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jenabest's review
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
4.0
3.5, rounded up to 4 for keeping me hooked & being unique in the genre.
Sun of Blood and Ruin is a debut, and sometimes it shows. I absolutely loved the premise and the cover is to die for. With as rich and deep Indigenous Central American folklore is, I cannot believe it's not used in fantasy settings more. That being said, sometimes Lares jumps into the next plot point without any connective tissue, or characters have strange developments with their relationships. Critique aside, this was an awesome debut, with a great setting, and I look forward to reading more from Lares.
Sun of Blood and Ruin is a debut, and sometimes it shows. I absolutely loved the premise and the cover is to die for. With as rich and deep Indigenous Central American folklore is, I cannot believe it's not used in fantasy settings more. That being said, sometimes Lares jumps into the next plot point without any connective tissue, or characters have strange developments with their relationships. Critique aside, this was an awesome debut, with a great setting, and I look forward to reading more from Lares.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and War
blakeandbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had such high hopes for this book. A fantasy novel set in 16th century New Spain with Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology?! Along with the stunning cover?? I had to know! Sadly, it didn’t live up to my hopes. The pace felt very confusing, and the plot holes made it even more difficult to follow. I also felt that the romance was… nonexistent? They had no compatibility or connection whatsoever that it felt forced. I will say I really enjoyed Leonora as the FMC, and I felt like she was definitely a badass that fit her role well.
I had such high hopes for this book. A fantasy novel set in 16th century New Spain with Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology?! Along with the stunning cover?? I had to know! Sadly, it didn’t live up to my hopes. The pace felt very confusing, and the plot holes made it even more difficult to follow. I also felt that the romance was… nonexistent? They had no compatibility or connection whatsoever that it felt forced. I will say I really enjoyed Leonora as the FMC, and I felt like she was definitely a badass that fit her role well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Death
khakipantsofsex's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Injury/Injury detail, Colonisation, and Violence
belleanndthebook's review
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I want to very emphatically recommend this book to avid fantasy readers! We have all been sleeping on the goldmine of a historical setting that was historical Mexico with all of the politics between indigenous nations, the Spanish settlers, and Spain itself. Although the writing had its flaws at times, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend the overall story. I found the characters endearing in a “they’re flawed, and annoy me at times, but I also kinda vibe with their quirks” way. (And no, I don’t mean quirky as in code that nuerotypicals use for nuerodivergent, I just think that the characters’ backstories were often fairly complicated, and that lent itself towards each character having something about them that was extremely unique.)
I would really look forward to any other books in this series, and I think that I would have the potential to enjoy future installments more now that the multifaceted aspects of the world-building have been fully explained in the first book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an arc!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Death, and Violence
Moderate: War
Minor: Colonisation
tonisecelecticlibrary's review
adventurous
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation and War
stevienotnicks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Do you ever find a book that gives you exactly what you had no idea what you were looking for?
Everything in Sun of Blood and Ruin happens along the backdrop of the Spanish colonization of Mexico. I loved how the author weaved in true history with her beautifully created interpretation of Mesoamerican mythology. She gave life to the deities we read about during the type of the Aztec and Mayan empires & showed the devastating effect of colonization on indigenous traditions & way of life.
The world building was near perfectly done. Instead of info dumping for pages like many fantasy authors are wont to do, Lares instead presents knowledge as dialogue or inner monologues. In this way, it doesn’t feel removed from the main storyline or slow down the pacing.
My only critique is with the ebb & flow of the overall story. Many interesting subplots were introduced only to never be mentioned again. Just as the story would seemingly be reaching its crescendo, the tension and excitement would plummet, staying unresolved while another plot line is explored. I felt a jolt of disconnection each time, but in truth, all of these subplots were so gripping that I was quickly appeased.
If you’re looking for a captivating, unique fantasy with lovable characters, political intrigue, and the always loved “chosen one” trope, this one will not let you down!
Everything in Sun of Blood and Ruin happens along the backdrop of the Spanish colonization of Mexico. I loved how the author weaved in true history with her beautifully created interpretation of Mesoamerican mythology. She gave life to the deities we read about during the type of the Aztec and Mayan empires & showed the devastating effect of colonization on indigenous traditions & way of life.
The world building was near perfectly done. Instead of info dumping for pages like many fantasy authors are wont to do, Lares instead presents knowledge as dialogue or inner monologues. In this way, it doesn’t feel removed from the main storyline or slow down the pacing.
My only critique is with the ebb & flow of the overall story. Many interesting subplots were introduced only to never be mentioned again. Just as the story would seemingly be reaching its crescendo, the tension and excitement would plummet, staying unresolved while another plot line is explored. I felt a jolt of disconnection each time, but in truth, all of these subplots were so gripping that I was quickly appeased.
If you’re looking for a captivating, unique fantasy with lovable characters, political intrigue, and the always loved “chosen one” trope, this one will not let you down!
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Colonisation, and Racism
Moderate: Gore
lisashelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, War, Racism, and Grief
Minor: Pregnancy
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