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archaicgambit's review
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The people giving this book bellow 3 stars seem to largely not understand magical realism. I think if you are excited to start the genre and understand what you’re getting into you’ll have a great time.
I loved the big cast and the interweaving stories, the vivid language and imagery.
There are a surprising amount of typos but this is a 2021 release so I think some books got the short end of the stick in all that chaos.
I loved the big cast and the interweaving stories, the vivid language and imagery.
There are a surprising amount of typos but this is a 2021 release so I think some books got the short end of the stick in all that chaos.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Racism
emzhay's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, Child death, and Fire/Fire injury
tajosima's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’m not a fan of magical realism, but even I enjoyed this so I guess it says something about how good it is!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Racism, Death of parent, Infidelity, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death, Child death, Pregnancy, and Confinement
deedireads's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
All my reviews live at https://deedispeaking.com/reads/.
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a really lovely standalone low fantasy novel in homage to Latinx family ties, traditions, and heritage. It pulled me in and held me the whole way.
For you if: You like low fantasy (magical elements in a real-world setting) and/or want to read more fantasy by Latinx authors.
FULL REVIEW:
TL;DR REVIEW:
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a really lovely standalone low fantasy novel in homage to Latinx family ties, traditions, and heritage. It pulled me in and held me the whole way.
For you if: You like low fantasy (magical elements in a real-world setting) and/or want to read more fantasy by Latinx authors.
FULL REVIEW:
“When she'd met Orquídea Montoya, she saw a whisper of a girl who wanted to become a scream.”
What a fun, lovely, magical story that Zoraida Córdova has given us in The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina. It’s a standalone low fantasy novel (meaning the magical elements occur in a real-world setting) that almost feels like a modern-day fairytale, with great characters, a strong central mystery, and plenty of moments that tug on your heart.
Orquídea Montoya is the magical matriarch of a sprawling Ecuadorian-American family. One day, they all receive a letter inviting them home to claim their inheritance, as the time of her death has come. When they arrive, she’s begun a kind of transformation and leaves them with cryptic messages about staying safe. That sends a few of her grandchildren on a hunt for the truth — how Orquídea became Orquídea, what kind of deal she struck with whom, and who hunts them now.
This book is clearly a love letter to Ecuadorian family traditions, ties, and heritage; Córdova has written a story that sings with heart. I loved Marimar and Rey as characters, the magic sparkles, and I really enjoyed trying to solve the mystery as I read.
If you’re looking for a standalone novel that provides a quick, magical trip into an engaging story, pick this one up!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Infidelity
Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, Death of parent, and Racism
foreverinastory's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I loved this!
Rep: Mainly Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American cast of characters. Two cishet female MCs, one gay male MC.
CWs: Abandonment, alcohol consumption, blood, child death, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, grief, infidelity, pregnancy, sexism, sexual content, toxic relationship, violence, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, misogyny, stalking, body horror, gaslighting, child abuse, racism/colorism.
Rep: Mainly Ecuadorian and Ecuadorian-American cast of characters. Two cishet female MCs, one gay male MC.
CWs: Abandonment, alcohol consumption, blood, child death, death, death of parent, emotional abuse, fire, grief, infidelity, pregnancy, sexism, sexual content, toxic relationship, violence, murder. Moderate: injury/injury detail, misogyny, stalking, body horror, gaslighting, child abuse, racism/colorism.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Stalking, Body horror, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Racism
bookiecharm's review
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity
stevie's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexism, Racism, Murder, Kidnapping, and Confinement
_forestofpages's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Racism, and Death
Minor: Body horror
readwithde's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was such a unique story that blurred the lines between fantasy and magical realism. I really want to love this story, but the pacing caused a lot of issues, including wiping out the theme.
Even now, through all the evocative descriptions and miracle/magical events, it's hard to figure out the point, the theme, the central tie of the narrative. Family? Protecting your family? Finding your family or found family that happens to be your actual family?
The start of the book moves so slowly and covers details and stories that don't provide anything -- not character development or mood or tension or anything tying to the plot at all. By the time the story picks up, the book is half over, leaving only 25% for the twist, turn, climax, and denouement. The ending moves so quickly, it's hard to keep up, to even picture what is happening, and then things end so abruptly -- it's jarring and feel disjointed from the rest of the slow narrative.
While still an okay book, what hurts most is that it had the potential to be an amazing, one-of-a-kind story.
Even now, through all the evocative descriptions and miracle/magical events, it's hard to figure out the point, the theme, the central tie of the narrative. Family? Protecting your family? Finding your family or found family that happens to be your actual family?
The start of the book moves so slowly and covers details and stories that don't provide anything -- not character development or mood or tension or anything tying to the plot at all. By the time the story picks up, the book is half over, leaving only 25% for the twist, turn, climax, and denouement. The ending moves so quickly, it's hard to keep up, to even picture what is happening, and then things end so abruptly -- it's jarring and feel disjointed from the rest of the slow narrative.
While still an okay book, what hurts most is that it had the potential to be an amazing, one-of-a-kind story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Stalking, and Slavery
Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexual content
perpetualpages's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
CWs: references to racism/xenophobia; mentions of anxiety attacks; death and death of a grandparent; estranged parents; brief references to past child abuse; infidelity; descriptions of disease; and some graphic sexual content
Zoraida Córdova is one of those authors who I feel like gets better and better with every book of hers that I read, and this, I think, is undoubtedly one of her best. This inter-generational saga is ambitious, magical, whimsical, thoughtful, and it just hits all the right notes to make an utterly unforgettable story.
I've said before that it feels like this book could be our generation’s The House of the Spirits, and I stand by that, because it embraces all the traditional hallmarks of Latine magical realism, but also creates something fresh and new by filtering the story through the lens of modern-day millennials. There's such a beautiful and effortless blend of the historical and the contemporary, that honors and almost replicates multigenerational family structures—especially those found in Latine communities—in a way that I find extremely compelling.
In some ways, one might think that "magical realism in the twenty-first century" is an oxymoron, but it actually really works because that unremarked magic mimics the way that the world itself is so strange, unknowable, malleable, and mysterious. The implementation of that genre in a modern-day setting also really speaks to the evolution of tradition, and how ideas can change over time without negating the roots of where they've come from. One of the really special things about magical realism is that it positions magic itself as expected and commonplace, and this story is no different in that respect. The magic in this story is so deeply tied to culture, family, and history, that it just makes sense. It feels deeply personal, and like a natural extension of the inexplicable ways the world works, in a way that's very satisfying to read.
And above everything else, it’s such a powerful exploration of family curses—not only the importance of recognizing and naming family curses for what they are, but also the importance of coming together to break those curses. I love how the story plays with the idea of inheritance, because we don’t just inherit the good things we want. We inherit trauma, we inherit family history, we inherit burdens, we inherit pain and loss. The story really understands that there is power and there is joy to be found in family, and how we can gain strength and grow from our connection to family, but also how there’s an equal chance we can be destroyed by it.
This is a story that shows how there is literal power in knowing where you come from, remembering where you come from, embracing where you come from, and also understanding how that power can be a strength just as easily as it can be a weakness. I think it’s also a great reflection on just how much you’d be willing to sacrifice in order to be free, and also how the impact of one person’s choices can still be felt throughout generations.
Ultimately this story is a quest where these modern-day characters are trying to excavate their grandmother’s secrets, to uncover firsthand all the things no one ever told them, so that they can create their own relationship with their history, and with that understanding hopefully break their curse. It’s a stunning story where the historical and present-day counterparts shine equally, and it imparts a strong message about the power of family and protecting your magic. This is far and away one of the best and most memorable stories I've read all year, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Zoraida Córdova is one of those authors who I feel like gets better and better with every book of hers that I read, and this, I think, is undoubtedly one of her best. This inter-generational saga is ambitious, magical, whimsical, thoughtful, and it just hits all the right notes to make an utterly unforgettable story.
I've said before that it feels like this book could be our generation’s The House of the Spirits, and I stand by that, because it embraces all the traditional hallmarks of Latine magical realism, but also creates something fresh and new by filtering the story through the lens of modern-day millennials. There's such a beautiful and effortless blend of the historical and the contemporary, that honors and almost replicates multigenerational family structures—especially those found in Latine communities—in a way that I find extremely compelling.
In some ways, one might think that "magical realism in the twenty-first century" is an oxymoron, but it actually really works because that unremarked magic mimics the way that the world itself is so strange, unknowable, malleable, and mysterious. The implementation of that genre in a modern-day setting also really speaks to the evolution of tradition, and how ideas can change over time without negating the roots of where they've come from. One of the really special things about magical realism is that it positions magic itself as expected and commonplace, and this story is no different in that respect. The magic in this story is so deeply tied to culture, family, and history, that it just makes sense. It feels deeply personal, and like a natural extension of the inexplicable ways the world works, in a way that's very satisfying to read.
And above everything else, it’s such a powerful exploration of family curses—not only the importance of recognizing and naming family curses for what they are, but also the importance of coming together to break those curses. I love how the story plays with the idea of inheritance, because we don’t just inherit the good things we want. We inherit trauma, we inherit family history, we inherit burdens, we inherit pain and loss. The story really understands that there is power and there is joy to be found in family, and how we can gain strength and grow from our connection to family, but also how there’s an equal chance we can be destroyed by it.
This is a story that shows how there is literal power in knowing where you come from, remembering where you come from, embracing where you come from, and also understanding how that power can be a strength just as easily as it can be a weakness. I think it’s also a great reflection on just how much you’d be willing to sacrifice in order to be free, and also how the impact of one person’s choices can still be felt throughout generations.
Ultimately this story is a quest where these modern-day characters are trying to excavate their grandmother’s secrets, to uncover firsthand all the things no one ever told them, so that they can create their own relationship with their history, and with that understanding hopefully break their curse. It’s a stunning story where the historical and present-day counterparts shine equally, and it imparts a strong message about the power of family and protecting your magic. This is far and away one of the best and most memorable stories I've read all year, and I cannot recommend it enough!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Racism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content
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