Cover Image: Rick Riordan Presents: Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities, The

Rick Riordan Presents: Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities, The

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Member Reviews

I thought this was such a fun read. I loved reading all these stories following the presents characters. They were all super fun and short stories. I thought some of them could have used a bit more basic info i felt a tad lost not having been caught up on the current books. I also really am now more motivated to actually catch up. I also just thought the stories were fun and dived into smaller assets of mythology . I also really liked learning about Irsh mythology.

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I'm not usually a lover of short stories. By the time I fall in love with the characters and wonder about the plot, the story is over and I find myself left wanting more. However, these short stories connect to all the universes that I've already fallen in love with. They each give me one more chance to see a beloved partnership or team in action, to hear their voices. I highly recommend for any child or library that has the Rick Riordan presents series... Even if you haven't read one of the particular series, you'll still enjoy the story. And, it might even have you picking up a new story! This imprint is truly such a treasure for elevating the voices and stories that have historically so often been silenced.

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I love this book and how it ties in all the characters we have grown to love so much! These short stories are so much fun and really take us back into the worlds we became familiar with. I think younger readers will absolutely adore this.

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Full disclosure I have not read all the series that the characters in the short stories are in and I am definitely thinking I need to change that since they are all so amazing. We get stories from many of the Rick Riordan Presents series so we get little side adventures with Sal and Gabi, Aru Shah and the rest of the Pandavas, Zane Obispo amongst many, many others. I have a to read shelf that only keeps increasing and I'm not mad about it at all.

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1. Calamity Juice By Carlos Hernandez: Apparently rainbows smell like horse barf! Going into this story, I have not read the Sal and Gabi books. I feel that I have been spoiled a little bit so my review may contain things that aren't rally spoilery or are spoilers. This story just made me want to pick up Sal and Gabi Break The Universe even more. I love the sarcasm these kids have. I give this story a 3 star. I like the sarcasm and the humor and the different universes. I just don't know that background and anything about Cuban mythology right now.

2. Beware the Grove of True Love By Roshani Chokshi: Aru Shah was the first of the ick Riordan presents books to be published and I have read all 4 out loud to my kids and we are patiently waiting for the fifth and (final) book of the quartet.

Brynne: "You guys are chickens."

Aru: "yeah, well, you're the only one who can actually turn into one"

I love being back in this world with Aru, Mini and Brynne.

I give this story a 4 star. I know where it lands in the Aru Shah quintet and the Grove of True Love had me hooked. But reading this after reading book 4 and new details and traitors are announced, I was just heartbroken because the girls didn't know they were being lied to.

3. The Cave of Doom by J.C. Cervantes: I read The Storm Runner and was introduced to Zane Obispo earlier this year. My kids were learning about the Ancient Maya and the Storm Runner is Mexican/Mayan mythology. You definitely have to read the first book before reading this story ecause it does spoil some things. I am also pretty sure that this comes after the second book, which I have not read. There is a connection to Calamity Juice in this short story. I give this story a 4 out of 5.

4. The Initiation by Yoon Ha Lee: I have not read Dragon Pearl, so if I spoil something I am sorry. From what I have read so far, I need to pick the first book up soon. Space cadets, spies and she can turn into a fox. I am so intrigued. Also I am very suspicious of the thing that she had to give up to her handler. I give this a 3.5 out of 5. While I was enjoying the shape shifting and the investigation, my mind did start to wander and I was a little bored.

5. The Gum Baby Files by Kwame Mbalia: I have not read Tristan Strong series yet. It has been high on my list of RR Presents books to read and I own the first book. Also, Gum Baby was mentioned in The Cave of Doom or Calamity Juice. So there is another connection I believe. I loved the conversation between Granny Z and Gum Baby. I need to learn more about Gum Baby because she is a little spitfire.

"Gum Baby thought about turning over a new leaf, but she couldn't reach the tree and somebody swept all the leaves off the ground, so she hasn't done it yet."

I give this story a 4 out of 5. It includes the civil rights movement and that history needs to be fought for or else it will be forgotten.

6. The Demon Drum by Rebecca Roanhorse: I own Race to the Sun and I know that it is based on Navajo mythology. Race to the Sun is a standalone, so I wonder if this will be a bridge to a sequel or connect to another story in this anthology. I had oral surgery two days ago and I am on a soft food diet and reading about the food at the powwow was torture. I want to try some frybread. Hell, I want bread and coffee!

I am giving this story a 3 out of 5. It was faced pace, but I wanted more action. I loved the intertribal connections. I would have liked to have known the backstory of the demon drum.

7. Bruto and the Freaky Flower by Tehlor Kay Mejia: Once again, I am starting to sound like a broken record but I have not read the Paola Santiago series yet. I will be hosting a blog tour spot on the sequel that is coming out this month in this series and I own the first book. This series is based on Latin mythology and it features a mythical figure that I have read about earlier this year in a different mythology based novel, and that is La Llorona.

I am picturing Bruto as Dante from Coco and the freaky flower reminds me of the corpse flower that is native to Sumatra. I am giving this story a 5 out of 5. I just loved it. It had the right amount of humor with the starburst. Bruto being sick and on the verge of death had me very upset. Fighting the monster for the rank flower and the other puppies wallowing in the red goo brought a very painful smile to my face.

"Monsters are made, not born"

8. The Loneliest Demon by Sarwat Chadda: I read City of the Plague God when it was released and I found one of my favorite Minor characters in that book. I am hoping that this will lead to an eventual sequel because right now the book is a stand alone. I love how Sik's mom was so chill about the demon wanting a duel, and the customer thinking it was someone doing a cosplay from Sabrina.

Apparently Ishtar played matchmaker to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Rabisu has to be one of my favorite demons. She used her horns and tail as an advantage to get an elevator at the UN. Smart demon of deformities. My favorite part has to be the battle in the subway tunnel against the old ones and Sik complaining of a back ache and Rabisu automatically saying it wasn't her fault. There was also a connection to Sal and Gabi and the rainbow unicorn. I give this story a 5 out of 5.

9. My Night at the Gifted Carnival by Graci Kim: I have not yet read The Last Fallen Star by Graci Kim and I own the book. This book was one of my anticipated books of May and it is Korean mythology. Once again, Sal and Gabi are mentioned on the very first page of this story while riding the unicorn.

I feel sad for Riley because she is not a natural born witch and she is having all of that shoved in her face at this carnival and her sister Hattie is completely blind to Riley's sadness.

I really need to pick up the first book in this series because I am lost on the realms and the clan types. I want to know why Riley's family decided to adopt her knowing that she didn't have any magical abilities and would be an outsider for the rest of her life. I like the different layers of Hell. I give this story a 4 out of 5. I love the myth of the Dalgyal Gwisin and it being a mother who lost her child and wanting to steal children. The gifted carnival was an awesome setting and the strongwoman was a beast.

10. My Life as a Child Outlaw by Rick Riordan: Rick Riordan is the master of middle grade mythology. This is his first foray into writing Celtic mythology. I know nothing about Celtic mythology and that is horrible because I have Scottish ancestry. The back story about Demne's dad is confusing and why he was hiding in the woods with his foster mothers is intriguing. Not my favorite story so far.

Demne having a bounty on his head since the womb reminds of male lions when they take over a pride, they kill the cubs so they have no competition when the cubs are fully grown. He didn't really grieve over the six men he was traveling with and he hated killing with the reaver.

He is now a vengeful little boy who wants to avenge his father's death and take back what is his. While he is on the run for the final time, he keeps going into these tribes asking for a job and he is accidentally giving himself away with his hunting and gaming skills. The kings keep turning him away because they don't want him killed under their roof.

The glossary of Irish names at the end was a nice touch and very needed. I give this story a 3 out of 5.

My overall rating for this book is a 4 out of 5 stars.

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NetGalley ARC Educator 550974

All of your favorite characters are back in this twisted carnival. Of you are a fan of Riordan and his conglomerate of authors you will love this book. If you've never had the pleasure to read any of his books or the other authors, this is a great place to start.

The tales will have you experiencing an array of emotion and have you thirsting for more.aybe we'll get a movie out of this. Fingers crossed.

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As someone who has always wanted to read the Rick Riordan Presents Series, but never found time, this was the perfect introduction. I got a taste for every series, and now know exactly what series/ authors I'll be picking up. Though I enjoyed all of the short stories, my favorites were absolutely The Gum Baby Files and Calamity Juice.

A warning to readers: the stories start at different points in their series. Some take place after the first book, the second, the finale, so there may be some slight spoilers for certain series. Personally, I didn't mind because none of the spoilers were too unpredictable (granted I haven't read the first novels), and I don't think I'll remember every detail, since you are introduced to so many different magic systems at once.

By far the most interesting part of the novel was Rick Riordan's contribution. He writes about Celtic mythology, which he has hinted to be interested in for awhile. It's VERY different from his other series. The tone is dark, the writing is stripped down. There are moments were you see Riordan's distinctive comedy, but humor is not the focus on the piece. While it was a bit jarring at first, especially in comparison to the lighter stories ahead of it, it was nice to see Riordan try something new!

In my review, I gave The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities 4.5/5 stars, but have rounded up on Netgalley. I highly recommend checking it out.

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Things Got Out of Hand

This book is a lot of fun for readers who can’t get enough of Rick Riordan Presents books. It is very helpful to read the books before starting this collection of short stories. The majority of stories reference previous plots and characters, jumping right into the narrative. Filled with diversity, culture, universe traveling, and adventure! A brief warning for the squeamish, Sal and Gabi have a whole story about unicorn puke. Though all the characters are wonderful in their own way, I enjoyed catching up with Aru Shah as she learns love is dangerous, in the Grove of True Love. Gum Baby is hilarious as usual, proving she is a hero by saving Ayanna, Junior, and the memories of past heroes in The Gum Baby Files. It was great to have follow-up stories for standalone books. Min and her ghost brother Jun make new friends when agent training camp gets dangerous, and Nizhoni works with her Ancestor Club friends to defeat a demon drum. Each short story is as creative as the books, and leaves you wanting more.

The final story is written by Rick Riordan, and is not based on any of his previous or presently announced books. This short story is filled with interesting Irish history, a historical setting, skin disease, and death. Eight-year-old Demne described in one word is “special”, and is about as humble and sarcastic as Apollo. His childishness is endearing, as he struggles to find his purpose. This is a darker tale of growing up, that ends in a serious cliffhanger. It does not quite follow, or end, the lighthearted theme of this book. Again, this collection of short stories is a wonderful follow up to the Rick Riordan Presents books, with hopefully more books to come.

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Okay, now that was a fun ride! I am definitely picking up a finished copy of this once it's out. Fair warning, however: there do seem to be spoilers about if you haven't read the series that these short stories are based in (here being the various mythology-based series of the Rick Riordan Imprint of Disney Hyperion). I personally have only read the Aru Shah series out of all of the ones included in this book, but I absolutely adore that series, so when I heard we'd get a tiny bit more of those characters in this one, I had to try my hand at getting a copy from NetGalley. And while I may not have been familiar with the characters of the other stories, this book made me want to pick more of them up. I've been saying that this year I'd try to get to more series in that imprint, and this might have been the final push I need.

Every single story held within this book was so much fun; they all immediately drew me in and made me want to keep reading. And while, yes, there do seem to be spoilers for some of the other books in this imprint held within these stories, none of the stories themselves were confusing to new readers for that reason. It felt like each story had little recap moments that not only introduced the world and characters and their past adventures to new readers, but also informed the reader as to what sort of mythology the story was centered around (without it feeling like beating you over the head with a ton of information before the short story could get off the ground, if that makes sense).

Plus, there are fun little easter eggs if you read through the entire book! Certain characters are mentioned across various stories (one particular unicorn might just show up in quite a few of them, if you keep your eyes peeled!), which just really reinforced the... family sort of feeling that this imprint has. I love how easily all these stories could intertwine and play off each other, which is a fun idea of the new Disney+ reboot of Percy Jackson ends up doing well. Like the Marvel or DC cinematic universes, there's room to expand is what I'm saying. I'd love to see some of these other series get the same treatment down the line!

This collection also was the first introduction to Riordan's possible future Celtic mythology series, and it was really interesting! (Side note: thank you for the Irish name pronunciation guide at the end of this story! I always love a good pronunciation guide. I want to be able to hear names correctly in my head as I read along.) I can't wait to see if more eventually comes out about this particular character. It's definitely going to be a book to watch out for.

All in all, this is a really great sampler of the series that the Rick Riordan Imprint currently is working with (or has possibly upcoming, in the case of Riordan's own aforementioned Celtic story). If you've ever thought about starting in on any of the books contained within the imprint, or are just a lover of mythological-based books, then this is worth picking up.

(Review cross-posted to goodreads.)

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This is a fun collection of short stories, made specifically for fans of all the Rick Riordan Presents novels. While you technically can follow some stories even if you haven’t read the corresponding work, I don’t think it is as enjoyable. It’s fun to see these extra glimpses, but I think this mostly just added to my TBR pile since I’ve only read half of the other books!

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This is a nice collection of short stories that will introduce readers to the authors featured under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. It is a great way for students to get a feel for the authors and their style. It could also be used by teachers/librarians to introduce students to those authors.

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This collection was a beautiful mix of a bunch of my favorite authors coming together to make me feel like a kid again. I binged this book in one sitting, and loved every story included. I loved how the smallest things connected to the books they were from and how these short stories developed characters further. Despite being short stories, the stories were well-developed and were well rounded; the plot was, of course, fast paced, but the characters were also well-developed. I wish I could pick just one favorite, but I loved the all. I also enjoyed that I could understand stories even when I hadn't read the books they came from. I'm so honored to have gotten an arc of this absolutely phenomenal collection of stories.

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So this book was not good. I didn't know it was a compilation of all the RR Presents author. I thought this was like a new series by RR, I have only read a couple of these authors, and the ones I didn't read took place in that book's world.

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This was the first anthology I've read from there Riordan publishing house.

The variety of stories was fantastic. They were action packed with fantastic characters. Can't wait for the next one.

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This is a collection of short stories from the authors that write under the Rick Riordan Presents label. If you haven't read their full-length books, there may be some spoilers in these short stories. The book also includes a story from Riordan rooted in Irish mythology. I loved all of the stories and currently have all of the books I haven't read by all of the authors on hold at my local library. I can't wait to read all of their books and return to the characters.

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I have been a big fan of Rick Riordan and the imprint Rick Riordan presents which is shining a light on so many cultures and mythologies. This collection of short stories dives back into the worlds we have been introduced to and even gives a glimpse into Riordan's newest world. I know long time fans probably have liked to see short stories set in Riordan's other worlds too but the book already clocks in at nearly 500 pages (which is my one complaint - casual fans need not apply).

Overall a good read.

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This book is going to be kind of difficult to give a review for since its an anthology of short stories from the mythological worlds of Rick Riordan Presents, but here goes.
The only two of the Rick Riordan Presents books I've read are Aru Shah and Sikander Aziz, but honestly, I was so glad to see them again. The whole book, you could consider, was essentially a lot like a "sampler"; the stories gave a taste of what each hero and their world is like and upon reading it, I've determined that there's quite a few series I need to get to. All of the heroes from Rick Riordan Presents made an an appearance and their stories seem to take place sometime after the first or second book. I will say, however, that it would be ever so helpful if the short stories had some sort of title or other note as to show what series it's related to because it was incredibly confusing at times, considering that I haven't read all of the books and the fact that some are in 1st person so we never even catch their first name, to determine what story belonged to which series. The only identification is the author, but that requires doing your own research, so it would be ever so useful to have some other identification. Rick Riordan's newest character from his Celtic mythology - based book also makes an appearance, so if you have been interested in reading any of the books affiliated with Rick Riordan Presents, I would recommend you to start with this.

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What a ride!

While I haven’t read all of the Rick Riordan Presents stories, that didn’t not affect my enjoyment of this romp of an anthology one bit.

The stories are pure fun and feature totally cool kids and fascinating peeks into world mythology. This is perfect for the readers who prefer not to tackle a full-length book - all the adventure and excitement without the commitment.

Recommended.

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I quite enjoyed The Cursed Carnival and Other Calamities!

As someone who’s read each book in the imprint so far as each came out, these short stories brought me back to worlds and characters I haven’t seen in a while.

All the short stories were entertaining, but three in particular stood out to me as extraordinarily well done: The Loneliest Demon (Sarwat Chadda), My Night at the Gifted Carnival (Graci Kim), and My Life as a Child Outlaw (Rick Riordan).

I’ve noticed that there isn’t a ton of information out regarding what each short story is about, so to give some very general outlines without spoiling anything:
1. Sal and Gabi go on an adventure filled with inter-dimensional unicorns and talking toilets that I have no other way to describe than pure fun
2. Aru Shah and her sisters learn a bit more about why love is a powerful and terrible emotion
3. Zane and Brooks face a fascinating monster the gods don’t want to discuss. (This one left me dying to find out more!)
4. Min attends a school session and finds herself in the middle of several harrowing training exercises
5. Gum Baby makes an appearance, and is hilarious as usual while fighting those who want us to forget history
6. Nizhoni and her friends spend the day at the All-Nations Assembly powwow, but something’s gone terribly wrong
7. Pao and Dante make another trip to the riverbank, chancla included of course
8. Sik encounters yet another demon, but the dread Rabisu might not be exactly what he expects. (Truly hilarious! My favorite of the stories)
9. Riley and Hattie get a prequel (the only one in the anthology!) at a magical carnival
10. Rick Riordan masterfully retells the childhood of a mythical Irish hero. It left me craving more and desperately hoping for a standalone. I’m reluctant to give much detail about this one, because even the main character’s name is a spoiler at this point! But it’s set in ancient Ireland and felt very much like a more fleshed-out version of a traditional myth or fairy tale.

I would highly recommend this anthology to those who have read and loved the standalone books from the same authors.

I would cautiously recommend this anthology to select readers who haven’t read the standalones. If you don’t want spoilers, be very careful in picking up this book. Most of these stories take place after the events of the standalone and will contain heavy spoilers. You can safely read the last two stories - those by Graci Kim and Rick Riordan.

But if you haven’t read any of the standalones and you’re not too worried about spoilers, there really is no better way to get an idea of which authors’ books you may be interested in trying out. There are so many books now in the Rick Riordan Presents imprint that it can be daunting to figure out which books you’re interested in reading, and this is a great way to do it.

Keep an eye out for dimension traveling unicorns, and enjoy!

I received a digital advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

(Also posted on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4090142433)

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I found this an interesting collection of stories but because I haven't read all of the original books and didn't like some of them I found the books to be confusing or boring at times. I would recommend this to people who loved all of the Rick Riordian presents books but overall I found this book okay, but nothing special.

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