3.5 stars.

A good start to an interesting younger middle grade series steeped in Japanese mythology. Lots of adventure and great background information.

Momo is a good, wholesome character with a lot on her plate. A lot is expected of this young girl and that makes the setup feel a little unbelievable. Her mom is sick, but pushes too far to helpless, leaving young Momo to be responsible for far too much. This makes things a bit heavier than they need to be for a middle grade read. However, I did appreciate the inclusion of some difficult topics in the story, including peer pressure and bullying. I also liked that she was paired up with Danny, a willing sidekick who isn't always on the same wavelength as Momo. The extra tension present because of the history in Momo & Danny's relationship added some great depth to the story and teaches some good lessons that I think will continue to evolve through the series.

I liked Niko's character on the surface and appreciated that he was fairly sarcastic, but sometimes he veered a little too close to mean. As a result, some of the language used feels a bit whiny and occasionally too rude. I'm not sure this is a good example for younger readers and wish it would have been toned down just a bit. It wasn't overwhelming through the plot, so hopefully this will change a bit as the series develops.

There is a LOT packed into this read and that can be a little overwhelming. I really found a lot of interest in the mythology that was presented through the story and there are some incredibly interesting tales and characters. I learned a lot, but probably glazed over a little at the sheer number of mythological characters and monsters. A reread probably wouldn't be a bad idea prior to continuing the series.

A good start and I'm interested to see where this journey might go. I will be continuing the series.