Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older is an incredible masterpiece rich with cultural diversity, history, a musical backdrop, and a glorious story of growth in a thought-provoking literary epic on the scale of Homer. Older is the first writer for the Rick Riordan Presents imprint to release a YA novel, and he does so with a brilliant epic tale.
In the novel Ballad & Dagger, we meet Mateo Matisse, a teenaged wanderer who is back in the small subset neighborhood of Little Madrigal in New York City. This is the home to the diaspora of San Madrigal which sank beneath the ocean sixteen years ago.
From the loss of the island the citizens have established themselves in a borough of New York City, where life is uninterrupted by the outside world, and the people of San Madrigal continue their day-to-day existence. Mateo is usually away with his parents following them for their work. Now back in Little Madrigal with his aunt, Lucia, Mateo is alone in his community, where he learns there is more to the soul of his people than just a block of houses.
San Madrigal is a place where pirates and refugees came together to form a nation free from slavery. In New York City the people of Little Madrigal continue to live that life of isolation while in plain sight, holding fast to their belief about their homeland and their history. When Mateo learns one night that he is the reincarnated spirit of Galanika, a god of the island, the world turns upside down, and life will never be normal again.
Previous books in the RRP world have delt with the gods and myths of cultures that highlight the authors creativity while using traditional narratives from mythology. Ballad & Dagger is a whole new ball game for RRP. Not only has Older created a world that doesn’t exist, (Rick Riordan himself wishes the island of San Madrigal existed, and so do I) but Older has taken cultural folklore from a variety of places to create this new world of San Madrigal.
This must have been incredibly difficult to do and keep straight throughout the narrative, but Older’s power with words has forged a whole new world that may not exist but will bring to life a world of mythology and folklore that some cultures do not see on the page. From Cuban mysticism to African folklore, Older has crafted a world that stands out as real and meaningful.
Not only will the reader root for Mateo’s success, feel his betrayal by the people he trusts, but also have a great time listening to the beats and hums of everyday life through Mateo’s musical ear. Through Mateo, readers will see how music is such a regular component of everyday life that it will be hard to walk down the street without listening for the beat or the hum of the world.
Mateo Matisse is a genuine character. He speaks from his heart and has multiple inner dialogues with himself that provides the reader a chance to empathize with what this sixteen-year-old is seeing and living. Mateo’s growing love for Chela Hidalgo is another high point in the book because Older treats this relationship as a real moment that exists with the messy complications of teenage thought, that would and does complicate real relationships at this age. I feel for the characters because I care about them, and I care for Mateo and Chela because Daniel José Older is at the top of his game with this book.
From complex personal relationships to the intricacies of life in Little Madrigal and the backstory of life on San Madrigal, the world building in the story is top tier. As Older describes the three peaks of San Madrigal, I can see myself staring up at them and wanting to climb them, and when discussion of raising the island and opening it to the outside world, I can picture the hotels that would dot the sandy beaches of the isolated island and why that might not be the best thing for the country. These are real moments, with real consequence that have been witnessed in the real world, and Older captures this angst and worry in his work with authenticity.
It's easy to see both sides of the issue in raising San Madrigal and why it is time to embrace the outside world. However, Older has layered his story with issues ripped from the headlines of today, and societal issues that confront the world. The people of San Madrigal need to address the issue of how they reconcile the past with the present to build a better future.
Rick Riordan Presents has continued to offer a broad range of books that are culturally diverse that show more of the world than before to younger readers. Ballad & Dagger by Daniel José Older is the next step in growth for the RRP literary world. While San Madrigal might not exist, the book will give a home to people who feel they have no home. This is the perfect outcome for a book. All readers should find a place in a book, and Ballad & Dagger will welcome everyone.
It’s no easy task being the first author out of the gate but Daniel José Older has blasted the door wide open for more YA books from Rick Riordan Presents. The power of his narrative, and the complexity to his characters will make Older’s Ballad & Dagger a landmark in quality and creativity in the YA world and literature.
Ballad & Dagger is a four-star power punch of a book that will leave readers eager for more.