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  • Published: 13 June 2023
  • ISBN: 9781368070904
  • Imprint: Disney Publishing
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $39.99

Last Canto of the Dead



Two gods-turned-teenagers wage simultaneous battles in the Caribbean and Brooklyn in this breathless sequel to BALLAD & DAGGER.

Two gods-turned-teenagers wage simultaneous battles in the Caribbean and Brooklyn in this breathless sequel to BALLAD & DAGGER.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. Mateo Matisse and Chela Hidalgo are not just two teenagers in love--they're powerful gods in human form. Powerful enough to have saved their Brooklyn diaspora community from the wrath of an ancient enemy and to have raised their once-sunken native island of San Madrigal from the sea.

But soon they discover that their problems are far from over. On the shores of San Madrigal, two creature armies are battling for survival. And on the streets of Brooklyn, a once tight-knit community is divided, with two sides at each other's throats. But worst of all, a heartbreaking prophecy rips these two young lovers apart, sending Mateo back to the city, where cops are now patrolling the streets, and keeping Chela tethered to the island, where chaos and death lurk around every corner.

Healer. Destroyer. Creator. As gods, their powers know no limits. But as teenagers--separated, desperate, grieving--what will become of them? And what will become of their people?

Join their battle and witness their love in this thrilling conclusion to the epic saga that began with BALLAD & DAGGER.

Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, now a hit series on Disney+.
Look for these other titles by Daniel José Older:

  • Outlaw Saints Book 1: Ballad & Dagger
  • Star Wars: The High Republic: Race to Crashpoint Tower
  • Star Wars: The High Republic: Midnight Horizon
  • Published: 13 June 2023
  • ISBN: 9781368070904
  • Imprint: Disney Publishing
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 400
  • RRP: $39.99

About the author

Daniel Jose Older

Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the young adult series The Shadowshaper Cypher, the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series, and the middle-grade historical fantasy Dactyl Hill Squad. He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic, and hear his music at his website, on YouTube, and on Twitter.

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Praise for Last Canto of the Dead

Praise for Ballad & Dagger

*"In this engrossing duology starter, the Riordan imprint's first YA offering, Older explores themes of diaspora, colonialism, and identity via a vibrantly conceived, folklore-tinged fantasy that never loses sight of its immediate human elements, including a strong sense of community and blossoming attraction between its 16-year-old protagonists."
   —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Praise for Ballad & Dagger

*"In this engrossing duology starter, the Riordan imprint's first YA offering, Older explores themes of diaspora, colonialism, and identity via a vibrantly conceived, folklore-tinged fantasy that never loses sight of its immediate human elements, including a strong sense of community and blossoming attraction between its 16-year-old protagonists."
   —Publishers Weekly (starred review)