Common Sense Media Review
By Carrie R. Wheadon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Very gory, chaotic, and disappointing duology finale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In LAST CANTO OF THE DEAD: OUTLAW SAINTS, BOOK 2, teens/reincarnated gods Chela and Mateo arrive at the newly risen island of Madrigal, which spent 15 years under the sea. Mateo is elated, but as Chela steps on land for the first time, it's too much for her creator-god senses and she slips into a coma. That leaves Mateo to fend off the fierce, inhuman Bambaruto fighters that find them on the beach. Mateo quickly learns that, unlike at home, not all of the Bambaruto are the enemy and that Chela's Aunt Mimi, thought drowned 15 years ago, controls enough of the creatures to keep them safe. For now. Meanwhile, Chela is still unresponsive and slips in and out of dreams of the island's past. That's how she learns a horrible secret: If she and Mateo stay together, their god-selves will spell destruction for the island. Chela is desperate for it not to be true, but when she finally wakes and she and Mateo kiss, they watch one of the island's three mountain peaks crash into the sea. Now Chela knows she must send Mateo back to Brooklyn, but she can't bring herself to tell him why.
Is It Any Good?
This fascinating duology doesn't get the ending it deserves thanks to a plot that's chaotic, hard to follow, and has far more gory scenes than it needed. Chela, god of destruction and creation confesses in Last Canto of the Dead that destruction feels more natural to her. It seems like the confession of author Daniel Jose Older himself. He created this incredible diaspora in Book 1, Ballad & Dagger, and at the end of that volume, resurrected the characters' island homeland. From there, all this book does is destroy, destroy, destroy. The first casualty is Chela and Mateo's wonderful relationship. Chela dismisses him and won't tell him why. "No time!" she says. Older's in such a hurry that he somehow jets Mateo a thousand miles north to Brooklyn without even a goodbye. Huh? Now Mateo's being hunted by corrupt police and watching his community implode. Because, pirates, maybe? Though the police are the larger presence, and everyone's running scared.
Back on the island, the enemies are (kind of) clearer. There's a demon, privateers with big guns, two kinds of Bambaruto -- alive and zombified -- and a many-legged orangutan. And sometimes Aunt Mimi? Maybe? Chela decides she must train to harness her powers so she can destroy some more. There are moments where the story might ground itself, but it's wasted every time. For example, Chela's too-hasty encounter with the ancestors falls short. The connection with ancestors really anchored Book 1, along with Tia Lucia's wise words. Predictably, the last gasp of the story involves spurting blood, godly powers, standoffs with guns, escape attempts, and a whole lot of action. But action not grounded in a carefully plotted story is no story at all. This tale deserved better.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the gore in Last Canto of the Dead. There were no guns in the first book, and now automatic rifles are everywhere, along with really violent godly powers. Did you mind the descriptions of jaws flying off of faces and blood spurting everywhere, or did these descriptions fit with the story and with what was at stake on the island?
How has the police presence changed in Little Madrigal since the first book? Why? Why do you think Mateo's dad thinks they can be reasoned with? How and why do you think his perspective is different from his son's?
Would you read more about these characters? Who are your favorites?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Superheroes , Adventures , Pirates
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Rick Riordan Presents
- Publication date : May 16, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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