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thereaderwho_neversleeps's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
hyperfocusedbookie's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
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? No
5.0
treadsbooks's review
5.0
Final Rating: ♾⭐️
Holy. freaking. heck. WOW. just wow. I love everything about this book - the brother/sister bond between our two MC’s, the two separate love stories woven in, the buildup to the tournament, the deep exploration of aztec culture, everything. Perez flawlessly communicates themes of deep responsibility, loyalty, unconditional love, grief and loss. Metztli is such a strong character and I love her complete devotion to her brother. I loved the duality of Metztli’s strong, bada**, black cat energy personality and approach to protecting her brother and Acalan’s golden retriever, lover boy, gentle personality. They really were a perfect example of complete opposites coming together for a shared purpose - protecting each other at all costs.
Also, I will say - Necalli actually really surprised me by the end of this one and ended up being one of my favorite characters (the orange???? PLS!!! i was literally drooling - iykyk).
Overall, I would recommend to absolutely everyone and anyone! Actually, i’m literally begging yall to read this and message me your thoughts bc I HAVE TO DISCUSS! Once you start reading, it is almost impossible to put down - I read 60% of this book in one day (~345 pages). This book is very reminiscent of the hunger games, so if you were a fan of that series i BEG you PLS read this - you will be obsessed. This was an absolutely PHENOMENAL debut (actually so hard to believe this is her first book) and I will be impatiently frothing at the mouth waiting for book 2!
Holy. freaking. heck. WOW. just wow. I love everything about this book - the brother/sister bond between our two MC’s, the two separate love stories woven in, the buildup to the tournament, the deep exploration of aztec culture, everything. Perez flawlessly communicates themes of deep responsibility, loyalty, unconditional love, grief and loss. Metztli is such a strong character and I love her complete devotion to her brother. I loved the duality of Metztli’s strong, bada**, black cat energy personality and approach to protecting her brother and Acalan’s golden retriever, lover boy, gentle personality. They really were a perfect example of complete opposites coming together for a shared purpose - protecting each other at all costs.
Also, I will say - Necalli actually really surprised me by the end of this one and ended up being one of my favorite characters (the orange???? PLS!!! i was literally drooling - iykyk).
Overall, I would recommend to absolutely everyone and anyone! Actually, i’m literally begging yall to read this and message me your thoughts bc I HAVE TO DISCUSS! Once you start reading, it is almost impossible to put down - I read 60% of this book in one day (~345 pages). This book is very reminiscent of the hunger games, so if you were a fan of that series i BEG you PLS read this - you will be obsessed. This was an absolutely PHENOMENAL debut (actually so hard to believe this is her first book) and I will be impatiently frothing at the mouth waiting for book 2!
icedlibrary's review
4.0
What a great debut book Tournament of the Heirs follows a brother and sister into a tournament to the death where only two tributes can win! If you are a fan of Hunger Games and books similar, I would encourage you to check this one out. It does have a little romance and definitely some thrilling aspects regarding the tournament. Prior to the tournament beginning, I did find myself pacing a bit slower due to world building and such, but I honestly find myself doing that quite often with fantasy books. Overall a solid read and very unique theme with the Aztec mythology and diverse characters.
yelli3_reads's review
3.0
Overall, I think this was a good set up for the next book, in fact, my absolute favorite part of this book was the ending. That cliffhanger is BRUTAL. But oh man, am I excited to see what happens next!
Unfortunately for me, the ending isn’t going to save the entire book for me. This was a pretty lengthy book and while some parts really picked up once the tournament starts, the beginning was a bit too slow for me, I found myself pushing myself through it despite not really feeling connected to anyone (at first). I really liked the 2 MCs, and eventually was pretty attached to Acalan. And so heart broken during a specific part.
I think the world she has built is so unique and different from other stories I have read. I would consider reading the next one, especially after the ending. I think book 2 has some crazy things coming up!!
I think if you like slow burn build up into a Hunger Games/deadly tournament, you should check this book out.
Thank you @hearourvoicestours for this beautiful ARC!
Unfortunately for me, the ending isn’t going to save the entire book for me. This was a pretty lengthy book and while some parts really picked up once the tournament starts, the beginning was a bit too slow for me, I found myself pushing myself through it despite not really feeling connected to anyone (at first). I really liked the 2 MCs, and eventually was pretty attached to Acalan. And so heart broken during a specific part.
I think the world she has built is so unique and different from other stories I have read. I would consider reading the next one, especially after the ending. I think book 2 has some crazy things coming up!!
I think if you like slow burn build up into a Hunger Games/deadly tournament, you should check this book out.
Thank you @hearourvoicestours for this beautiful ARC!
jens_shelves's review
dnf FOR NOW! I want to circle back to this but I got about 150 pages in and just couldn’t fully get into it. So I’m going to pause it for now and hopefully circle back!
I’m very appreciative to the author for the gorgeous PR box and copy of the book. I wish her success. I really think if my mood was different I would be able to work through it more.
I’m very appreciative to the author for the gorgeous PR box and copy of the book. I wish her success. I really think if my mood was different I would be able to work through it more.
karalew's review
4.0
First I want to say thank you to Amilea Perez for the ARC of this book.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
It has everything I could want in a book- Aztec mythology and hunger games-esque story line.
I wanted to love this book so much. I had a hard time with the beginning. It wasn’t until 60% into the book that anything happened. And then the last 40% was where all the action was. It had a “slow burn” romance storyline that didn’t seem like it was as developed as it could have been. It felt like more of a book about the relationship between siblings than it really was about a romance.
This book ended on a killer cliffhanger, so I probably will read the next book.
Overall, this was a good book. A theme that you don’t find very often with the Mexican mythology.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up.
It has everything I could want in a book- Aztec mythology and hunger games-esque story line.
I wanted to love this book so much. I had a hard time with the beginning. It wasn’t until 60% into the book that anything happened. And then the last 40% was where all the action was. It had a “slow burn” romance storyline that didn’t seem like it was as developed as it could have been. It felt like more of a book about the relationship between siblings than it really was about a romance.
This book ended on a killer cliffhanger, so I probably will read the next book.
Overall, this was a good book. A theme that you don’t find very often with the Mexican mythology.
librosentrelazos's review
5.0
When I first saw the blurb for this book I was super excited to see Aztec representation, accompanied by a Latina author. Representation is extremely important, and it is fair to say that as a Latina I haven't seen us represented so often in the fantasy genre.
All of my excitement and expectations were met. This book has beautiful world-building, with diverse characters and stories. The fraternal love between the main characters was beautiful, they each had a mission in the Tournament that they'd been preparing for all of their life, but nothing was as they thought it would be, shattering all their beliefs.
All of the characters involved in this book were amazingly colorful, the MMC is such a deep character that I couldn't avoid falling in love with him.
I can't continue sharing how much more I loved this book without spoiling the story. I need book 2, that ending was super powerful!
Thank you so much for the advanced copy!
All of my excitement and expectations were met. This book has beautiful world-building, with diverse characters and stories. The fraternal love between the main characters was beautiful, they each had a mission in the Tournament that they'd been preparing for all of their life, but nothing was as they thought it would be, shattering all their beliefs.
All of the characters involved in this book were amazingly colorful, the MMC is such a deep character that I couldn't avoid falling in love with him.
I can't continue sharing how much more I loved this book without spoiling the story. I need book 2, that ending was super powerful!
Thank you so much for the advanced copy!
aliciasrealm's review
slow-paced
3.5
An ambitious debut, The Tournament of Heirs delivers on its theme of an unbreakable sibling bond and its promise that sacrifices must be made.
CHARACTERS:
I loved the dual POV narration, which showed strong characterization of the two protagonists, Metzli and Acalan. Their character voices and personalities were well differentiated, showing Metztli's fierce and protective nature while Acalan is more bookish and sensitive. Their strong sibling bond and their sense of duty to each other was very apparent.
WORLD BUILDING:
The history and traditions of the Mexica people are organically shared through the narrative without overwhelming the reader. The story is slow paced at the start, thoroughly demonstrating the Metzli and Acalan's relationship, and sets up expectations for the tournament while introducing the heirs from the other houses.
THE TOURNAMENT:
Since the first half of the story focuses on set up and character development, the tournament doesn't begin until about 60% into the book. Once it starts, the pace picks up and we get the promised bloodshed and sacrifice.
ROMANCE:
I would classify this novel as fantasy rather than romantasy. The author describes this book as having "a sprinkle of romance" and that feels accurate, especially since the romantic interests are not introduced immediately. There is one closed door sex scene and one more explicit scene. So if you prefer fantasy with light romance, this will be perfect for you!
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This is a self published novel. The author provides content warnings at the beginning of the book. I received an advance review copy of this novel from the author.
CHARACTERS:
I loved the dual POV narration, which showed strong characterization of the two protagonists, Metzli and Acalan. Their character voices and personalities were well differentiated, showing Metztli's fierce and protective nature while Acalan is more bookish and sensitive. Their strong sibling bond and their sense of duty to each other was very apparent.
WORLD BUILDING:
The history and traditions of the Mexica people are organically shared through the narrative without overwhelming the reader. The story is slow paced at the start, thoroughly demonstrating the Metzli and Acalan's relationship, and sets up expectations for the tournament while introducing the heirs from the other houses.
THE TOURNAMENT:
Since the first half of the story focuses on set up and character development, the tournament doesn't begin until about 60% into the book. Once it starts, the pace picks up and we get the promised bloodshed and sacrifice.
ROMANCE:
I would classify this novel as fantasy rather than romantasy. The author describes this book as having "a sprinkle of romance" and that feels accurate, especially since the romantic interests are not introduced immediately. There is one closed door sex scene and one more explicit scene. So if you prefer fantasy with light romance, this will be perfect for you!
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
This is a self published novel. The author provides content warnings at the beginning of the book. I received an advance review copy of this novel from the author.
karinareads13's review
5.0
Metztli and Acalan Amos are the only two heirs of the House of Life. Acalan was born to lead the empire and has prepared his entire life to do so. Metztli always knew that her job was to protect her brother and ensure that happens. When the time comes for the Tournament of Heirs, 12 heirs from the 6 houses must compete to the death. Only 2 bloodbound heirs can survive. Just days before the tournament begins, Acalan uncovers the truth of a prophecy that will change everything.
I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint! I love the Aztec mythology tied into the romantic fantasy. There is a bit of a slow burn leading up to the tournament, but it is worth it for the character/history building. It did not end the way that I thought it would! There were some surprise twists that I wasn’t expecting. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!
I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint! I love the Aztec mythology tied into the romantic fantasy. There is a bit of a slow burn leading up to the tournament, but it is worth it for the character/history building. It did not end the way that I thought it would! There were some surprise twists that I wasn’t expecting. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it. I cannot wait to see where the story goes from here!