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I received this book for free from Hear Our Voices Book Tours and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This post contains affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.
The Fire Serpent Legacy by Cindy L. Rodriguez Published by HarperCollins Publishers on July 28, 2026
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Fantasy / General, Juvenile Fiction / Places / Caribbean & Latin America
Pages: 256
Format: Hardcover
Source: Hear Our Voices Book Tours and the publisher
Buy on Bookshop, Buy on Libro.fm
Goodreads
Also by this author: Lola Reyes Is So Not WorriedMagic, danger, and heart collide in this middle-grade adventure as Auri Braga risks everything to raise a fire-serpent in secret and save the Amazon from destruction. Perfect for fans of Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez and The Last Beekeeper!
Auri Braga isn't much of a fighter--not like her parents, who rode the legendary Boitatás, protecting the Amazon and its people. But when she discovers a fire serpent's egg, Auri knows she can't stand on the sidelines anymore. Her parents believed the egg should be in Brazil, so Auri isn't going to stop until their last wish is fulfilled--even if she has to hide the truth from her family.
But getting to the egg safely to the guardians is easier said than done, and when it suddenly hatches, it's Auri's turn to be a hero: to protect the new fire serpent and help him save her family's homeland from destruction.
Welcome to my stop on the Hear Our Voices Book Tour for The Fire Serpent Legacy by Cindy L. Rodriguez! This is a middle grade fantasy that for those who like mystery, adventure and protecting the environment. I was already a fan of Rodriguez’ last book Lola Reyes is So Not Worried (see my review) so I was excited to read her sophomore novel.
Auri Braga is an orphan being raised by her grandmother and sister in New York City. But her family is from Brazil. She doesn’t really know why her grandmother moved her and her sister to the United States when she was a baby, she just knows that it was after her parents passed in a tragic accident. She feels like she is a puzzle with missing pieces. One day an incident makes her curious and she snoops in her grandmother’s belongings and stumbles on information that could only belong in a Brazilian folklore. Before she knows it, her sister Julia is taking her to Brazil to meet her family and the adventures begin.
Brazilian Folklore & The Amazon
Rodriguez weaves in the Brazilian folklore of the fire serpent into the very important and ongoing fight to save the Amazon rain forest. When the sisters arrive in Brazil they are quickly made aware of the struggle between developers and the Native Brazilians who want the land to remain as it has been. As she meets her family, she must also contend with her grief of not having ever known her parents while being in a place where they were defenders of the Amazon.
Try it as a Read Aloud
If you are looking for a younger middle grade adventure fantasy, check this one out! I am reading it aloud with my sons now and they are anxiously waiting to find out what is going to happen to the mysterious egg Auri brings back to Brazil. (I had to read ahead of them in order to finish this review. They were not happy about that, but that’s how I know they are really into the book!)
Educator/Caretaker Tip: Use this book as a kickstart to discussing a number of topics, including environmentalism, the Amazon Rainforest and its important to the world, dealing with grief, Brazilian folklore and fighting for a cause you believe in. It’s also a great book to read for Latine Heritage Month since it just came out!
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