an adaptation of the Strong series just to see how they would work in the jokes about "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah". Another favorite is by Tehlor Kay Meija. I admit that I’m a sucker for Chupacabra stories. They’ve been spotted in my county before. Also, Rebecca Roanhorse’s story was very memorable complete with science leading to the villain being vanquished.

New readers won’t be lost joining in on these heroes’ journeys already in progress. Current readers will love the continuation and hints towards the next book in that series. The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities is a fantastic collection of stories from myths across the globe. Every protagonist commands our attention and encouragement. Go check it out at your favorite local bookseller, online store or library!

6/8

P.S. If you’re an email subscriber for Disney Books, their current email has a deal to download the first Tristan Strong book for just 99 cents!

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My excitement at getting an ARC of Rick Riordan’s newest novel was just as exciting as when I opened the first page of Percy Jackson all those years ago! However, my excitement only continued to grow as I was about to be reunited with all the characters that I have come to love under the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint.

Having read all the books under the Rick Riordan Presents Imprint, I quickly jumped back into the worlds of the characters that I have loved reading about over the past few years. This anthology collection was the perfect little snippet into the lives of the characters that I have missed, and or it could be seen as an ideal introduction to all these wonderful characters, their adventures, and unique mythologies with some minor spoilers.

Rick Riordan’s contribution to the anthology was a first in a foray into Celtic Mythology, and the story of Demne only left me wanting more!

In fact, the entire book left me wanting more of all the characters and their stories.

I will defiantly be adding The Cursed Carnival and other Calamities to my shelf when it releases tomorrow!

I gave this book 3 stars over all. There are ten stories in this book and some received a 4 star and some a 3 star. Now for the stories and the rating I gave them.

Calamity Juice By: Carlos Hernandez. I gave this story 4 stars. I haven’t read any of his books but this story fun to read. I now want to go the other stories he wrote with these characters. The characters are able to go to other universes by just relaxing and thinking their way there. This is about them going to find a fellow classmate who was kidnaped by a rainbow unicorn.
Beware the Grove of True Love By: Roshani Chokski. I gave this story 3 stars. It was actually the shortest story in the book. This is about Aru who is being taught that love can go the distance but can also be forgotten.
The Cave of Doom By: J. C. Cervantes. I gave this story 3 stars. This is about two girls who go on a vacation to spend a few days together before one has to help her father. On their way they go check out an area that is said to have a human child who is being held and no one seems to know about it. They go investigate and find out it is a human at but a demon. They have an interesting time trying to get reid of the demon.
The Initiation By: Yoon Ha Lee. I gave this story 4 stars. I actually like this story better than the book. This is where the main character goes to a school to learn how to fight but has to keep her ghost brother a secret and the fact that she can shape shift into a fox. Her trials start before she evens get into the school. Upon her arrival things go hay wire in the dock. Then on day three things really go hay wire. Things are revealed and they learn how to work together to solve them.
The Gum Baby Files By: Kwame Mbalia. I gave this story 3 stars. This is about Gum baby who goes on a field trip with two children and then notices a ghost like figure following behind. This is ghost is stealing things to change history. Gum Baby is determine to stop this ghost but doesn’t know how.
The Demon Drum By: Rebecca Roanhorse. It is Pow Wow Day and everyone is going to this big event. All you can hear this one drum and it is making thing taste funny and people are getting into fights. What is causing all this angry. They discover one of the drums is making a different sound. How is this mystery solved and why is the drum doing this. I gave this story 4 stars.
Bruto and the Freaky flower By: Tehlor Kay Mejia. I gave this story 4 stars. Paola’s dog Bruto is sick and he needs this flower to heal him. This flower is on the banks of a river near her home. It seems like an easy task to retrieve this flower but of course nothing seems as it should.
The Loneliest Demon By: Sarwat Chadda. I gave this story 4 stars. This demon was left over from the battle. The gates closed before she could return home. There is no one there to help her return. She goes to the boy who sent them all back to ask for his help. He does try but isn’t able to. She try’s on her own and things happen.
My night at the Gifted Carnival By: Grace Kim. I gave this story 4 stars. This is about two sisters who go to the carnival for the gifted. All the witches are out and things happen. They have to save some children before they are taken to the under world to live the rest of their lives.
My Life as a Child Outlaw By: Rick Riordan. I gave this story 3 stars. This is about a boy who is raised by two women out in the forest because his father is killed and his mother remarries but her new husband doesn’t want him around. He is being chased by his father’s killer and finds himself on the run several different times. On these runs he learns new skills and meet some interesting people.
I enjoyed the book over all even though I usually don’t read short stories. I have read most of these authors before and for the ones I have not I will be picking up the full novels about the characters they talked about.

It’s no secret that I am a huge fan of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. Learning about different cultures’ mythologies and folk tales while joining kids and teens on kick-butt adventures? Yes please! So when I heard that the fabulous authors of this imprint—including Rick Riordan himself—would each be contributing a short story to an anthology celebrating their novels, I’m not lying when I say I did a little dance for joy. And when Pine Reads Review received an ARC of this one-of-a-kind anthology? Yeah, my dance may have gotten just a tad more enthusiastic.

Because these stories kick butt!

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities includes stories from Carlos Hernandez (Sal and Gabi Break the Universe), Roshani Chokshi (Aru Shah and the End of Time), Jennifer Cervantes (The Storm Runner), Yoon Ha Lee (Dragon Pearl), Kwame Mbalia (Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky), Rebecca Roanhorse (Race to the Sun), Tehlor Kay Mejia (Paola Santiago and the River of Tears), Sarwat Chadda (City of the Plague God), Graci Kim (The Last Fallen Star), and Rick Riordan (Percy Jackson and the Olympians).

Each book in the RRP imprint—and each story in this anthology—examines what it really means to be a hero, especially when you’re thrown into that role with no warning. Being a hero may sound fun, but as Percy Jackson and Annabeth Chase would tell you, it’s not all it’s chalked up to be.

Most of the stories in The Cursed Carnival take place after the events of their books (fair warning if you haven’t had a chance to read their books yet that some spoilers are included!). As I was happily turning the (electronic) pages, I kept noticing the characters pushing back against their new role as a hero or wondering what made them so special. Unfortunately, I can’t cover all ten stories in this blog (just know that they are all absolutely amazing!), but I did pick out a few of the ones that really stood out to me. Let’s dive in, shall we?

“Paola Santiago, traverser of haunted cactus fields, destroyer of legendary ghosts, and brief onetime possessor of supernatural-void power, was bored. Like, really bored.” –“Bruto and the Freaky Flower” by Tehlor Kay Mejia

Paola Santiago is a brilliant protagonist. She’s brave, loyal, and terrifyingly smart. I’ve read both of the released books about her adventures, and I was so excited to join her for another one in this story!

Tehlor Kay Mejia’s story in The Cursed Carnival entitled “Bruto and the Freaky Flower” takes place after Pao’s adventures in Paola Santiago and the River of Tears. Pao has returned home from battling the legendary La Llorna, hoping life will be different. Except, her mom won’t let her leave the apartment and nothing exciting is happening. Like, at all. When Pao’s chupacabra puppy Bruto starts acting strange and Pao discovers that the only way to save him is to find a really weird flower that smells like raw meat, part of her is happy to finally have something to do again (the other part is very, very scared). So with the help of her best friend Dante, Pao ventures back to the Gila River for another chance to be the hero.

In both of her novels about Paola Santiago as well as in this story, Tehlor Kay Mejia does a fantastic job examining what really makes a hero. Is it a fancy weapon, like Dante’s chancla? Or is it simply the courage to keep fighting for someone you love, even if the odds are long? And what happens once your adventure is over, especially if things can’t go back to the way they were before? Is being a hero worth it?

You’ll have to decide for yourself, maybe as you read the recently released sequel, Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares. Because one thing’s for certain in this story: chupacabra puppies are really, really cute!

“So that’s how one Muslim kid and one demon went off to save all existence, armed with only a shovel.” –“The Loneliest Demon” by Sarwat Chadda

In Sarwat Chadda’s story “The Loneliest Demon,” it’s been several months since the ancient Mesopotamian god of plagues, Nergal, invaded Manhattan. After Sikander Aziz and his friend Belet defeated him, they thought all of his demons went with him back to Kurnugi. But when the lonely demon Rabisu appears at Sik’s family’s deli challenging him to a duel to the death, Sik does what any normal thirteen-year-old would: he agrees to help her get back home. Except evil forces block the portal, and when the hero Gilgamesh’s ring is accidentally used to let them out, Sik and Rabisu decide to join forces to save Manhattan and the world…again.

Just as in City of the Plague God, spending time with Sikander Aziz is an absolute blast. After coming back alive from his first adventure, Sik would be happy just working in the family deli and FaceTiming Belet every now and then. But having to be a hero again? Uh, not so much. Sarwat Chadda expertly examines what one must do when they’re thrust back into the spotlight with the responsibility of the world resting on their shoulders. Plus, the growing friendship between Sik and Rabisu is just *chef’s kiss*!

“Breaking the rules and risking getting caught is so far out of my comfort zone, I don’t even know who I am anymore.” –“My Night at the Gifted Carnival” by Graci Kim

Graci Kim’s story “My Night at the Gifted Carnival” is the only story that takes place before the events of the novel—for very obvious reasons, if you’ve read The Last Fallen Star. In this story, we visit the Gifted Carnival with our protagonist Riley Oh and her sister Hattie about a year before The Last Fallen Star begins, and let me just say that this carnival is out-of-this-world incredible. Without spoiling anything from the story for you, just picture a corn-dog that makes your favorite K-drama star appear as a life-size apparition in front of your eyes. Awesome, right?

Anyway, Riley is determined not to enjoy the carnival because, unlike her adopted sister, she will never have magic. But when the sisters discover a heinous plot in the making right under the noses of all the carnival-goers, they enlist the help of a troupe of performers to help set things right before it’s too late.

Although Riley has yet to go on any adventures, she is absolutely a reluctant hero in this story. Even though she doesn’t like to break the rules or leave her comfort zone, Riley has a strong moral compass that will always lead her in the right direction. So when she sees some kids in trouble, she knows she’ll do anything to help them. Her heroic actions at the end of this story are all instinct, proving that she has what it takes to be a hero.

“I’ve always avoided magic because of the fear of wanting something I could never have,” Riley explains as the story comes to a close. “But perhaps there could be another way. Maybe there is a future in which I could earn my gift—a different path I could take to acquire magic and dedicate myself to helping others.” And all I can say to that is just you wait, Riley Oh.

“Apparently, I was special. Then again, I suspected most eight-year-olds didn’t grow up in a tent in the wilderness, hiding from assassins, so maybe being special was overrated.” –“My Life as a Child Outlaw” by Rick Riordan

All the kids in these stories are special in one way or another, and all of them become heroes by the end of their adventures. That includes Rick Riordan’s newest hero, Finn, in his brand-new story about Celtic mythology. In “My Life as a Child Outlaw,” we join Finn for two years of his life as he discovers things about himself and the ancient Irish wilderness that will change everything. As of now, Riordan has not announced if he’ll be continuing with Finn’s story in novel format, but it’s definitely a possibility—one I’m truly excited about.

Finn, Riley, Sik, Pao, and all the rest of the heroes from these stories know that a hero doesn’t have to be strong to do what’s right. They only have to be brave enough to forge ahead, even when the path is terrifying. The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities’ dedication even states that this book is “to reluctant, undiscovered, and unsung heroes everywhere.”

So with that in mind, why couldn’t the next hero to grace the pages of the Rick Riordan Presents imprint be you? And when your story is sent out into the world to fly with its own wings as all these stories have done before you, just know that I will be the first in line to buy it. Because I firmly believe that the world will could always use just a little more magic…and heroes to save the day.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

I thought the stories were interesting and well-written, but I wasn't familiar with the characters and so had no connection to them. I was hoping this would be a good introduction to the characters and worlds so that I could decide which series I wanted to read, but that would have required a lot more background not just dumping you in mid-story with a bunch of characters you've never encountered. I did find the worldbuilding and nods to different cultures very interesting. They were also aimed a bit younger than I generally read, and the character voices were very similar across the stories which made them blur together a bit.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide - Rick Riordan Presents for providing an e-arc for review.

4.5 stars

Let me start by saying that I personally loved this collection of stories and that if you've read the full novels written by the authors, you will likely fall in the same category. This collection contains 10 shorts stories from 10 different authors including Rick Riordan, who writes the last one, although his contribution is the only one that is not based on his previous books. Instead, he continues with the theme of mythology that is not as common as his usual Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology and delves into Irish/Druidic mythology. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars is that if you haven't read any of the books before reading this short story, you might not fully appreciate them, although I think most of the stories are able to stand alone and act as an introduction to their respective series. Either way, I rounded up because of how much I personally loved these stories.

As I have implied I have read most of the novels written by the authors on which these short stories are based, many of them in the past year (the only one I have remaining is the third Tristan Strong book, which I'm getting ready to read). I probably enjoyed the ones that were most recently in my memory the most, but as I read each one, I remembered again why I loved the originals so much. For this reason, I probably enjoyed this collection more than I normally do with short stories. Most of the time, short stories are hit or miss for me, especially when they're written by different authors. You never know what you'll get with anthologies. But for me, there was not a single miss in this collection and it made me look forward to more stories in the future.

I love what Riordan has accomplished with his Publication Imprint in giving less well-known (but very talented) writers a chance to share the mythologies of their culture. I have learned so much and I've enjoyed the stories very much. If you haven't read any of these books, what are you waiting for?

This collection of short stories was so fun to read, as I had not heard of most of these worlds before! I really enjoyed each world, excluding the one with chickens 🤣 I did not finish that one. The rest were fun adventures. From alien invasions to ghosts, and demons to cave monsters, each adventure was exciting and pulled me in to their world! I am looking forward to reading some of these authors works now! Each author had a unique style of storytelling, which made it even better. There were even some stories I was so sad they ended because I needed to know more! I would recommend this book to anyone who likes short stories with variety.

This was a great short story collection for the characters of the Rick Riordan Presents publishing. Each of the short stories were unique, and the only down side that I had was I was expecting this giant multiverse crossover event. However, that was not the case so it was slightly disappointing. Excited for my students to get their hands on this wonderful collection of short stories!

Thank you to Rick Riordan Presents, Disney, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Rick Riordan Presents universe comes together for this collaboration of short stories/novellas. Let me preface this review by mentioning that I have read every current and some ARC’s of RRP so I was able to follow all the stories. Some are continuations of published works, others are “prequels” or subchapters within the original texts. Rick Riordan himself has submitted a new story, an introduction to a new story that will be out in the near future. I enjoyed every story! Some were a bit longer than typical short story entries, more like novellas, but still a quick read. It is best to know the other authors’ stories before reading this book but not essential. Most of the authors will give a brief overview of the hero and his/her powers. Because a couple of the stories were a bit dark, I would recommend this book for grades 5 and up.

#TheCursedCarnivalAndOtherCalamities #RickRiordanPresents #NetGalley

So if you’re not familiar with the characters from their associated series, you won’t get much out of this. These are all continuations, if you will, of their respective series.

This collection of stories brings about the question of a multiverse, or as I like to call it now the Riordan-verse. Some stories were stronger than others, and I definitely was more drawn into the ones with the more familiar characters for me, but it was still a lot of fun and a great way to dip your toes into some of the other great Riordan reads stories from some fantastic authors.

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher (Disney Publishing Worldwide / Rick Riordan presents) in exchange for an honest review*

I think this was a fun way to get some introduction to some of the list go the Rick Riordan presents. Some of them I was super interested to read the series but also I am very much familiar with the Aru Shah so it was nice to see more into the stories and the character. I was also surprised to see a chapter of Rick Riordan's story based off of Celtic Irish mythology which I knew that he was gonna be writing but I didn't expect that it would be in the short story collection. I think if you love Rick Riordan and different mythologies in general, you will enjoy this a lot. I am looking forward to reading more and getting more into the Rick Riordan presents list.

*Thanks again to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy*

I received an electronic ARC from Disney Publishing Worldwide through NetGalley.
Short stories from each of the current Riordan Presents universes. Readers see known heroes engage in new adventures that fit somewhere among their longer books. These tales provide further information about each hero and series in one book. Occasionally, readers even see some overlap among the multiverses. Could serve as an introductory book so readers select the characters they want to learn more about. Great book to introduce readers to the wide variety of myths and legends in our world.

The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities is an anthology of short stories edited by Rick Riordan, who also contributes a story. The other authors who contributed to this anthology are authors who have published books under Rick Riordan Presents, a publishing imprint that focuses on diversity and mythology. These authors are Carlos Hernandez; who has written a new story for his Sal and Gabi series, Roshani Chokshi; who has written a new story for her Pandava series, J.C. Cervantes; who has written a new story for her Storm Runner series, Yoon Ha Lee; who has written a new story for his Dragon Pearl series, Kwame Mbalia; who has written a new story for his Tristan Strong series, Rebecca Roanhorse; who has written a new story for her book Race to the Sun, Tehlor Kay Mejia; who has written a new story for her Paola Santiago series, Sarwat Chadda; who has written a new story for his book City of the Plague God, and Graci Kim; who has written a new story for her Gifted Clans series.

This anthology was so much fun to read. I haven’t read all the books for Rick Riordan Presents, but this book makes me want to fix that!

These stories were wild, intriguing, and eccentric.

I haven't read any of the middle grade Rick Riordan presents books... But now I definitely want to! The characters in these stories were strong willed and determined, they made mistakes but learned from them.

This is definitely a book i will be purchasing for my own kid to read. I think they will absolutely love these characters and stories.

3.5*

✨🎪 BOOK REVIEW* ✨🎪

Calamity Juice: 2⭐- low rating only because I was extremely confused, given that I haven't read the duology😂

Beware the Grove of True Love: 3.5⭐- my sweet potato bbs🥲

The Cave of Doom: 4⭐- okayyyy, this one was SO good. I should probably read the trilogy, huh?

The Initiation: 4⭐- I really liked this one. The element of mystery and suspense was *chef's kiss*

The Gum Baby Files: 4⭐- I just really love Gum Baby💜

The Demon Drum: 5⭐- I don't know what it was about this story, but I LURVED it

Bruto and the Freaky Flower: 4⭐- made me excited to read Paola's sequel

The Loneliest Demon: 4⭐- this was super cute and I'm excited to pick up his book soon

My Night at the Gifted Carnival: 2⭐- oof. I didn't really like this one. Alot of internal whining and a very rushed ending😕

My Life as a Child Outlaw: 3⭐- this one was.... interesting

All in all, a fun and imaginative collection of short stories that I really enjoyed. Fans of any and all titles from Rick Riordan Presents will like this one alot.

* thanks to the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great sampler of the Rick Riordan Presents series. I was partly excited because I thought the stories were linked or tied together like an epic crossover or some type of literary relay race. It was just standalone short stories, though, so that was a bit upsetting. All in all, it was ok. Many of the stories were good. A couple I didn't care for, which is what you get in short story collections.

This anthology collection is a good way to decide which of the Rick Riordan Presents somebody would like to try, as well as getting more of some of their favorite characters. Plus getting a new story from Rick Riordan is always plus. Would definitely recommend to anyone who like Percy Jackson or any of the Rick Riordan Presents.

I wanted to read The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities when I saw that Rebecca Roanhorse was one of the short story writers. I've read all of her books and enjoyed them.

Since I'm not between 8 and 12 years old, I might not be the best for reviewing this collection of hero stories. Maybe if I put a month between reading each selection I would have enjoyed them more. The problem with reading them one after another was that they sounded too much alike.

Different kids with different abilities, sometimes from different places in the universe, yet they all seemed just the same. Each hero managed dialogue that was witty even when they were about to be eaten, killed, squashed, whatever. Friends and enemies were snarky toward each other. There was usually a clueless adult. And, don't get me started on eyeball rolling. I think characters rolled their eyes in every story. I know tweens roll their eyes, but everybody, all the time, in every story? I'm going to have to buy a second eyeball-roll-o-meter to keep up with all the optical athletics.

I did like Ms. Roanhorse's story even if the character's eyeballs were unhinged. The good news was that her protagonist realized her snarkiness might keep her from being a good friend and changed her ways, if not her eyeball theatrics.

I might not be crazy about this anthology, but 6th graders would probably love it. Me, I just rolled my eyes at the stories.

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance readers digital copy in return for an honest review.

My coworkers and patrons of all ages at my library are fans of Riordan and his presents line, so this will probably be another addition to our collection. This is a great addition to the various novels about the characters that we love. This is a short story collection best read once being caught up with the various characters and books for a more enjoyable read without any spoilers. I was very excited to see that Rick Riordan included Celtic mythology, which is one of my favorite mythologies other than Norse. It was something new, and I really liked it, but I'd have preferred "My Life as a Child Outlaw" fleshed out into a book rather than a short story. It could be a test to see how it goes and if the story interests people, so I understand starting with a short story. That being said, I hope that Demne will get his own book!