Reviews with content warning for Racism - Sun of Blood and Ruin

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares

6 reviews

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!

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vexatiousbird's review

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was exactly what I wanted it to be. Vivid and heartfelt. A protagonist who struggles and doubts but perseveres for a higher cause. A little twist of romance that doesn’t get in the way of the plot. A more hopeful reimagining of a terrible time in history. Well written and hard to put down. I loved how the mythology was brought to life and explored in a new way.

My only complaint is Leonora’s brother- his character is a little too flat to have as big an impact on the resolution as he does in the end, and his part of the plot wrapped up too neatly and suddenly. I think there could have been another chapter or two to get there more realistically.

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rowanhill's review

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Features:

Gender bent retelling
Indigenous mythology and folklore
Realistic historical setting with a magical twist

The promise of a gender bent retelling of Zorro with a Mesoamerican twist drew me immediately to this book. Taking place around 20 years after the Conquest of Tenochtitlan, this book not only managed to immerse me in the culture and mythology of the region, but also provided an honest snapshot of a very dark and complicated period in Mexican history. The magic system introduced into this otherwise realistic historical setting was intriguing and really felt like it belonged. Unfortunately, the strength of the setting did not carry over to the characters of the book. I was looking forward to a more modern and complex exploration of a ‘Zorro’ character, but was left a little disappointed. I had a good time reading the book, but a mix of relatively flat characters and pacing issues makes it far from the perfect read for me.

Summary

Ever since the fall of Tenochtitlan, the Indigenous people of Mexico have suffered under the tyranny of Spanish rule. Things are only getting worse as the Spanish continue to tighten grip on the once powerful empire. Standing between her people and the brutality of the Spanish is the mysterious masked vigilante Pantera. A skilled warrior wielding ancient magic, Pantera represents everything the Spanish are trying to wipe out for good. Little does anyone know that behind the mask is Leonora de Las Casas Tlazohtzin, a noblewoman who might soon become the future queen of Spain. Balancing a double life only becomes more complicated as prophecies of the end of the world as they know it and her own early demise seem to be coming true. The powers of Leonora and Pantera alone might not be enough this time.

An Immersive Setting and Magic System

I have always been a sucker for a good historical setting and this book definitely delivers. Despite having some magical aspects, this feels like an accurate representation of 16th century Mexico and manages to be both sensitive to native cultures and unforgiving in its depiction of Spanish colonization. The cherry on top is definitely the magic system. Where not overly complicated, it melds so well into the mythos of the region and enhances the culture aspects being explored. My one complaint is that there are multiple times where Leonora ‘sets the stage’ through exhibition rather than allowing us to immerse in the setting more naturally. However, as someone previously unfamiliar with this slice of history, I found most of the information interesting and helpful rather than distracting.

Lackluster Characters and Uneven Pacing

In addition to being Pantera, Leonora is an individual of influence trapped between two worlds. She is mestizo (a person of mixed Spanish and indigenous descent), and though she is more connected to her indigenous culture, her life outside of being Pantera takes place amongst the Spanish elite. These aspects of her identity along with the time period opened the door for a really intriguing and complicated character. Unfortunately, I feel like almost none of these opportunities are taken. Though Leonora contemplates the various masks she must wear, it never seemed like there was an authentic and deep struggle to reconcile the various pieces of herself. I definitely think there were attempts to do so, but it just doesn’t come through for me. Unfortunately, there is even less development of the side characters and the somewhat stilted dialogue fails to create any sort of chemistry (positive or negative) amongst them.

This book is a debut novel and like many, it struggles with some pacing issues. There is fast paced action and high stakes as we enter the story, but then the story seems to come to an abrupt halt for the better part of the first half. I don’t mind a shift from high adrenaline action to the slow burn of political intrigue, but without proper development, it just falls flat. However, more than that I think it was the sense that Leonora/Pantera is just kind of floundering for quite awhile. Pantera comes across as somewhat clumsy in a way that goes beyond just compensating for an injury sustained at the beginning. Likewise, Leonora fails to come off as clever or savvy in the political world and I have a hard time believing that others would fall for her charade. Their respective failures make it difficult for either to find direction in this story and this, along with a little too much exposition, makes for odd pacing.

Overall

Overall, I had a good time reading this book and would recommend it to people I know would appreciate the vibes and overarching themes. However, it definitely has some flaws that could make or break the reading experience for some readers, so I would carefully consider these before investing in this read.

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stevienotnicks's review against another edition

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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!

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lisashelves's review against another edition

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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

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madscientistcat's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

The tempo and plot feel very young adult, though the violence is certainly not. The familiar plot with a beautiful overlay of indigenous Mexican religion and magic will be appealing to romantasy fans who are interested in a different perspective than the well-tread Eurocentric-style worlds. I appreciated Lares’s introduction and explanation and loved that she used Spanish and Nahuatl unabashedly and with no in-text clarifications.

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