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mandareads222's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Bullying, Death, Blood, Violence, Slavery, and Murder
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, War, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Grief, and Confinement
Minor: Vomit, Sexual assault, Torture, Pedophilia, Excrement, Rape, and Animal cruelty
robin_leeann's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, and Violence
bkwrm1317's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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? No
3.5
Completed judge review for Indie Ink on 3.28.24.
The following is a personal review, and does not reflect judging for Indie Ink 2024 judging I completed:
This was a really interesting novel, although there were odd breaks in the progress of the overall story arc as the protagonist went from one place (geographically) to another. This created a slightly disjointed/jarring reader experience for me, and also made the pacing feel slower than it would have otherwise, I think. I'd suggest the pacing of the novel is slow/medium, with some sections more solidly in each category.
The world building, magic system, and overall story was distinctive, if not unique. I wasn't particularly compelled by the use of Spanish words/how they were integrated - it didn't feel as thoughtful as some other Latine bilingual authors' works are in their use of English and Spanish words.
The end of the novel represents a fairly unsatisfying cliffhanger for me personally, as a reader, but would likely feel more compelling for other readers.
All CWs as mild, as there is either a brief/not emotionally intense engagement in the text with the CW, or it is threatened/mentioned, but not done (e.g. sexual harassment rather than sexual violence, as it was a verbal threat towards the protagonist, but not one that was carried through or anywhere near that).
The following is a personal review, and does not reflect judging for Indie Ink 2024 judging I completed:
This was a really interesting novel, although there were odd breaks in the progress of the overall story arc as the protagonist went from one place (geographically) to another. This created a slightly disjointed/jarring reader experience for me, and also made the pacing feel slower than it would have otherwise, I think. I'd suggest the pacing of the novel is slow/medium, with some sections more solidly in each category.
The world building, magic system, and overall story was distinctive, if not unique. I wasn't particularly compelled by the use of Spanish words/how they were integrated - it didn't feel as thoughtful as some other Latine bilingual authors' works are in their use of English and Spanish words.
The end of the novel represents a fairly unsatisfying cliffhanger for me personally, as a reader, but would likely feel more compelling for other readers.
All CWs as mild, as there is either a brief/not emotionally intense engagement in the text with the CW, or it is threatened/mentioned, but not done (e.g. sexual harassment rather than sexual violence, as it was a verbal threat towards the protagonist, but not one that was carried through or anywhere near that).
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Trafficking, Blood, Death, and Sexual harassment
ladymickbeth's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Plot: 4.5/5
World building: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 3.75/5
Grammar/editing: 2/5
In general, I enjoyed this book and the unique premise. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was edited at all. There was some expositional elements repeated when they didn’t need to be, and there were a ridiculous amount of typos and missing or incorrect punctuation marks. There were also quite a few run-on sentences. The obvious lack of editing took me out of the story often.
World building: 4/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Writing: 3.75/5
Grammar/editing: 2/5
In general, I enjoyed this book and the unique premise. Unfortunately, I don’t think this book was edited at all. There was some expositional elements repeated when they didn’t need to be, and there were a ridiculous amount of typos and missing or incorrect punctuation marks. There were also quite a few run-on sentences. The obvious lack of editing took me out of the story often.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Slavery, Confinement, Trafficking, and Violence
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, War, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, and Rape
chrisb913's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Please read trigger warnings.
I absolutely adored this book. As the debut novel for Natalia Hernandez, she sold me as a must buy author. The characters had so much personality, the world building and magic system were interconnected and intriguing, and the plot has me craving to find out what happens next. I will say, based on the blurb on the back of the book, the story I thought I would be reading about was not the story I was told in this book, but I still loved it.
We start out with The Name Bearer getting ready for The Naming Ceremony after the current Queen has had her child. She must appease the Flowers of Prophecy for them to name the new born child and future ruler of the kingdom. They unfortunately refuse to name the new born claiming another child has been born that will usher in a time of peace from the never ending war the kingdom has been fighting with their neighbors to the north. Confused and dismayed The Name Bearer is then thrust into an adventure that she was neither wanting nor adequately prepared for. What follows is a tale of a young girl being forced out of the palace and future she so desperately wanted, into a world of monsters, wars, and vile human beings. Along the way she makes enemies, friends, and even possibly love.
The story ends in the middle of an adventure. If you do not like a sprawling tale that spans a trilogy and leaves you with the "to be continued" at the end of the first two books, this may not be a story for you. If this does not deter you and you enjoy stories about strong warriors women, found families, the normalcy of lgbtq in stories, and a rich world steeped in both indigenous and latinx culture and mythology, then definitely give this book a shot.
I absolutely adored this book. As the debut novel for Natalia Hernandez, she sold me as a must buy author. The characters had so much personality, the world building and magic system were interconnected and intriguing, and the plot has me craving to find out what happens next. I will say, based on the blurb on the back of the book, the story I thought I would be reading about was not the story I was told in this book, but I still loved it.
We start out with The Name Bearer getting ready for The Naming Ceremony after the current Queen has had her child. She must appease the Flowers of Prophecy for them to name the new born child and future ruler of the kingdom. They unfortunately refuse to name the new born claiming another child has been born that will usher in a time of peace from the never ending war the kingdom has been fighting with their neighbors to the north. Confused and dismayed The Name Bearer is then thrust into an adventure that she was neither wanting nor adequately prepared for. What follows is a tale of a young girl being forced out of the palace and future she so desperately wanted, into a world of monsters, wars, and vile human beings. Along the way she makes enemies, friends, and even possibly love.
The story ends in the middle of an adventure. If you do not like a sprawling tale that spans a trilogy and leaves you with the "to be continued" at the end of the first two books, this may not be a story for you. If this does not deter you and you enjoy stories about strong warriors women, found families, the normalcy of lgbtq in stories, and a rich world steeped in both indigenous and latinx culture and mythology, then definitely give this book a shot.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Trafficking, Death, and Bullying
Minor: Sexual assault
searobin's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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? No
4.0
I absolutely LOVED this book, but it does have its issues, so rating it is a bit hard. The two main things are that it ends up feeling like one long prologue, and that the writing feels like YA but some of the violence are detailed to a degree that doesn't suit YA. I really loved the characters, I liked getting to know the friends and some and the travelling companions so well, but it's a bit weird for an adventure book; it felt much more "slices of life" than adventure. I'm also curious about how our MC got so much education, but had so little awareness of how her situation was developing on the outside. It felt like she just ignored/didn't learn anything it for those 10 years.
All in all, I loved how immersed we were in the story, but it is unusual for the genre.
All in all, I loved how immersed we were in the story, but it is unusual for the genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Xenophobia, Torture, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Animal death, Trafficking, Violence, Medical content, War, Alcohol, Confinement, and Slavery
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.25
Magic, fantasy, badass ladies, and oh so queer, The Name-Bearer has been on my tbr forever, and I am so happy I finally got to read it.
A LATINX FANTASY! Take all my money! I feel like I am so incredibly biased because I was so excited to read a book with such inclusion of culture and diversity. Reading a book that includes your own culture always just feels so special and comforting. The rich food descriptions and detailed clothing made it feel like I was stepping into the world and experiencing everything that the name-bearer did. My favorite part of the book is when she is training with her friends and finally having that family she's always wanted. I like how everyone has their own strengths, and she isn't just immediately the best at everything.
I think the biggest issue for me is the writing. There is so much telling going on rather than showing, it made it hard at times to stay engaged with the plot and the writing. It is a big bookish peeve of mine that I have to read summaries of events instead of actually reading the event itself. There are also so many times in every chapter where a character will do something and then it will explain itself further. For example:
"The wizard brought a long,tapered finger to his lips to indicate that she should be silent". The reader can easily deduce the fact he wants her to be silent because of him just putting his finger to his mouth, explaining it further is just redundant and unnecessary. However I know this is an indie book, and I always take into consideration the resources available to indie authors when they self publish.
The viewpoint that Hernandez writes from primarily focuses on the name-bearer, but at certain moments when she interacts with other characters it will focus on their inner monologue, or further explain their actions. The ending is very unexpected, it kinda felt like it came out of nowhere.
I enjoyed this book, it has a rich environment, and incredible lore. I am excited to read the next one!
I would recommend this book!
The book cover is absolutely gorgeous and I am so obsessed with it.
A LATINX FANTASY! Take all my money! I feel like I am so incredibly biased because I was so excited to read a book with such inclusion of culture and diversity. Reading a book that includes your own culture always just feels so special and comforting. The rich food descriptions and detailed clothing made it feel like I was stepping into the world and experiencing everything that the name-bearer did. My favorite part of the book is when she is training with her friends and finally having that family she's always wanted. I like how everyone has their own strengths, and she isn't just immediately the best at everything.
I think the biggest issue for me is the writing. There is so much telling going on rather than showing, it made it hard at times to stay engaged with the plot and the writing. It is a big bookish peeve of mine that I have to read summaries of events instead of actually reading the event itself. There are also so many times in every chapter where a character will do something and then it will explain itself further. For example:
"The wizard brought a long,tapered finger to his lips to indicate that she should be silent". The reader can easily deduce the fact he wants her to be silent because of him just putting his finger to his mouth, explaining it further is just redundant and unnecessary. However I know this is an indie book, and I always take into consideration the resources available to indie authors when they self publish.
The viewpoint that Hernandez writes from primarily focuses on the name-bearer, but at certain moments when she interacts with other characters it will focus on their inner monologue, or further explain their actions. The ending is very unexpected, it kinda felt like it came out of nowhere.
I enjoyed this book, it has a rich environment, and incredible lore. I am excited to read the next one!
I would recommend this book!
The book cover is absolutely gorgeous and I am so obsessed with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Blood
Minor: War and Sexual harassment
tinysierra's review against another edition
adventurous
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
4.0
- I did follow the journey of this book on Tiktok, and I was super excited to read it.
- I am in love with the cover. So beautiful.
- The world building was really interesting and intricate!
- I always enjoy a good found family/friend group. It reminds me of the group of friends I made at college with how much joy and comfort we shared, and the pain of us splitting paths after graduation.
- There was a mix of telling and showing when it came to events that happened in the book. It would be like, “I grew comfortable with my group of friends over time, we were close.” And then sometimes there would be scenes of the group hanging out that demonstrated this, but other times it would be more like a telling not showing time-passing-montage.
- I love to see a world where queer characters are normalized!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Kidnapping, Blood, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Trafficking, and War
wy_woman's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, War, Blood, Classism, Emotional abuse, Confinement, and Gore
Minor: Torture, Trafficking, Slavery, Rape, Murder, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence
booksdogsandcoffee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
Hernandez writes a lush and magical story of found family, strong women warriors, and a lost prince. I absolutely can’t wait for book two because I just need more! I loved the character building and especially the women warriors of this book. It gave off a wonder woman vibe, but steeped in South American mythology and lore.
Cw
Blood
War
Trafficking
Bullying
Xenophobia
Gaslighting
Sexual assault
Cw
Blood
War
Trafficking
Bullying
Xenophobia
Gaslighting
Sexual assault
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Trafficking, and Bullying
Moderate: Blood, Violence, Xenophobia, and Sexual assault
Minor: War