Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

This book was unexpected in the best yet most magical of ways. I loved the fact that the Montoya family is so casual throughout most of the book about their gifts. Because they were raised in a mysterious and unique environment. They just want answers like most other large family's when the pasts comes to haunt them because of their grandmother's life.

Marima and Rey along with the rest of their cousins, aunts and uncles are so very different. And they all don't get along but they all band together in the end despite everything. Which made for such a good ending despite the secerets that are slowly revealed.

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thenovelmaura's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-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

3.0

I read this book back in September and I had high expectations because I've seen so many positive reviews of this one. It didn't end up being a favorite, mostly because I didn't care very much about the modern-day timeline. Orquídea's past was much more interesting to me than anything that was happening to the Montoya descendants. I did love all of the magic and mystery that were woven into the story but it was hard for me to get into the actual plot when the chapters were focused on the modern-day Montoyas; I kept putting it down and not really wanting to pick it up again.

After a similar middle-of-the-road experience with Incendiary, I think Córdova has become a "just not for me" author; I tend to like her characters more than I do her plots. But I don't regret giving either of those books a try, and there's never a bad time to support Latinx writers!

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knenigans's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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miak2's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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

4.0

Damn the stars, and damn luck. Damn everyone and anything who thought her insignificant. Orquídea Montoya was going to rewrite her fate.

I tend to prefer plot-heavy books over character-heavy books, but this is a definite exception. I also fell in love with Frankie Corzo's audiobook narration, she really differentiated between the characters. If I'm being honest, her narration contributed a lot to my enjoyment of the book - it's definitely a magical story, but I don't know if I would have enjoyed it as much had I not listened to it.

I loved the magic in this book. Hard magic systems are great, but sometimes it's lovely to just sit back and immerse yourself in a story where anything and everything is magical. The characters were interesting, and I really enjoyed the 'slice of life' bits of their stories that we got early on in the book. I did get the sense that Córdova was hesitant to ascribe any negative qualities to her main characters. That did make for a very pleasant read, but it also kept the book from being as deep as it could have been. I also felt like there were some family dynamics that were brought up early on in the book and not really resolved, like a 'time heals all wounds' type of thing. I'd have preferred they be addressed in the story, but I suppose that isn't unrealistic.

The other thing that gave me pause is that this book was weirdly sexual? It's not the type of book I'd expect explicit sexual content to be in, and it was a bit of a jolt whenever Córdova would throw in a sex scene after a touching family moment. Or I'd be enjoying the ambiance of the circus and then suddenly be hearing about a man's erection. This isn't bad, per se, just...incredibly unexpected.

The plot was surprisingly grounded despite the magical realism. It wasn't fast-paced and action-packed, but it was satisfying nonetheless. The book switched between present day and Orquídea's story, and it was neat seeing how those threads came together for the final conflict. I loved what the journey represented for the Montoya family, and the message that "you could be born into a family, but you still had to choose them."

Overall, I'd recommend picking this one up if you enjoy magical realism and family-centered stories, but even more so recommend the audiobook version!

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rebeccap's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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beldaran1224's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious fast-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

This book is Encanto for grown-ups. I mean that in the best possible way. Like Encanto, it centers around a multi-generational family, an enchanted house and the way the powerful matriarch's past has shaped the lives of everyone else. Yeah, it is for grown folk. There's some rather explicit sex in the novel.

The story is told in two timelines. The past is told through Oriquídea's perspective, beginning in her early years and progressing closer to the present. The present is told through 3 different perspectives, all Orquídea's grandchildren.

The plot is essentially a mystery. Who is Orquídea? How did the home and her power come to be? Who or what is haunting her? The present timeline uncovers this as the grandchildren finally get to know their grandmother, in ways they never could when she was alive. The timeline from the past grounds their discoveries, adds context, makes her real.

It is an altogether excellent book, with a lot to say about family and about trauma.

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apierlessbridge's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

Beautiful and warm. A story of family, choosing to be a family, secrets, the legacies and inheritances of those who came before us. About finding your way and magic in every sense of the word. Involving the circus, the things and monsters that haunt us, ghosts, being other, love and loving. I felt this one deeply.

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