Ballad & Dagger [Outlaw Saints]
by Daniel José Older
High School     Riordan/Disney-Hyperion    384 pp.         g
5/22     978-1-368-07082-9     $18.99

Mateo Matisse lives with his tías in Little Madrigal, Brooklyn, where exiles from San Madrigal, a Caribbean island that sank when he was a baby, have established themselves in the diaspora. San Madrigaleros are descendants of the island’s three founders—a pirate, a Santero, and a rabbi. The three groups have shared life through the exodus, proud of remaining unconquered and a true democracy. Underneath, however, power-grabbing schemes are taking place and will bring chaos literally to the surface. Mateo witnesses a classmate murder someone as a traditional celebration turns deadly. When he and his friends are forced to take action, Mateo will discover that he has a healing power, a crucial role to play, and new feelings for someone really dangerous. Older deftly combines fantasy with political concepts to portray a young adult’s journey through identity, mental health, and romance. The fictional Madrigaleros represent a creative fusion of real Afro-Caribbean cultures, including religious traditions from Santería (which incorporates Yoruba and Catholic elements) and Sephardic Judaism, rendered authentic by the story of the island’s origins. Older cleverly integrates languages, music, foods, and other cultural elements, though some translation errors are present in this edition in Spanish passages. The novel’s political coups, supernatural forces, and thrilling action should leave readers eager for the second half of the projected duology.

From the September/October 2022 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.