New York Times bestselling author Aiden Thomas captured hearts and minds globally with the debut of Cemetery Boys in September 2020. It wasn’t hard to see why the novel resonated so deeply with readers: Cemetery Boys is a blissfully queer coming-of-age urban fantasy story that wrestles with identity, love, and finding your place in a community.
Moreover, its central characters, Yadriel and Julian, were deliciously complicated. Yadriel, desperate to prove himself a real brujo and free the ghost of his murdered cousin, accidentally ended up summoning Julian instead. With Julian also determined to find out the cause of his death, the two boys had no choice but to team up—only to discover complicated feelings along the way.
Now, fans of the beloved urban fantasy can dive back into that world as Cemetery Boys: Espíritu arrives on bookshelves. The new installment picks up shortly after the original novel’s ending. This time, readers follow Julian, who is facing a brand-new and deeply unsettling problem: he can’t stop seeing mysterious dark spots on people. Julian has no idea what these strange spots mean, and even Yadriel and his community are entirely stumped by the phenomenon. Answers finally start to come to light only when Angel, a nonbinary brujx who experiences the same visions, makes an unexpected entrance.
With Espíritu set to release, Polygon secured a sneak peek at one of the later chapters of the urban fantasy, narrated by Puerto Rican actor, drag king, and Critical Role newcomer, Vico Ortiz. Readers and listeners alike have been given the opportunity to experience the excerpt either through standard text or by listening to Ortiz narrate the scene directly.
Ahead of the book’s release, the exclusive excerpt offers a window into the daily lives of Julian and Yadriel as they navigate their growing roles within the East LA brujx community.
In the scene, Julian scoops up a fistful of shriveled marigold petals and flings them at his boyfriend. “You missed a spot!”
Yadriel dodges, his lips twitching as though he is trying desperately not to laugh. “Are you actually cleaning, or just making trouble?”
“Multitasking,” Julian replies, scraping at accumulated wax with exaggerated, theatrical effort.
The pair are supposed to be tidying graves—alongside everyone else in the community. It is December 19, and the entire East LA brujx community is buzzing with bustling preparations for the upcoming Midnight Vigil and the Candle Dance of Eternal Light. People are sweeping leaves, replacing old candles, and working to make everything look pristine. Julian doesn’t know much about the holidays yet—though Yadriel has promised that Lita will give him the full rundown, whether he wants it or not—but he is always enthusiastic about a party. More importantly, he can follow basic instructions: scrape, shine, and try not to knock over the flowers.
It remains somewhat wild to him that he can see spirits so clearly. Still, it makes a certain kind of sense. Julian had been a ghost himself at one point. Dead and yet not dead. A brujx, but also not quite fitting traditional molds. He knows deep down that he belongs, even if he is still figuring out the exact contours of how he fits.
“Good work, mijos!”
Lita and Enrique suddenly appear, carrying heavy armfuls of papel picado, string lights, and traditional incense. Lita’s silver braid glints brightly in the sun, and her shawl is as loud and vibrant as her voice. Enrique’s mustache twitches into a warm smile as his large hand claps down reassuringly on Julian’s shoulder.
“Everything looks beautiful,” Lita remarks, surveying the area.
Julian rubs the back of his neck, feeling his ears grow hot. “Uh… thanks.” He admits he never really received compliments back when he was doing ordinary, everyday chores.
Yadriel sets down his brush a little too hard on the stone. “We could be doing more than this,” he mutters, his brows bunching together in frustration. “Spirits need actual help, not just swept headstones.”
Enrique’s smile falters slightly at the resistance. “Everyone starts with the basics, Yadriel. You put in your time, work your way up. That’s how it’s always been done.”
Yadriel’s jaw tightens. “Shouldn’t we be releasing spirits by now?”
“Chores build character,” Enrique says, giving a reassuring pat to a nearby headstone as if that completely settles the debate.
Julian snorts at the exchange. “Guess I’m about to be the most ‘character-built’ brujo in all of East LA.”
That remark successfully cracks a reluctant smile out of Yadriel.
A few plots over, another voice huffs into the afternoon air. “No, no, no! You can’t call el diablito when I clearly had el catrín first!”
Julian glances up to investigate. A cluster of golden shimmers is hovering closely around a granite angel—spirits deeply engrossed in a very serious, high-stakes game of lotería.
An old man wearing suspenders wags his ghostly cigar in defiance. “Hah! Tell that to Lady Death when she comes for you, Luján. Oh, wait—”
The surrounding spirits gasp as Señora Luján swats playfully at him with her translucent playing card. “¡Descarado! Just for that, I’m calling el borracho next—”
Julian can’t help himself. He leans in, grinning broadly. “You guys fight dirtier than my friends playing Mario Kart. At least try to look ‘restful’—you’re supposed to be resting in peace.”
“Rest is for the boring, mijo,” Señora Luján sniffs dismissively.
“Spirits gotta have hobbies,” Julian shoots back.
“Exactly!” she replies, looking thoroughly smug.
Julian was originally supposed to be scraping wax alongside Yadriel, but it proves difficult to stay on task when so many spirits want his attention.
“¡Julianito!” Felipe calls out, strumming away on a battered vihuela. The cheerful, twenty-something ghost wears a bolero jacket that is just as dusty as his grin is reckless.
Julian reaches into his pocket and pulls out a crumpled, familiar bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. “I put these on your ofrenda that one time and you swore it burned your ghost tongue!”
Felipe cackles. “It did! Totally worth it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Don’t say I never do anything for you,” Julian mutters, tossing the bag onto Felipe’s headstone like a busker tossing a tip.
Felipe immediately launches into a tragically off-key rendition of “Te Boté,” his voice echoing clearly through the rows of headstones. It serves as a reminder that some ghosts manage to make the world feel far more alive than the living do.
Julian scans the cemetery once more, realizing someone notable is missing. “Hey—where’s Claribel? Thought she’d be yelling at you by now.”
Felipe’s grin falters just a fraction. “Dunno. Haven’t seen her all week. Probably still mad at me.” His guitar strumming turns noticeably softer, and a sudden, sharp pinch registers behind Julian’s ribs.
A cool breeze brushes against his shoulder. He spots a faint shimmer near a distant row of graves, and a sudden jolt of excitement shoots through him. “HEY, MARISOL!” he shouts, waving enthusiastically.
The teenage ghost startles, her golden form flickering momentarily before she offers a hesitant wave back.
Julian jogs over and crouches down respectfully at her side. “Wanna play lotería?” He jerks his head toward the group of spirits playing cards nearby. “I’ll even help you cheat.”
She offers almost a smile, followed by a quiet shake of her head, and drifts farther away among the solemn stones.
Felipe appears quietly at Julian’s shoulder, watching her depart. “She doesn’t talk much.”
“Yeah, but she’s cooler than half my living friends,” Julian says thoughtfully. “Sometimes being quiet just means you’re carrying heavy stuff. Doesn’t make you any less badass.”
He returns to Yadriel and picks up the brush as though he had never stepped away. “See? I’m totally focused.”
“Uh-huh,” Yadriel says, though the corners of his mouth twitch upward.
Enrique squeezes Julian’s shoulder approvingly. “At least our brujo here is learning fast.”
A brujo.
The word still leaves Julian feeling a little dazed. It feels akin to someone handing him a name tag he isn’t entirely sure he has earned—heavy in one hand, yet fiercely proud in the other. He had woken up after dying to a world completely filled with spirits, and somehow the brujx community had carved out a space for him within it.
There are rules to follow, of course. Keep the brujx secret. Maintain a low profile when catching sight of ghosts lingering between the aisles at Walmart. Don’t screw it up.
Julian covers the unexpected warmth in his chest with a characteristic smirk. “Guess I’ll just add it to my résumé: ‘professional wax scraper, amateur brujo.’”
“You’re not even good at the scraping part,” Yadriel points out deadpan.
“Wow, rude! Show some respect to the little people.”
“You’re not little.”
Julian flashes him a smug grin. “Exactly.”
Yadriel’s ears turn pink and he attempts to look thoroughly annoyed, but Julian knows better than to fall for it.
Lita claps her hands together sharply, startling a few gossiping spirits into sudden silence. “All right, enough lounging! Enrique, get the rest of these decorations down from the rafters before tonight!”
Enrique sighs good-naturedly and heads toward the church building.
Lita hooks her arm comfortably through Julian’s. “Come, mijo. I’ll give you a ride home.”
“Finally, someone who respects my union breaks!” Julian declares.
“You don’t even know what a union is,” Yadriel mutters, bumping his shoulder gently against Julian’s as they walk toward the gate.
“Sure I do. It’s when I do the jokes and you do the chores. Perfect balance of labor!”
Yadriel groans aloud, but he is smiling as Lita ushers them toward her rust-patched car waiting at the curb.
Julian reaches for the car door, half ducking inside—before suddenly stopping in his tracks.
On a sudden impulse, he pivots back, catches Yadriel gently by the front of his hoodie, and steals a quick, unexpected kiss. It is soft, warm, and gone in a heartbeat.
Yadriel lets out a startled sound, blinking rapidly as a deep flush rushes up his cheeks.
Julian grins, feeling breathless at how effortlessly Yadriel can undo him. “Don’t forget about me while I’m gone.”
Yadriel lets out a tiny, helpless laugh, his face still entirely pink. “I literally couldn’t if I tried.”
Cemetery Boys: Espíritu by Aiden Thomas, published by Macmillan, is available now.
