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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
Original and enthralling exploration of identity, family, love, friendship, and sacrifice. Heartily recommend, and can’t wait to pick up the second book!
Maybe more of a 2.5/5
Oh, how I wanted to adore this book. It has so many things going for it. The whole mythology of brujas, a matriarchy of intelligent women within a fiercely loving family, bisexual Latina protagonist... But unfortunately, this just didn't do it for me.
This book is about Alejandra, a girl raised by a long line of brujas. Unlike her family, she doesn't embrace her power, she wants it gone. So at her Deathday party, when she should be accepting her place as the most powerful bruja in a generation, she tries to eradicate her power. But everything (of course) goes terribly wrong and she winds up banishing her entire family to another realm instead. Which is a pretty big oops. So she has to travel to Los Lagos, a limbo dimension, with a brujo named Nova to try to save her family before it is too late.
This all sounds wonderful to me, in theory. And so much of the mythology and culture that was packed into this book was incredibly layered and well-done. Each chapter began with a quote from a book of cantos, or a line from a famous bruja myth, and the actual cantos (not spells, spells are for witches) that were performed in this story were really magical and wonderful. Unfortunately, it just felt like all of the stories beyond the setting had been done before.
If you like paranormal fantasy, if you like the tropes and the stereotypes of the genre, then maybe you would enjoy this book. But I couldn't get past the ways that the story felt so unbearably repetitive. There were multiple moments when I wanted to scream just because I felt like I was very nearly reading lines pulled from other paranormal fantasy books. Nova, the boy with a troubled past. Alex, the girl who has so much power but doesn't want it. A mystery world where things are *gasp* more than they appear.
Even the bisexual elements of this story, which was one of the main reasons I was interested, I felt could have been done better. The relationship between Alex and the female love interest was very underdeveloped. Even as someone actively on the lookout for it, I didn't feel like enough had been established about the characters before they were declaring their love for one another. And this applies to both love interests, not just the female one.
I appreciate, however, that this book did the thing that a lot of people have been asking for: a bisexual love triangle in which the MC is caught between a male and a female love interest.
The writing as far as setting was really nice, very immersive and lyrical. But Alex was not someone I cared about as I read this book. She just wasn't layered as a character. She lacked so much depth, and I couldn't bring myself to want to care about her or her story.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. But if you are looking for anything original from a paranormal fantasy standpoint, I wouldn't recommend this one.
**eARC provided by NetGalley**
Oh, how I wanted to adore this book. It has so many things going for it. The whole mythology of brujas, a matriarchy of intelligent women within a fiercely loving family, bisexual Latina protagonist... But unfortunately, this just didn't do it for me.
This book is about Alejandra, a girl raised by a long line of brujas. Unlike her family, she doesn't embrace her power, she wants it gone. So at her Deathday party, when she should be accepting her place as the most powerful bruja in a generation, she tries to eradicate her power. But everything (of course) goes terribly wrong and she winds up banishing her entire family to another realm instead. Which is a pretty big oops. So she has to travel to Los Lagos, a limbo dimension, with a brujo named Nova to try to save her family before it is too late.
This all sounds wonderful to me, in theory. And so much of the mythology and culture that was packed into this book was incredibly layered and well-done. Each chapter began with a quote from a book of cantos, or a line from a famous bruja myth, and the actual cantos (not spells, spells are for witches) that were performed in this story were really magical and wonderful. Unfortunately, it just felt like all of the stories beyond the setting had been done before.
If you like paranormal fantasy, if you like the tropes and the stereotypes of the genre, then maybe you would enjoy this book. But I couldn't get past the ways that the story felt so unbearably repetitive. There were multiple moments when I wanted to scream just because I felt like I was very nearly reading lines pulled from other paranormal fantasy books. Nova, the boy with a troubled past. Alex, the girl who has so much power but doesn't want it. A mystery world where things are *gasp* more than they appear.
Even the bisexual elements of this story, which was one of the main reasons I was interested, I felt could have been done better. The relationship between Alex and the female love interest was very underdeveloped. Even as someone actively on the lookout for it, I didn't feel like enough had been established about the characters before they were declaring their love for one another. And this applies to both love interests, not just the female one.
I appreciate, however, that this book did the thing that a lot of people have been asking for: a bisexual love triangle in which the MC is caught between a male and a female love interest.
The writing as far as setting was really nice, very immersive and lyrical. But Alex was not someone I cared about as I read this book. She just wasn't layered as a character. She lacked so much depth, and I couldn't bring myself to want to care about her or her story.
I wanted to love this book, I really did. But if you are looking for anything original from a paranormal fantasy standpoint, I wouldn't recommend this one.
**eARC provided by NetGalley**
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 Stars
Note: I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not shape or change my opinion of the book. Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the review copy!
Synopsis (from Amazon)
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...
This book was a book of contrasts for me, which makes this review pretty difficult. However, overall, in the general sense, I enjoyed it! Here’s what worked for me:
1. The mysticism: My favorite part of this book was the interwoven mythology and stories, and the lushness of Los Lagos. Labyrinth was littered with fantastical places, beings, and imagery and I appreciated all of it. The stories within a story…the woven in myths, legends and histories added an element—a RICHNESS to the prose that had me just Eating. It. Up.
2. The focus on family: I loved the element of unconditional love and family being the anchor…being the thing that binds you and holds you together. The thing you can fall back on no matter what.
3. Alex’s coming of age: I loved Alex’s growth in Labyrinth. A girl who is unwilling to accept a part of herself, who admits to having a bit of a darkness to her, who is angry, confused, and ashamed of a part of who she is.
“I can feel the secrets pushing against my veins, and in turn, I push right back-hiding them deep inside, where I hope one day even I wont be able to find them.”
“Sometimes I’m afraid I’ve put on so many masks that one day I won’t be able to recognize who I am.”
Then there was the gradual acceptance of who and what she is and stands for, conquering her inner fears, relying on and trusting her family (and friends), learning about love and what is means, and that she IS loved…Yes I’ll have that!
4. The writing: Cardova excelled at descriptive prose and painted such vivid fantastic images of Los Lagos that I could see it in my head. I could see the lush, vibrant landscapes, the mystical creatures, the darkness, the desperation, and loved it. I mean, Lovers Lament- a river full of vengeful souls unwilling to let go…The Meadow-very Alice in Wonderland tea partyesque—yesssss.
What I struggled with: (NOTE: I received and unedited advanced copy, so some or all of these may have been changed, or improved in the final copy)
1. The writing. Yes, it was strong in its description and imagery, but at the same time the flow also felt disjointed and stunted in a lot areas. This is one of my notes I took while reading “There are times when the prose are so descriptive, they literally plant the image in my head, or I literally feel the feelings and emotions of the character and yet other times the writing feels stilted. VIVID imagery, yet choppy.”
2. I am a character person. I absolutely must connect to, relate to, and appreciate them on some capacity, and it took a really long time for this to happen for me. It was probably not until the start of the last third of the book, which left me not really caring about the characters or not really liking them outright for a large majority. A lot of the side characters were amazing, and kind of overshadowed the main characters in my opinion. HOWEVER, I was invested by the end and since this is a series, I can assume that I will be for the remainder, and they will continue to grow and become more complex and layered. So yay!
I think this book and others like it that are rich and steeped with diversity and culture are SO SO important and it was one of my favorite things about Labyrinth. While it wasn’t perfect for me, I think it is a solid start to a series with a lot of potential! The stunning cover and the amazing map certainly don’t hurt either! I will be reading the next one!
Note: I received a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not shape or change my opinion of the book. Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the review copy!
Synopsis (from Amazon)
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...
This book was a book of contrasts for me, which makes this review pretty difficult. However, overall, in the general sense, I enjoyed it! Here’s what worked for me:
1. The mysticism: My favorite part of this book was the interwoven mythology and stories, and the lushness of Los Lagos. Labyrinth was littered with fantastical places, beings, and imagery and I appreciated all of it. The stories within a story…the woven in myths, legends and histories added an element—a RICHNESS to the prose that had me just Eating. It. Up.
2. The focus on family: I loved the element of unconditional love and family being the anchor…being the thing that binds you and holds you together. The thing you can fall back on no matter what.
3. Alex’s coming of age: I loved Alex’s growth in Labyrinth. A girl who is unwilling to accept a part of herself, who admits to having a bit of a darkness to her, who is angry, confused, and ashamed of a part of who she is.
“I can feel the secrets pushing against my veins, and in turn, I push right back-hiding them deep inside, where I hope one day even I wont be able to find them.”
“Sometimes I’m afraid I’ve put on so many masks that one day I won’t be able to recognize who I am.”
Then there was the gradual acceptance of who and what she is and stands for, conquering her inner fears, relying on and trusting her family (and friends), learning about love and what is means, and that she IS loved…Yes I’ll have that!
4. The writing: Cardova excelled at descriptive prose and painted such vivid fantastic images of Los Lagos that I could see it in my head. I could see the lush, vibrant landscapes, the mystical creatures, the darkness, the desperation, and loved it. I mean, Lovers Lament- a river full of vengeful souls unwilling to let go…The Meadow-very Alice in Wonderland tea partyesque—yesssss.
What I struggled with: (NOTE: I received and unedited advanced copy, so some or all of these may have been changed, or improved in the final copy)
1. The writing. Yes, it was strong in its description and imagery, but at the same time the flow also felt disjointed and stunted in a lot areas. This is one of my notes I took while reading “There are times when the prose are so descriptive, they literally plant the image in my head, or I literally feel the feelings and emotions of the character and yet other times the writing feels stilted. VIVID imagery, yet choppy.”
2. I am a character person. I absolutely must connect to, relate to, and appreciate them on some capacity, and it took a really long time for this to happen for me. It was probably not until the start of the last third of the book, which left me not really caring about the characters or not really liking them outright for a large majority. A lot of the side characters were amazing, and kind of overshadowed the main characters in my opinion. HOWEVER, I was invested by the end and since this is a series, I can assume that I will be for the remainder, and they will continue to grow and become more complex and layered. So yay!
I think this book and others like it that are rich and steeped with diversity and culture are SO SO important and it was one of my favorite things about Labyrinth. While it wasn’t perfect for me, I think it is a solid start to a series with a lot of potential! The stunning cover and the amazing map certainly don’t hurt either! I will be reading the next one!
adventurous
hopeful
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:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-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:
Complicated
It's awesome to see Latine representation in a YA Fantasy. Córdova incorporated many elements from all over Latin America, allowing readers from various backgrounds to see themselves reflected in the story which I really appreciated and enjoyed.
The story was fast-paced and fun. My only complaint is the final confrontation is boring and too quick. I wanted more after the adventure the characters were sent out on.
The story was fast-paced and fun. My only complaint is the final confrontation is boring and too quick. I wanted more after the adventure the characters were sent out on.
I think I like this book more for what it represents than what it actually is. That’s not to say I didn’t like it - on the contrary, I liked it a lot. It’s just that when you read fantasy, you rarely come across a book that doesn’t draw from European folklore. Nor do they have much representation for people of color, at least not for main characters. (Though this is obviously my experience and would love recommendations for other books like this!) This draws from Latin folklore - the main character Alex is a bruja (witch) who hates magic because of the harm it does and decides to perform a spell to get rid of her power at her Deathday celebration. It totally backfires and her whole family gets dragged down to Los Lagos (which is kind of an alternate dimension and the afterlife at the same time.) And thus Alex sets off on an Alice in Wonderland journey with a stretchy guy to save them. It’s really strong and engaging plot but I read this back in July and I’m struggling to remember more of the details. That said, I enjoyed the characters and the plot and will pick up the sequel once its out in paperback. 3 out of 5 stars!
I am still not sure what I think about this book, and I am unsure if I will recommend it to others.
There were certainly interesting facets to this book -- the unique legends and cultures. However, while parts of the story went down some unique paths, others were fairly traditional in their storyline
There were certainly interesting facets to this book -- the unique legends and cultures. However, while parts of the story went down some unique paths, others were fairly traditional in their storyline
medium-paced