# Rick Riordan Presents: Ballad & Dagger-An Outlaw Saints Novel - Hardcover

by **Daniel José Older** (Author)

**Best-selling author Rick Riordan presents Daniel José Older's music-and-magic-filled YA urban fantasy about two teens who discover each other and their powers during a political battle within a unique diaspora community.**

"Brimming with mystery, mayhem, and heart, _Ballad and Dagger_ gives us wondrous new magic steeped in deep traditions. It's a gorgeous romance, a wild adventure, and a powerful story that unravels not only the pain of diaspora, but the strength of community and the ways we provide refuge for one another."--Leigh Bardugo, _New York Times_ #1 best-selling author of _Shadow and Bone_

"A new, magical world full of rich folklore and hitting all the right notes."--_Kirkus Reviews_

Almost sixteen years ago, Mateo Matisse's island homeland disappeared into the sea. Weary and hopeless, the survivors of San Madrigal's sinking escaped to New York.

While the rest of his tight-knit Brooklyn diaspora community dreams of someday finding a way back home, Mateo--now a high school junior and piano prodigy living with his two aunts (one who's alive, the other not so much)--is focused on one thing: getting the attention of locally-grown musical legend Gerval. Mateo finally gets his chance on the night of the Grand Fete, an annual party celebrating the blended culture of pirates, Cuban Santeros, and Sephardic Jews that created San Madrigal all those centuries ago.

But the evil that sank their island has finally caught up with them, and on the night of the celebration, Mateo's life is forever changed when he witnesses a brutal murder by a person he thought he knew.

Suddenly Mateo is thrust into an ancient battle that spans years and oceans. Deadly secrets are unraveled and Mateo awakens a power within himself--a power that not only links him to the killer but could also hold the key to unlocking the dark mystery behind his lost homeland.

**From the author of the award-winning Shadowshaper Cypher series comes the first novel in the Outlaw Saints duology--a brilliant story that will transport readers to a world where magic, myth, and gods reign over the streets of Brooklyn.**  
**Endorsed by Rick Riordan, author of Percy Jackson and the Olympians, soon to be a series on Disney+.  
**  
Don't miss these other Rick Riordan Presents titles for all ages:  

-   _Sal and Gabi Break the Universe_ by Carlos Hernandez
-   _Dragon Pearl_ by Yoon Ha Lee
-   _Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky_ by Kwame Mbalia
-   _Paola Santiago and the River of Tears_ by Tehlor Kay Mejia

  
  

### Author Biography

**Daniel José Older** is a _New York Time_s best-selling author and story architect. He has published fourteen novels and numerous short stories and essays, and he is a regular comics writer for _Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures_ and Marvel. He won the International Latino Book Award and has been a finalist for the _Kirkus_ Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the World Fantasy Award. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic, and hear his music at http: //danieljoseolder.net, as well as on YouTube, @djolder on Twitter, @danieljose1 on Instagram, and @danieljoseolder on TikTok. He lives with his wife and son in New Orleans.

**Number of Pages:** 384

**Dimensions:** 1.26 x 9.34 x 6.33 IN

**Publication Date:** May 03, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 18.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 18.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Rick Riordan Presents: Ballad & Dagger-An Outlaw Saints Novel - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/rick-riordan-presents-ballad-dagger-an-outlaw-saints-novel-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23