Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows by Tehlor Kay Mejia || Mexican Folklore With A Terrifying Twist

Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows (Paola Santiago #3)

Paola Santiago has recently returned from Oregon, where she defeated the Hitchhiker ghost and saved her father from the vengeful spirit that was possessing him. The poor girl deserves a rest! But first she has to rescue Dante from the void, where he’s been imprisoned by some unknown force. Even though Dante has turned against Pao, she can’t just leave him there--they’ve been friends for too long.

Paola’s prophetic dreams seem to have dried up, so she has to find other ways to locate a new rift where she can enter the void. Signs point to Texas--but how is she going to get there from Arizona? It just so happens that Emma’s new group of politically active friends, the Rainbow Rogues, are planning a field trip to San Antonio. It’s the perfect ruse for Paola, if she can stand being with the judgmental girls for that many days. . . .

Relying on her wits, training from the Ninos de la Luz, and the emotional support of her best friend Emma, Pao makes it into the void. Once there she must face down not just one but two enemies: El Cucuy, the bogeyman . . . and someone even scarier who looks a lot like Pao herself.

This third exciting journey into Mexican folklore has our lovable, intrepid protagonist making discoveries both wonderous and fearsome.

Content Tags:

Perfect for readers who want:

• Fantasy featuring Mexican Folklore
• Fans of other Rick Riordan Presents series.
• Fast-paced action and adventure.
• Thoughtful examinations of trauma, including generational trauma.
• Emphasis on community and friendship.
• Baby budding romance and all sorts of confusing feelings that go with it.

Many thanks to Rick Riordan Presents and Rockstar Book Tours for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The third Paola Santiago book! What can I even say to preface this? Except maybe that I can’t believe we’ve hit the end of this series already. D: Where has the time gone? Our little Paola is all grown up. Okay, well, probably not that one, but still. So much growth. When I saw that this book was releasing, I was excited, but also a little sad to see this series come to an end! I was racking my brain trying to decide which Mexican folklore would be used in this book ahead of time, and when I saw that it was El Cucuy, I was super excited! Because who wouldn’t want to take on the bogeyman?! Let the fun begin!

Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows is the action-packed, heartfelt conclusion to this series, where Mexican folklore takes a terrifying turn, and Paola has to come to grips with all the trauma she’s suffered.

The last installment of this series was every bit as action-packed as the rest of the series, with plenty of dangerous situations, strategy, and fighting. What this book does slightly differently is also cram a ton of emotion into the scenes, as Paola attempts to come to grips with her emotional trauma, generational trauma, and the continued danger that threatens the world. While I enjoyed this book, I didn’t find the conclusion of the series entirely satisfying, mostly because of the convenient explanations for everything, but also partly because of how hard it pushes what I would consider an unhealthy forgiveness narrative. Still, I’m excited to see what Tehlor Kay Mejia will come up with next, and I can’t wait to read her future work!

This review may contain spoilers for books 1 and 2 in the series.

After everything that’s happened in the previous books, Paola is struggling with an abundance trauma, as one might expect.

Trauma? Paola? Psst, can’t imagine whyyyy, now can we? She’s only literally been to hell and back. No biggie! In truth, Paola’s been through more than anyone could expect a 13-year-old to quickly bounce back from, so I really appreciate the way Mejia addresses her struggle to return to some semblance of normality. Especially considering how difficult it is for her, jumping at shadows and seeing monsters around every corner.

As if the trauma she carries from her (mis)adventures isn’t enough, Paola also has plenty of generational trauma to go around. Finding our you’re La Llorana’s granddaughter will do that to you. Something about your grandmother literally murdering her children and then trying to murder you tends to wreak havoc with one’s sense of self. So it makes sense that Paola has some pretty big emotions to work through.

Trauma is something that authors tend to shy away from, especially fantasy and adventure authors, because adventures are a lot less fun when you’re honest about the ways they affect and change the heroes. Which made me appreciate Mejia’s inclusion of Paola’s struggle all the more, because one doesn’t go through the things Paola does without being changed.

The emotions in this book are so hardcore and on point as Paola grapples with how to move forward from everything that’s happened to her in the series so far.

Paola has come a long way from the first book. She’s gained some things (like her father), but also lost many others (like her best friend and her childhood innocence). It’s easy to forget, though, that she’s still only thirteen, especially when considering all the things she’s done and been through. So yeah, there are some pretty big emotions in this book as Paola grapples with what everything means with her life.

It isn’t all just where she’s been and what she’s done, either. Paola is at that critical age where she’s still trying to figure out herself. The people around her like Emma and the Rogues seem so self-assured and confident in who they are, whereas Paola is really just a hot mess wandering around in a meat suit. She struggles a lot with deciding who she is and who she wants to be on many fronts, including who she wants to be with.

I’ll admit that I didn’t love the little baby, budding romance in this, since it felt a bit shoehorned into everything, unnecessary, and a bit awkward (to me at least) in its sudden appearance. However, that pretty much describes and fits the MO of a 13-year-old, so that tracks. What I loved most about it, though, is the way Mejia gives permission for Paola (and, by extension, young readers) to take the time to decide who they are through trial and error, rather than having everything figured out.

As much as I’ve enjoyed the Niños in the previous book, Pao’s new, unexpected (and often unwanted) squad of the Rogues is a bit of a breath of fresh air, if I’m honest.

That’s not to say that the Niños don’t make an appearance, because they do. Obviously. It wouldn’t be a Paola book without them, now would it? That being said, though, the bulk of the support in this book is provided by the Rogues. Yes, Emma’s Rogues. You know, the super woke group hellbent on fighting misogyny and racism and determined to save the Earth whether other people like it or not? Yeah, that group.

The Rogues are . . . well, a hot mess. They’re certainly no Niños. They’re essentially what would happen if you gave me a sharp farming implement and told me that evil phantoms were invading our world. It’s messy, it’s chaotic, and it’s also highly likely that someone will lose an eye. But hey, it works. In previous books, it’s easy to forget how young the Niños are because of their advanced training and community, but the Rogues have none of that to fall back on. They’re just honest-to-goodness kids trying to do the right thing and being woefully unprepared and in over their heads. And if that’s not the most honest, relatable thing in any adventure book, I don’t know what is.

Though Paola’s always been a bit hardheaded and stubborn to a fault, she’s learning what it really means to stand her ground and lead others when she’s uncertain and doesn’t always have the answers . . . especially when those around her think they do and try to shut her down.

Let’s be real: we all know how frustrating it is to have your opinion dismissed, let alone being dismissed entirely. Speaking up when people are trying to shut you down and tell you your place is hard. It doesn’t always get easier as you get older, either. So I definitely appreciated all the scenes where Paola needed to stand her ground and have faith in her own convictions.

Now, is Paola always right? Ha! No, of course not. She’s not always the leader the people around her need, but that’s okay. She’s thirteen. But that doesn’t mean she can’t contribute, as she constantly needs to remind the people around her. Being 13 is not a reason to dismiss her opinions entirely, but Paola is finding out that she first needs to believe in herself before anyone else will believe in her.

The ending is okay, as far as endings go, buuuut . . . I didn’t love it?

This is obviously an incredibly personal thing, so your mileage will vary! For me, though, the ending to this trilogy (which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed) fell kind of flat and felt rushed and oddly convenient (in a not-at-all-convenient sort of way). I loved Paola’s journey (both physical and emotional), and there’s so many heartfelt scenes in this book. However, I just didn’t love the climax and all the final “explanations”. Not gonna lie, I’m also a bit sad to see this series go, because the folklore in it has been so much fun. You know, in a creepy, slightly terrifying sort of way.

I also feel like something needs to be said about the difference between healthy forgiveness and toxic relationships, because I’ve been seeing this more and more in fiction, especially middle grade. Not everybody needs to be forgiven. Not everyone deserves to be forgiven. Fiction needs to stop normalizing the idea that no one is beyond forgiveness, no matter what they do, because it’s such an incredibly unhealthy narrative. That’s all I’ll say with regards to that to avoid spoilers, but I would caution readers that may have struggled to free themselves from toxic relationships that this may be a trigger.

About Tehlor Kay Mejia

Tehlor Kay Mejia is an Oregon native in love with the alpine meadows and evergreen forests of her home state, where she lives with her daughter. When she's not writing, you can find her plucking at her guitar, stealing rosemary sprigs from overgrown gardens, or trying to make the perfect vegan tamale. She is the author of Paola Santiago and the River of Tears and the YA fantasy novels We Set the Dark on Fire and We Unleash the Merciless Storm. Follow her on Twitter @tehlorkay.

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