Paola Santiago books in order

The Paola Santiago series by Tehlor Kay Mejia is a three-book middle grade fantasy trilogy inspired by Mexican folklore, beginning with Paola Santiago and the River of Tears (2020).

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 Paola Santiago and the River of Tears 2020 Tehlor Kay Mejia Buy
2 Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares 2021 Tehlor Kay Mejia Buy
3 Paola Santiago and the Sanctuary of Shadows 2022 Tehlor Kay Mejia Buy

The Paola Santiago series is a middle grade fantasy trilogy by Tehlor Kay Mejia. The first book, Paola Santiago and the River of Tears (2020), follows a young Latina girl who discovers that the legends her mother told her about La Llorona are real. The series continued with The Forest of Nightmares (2021) and The Sanctuary of Shadows (2022).

The trilogy brings Mexican folklore into the middle grade fantasy genre, with Paola confronting supernatural threats drawn from Latin American legends. The series was developed as a Rick Riordan Presents title, which helped it reach a wide readership.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Paola Santiago series?

There are three books in the Paola Santiago series, published between 2020 and 2022.

What is the first book in the Paola Santiago series?

The first book in the Paola Santiago series is Paola Santiago and the River of Tears, published in 2020.

What folklore inspires the Paola Santiago series?

The series draws on Mexican folklore, particularly the legend of La Llorona (the Weeping Woman). Paola Santiago and the River of Tears uses this legend as its starting point, with Paola confronting supernatural creatures from Latin American myth throughout the trilogy.

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