Rise of the Knight (Doña Quixote #1) by Rey Terciero

Rise of the Knight (Doña Quixote #1) Reviews

• 
  Marquise

  This graphic novel takes on the story of Don Quixote of La Mancha to a modern setting in Laredo, Texas, where a young girl called Lucia dreams of becoming a knight. Her head filled with the stories her abuelo told her since she was a baby, she refuses to follow the rest of the town in considering him crazy, also ignoring that her own mother thinks the same, and spurred on by her supportive abuela and her loyal bestie, ballet dancer Sandro, she goes around town mounted on her "loyal steed" Rocky, causing a variety of messes that get her grounded as punishment. One day, she finds her abuelo's old knightly helmet, lance, and shield in the attic, that render her magically able to see the supernatural creatures that inhabit the town and thus confirm what she already believed: her abuelo was telling the truth, he really was a knight defending the world from supernatural evils.
  
  Now that she can see the invisible magical creatures, she mistakenly thinks the must do as her abuelo and rid her town of them, and egged on by a ghostly woman only known as La mujer de blanco (The woman in white), she does. Or rather, she tries too earnestly, causing even more chaos and mayhem in town because, it turns out, all those creatures she attacks are benign and have no bad intentions towards humans. Except one, the one Lucia least expects. That one is the evil knight-in-training Lucia and her squire Sandro must vanquish if they have to save their town and the world.
  
  It sounds like a cute story, doesn't it? And I imagine it will be for most. But I'm going to be an outlier here and state that this graphic novel, while fun and I'm sure well-intentioned, made me feel very uncomfortable. There'll be spoilers from here on, so beware.
  
  For a start, I didn't appreciate the appropriation of Don Quixote, the quintessential Spanish story, by the author. For someone who has read and reread the original Don Quixote, it's very hard to suspend disbelief and accept that Lucia is a direct descendant of Alonso Quijano, because in the novel by Cervantes he has no wife and no children. He's a single old knight and dies an old single knight. So for Rey Terciero to invent that he did have a wife and a son that inherited his armour and weaponry and somehow ended up having mestizo descendants, in Texas no less, is too much to accept. Don Quixote belongs to Spain, it may have universal appeal and universal applications, but it doesn't erase the fact that it's quintessentially Spaniard, not Latino, and definitely not Texan Hispanic.
  
  Don Quixote has context and lore that apply to Spain and its history and culture/folklore that can't be claimed by Latinos. Not everything that is Spanish can be claimed by Latinos just because Spain colonised the continent and mingled with the natives, especially not Don Quixote, which has no ties to the Americas in its plotline. I would've liked the story in this graphic novel way more if it weren't for the "descendant of Alonso Quijano" part that felt like appropriation; it could've been anything else, like a society of knights dedicated to continuing Don Quixote's work, for example.
  
  I'm sorry, but I simply can't accept Don Quixote as a Latino story. I don't find it comfortable or appropriate.
  
  So the story went downhill for me from there. Next on my list of issues was the use of the language. It's correct for the most part but, for a Hispanic, Terciero makes some noticeable mistakes with Spanish. I'm always amazed at how poorly some Latinos in the US speak the language of the culture they claim for themselves, and now I can understand better why many Latinos that live in their own countries don't think highly of US Latinos and their propensity for presenting themselves as "the" Latinos. With such less-than-perfect Spanish, who'd blame them?
  
  I mean, "Doña Quixote"? Forgive me, but no. Quixote is masculine, and for a female it'd be "Doña Quixota." Lucia is a girl. Doña Quixota/Doña Quijota is how a native speaker would say it, it's how it has been called with female protagonists in parodies and retellings in Spain. And remember, this is Spain's knight. "Doña Quixote" to Spanish ears sounds as unnatural as saying doña Sancho instead of doña Sancha. This is clearly done for the Anglophone market, who'd not know nor care about details like this.
  
  Now, for the story itself. The beginning is choppy, with abrupt transitions between panels, and Lucia is an annoying brat that only bothers people trying to "do good" without asking nor stopping to consider the risks. Sure, she's a child still and very naïve and impulsive, that's what excuses her bratty and chaotic behaviour. It's in the middle where the real fun is, if you can get past the boring start and the TSTL antics by Lucia don't put you off (some of the falls off Rocky could end up with her neck broken at worst). This is the part I enjoyed the most, the appearances by the myriad of creatures from Mexican folklore were so lovely. This was the part that most genuinely felt like Cervantes' Don Quixote, for the hilarity, for how wrong Lucia is about everything and everyone. This is the part that made me wish they didn't claim Cervantes' story for themselves and made this an independent retelling, as should be. As it actually is, because besides that artificial link to Quijano, this story is genuinely Mexican and pays homage to their culture's lore and mythic creatures.
  
  If you can get past the beginning, this is the part that'll make you love this story.
  
  The last stretch up to the ending, from the point Lucia and Sandro find out who the real evil is onwards, felt rushed and wrapped up too conveniently. Suddenly, everyone can see Lucia was right, just in time for the grand vanquishing of evildoers, and somehow a puny girl and a fat boy can manage to do what an experienced old knight wasn't able to and vanquish evil? It was hard to swallow. And harder to swallow still that the town so readily accepts that those creatures live with them now...
  
  Maybe I'm just too old for this story, I'll admit. It's written for young people, you can tell by how direct the "lessons" are, not very subtle and very to the point, perfect for young audiences. It gives the "don't give up" and "be yourself" pep talks a bit too forcefully for adults, but young people would get it. This definitely is going to be perfect for young people.
  
  But old me will just stare at the pages and wonder how come a fat boy is a talented ballet dancer, and why the "evil" mayor looks like Justin Trudeau... You get my drift.
  
  I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Deborah Zeman

  I absolutely LOVED this graphic novel retelling of Don Quixote. Girl Knight, her trusted best friend (and Ballerino) by her side, fighting against monsters that no one can see but her. Fighting for her family and what she believes in, when no one else believes her. They all think they are crazy like her late Abuelo. I really liked learning about all the monsters of Mexican lore. The author includes pages explaining each one’s background, along with incredible illustrations. The illustrations for this GN were beautiful. I really liked how she was able to shift from the regular world to the supernatural with bright vibrant colors. I hope there’s another one in this series. Kids are going to scoop this one up!
• 
  RainyDayReader

  This was a fun retelling of the classic tale Don Quixote with several changes, including a young girl named Lucia being the protagonist. Our main character longs to be a knight like her grandfather, even though her family and the town think her grandfather was imagining all the creatures and spirits he talked about fighting. When the mayor begins to launch a project that could put the town in danger, Lucia and her best friend, the ever supportive ballerino try to save the day.
  
  There was so much I loved about this book. First, the trend that is going on with modernizing classics is amazing! This book tackles many of the same topics as the original, along with others like immigration, gender stereotypes, and more.
  
  My favorite character was Lucia’s grandmother. She was a wonderful encouragement to Lucia, even if she didn’t fully understand what the specifics were. She preserved in her own goal and was there for her family too. I also liked how Lucia’s best friend, Sandro causally defied gender norms by loving ballet. While it was a point of contention for his family, he was always sure of his love of ballet and who he was. It made him an incredible knight sidekick to Lucia too! Also, loved the donkey sidekick!
  
  (Thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.)
• 
  Aimee Santiago

  A graphic novel and modernized retelling of Don Quixote. Opens with Lucia and her Abuelo in the park and the mystery of what happened to him. The city calls him “Abuelo Loco” and in his passing continually shamed as the novel progresses. Lucia experiences a journey of finding her values and persevering through “trusting the feeling in her tummy.” Super cute story and loved the addition of mythical creatures.
• 
  Melissa

  I have been fascinated with the story of Don Quixote for a while, so a graphic novel with a modern twist on the story was too good not to pass up! Lucia and her friend, Sandro, are not exactly normal, but when Lucia finds a magical helmet her grandfather had, she begins to see magical things and people really think she’s crazy! These adventures and funny but also frustrating as Lucia continues to be misunderstood even by her family. Kids will love this story!
• 
  Dina

  Dona Quixote is such a good book! I can't wait to recommend it to my students! Why I think my students will like it so much: it is a graphic novel, contains a ghost, has ballet in it, and is a bit of a mystery. Two thumbs up for this book!
• 
  Bant

  Fun little adventure
• 
  Cristy Villemaire

  Any book or graphic novel that makes me cry happy tears has a special place in my heart. Doña Quixote is probably one of my favorite graphic novels of 2023. Not only are the illustrations beyond gorgeous, but the storyline tackles some very important subjects.
  
  Lucia Castillo is a middle-grade student trying her best to survive this sometimes tough stage of growing up. She lives in Laredo, Texas, and she has a very loving family. Unfortunately, Lucia sometimes gets too carried away, distinguishing what is helping people or getting into trouble. Her abuelo (grandpa) always told her she was a knight and had to help her community and fight for them. Things start to get a little troublesome for Lucia after an incident involving the mayor and her family steps in and wants her to get her head out of the clouds. This story has a mixture of the beloved story Don Quixote and National Treasure. It will definitely enlighten anyone who reads it.
• 
  Tera (adventuresbetweenpages)

  Oh that was amazing! I absolutely LOVE Don Quixote and when I saw this on Netgalley I knew I needed to request an ARC. This was magical. Mix of Mexican culture, Don Quixote, folklore, cryptid creatures, myths, legends...adventure! I plan on doing a full non-spoiler review on my blog this weekend....I'll add the link when I finish
• 
  Ms. Arca

  I love Don Quixote and I was so excited about the premise of this! This is such a fantastic idea. [more of this please!!!]
  
  I loved the rep (MC feisty knight Latina, and her best friend boy who does ballet). That being said, that was about it and all we got to know of our two main characters. I wanted more dimensions and depth to the characters. Maybe I was just too excited about this concept and so my expectations were unfair, or maybe this one just didn't do it for me.
  
  I hope it really lands for some kiddos who find it, though!
  
  Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Alexa Pascarella

  I chose this graphic novel as a contemporary high fantasy pick for a graduate course I am taking. I also saw it was recommended by Kirkus and the School Library Journal. Lucia is a Mexican American who was very close to her Abuelo before he passed away. He trained her how to be a knight and how to rescue people. Although she loved him, everyone in her town (including her own mother) thought he was crazy for talking about fighting invisible monsters. Lucia continues to train as a knight with her donkey, Rocky and her best friend Sandro at her side. One day, Lucia finds Abuelo’s old helmet in an attic chest and realizes that it allows her to see the mythical creatures Abuelo has been talking about. Due to this, Lucia goes on a quest to save her town from an evil mayor even though her parents strongly object. In the midst of all this, Lucia accidentally reveals Sandro’s secret that he is taking ballet classes for his super jock family and his dad won’t let him do ballet anymore. Lucia is keeping another secret which is that her Abeula is an illegal citizen because she is too afraid to fail the test and be sent to Mexico. Through a lot of adventure and excitement, Lucia realizes what it means to be a knight, Sandor’s dad sees Sandro dance and realizes it is actually an amazing talent, and Abeula passes her citizenship test. Although this is a fantasy story, the themes are compelling and relevant to students and could be applied to their life. Some of the themes are coming-of-age and learning to be proud of yourself. Also, Terciero is able to make the fantasy elements seem logical so it is easy for readers to suspend disbelief.
  The author and illustrator have an insider perspective which makes the cultural markers very authentic, even though fantastical things are happening. Terciero (actually named Rex Ogle) is a Latinx writer who has always been drawn to classic stories and enjoys retelling them for a contemporary audience. In the author’s note, he said that growing up he never saw Mexican heroes, so he wanted to create stories that represent his Hispanic heritage. The illustrator, Magaña, is fluent in English and Spanish and her cartoon-like illustrations are very colorful. The realistic and fantastical depictions both show the character’s emotions. There is other back matter that includes notes about the original story although readers don’t have to have any prior knowledge to enjoy this book. However, for middle grade students, it would be a great activity to practice the Common Core standard of comparing and contrasting stories in the same genre on their approaches to similar themes and topics.
• 
  Ryan

  I really wanted to like this, but I am DNFing at 25%. I imagine this book was going to be a modern retelling of Dan Quixote but in the first quarter of the book we have a young woman and her grandfather telling her stories about being a knight. Everybody considers him crazy both in his family and around his neighborhood. Eight years later, Lucia is still into the ideas of knights in shining armor and grand adventures. This that gets her into trouble. Her age is hard to guess probably between 13 and 15 considering the story starts out eight years ago. I think the reason that the first quarter of this book annoys me is that Lucia is always in trouble. She’s in trouble for being an imaginative child. She’s in trouble for being rambunctious. And then the adults around here are just so annoying. There’s one scene where Lucy it goes to do her knightly business and help somebody who’s being bullied, she runs into a water tower and causes it to fall over. This gets her in trouble with the mayor, which gets her in trouble with her parents, and her parents have to do time volunteering to help pay for the mayors car that was hurt destroyed by the falling water tower. At the same time they also have to hide Lucia’s grandmother, who is undocumented. What annoys me about this book is there is no way one child running into a water tower lake can cause the water tower to fall. If it did, they would be a much bigger problem and the mayor wouldn’t be mad at the parents. Parents will be suing the mayor. I went into this book expecting an out of this world, crazy adventure tale, but this book is already unbelievable and far-fetched in the most annoying way. I have no desire to finish this tail. The world is coded as evil and cruel and nothing good. If that is the case, why would it be worth saving.
• 
  Lindsey

  ✨ Review ✨ Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight by Rey Terciero; Illustrated by Monica M. Magaña
  
  Inspired by the classic Don Quixote, this middle grades graphic novel follows Lucia, a girl in a small Texas town, mourning the loss of her beloved abuelo. Most of the town thought her abuelo was kind of weird, dressing up as a knight and chasing monsters. When Lucia puts on her helmet and realizes she too can see monsters, she starts off on quests to battle evil in her town.
  
  The illustrations are gorgeous and the book does a really lovely job at incorporating Spanish language phrases and traditional Mexican & Aztec folklore with creatures like a chupacabra, nagual, duendes, and more! The pages are so colorful, and I especially loved the ones that came alive with color and magic behind the mask!
  
  This beautiful book was a blast to read with my 10yo, and I loved the representation of difficult topics (immigration, power and the working-class , etc.) on the pages.
  
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
  Genre: middle grade graphic novel, fantasy
  Setting: small town Texas
  Pub Date: September 5, 2023
  
  Read this if you like:
  ⭕️ middle grade graphic novels
  ⭕️ folklore-inspired fantasy
  ⭕️ heroic kids (learning lessons along the way, like prepare before you go into battle 😂 !)
  
  Thanks to Henry Holt and Company, Storygram, and #netgalley for advanced copies of this book!
• 
  TheNextGenLibrarian

  A retelling of Don Quixote by Rey Terciero and @monicam_art
  ⚔️
  Lucia Castillo grew up learning how to be a knight from her abuelo. Now that he’s passed away, she’s even more determined to train for knighthood, but her mom is getting frustrated with her antics. Together with her BFF, Sandro, they discover the mayor isn’t who he says he is. After finding her abuelo’s magical helmet Lucia can finally see the magic he talked about to her growing up. Even when the entire town turns on her, can Lucia save the day?
  ⚔️
  2023 is going to be Rex Ogle’s year. I can’t believe the amount of graphic novels he has releasing and how amazing each and every one of them is. The author’s note at the end, especially, shares why Latinx representation is so important. This MG graphic novel takes place in Laredo, TX and puts Latinx characters at the center of a hero’s quest—something we need to see more of in literature. I can’t wait for this title to release September 5!
  
  CW: death of a grandparent (off page), immigration issues, bullying, violence, homophobia, misogyny
• 
  Josephine Sorrell

  This was not for me. I did not finish at 25%. The first of the book is about a young woman and her grandfather who is telling her stories about being a knight. Everybody refers to him as crazy both by his family and around his neighborhood. Eight years later, Lucia is still into the ideas of knights in shining armor and grand adventures. This gets her into trouble. Lucia is always in trouble and it seems it’s for being an imaginative child.
  And she’s rambunctious. There’s one scene where Lucy goes to do her knightly business and help somebody who’s being bullied, and in the process, she runs into a water tower and causes it to fall over. This gets her in trouble with the mayor, which gets her in trouble with her parents, and her parents have to do time volunteering to help pay for the mayor’s car that was destroyed by the falling water tower.
  
  I think this graphic novel will have an audience among teens who enjoy adventure and fantasy.
  
  The illustrations are the star of the novel.
• 
  Emily

  Thank you to #NetGalley, Rey Teciero and the publisher of the book for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
  
  Everyone in Lucia's town think her grandpa was a nut. She thought he was the brave knight he told her he was. After he dies, Lucia is left with more questions. Was he really a knight or was he really crazy? Lucia is determined to find out with the help of her best friend Sandro! Lucia soon finds her grandfather's knight helmet that allows her to see these monsters that only he could see. It's up to Lucia and Sandro to finish her grandfather's job and save their town.
  
  I loved this fun twist on "Don Quixote" for younger readers. I think Lucia is a fantastic and strong-willed young woman. It is nice to see a young girl character that is not like everyone else because our young people are not like each other.
  I will purchase a copy of this book for my classroom when it comes out!
• 
  Lauraleigh

  This is such a wonderful continuation of the legend of Don Quixote. I was allowed the privilege of reading an ARC (advanced reading copy) from NetGalley and fell in love instantly.
  My elementary schoolers will adore this book as much as I did. The artwork is so crisp, colorful, and striking. The use of Spanish within the text to highlight Lucia’s culture was wonderful, and it was always translated or reiterated for those who do not read Spanish so I never felt like I wasn’t aware of what was happening.
  I loved the use of mythology and the use of magic. The heredity in Lucia’s magic was genius, and the parallels of her story with that of Don Quixote’s was wonderful. Don had Sancho and Lucia has Sandro. Both stories end with the overcoming of great odds at the expense of the hero’s reputation. I enjoyed this one immensely.
• 
  Beth

  Such a cute retelling of Don Quixote by Rey Terciero and illustrator, Monica M. Magana. I remember reading the original story in college and absolutely loving it and this book makes it accessible to upper elementary and middle school students.
  
  In Terciero’s version, he introduces us to Lucia, who attempts to follow in her abuelo’s footsteps to become a modern-day knight. As she hones her skills, Lucia and her best friend, Sandro fight evil forces to save their hometown of Laredo from certain destruction. With the help of a family heirloom, Lucia can see spirits that are known to the community as Mexican folklore. No longer just folklore, Lucia must decipher who she can trust and who she can’t in order to defeat the spirits.
  
  Brightly colored frames by Magana bring Terciero’s words and Dona Quixote to life. Such an enjoyable graphic novel for young readers!
• 
  Beth

  Has a lot of tropes but is saved by realistic dialogue, family, and friendship; and a mostly-smooth blending of cultural history with life in modern Texas. Art is colorful and lively, and the title character is blundering in attempts to do good, like the original Don Quixote as well as her Abuelo. Family love is appropriately strict, and strong on all sides. I could see the plot twists coming but I'm not a fourth or fifth grader. Introduction to several Latin American folkloric creatures is done well. Spanish is somewhat easy to figure out by context (no translation provided) and English-language responses of other characters; many words and phrases are easy to figure out with a year or so of Spanish classes.
  
  A good choice for readers on about a fourth grade level (content isn't too scary for most second or third graders reading on a 4th grade level) through sixth or seventh.
• 
  Theresa

  
  Doña Quixote: Rise of the Knight
  by Rey Terciero
  This is a book about cultural pride and heritage. A young girl loved her Abuelo his stories were her most dear memory. Even though he abandoned her in the park for hours scaring her mother. He was caught in a story world, thought he was saving people. His wife her Abuela did not let his memory to be forgotten. The story shows the history, and stories of Mexico, showing the influence of Spain on their former colony. The celebration of monsters, and ghost stories, is given in a comic level interpretation makes these stories easier for the children to share the story. It is a combination of current xenomorph obsession in many stories and the idea of comic book adventures.
  
• 
  Vanessa

  Thank you to the publisher for an eARC!
  
  This despite being fantastical, this book is so grounded; Lucia's struggles are so relatable. We're not all tasked with fighting the supernatural, but the questions of "How do I be a good daughter?" "How do I best serve my community?" "How do I reconcile my imagine of someone, with someone else's version of them?" There's a lot more to this book than just a fun adventure story...
  
  I was not familiar with all the supernatural creatures in this book, which is a rare delight for me.
  
  The illustrations and color are eye catching and sure to draw in middle schoolers.
  
  Overall, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to recommend it to my readers!
• 
  Raven Black

  Cute, modern story (diverse cast) that has a fun take on the Don Quixote story. The history, culture and modern issues of a Hispanic family unfold while we deal with the idea of trying to be "not too much" but then again being who we are. There are a few cliques (the best friends family are "jocks and meatheads" that are "no son/brother of mine will dance") but it all works to move their story forward. The ending has a slight "scary moment" but no worse than a usual Saturday morning cartoon (Scooby Doo was more scary and in the process of getting there, there was mention of where the missing cats went (but not gross or detailed) so, just know your reader. Closed ending that also allows for book two to happen.
• 
  Kristen

  As a Don Quixote LOVER I was expecting to hate this book but I loved it! Dona is a distant relative of Don Quixote and the lore has been told throughout her family but recently her grandfather, who believed in the magic of Don Quixote, was ridiculed and seen as the town fool. When Dona finds his knight helmet she puts it on and discovers she can see evil spirits and ghosts and thwarts the Mayor's plan to release all the evil spirits from the underworld (because of his ghost girlfriend, lol)
  
  Of course Dona saves the day with her friend Sandro and she even sees the ghost spirit of her grandfather, who helps her defeat all the evil spirits. really well done!
• 
  Ron

  Lucia Castillo is in middle school in a small Texas town. But she is also a knight in training. Her grandfather had been a knight/monster hunter in the tradition of Don Quixote and he had started initiating Lucia into this tradition before he disappeared. Lucia and her best friend Sandro get sucked into adventures and danger when they learn that there are more things hidden in their town then most folks know. And when the town is placed in grave danger, will Lucia and Sandro find the courage and pluck to thwart the villain's evil plans? Nicely illustrated in vibrant colors with an interesting mix of monsters.
  
  Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this title.
• 
  Katie Reilley

  Set in southern Texas, this middle grade graphic novel follows Lucia, a girl trying to prove that her grandfather wasn’t just a strange old man trying to save the town from monsters.
  
  After finding her grandfather’s old knight helmet in the attic, Lucia finds that she too can see the hidden threats that loom in her town. With her best friend Sandro, Lucia sets out to prove that her grandfather wasn’t crazy and save her town from the creatures determined to unleash evil upon it.
  
  Full of magic, twists and turns, and lots of family drama, Lucia’s story is filled with bravery and fighting for the legacy you love. Don’t miss the author and illustrator’s notes at the end!
• 
  Sesana

  Overall a fun read that I think will appeal to fans of Percy Jackson and similar books. It took me much of the book to warm up to the main character. Lucia doesn't just want to do good, she wants to be seen to do good. Which makes her loud, impulsive, and often intrusive and destructive. It takes her almost the entire book to sort of get it, and along the way she keeps making the same mistakes over and over. I found her harried mother much more sympathetic. I also think that I may have liked this better if she weren't meant to be the descendant of Don Quixote, who in this book actually wasn't delusional at all. Which sort of feels like missing the point of the original novel to me.
• 
  Cynthia T

  Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, for letting me read this graphic novel in advance. I have alwasy been fascinated with the supernatural, and this book brings so many to life. Lucia loves her abuelo and his stories of being a night. Lucia wants to be a knight and she has her best friend and neighbor train with her, so they can fight evil. This book touches on so many topics, such as recycling, wanting to be someone you are not and being your true self. My students are going to love this graphic novel.
• 
  AL G

  This was a fantastic read! Already I am a fan of the classic "Don Quixote" and love to find books that will help introduce young readers into the world of classic literature. This book will surely provide a speedy path to such a love. The illustrations are gorgeous and remind me of 2000s Disney cartoons. Rey Terciero has done a wonderful job putting a unique twist on the classic tale, while also keeping important elements.