Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl (The Society of Explorers and Adventurers #1)
by Julie Kagawa (Author)
The first book in a globe-trotting middle-grade adventure, Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl combines high-tech wizardry, old-world legends and a little bit of magic from the internationally renowned best-selling author, Julie Kagawa.
Shinji Takahashi is just an ordinary kid. An ordinary homeschooled smart-alecky orphan kid being raised by his globe-trotting aunt Yui. But when a magical guardian decides to use him as a conduit to awaken its power, Shinji's life takes a turn for the anything-but-ordinary. Captured by the menacing Hightower Corporation, which is bent on using the guardian's magic for its own nefarious purposes, Shinji must team up with a brilliant young tech whiz named Lucy and her robot mouse, Tinker, in order to escape.
Together the two turn to the venerable Society of Explorers and Adventurers and its ragtag cast of spelunkers, hackers, mapmakers, pilots, and mythology experts (among other things) to return the guardian to its rightful home and release Shinji from its magic--which seems to be draining his life force. Time is ticking, the Hightower Corporation is hot on their tail, and success or failure might depend on one small thing--Shinji finally coming around to the belief that he is anything but ordinary.
Based on the Society of Explorers and Adventurers lore that exist across the Walt Disney Parks, Shinji Takahashi and the Mark of the Coatl is the first book in an all-new action-adventure series that brings S.E.A. into the twenty-first century through a blend of science and magic, and a focus on two young characters on an epic journey through time and place.
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Publishers Weekly
In Kagawa’s (the Iron Fey series) fantasy, based on a fictional society created by Walt Disney Imagineering, sardonic Shinji Takahashi, of Japanese descent, lives with his aunt Yui in Miami following his parents’ death, and each year accompanies her on "treasure hunts" around the world to source wares for her store. Since the 13-year-old would prefer to be playing a quest-oriented video game, he’s sent on an IRL quest during this year’s trip down the Zambezi River, and soon comes across a new-to-him part of a market, and a valuable figurine-the Coatl-that "calls for" him. When a group attempts to steal the statue, Shinji inadvertently absorbs it, becoming its guardian-and gaining a new tattoo and potentially fatal curse. Kidnapped and taken to N.Y.C.’s Hightower Corporation, a company interested in acquiring magical artifacts, he meets fellow 13-year-old Lucy Smith, a white-cued tech prodigy who helps him escape. The two then make their way to the Society of Explorers and Adventurers, whose mission is to "preserve the past and the wonders of ancient cultures" while working to "restore and return" artifacts they previously stole, and then to Mexico City, where Shinji must return the idol before the curse takes its toll. Employing classic heist tropes, this high-speed adventure with well-plotted twists sets up the series while considering exploration’s colonial implications. Ages 8-12. Agent: Laurie McLean, Fuse Literary.
Copyright 2022 Publisher’s Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Kirkus
An action-packed fantasy containing a surprising twist. (Fantasy. 9-12).
School Library Journal
Shinji is no stranger to adventure. He has traveled the world with his Aunt Yui for as long as he can remember. While shopping in a market he finds a figurine of a Coatl, a feathered serpent creature from Mesoamerican lore. After purchasing this figure, he quickly discovers he got more than he bargained for. He is chased and captured by the Hightower Corporation who are trying to take the figurine so they can control its magic. It is then he discovers that this figure comes with a curse: the mark of the Coatl, which has now changed from a figurine to a tattoo on his arm. With the help of some new friends, he must return the idol to its temple home in Mexico in order to remove the curse before it is too late. This first in the series is a thrilling adventure with elements of magic and folklore, in the same vein as Rick Riordan's works. The fast-paced action and short chapters make this a great choice for reluctant readers. A surprising twist will have kids eagerly awaiting the sequels. VERDICT The perfect mixture of Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson that will keep readers on the edge of their seats.
Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"As thrilling and fast-moving as a rollercoaster ride! Shinji's story will captivate even the most reluctant reader. I loved every second of this book!"—Jen Calonita, New York Times best-selling author of the A Twisted Tale series
JUV001000 - Juvenile Fiction | Action & Adventure
JUV036020 - Juvenile Fiction | Technology | Inventions
Magic
Japanese Americans
Blessing and cursing
Secret societies
Animals, Mythical
