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minimicropup's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Thoughtful, reverent, affectionate.
Our MC is a Vodou priestess with a lot of power and a lot of compassion. We follow them with their two besties, their on-again-off-again romance, their relationship with the lwa (spirits), and the local community of Vodou and Voodoo practitioners
πΊπΈ Set in New Orleans, Louisiana and the surrounding area.
Growls, Howls, and Tail Wags πΊπ:
-πThe first book in this series introduced me to the genre of magical realism. This series follows a Vodou priestess healer and therefore the traditions and practices are based in real-life Haitian-African religions. Our MC and their magic is well-developed and includes considerations for how to ethically use such power and the controversies that arise.
-π€·ββοΈ I'm not sure this book is stand-alone. I read the first one but I had trouble recalling the characters and where we left off. As the story progressed, I was glad we didn't get so much re-capping, but it took me awhile to get to that point. I recommend reading them in order back-to-back or without long breaks between.
-πΆ Some plot points were a struggle for me. It was inspired by the IRL exploitation of two teenagers with NBA dreams (https://www.si.com/nba/2020/03/27/nba-african-players-trafficking) but the murders and mysteries were presented in a fragmented, seemingly random way, and there was a lot of dialog where I just felt disinterested until we found out what was really going on. The ending isn't fully wrapped up but that's expected since it's a series.
-I generally avoid series because I tire of the characters and the plots start to get outlandish, but that's not happening here (so far). Mambo Reina is complex - she's loveable and aggravating. She isn't defined by any single role in her life. I think she's an example of a strong, but realistically vulnerable human being. I would LOVE this series to have Tyka's and Mambo Reina's amateur sleuthing evolve to a private investigator service (alongside Mambo Reina's continuing work as a priestess)π€
-π€·ββοΈ I'm not sure this book is stand-alone. I read the first one but I had trouble recalling the characters and where we left off. As the story progressed, I was glad we didn't get so much re-capping, but it took me awhile to get to that point. I recommend reading them in order back-to-back or without long breaks between.
-πΆ Some plot points were a struggle for me. It was inspired by the IRL exploitation of two teenagers with NBA dreams (https://www.si.com/nba/2020/03/27/nba-african-players-trafficking) but the murders and mysteries were presented in a fragmented, seemingly random way, and there was a lot of dialog where I just felt disinterested until we found out what was really going on. The ending isn't fully wrapped up but that's expected since it's a series.
-I generally avoid series because I tire of the characters and the plots start to get outlandish, but that's not happening here (so far). Mambo Reina is complex - she's loveable and aggravating. She isn't defined by any single role in her life. I think she's an example of a strong, but realistically vulnerable human being. I would LOVE this series to have Tyka's and Mambo Reina's amateur sleuthing evolve to a private investigator service (alongside Mambo Reina's continuing work as a priestess)π€
Mood Reading Match Up:
-New Orleans amateur sleuthing with a sprinkling of grit and cozy mystery
-Vodou-based magical realism
-Found family...with IRL family energy (they annoy, frustrate, like not always love one another)
-Should-I-stay-or-should-I-go romance subplots
-New Orleans amateur sleuthing with a sprinkling of grit and cozy mystery
-Vodou-based magical realism
-Found family...with IRL family energy (they annoy, frustrate, like not always love one another)
-Should-I-stay-or-should-I-go romance subplots
Content Heads-Up: Human trafficking (non-sexual). Hurricane Katrina (memories recalled on page). Loss of a parent. Excellent symbolism for cultural appropriation. Excellent rep for childless-but-want-a-child (female). Risk of homelessness.
Format: Kindle Unlimited
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Racism
mademoisellemonalisa's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Trafficking and Murder
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