48 pages • 1 hour read
J. C. CervantesThe Storm Runner
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
A Positive Outlook on Differences
Like all people, the primary characters of The Storm Runner have aspects that set them apart from others. Initially, they view these differences as negative, but as they grow and learn more about their unique strengths, they realize that even the traits they dislike most can be advantageous. Zane’s shifting views of his physical disability plays a central role in illustrating this point, and the author also supplements Zane’s realizations with those of his companions, for just as Brooks must contend with her shapeshifter heritage, Zane’s uncle must come to terms with his limited status as a mere human amongst semi-divine beings. Using all of these characters as models, the novel ultimately explores the fundamental truth that differences are not inherently negative.
Throughout Zane’s life, he has viewed his disability as a weakness that results in limitations and bullying. His resulting fear of being judged for this difference has led him to hide at home and ignore the world as much as possible. When the Mayan world first makes itself known, Zane is limited to viewing his disability as a hindrance, particularly when it comes to fighting or outrunning the demon runners. However, as Zane progresses in his quest and learns that his shorter leg is connected to his father and to his own godly powers, he starts to understand that his disability is not a liability. Having one shorter leg does force him to do some things differently, but the disability itself does not make Zane vastly different than others. Within the Mayan world, it even offers him strength, and this realization helps Zane to view his differences in a newer, more positive way. Rather than only focusing on the drawbacks, he now appreciates the fact that his leg gives him strength in various ways, for he gains literal strength through magic and philosophical strength from knowing his true worth. While magic cannot cure Zane’s leg, it does make him understand that his physical disability does not define him.
Just as Zane finds new inspiration by adjusting his outlook, Brooks uses her differences as motivation. In Chapter 12, Brooks admits that she is only half shape-shifter, adding that she needs to prove herself because, as she states, “If I could accomplish something big, I wouldn’t be a nothing my whole life” (114). As a result, Brooks has been searching for a way to free her sister from Xibalba, and she has mixed feelings about this quest. Although Brooks loves her sister, she Brooks also feels overshadowed by her sibling, who is a full shape-shifter and can transform into more than one animal. By contrast, Brooks can only change into a hawk, and this limitation makes her feel inferior and different, causing her to overcompensate in other ways. When Brooks’s ability to transform is locked away, she feels even more desperate to prove her worth, so she calls upon her differences as a way to show herself and others that her magical abilities are not her only defining characteristic. Ultimately, she realizes that helping her friends is more important than proving her skill at using her magical abilities. From that point on, she finds a new sense of worth by striving to stop Ah-Puch and help Zane. These goals give her a new purpose and prevent her from ruminating on what she has lost.
While Zane and Brooks must contend with supernatural differences, Zane’s uncle has the opposite problem, for he is the only human among the Mayan denizens that populate the latter half of the book. Whereas other humans might be too terrified to participate in Zane’s quest, his uncle is willing to help even though his humanity makes him more vulnerable than the others. Despite this inherent difference from his companions, he commits to helping them in their cause, and he keeps on fighting although he faces a unique set of challenges, such as being susceptible to the poisonous food at the hero twins’ party. Zane’s uncle exemplifies what is possible when people overcome their differences. Thus, he is a hero in his own right, for his actions provide inspiration to Zane and Brooks, even if they don’t explicitly realize it. As a role model for the struggling teens, Zane’s uncle shows them that they should accept and embrace their differences. At the end of the book, Zane’s uncle is no worse for the wear, which proves that he has the ability to survive danger just as well as his supernatural companions. In essence, Cervantes’s entire novel is therefore a celebration of differences.
The Journey of Self-Discovery
At its core, The Storm Runner is a story about discovering one’s true identity despite (and sometimes because of) the obstacles that stand in the way. As the characters grapple with internal and external conflicts, they gradually transform into the people they are meant to be. As Zane’s quest proves, the internal journey is just as important as the external one. From the moment Zane discovers the Mayan world, he experiences a disconnect between the life he has always known and the life he is meant to lead. This crisis is compounded by the loss of his dog to Xibalba, the growth of his own supernatural abilities, and the realization that he is the son of a powerful Mayan god. All these things inexorably pull him toward his true heritage while pushing his human existence farther and farther away; finally, Zane is forced to accept that there is more to his identity than he once believed. He grapples with this disconnect for the rest of the novel, feeling powerless, angry, and uncertain because he never asked for such a fate. In addition, his father’s continued absence makes Zane resentful of the power he wields, especially because he doesn’t know how to control it. When Zane’s father finally claims the teen as his son, this development helps Zane to come to terms with his new abilities. With this boost in support and confidence, Zane finds the will to harness his power and defeat Ah-Puch, and his triumph emphasizes his deeper understanding of himself.
The external journey can help navigate the internal one. During Zane’s quest to find and defeat Ah-Puch, he and his companions face challenges both magical and mundane, and because they are not warriors, Zane is left to wonder if they can win this fight. In Chapter 19, when he brings this concern to his uncle, the man responds with “better to die a freaking warrior, […] than a night-crawling janitor” (183). For Zane’s uncle, the external journey of Zane’s quest has helped him to overcome his internal struggles about his normal status quo. He has felt stuck in place for a long time, simply going through the motions to survive, but the quest to vanquish Ah-Puch breathes new life into him and allows him to become the fighter he has always wanted to be. Whereas Zane’s internal journey is helped along by the external quest, his uncle embraces the inner transformation that such a quest makes possible. Together, these two characters demonstrate that there is no single route to self-discovery.
Even the supernatural and mythological trappings of the novel are designed to reflect the theme of self-discovery. Centuries before the events of the novel, the hero twins (who are part god and part human) represented a threat to the gods due to their very existence. The gods’ resulting oath never to have more children in turn threatens Zane and his father’s existence, for the gods would punish both father and son if they discover that the oath has been broken. When Zane awakens his Mayan heritage, Hurakan is forced to reckon with his son’s self-discovery and take action to safeguard him. Initially, this involves stronger methods to keep his secret, but after Ah-Puch is released and the stakes grow to levels that cannot be ignored, Hurakan realizes he can’t be afraid of punishment anymore. If Ah-Puch is to be stopped, Hurakan must help Zane, and the fear of Ah-Puch destroying the world and harming Zane outweighs Hurakan’s fear of the gods’ reprisal for his transgression. Thus, even this divine being undergoes a form of self-discovery, for when he lets go of this fear, he is able to take definitive action and make a plan to help Zane. Although Hurakan is eventually captured and punished by the other gods, he makes his peace with this consequence because he knows that his sacrifice has purchased Zane’s safety. The journey toward self-discovery comes in many forms, and each character must follow the path that makes the most sense for them. Likewise, in the author’s decision to set the stage for a sequel, she implies that even when a character gains one triumph, there will always be further quests to undertake and lessons to learn.
Choices and Their Consequences
The characters of The Storm Runner make many difficult choices throughout the novel, and they must navigate a myriad of violent and unexpected consequences as a result. As the protagonists learn to live with the choices they have made and adjust their mindsets to make effective choices for the future, the novel explores the ripple effect that each momentary decision can have on the broader picture. As Zane and his friends charge toward the climactic scene of the novel, Zane realizes that “one choice leads to victory, the other to defeat” (309). In this case, Zane is referring to the battle against Ah-Puch, but his thoughts apply to far more than the impending fight with the god of death. Every choice that Zane makes in terms of defeating Ah-Puch brings him one step closer to saving the world or letting it be destroyed. Accordingly, each of these choices has an equally powerful outcome. When Zane chooses to bring the fight to the world that his father created, his action weakens Ah-Puch while giving Zane a power boost—a positive outcome. However, it also puts Zane beyond the reach of anyone who would otherwise come to his aid—a negative outcome. Thus, this choice also brings Zane closer to both victory and defeat. Zane’s final decision—sending Ah-Puch into the void outside the world—means that he wins this battle, but this monumental choice also leaves him in a precarious position as he goes into hiding to escape the gods’ punishment for his very existence. Thus, the course of the novel emphasizes that Zane’s momentous choices have equally far-reaching consequences.
This pattern is established from the very beginning of the novel, for as soon as Zane learns about the prophecy and the role he’ll play in it, he is forced to make decisions about his future that he isn’t prepared to make. At first, the path forward seems simple—he has no desire to unleash a god of death and destruction. However, as he comes to understand more about his heritage and grows closer to Brooks, Zane realizes that his choices are not so clear-cut. When he discovers that the only way to save Brooks’s life is to release Ah-Puch, this consideration outweighs all others, and he barely thinks twice before freeing the god from his prison, even though he knows that doing so will bring about a dire situation that he will be responsible for rectifying. Though Zane doesn’t hesitate, the choice is a difficult one because both options have negative consequences, and this dilemma proves that choices are often more complicated than they initially seem.
Even choices that seem correct have the power to cause great harm, and this angle of the theme is demonstrated through Brooks’s initial deception and secrecy Brooks chooses to keep secrets from Zane because she is afraid to tell him the truth and because sharing her secrets feels like a mistake. Later after Ah-Puch has begun wreaking havoc on the Mayan and mortal worlds, Brooks finally explains the situation involving her sister. However, because Zane already understands the pressure of making hard choices, he cannot find it within himself to blame her for lying and keeping secrets to protect her family. His easy acceptance of her decision implies that he would have been a strong ally right from the start, and Cervantes uses this scene to suggest that Brooks should have trusted him from the beginning. Choosing to keep her secrets felt right at the time, but in hindsight, Brooks regrets not telling Zane everything because the consequences of her secrets have the potential to destroy the world. When Brooks is more honest with Zane, the two are better able to come up with strategies for the challenges they face. Ultimately, the choices that the characters make represent the decisions that people face in real life, for everyone must weigh the potential consequences of each choice in life.
