Reviews tagging 'War'

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas

95 reviews

simonlorden's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I received an advance reader's copy for free in exchange for an honest review.

A haunted house rich in history, where the house might not be the only danger around. 

This book was wonderfully creepy. From the moment Beatriz arrives at her new husband's house, it is clear something is wrong, but nobody at the hacienda will talk to her or tell her what is going on. She desperately wants to make this place into a home so that she can take care of her mother, but the house seems to be against her.

I spent this whole book wondering what Juana's deal is, and I couldn't predict what the ghost wanted or what she was going to be like. Juana and Beatriz are both women in a men-dominated world, and they are both fighting for their own freedom and independence in different ways, and they are both fascinating characters.

And Andrés is simply the best. I loved the exploration of his abilities, and his conflict of trying to keep both his duties balanced, even as everyone seems to be against him.

Not gonna lie, the ending made me a cry a little. Overall, this was a pretty creepy read with loveable and interesting characters, and I recommend it if you like gothic horror or historical mysteries.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: War and Sexual assault

lucylou's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Loved the gothic atmosphere and the cast of characters who were so desperate to change their circumstances- for better or for worse. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Murder, War, Colonisation, Racism, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Death of parent

readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, Death, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Misogyny

Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Body shaming, Ableism, Medical content, Confinement, Classism, Sexual content, Abortion, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Vomit, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Rape, and Colonisation

Colorism.

fanique87's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: War

Minor: Death of parent, Violence, Child abuse, and Rape

blakeandbooks's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Vomit, Sexual assault, War, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Rape

karmapen's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Classism, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Blood, Colonisation, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Confinement, Torture, Animal death, Cursing, and War

hannah_and_her_stories's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Alcohol, Racism, Classism, Confinement, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Infidelity, Murder, Sexual assault, War, Colonisation, Cursing, Gore, Vomit, Gaslighting, Grief, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

Minor: Abortion

larareads's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Gore

Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Racism, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abortion, Rape, War, and Sexual violence

renpuspita's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

The Hacienda dubbed as mix of Mexican Gothic and Rebecca. Fortunately (or, unfortunately?), I don't read both, even I have Mexican Gothic on my TBR. The premise itself remind me of Crimson Peak, Guillermo del Toro's movie that pretty much I think influenced by Rebecca. The tropes are there. The female lead, Beatriz, married a widower named Rodolfo Solorzano, while Rodolfo's first wife was died of unknown cause (is it typhus? is it true that she was killed by the highwaymen?). There's a huge building with historical value, in this book, it's a hacienda located in San Isidro, Apan. There's a male lead, not the husband of course, that will help the female lead. The atmosphere is pretty much gothic, the Hacienda residence didn't trust the female lead, including Rodolfo's sister, Juana, and their cook, Ana Luisa. More importantly, seems like the hacienda have a dark past and the ghost is start to haunting Beatriz. 

What make The Hacienda interesting is, how Isabel Canas also input her social critic/commentary about Mexico after the Independence war with its casta system. Set in 1823, pretty much after the war and also after Mexican Inquisition end, Canas presents the glaring problems that revolve around hacienda, hacendados (owner of hacienda) and people on the village whom lived around them. So, basically beside a gothic and horror filled with mystery, The Hacienda can be categorized into historical fiction as well, albeit not in a traditional way. This book also heavy on religious contents, with the male lead, Padre Andres Vilabollos, is a man of the Church. The religion content didn't bother me a little bit, I welcomed Canas's critique about it tho. For me, it's ring true, regarding the religion. Some of Andres's inner turmoil, about his double identity, as a priest but also a witch with power come from local folk magic, pretty much resonate with me. I liked Canas's presentation about religion, through Andres, and didn't fell that it's judging at all.

The Hacienda is told from both Beatriz and Andres's Pov, interchangeable. Usually, first PoV from multiple characters can drive me nuts, since all the voice feel the same. It's not the case with The Hacienda, I can differentiate both Beatriz and Andres. While at the first glance, Beatriz might be look like a high and mighty girl with her determination to be the Solorzano's Dona and claim Hacienda San Isidro as her domain, the reason was explained in a way that make me sympathize with her. I also like how in the end Canas make Beatriz amend her error way in the first. Of course after the haunting that happen to Beatriz in the first place, lol. The girl was pretty much tortured by the ghost! The haunting factor is pretty chilling, the effect of it give me a heebies jeebies. The description of the ghost and its apparition make me hold my breath. The idea of house with its own souls is not new, but Canas can execute it well and add her own twist on it.

While it's not romance per se, there's a romance in The Hacienda, although just a little. But, boyy...as a romance reader, the romance in this book is pretty much bittersweet. It's of course have forbidden romance in it, with Beatriz is a married woman, while Andres is a priest. Yet, the trust that come between them, the pining, the longing and the yearning, OMG, so chef's kiss! I can accept their ending because I know that this book is not a romance in the first place, but I will lying if I said I didn't enjoy the romance aspect, lol. It's suit the book tone, tbh. In the other side, the mystery that surround the Hacienda and also Rodolfo's first wife death is pretty much easy to guess. I liked how they executed and I liked how Canas write the characterization of the major characters in this book beside Beatriz and Andres. Sadly, for Rodolfo, I think his character is barely there since he's mostly spend his time away from Beatriz.

Even not 5 full stars, The Hacienda become one of my top read this year 2023. For a debut, this book captivating me and that's a compliment since sometimes I'm too chicken out to read a full horror book with ghost on it. I recommend The Hacienda if you want to read a horror book with gothic atmosphere, written by a diverse author also set outside America and with historical settings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Alcohol, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Racial slurs, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Abortion, Rape, War, and Colonisation

emzhay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Alcohol

Minor: War, Child abuse, and Animal death