Race to the Sun - Rebecca Roanhorse

Initial Draw: ☆☆☆☆
Character Development: ☆☆☆☆
Plot/Writing Style: ☆☆☆☆
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Lately, seventh grader Nizhoni Begay has been able to detect monsters, like that man in the fancy suit who was in the bleachers at her basketball game. Turns out he's Mr. Charles, her dad's new boss at the oil and gas company, and he's alarmingly interested in Nizhoni and her brother, Mac, their Navajo heritage, and the legend of the Hero Twins. Nizhoni knows he's a threat, but her father won't believe her.

When Dad disappears the next day, leaving behind a message that says "Run," the siblings and Nizhoni's best friend, Davery, are thrust into a rescue mission that can only be accomplished with the help of Din Holy People, all disguised as quirky characters. Their aid will come at a price: the kids must pass a series of trials in which it seems like nature itself is out to kill them. If Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery can reach the House of the Sun, they will be outfitted with what they need to defeat the ancient monsters Mr. Charles has unleashed. But it will take more than weapons for Nizhoni to become the hero she was destined to be..."

In a post-Hercules (the Disney movie, not the TV show with garbo Kevin Sorbo) world, I was a kid very into mythology, so I loved Percy Jackson and Rick Riordan's other fantasy series focusing on Greek and Roman mythology. I'm thrilled that there are now so many books like this one coming out that tell stories from the mythology of other cultures - it's high time! I also particularly love this story for including a main character and sidekicks that, while smart and resourceful, are not necessarily physically strong or skilled. Nizhoni is learning and getting more confident, but she also has much more in common with real-life kids her age than many of the hero protagonists I've read about, and I love that she's a character that kids will really get to see themselves in (particularly her goal at the beginning of the book of becoming Internet famous!).

I do wish the pace of the action was slightly faster, but that said, I really enjoyed the main cast of characters - Nizhoni, Mac, and Davery, with honorable mention going to Mr. Yazzi - as well as how fully Nizhoni's quest centered around Navajo legends and how central the Diné Holy People were to each part of the quest. This book left me wanting more, and I was going to say that I can't wait for more books about Nizhoni, but then I looked it up and discovered that this is a standalone book. So...I guess I can't wait to read more Rebecca Roanhorse!

Empress of All Seasons - Emiko Jean

My rating: ⭐⭐⭐

From the cover:

"Each generation, a competition is held to find the next empress of Honoku. The rules are simple. Survive the palace’s enchanted seasonal rooms. Conquer Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall. Marry the prince. All are eligible to compete—all except yōkai, supernatural monsters and spirits whom the human emperor is determined to enslave and destroy. 

Mari has spent a lifetime training to become empress. Winning should be easy. And it would be, if she weren't hiding a dangerous secret. Mari is a yōkai with the ability to transform into a terrifying monster. If discovered, her life will be forfeit. As she struggles to keep her true identity hidden, Mari’s fate collides with that of Taro, the prince who has no desire to inherit the imperial throne, and Akira, a half-human, half-yōkai outcast."

Mari is an animal wife, a yōkai who has been sent to the palace to compete for the chance to marry the prince. 

Akira is a half-human, half yōkai who calls himself the Son of Nightmares. Akira and Mari have been friends for years, and while she may not love him, he is in love with her. Terrified at the thought of her risking her life at the palace, Akira tries to convince her to run away with him--when she turns him down, he decides instead to follow her, learn what he can about fighting, and try to win her heart.

Taro, the cold prince, lives a secluded, lonely life. His father, the emperor, is heartless and unfeeling, and Taro finds peace only in his workshop, where he creates mechanical creatures to keep him company. He keeps himself closed off, close with no one, until he unexpectedly runs into Mari and finally finds someone he might be able to open up to.

The lives of these three characters will intertwine in unexpected ways as Mari battles her way through the seasonal rooms, falling in love with Taro along the way, as Taro falls in love in return and struggles to decide who he can trust, and as Akira makes connections with the yōkai resistance and learns how to be a warrior. Snippets of tales about the Gods who created the yōkai and the humans are interwoven with the story, and these stories enrich the narrative by offering insight into what the Gods have in store.

Overall, while I found the story intriguing and enjoyable, there was a lot going on, and the pacing and transitions were clunky at times. Also, I didn't love the ending--lots of hasty wrapping up, when I would have loved to see more detail. Complaints aside, this is a solid read, and I especially think that anyone interested in Japanese folklore will enjoy it.