"Ballad & Dagger" by Daniel José Older

Ballad & Dagger (May 3, 2022) by Daniel José Older.

*This is the first novel in a duology.*

Welcome to Brooklyn’s Little Madrigal, a unique diaspora community of pirates, Madrigal Santeros and Sephardic Jews (a.k.a. Sefaradim). It’s where one can find 16-year-old Mateo Matisse Medina, a piano prodigy who lives with his Tía Lucia (living) and Tía Miriam (not living). Mateo’s goal is to catch Maestro Grilo Juan Gerval’s attention, a musical legend and the only one from their community who’s made a name in the world. Meanwhile, Mateo excels at sea espíritu, like a spirit, so being present without really being seen. Until he IS seen. He’s the only one who didn’t know he’s an initiate of Galanika, one of the three original spirits of San Madrigal, an island in the Caribbean which sank when he was a toddler. Galanika is a healer, so suddenly Mateo is a ... healer? Their diaspora is falling apart and has been for awhile, but Mateo hasn’t noticed it until Rabbi Hidalgo’s murder-y daughter, Chela (initiate to Okanla, the destroyer), points it out to him. Someone’s been selected to take Anisette Bisconte’s place on the Cabildo (Little Madrigal’s leadership council), and it’s not Tolo Baracasa, the one expected to be her successor and Chela’s cousin, but Gerval. People are taking sides, and Mateo doesn’t want to choose a side, but he must. His newfound power won’t allow him to sit on the sidelines, invisible. Battle is looming, and the secrets coming to light be deadly, but getting to the other side of the mayhem could hold the key to the dark mystery surrounding San Madrigal. Rumor has it that it can rise again. And Mateo won’t be alone, for he’ll have Chela (newly-realized crush, murder-y bits and all), Tams (his undeniably cool best friend) and Maza (they are unabashedly flirtatious with Tams, who’s a shameless flirt). While Little Madrigal may once have been a refuge for its community or a layover for Mateo (who’s sometimes felt like a tourist in his own neighborhood), who often traveled with his science-minded doctor-parents, it’s about to become a battleground instead. Myths are their reality. Ready?

            A newbie to Older’s writing, I am captivated by this standout YA novel that bubbles over with mystery and mayhem, but also humor and heart. Chaos culminates through division and fear, but courage steps forward, however grudgingly and unsure. It’s a story that hits high notes and low tones, a rich song in book form with humanness and depth. Readers are treated to a community with deep-rooted traditions, a varied history that isn’t without secrets, new and tentative romance and contemporary adventure with magical elements, all while blending in themes of identity, diaspora and colonialism. Older’s writing is there to enjoy as one would any rollercoaster adventure, but it also makes one think: about the pain of identity and diaspora, even within one’s own community, yet also showcases the solidarity and toughness of the same community. The folklore present in this urban fantasy fits well within the Rick Riordan Presents imprint. The previous stories I’ve read within the imprint have been middle-grade titles, but this YA title lends the imprint high school teenager vibes with the world-building that I would expect of any winsome story. I also love the diverse cast, the population of San Madrigal a beautiful blend of Indigenous, West African and European Jewish peoples with the varied skin tones that would go along with that diverse population. It hits the right notes with its lush harmony of adventure, diversity, music and magic, and I will definitely return for the next “Outlaw Saints” novel.

            P.S. I want San Madrigal to be real like I also wish Wakanda, the Wizarding World, Alicante, the Shire and all other worlds and realms were real. Maybe let’s leave out the bambaruto​ creatures, though. Very unpleasant.

            P.P.S. For some reason, each time I read “empire pirates,” I wanted to say “vampire pirates.” But it’s empire. As for the other, someone write that book, stat!