The Hero Twins and the Magic of Song

Review
By Kirkus Reviews

Twin demigod brothers endeavor to fulfill their destinies despite familial troubles.

Shirking their responsibilities, One Hunahpu (the demigod of maize) and his brother, Seven Hunahpu, wander into dark and glum Xibalba, the Underworld. A trick by the cruel King and Queen of the Dead leads to the brothers’ deaths. One Hunahpu’s skull is placed on a tree branch in Xibalba as a gruesome reminder. There, Lady Blood—Underworld daughter of Duke Pooling Blood and Duchess Peeling Scab—meets and falls in love with the maize demigod’s soul. Soon pregnant with twin boys destined to “change the world forever,” Lady Blood flees to the Overworld to escape the wrath of the Xibalba rulers and finds refuge at the house of One Hunahpu’s goddess mother, who cares for his eldest (and abandoned) sons, Hun B’Atz’ and Hun Chowen. Once born, Hunahpu and Xbalanke gradually learn to wield the magic of song to free their father and uncle. But first, the heroic twins must deal with their angry and envious older half brothers. This latest installment in David Bowles’ series devoted to Mesoamerican folklore weaves demigod-filled bombast with fanciful hijinks, star-crossed romance, and heaps of humor. Charlene Bowles’ artwork continues to leverage bold lines, earthy tones, and fluid action to further delight. An ominous cliffhanger hints at more intriguing exploits in the next volume.

An engrossing tale of fledgling heroics.