In Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl, Julie Kagawa follows the adventures of the eponymous Shinji. He embarks on a journey both blessing and curse. A monumental task. Shinji must return a purloined idol to its rightful place in a jungle temple. Along the way, he encounters antagonists eager to harness the idol’s power for their own ends. Shinji allies himself with the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, and experiences profound personal growth and transformation.

As someone with a deep affection for dragons, I found my anticipations for this book unfulfilled. I enjoy reading most of Kagawa ‘s works. Shinji strayed into a predictability that lacked depth and nuance. This was most notable in its depiction of the expedition through the dense Meso-american jungle. The narrative glosses over the physical and logistical challenges of such an endeavor. Things like ‘how to navigate through thick foliage’, ‘how to deal with a broken bridge’, and ‘cliff climbing’. All of these things happened without the realistic depiction of time passing or rest stops. The trials Shinji faced in the temple come across as overly simplified and devoid of the complexity one would expect.

The story’s pacing felt rushed, and the writing sometimes seemed to struggle in its fluidity. This exacerbated my frustrations with an exaggerated and oversimplified portrayal of the hero’s journey. I found the story leaned heavily on the over-utilized ‘Chosen One’ trope. Give me a nice ‘wrong place, wrong time’ hero. Also, the title capitalised on a worn and tattered bit of formatting. [Main Character] and [Object or Place of Story Importance], a lā Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. A trend that, in my opinion, is ripe for retirement.

I was hopeful for a much richer exploration of Meso-american mythology. The inclusion of the ahuizotl was an impressive choice. One the flip side, the inclusion of a random Japanese spider yokai felt jarringly out of place. A better choice would have been to draw exclusively from Meso-american deities. The feathered serpent had enemies enough within its own pantheons. Tezcatlipoca would have been perfect in the role the spider yokai played, and fit better with the ‘theme’.

As an anthropologist with a background in teaching mythology classes, I know I have a different perspective. My review might be steeped in expectations not shared by all readers. The intended audience are more likely to find sheer delight in the adventure and fantasy elements of the story. Perfect for those who enjoy the Percy Jackson, Thomas Wildus, and Harry Potter series.

***Many thanks to Netgalley & Disney Hyperion for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.