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thebooknerdscorner 's review for:
Salvación
by Sandra Proudman
An alternate universe historical piece inspired by "Zorro" in which a young girl must stand up for what she believes is right and discover who she truly wants to be along the way.
Lola de La Peña has always felt suppressed by society's expectations. Wearing dresses and acting ladylike isn't exactly her forte, but she must pretend to be a proper señorita while her mamá uses sal negra, a newly discovered magical salt, to heal those with ailments. Luckily, at night she is allowed to shed the disguise and become her true self, Salvación. As Salvación, she and her trusty sword get to protect the people of Coloma from those who would do them wrong. Due to the newly signed Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, tension in Alta California is higher than it's ever been before making Salvación's duties even more important. When Damien Hernández comes to town with his dangerous sal roja, Salvación must fight harder than she ever has before to protect those she cares about most.
"Salvación" is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, so it is no surprise that I flew through this book once I was lucky enough to win a copy of it. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be, but I'm still down for a feminist "Zorro" reimagining any day. It is important to note that the action in this book isn't nearly as intense as in the "Zorro" TV series and the book has quite a different plot line; it takes place in a similar era and setting, but Salvación is not Zorro. I repeat Salvación is NOT Zorro. I think people that are hating on this book because it isn't "Zorro" need to learn the definition of the word inspired.
This book honestly reads as a historical fiction book with magical realism and a hint of romance. It is certainly not a high fantasy, and I pity those who thought it was. I found the subtle romance plot to be quite nice, especially when so much of the book focuses around Loli finding herself and the importance of familia. Not having the romance suffocate the rest of the story was much appreciated, and the speed that Loli and Alejandro's relationship developed at was more my speed than many YA books that I've read recently. The Mexican American War is often forgotten about, so I think it was nice that this book dwells in this era of history.
The themes in this story are all so uplifting and sweet. One of the overarching ones is finding peace—be that with oneself, one's lifestyle, or one's family. Some others are the importance of family, standing up for what you believe is right, and embracing the person that you always wanted to be. The feminist lens of this story showcases how Loli feels alienated by how society wants a young woman to behave and validates the fact that she feels more at home in her skin when she acts as Salvación.
The way that this book talks about the Earth is also quite magical. It speaks to not fearing nature, because it is never inherently evil (unlike humanity) and that we must not take from the earth unforgivingly without expecting to face the consequences. The way that Loli is one with her horse, Carisma, is also very endearing.
Loli has a complex relationship with all the members of her family. She and her brother, Víctor, are quite close now, but weren't always that way. Loli adores her papá and feels like the chosen child, but she doesn't recognize the man that he has become recently. She has never seen eye to eye with her mamá for many reasons, but Loli begins to understand where her mother is coming from in the end.
Overall, "Salvación" is a fun historical read with a hint of magical realism and a touch of romance. It didn't quite live up to the unobtainable expectations I had going into it, but I still enjoyed my time with it regardless. "Salvación" is filled to the brim with feminist messages, asks that you find peace with the life you have been given, and begs that we embrace the person that we are meant to be. I think this book is a great example of an alternate universe historical fantasy, and I hope that people can accept it for what it is. I really enjoyed my time with Loli and the gang; I certainly look forward to reading more of Proudman's work in the future!
Lola de La Peña has always felt suppressed by society's expectations. Wearing dresses and acting ladylike isn't exactly her forte, but she must pretend to be a proper señorita while her mamá uses sal negra, a newly discovered magical salt, to heal those with ailments. Luckily, at night she is allowed to shed the disguise and become her true self, Salvación. As Salvación, she and her trusty sword get to protect the people of Coloma from those who would do them wrong. Due to the newly signed Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, tension in Alta California is higher than it's ever been before making Salvación's duties even more important. When Damien Hernández comes to town with his dangerous sal roja, Salvación must fight harder than she ever has before to protect those she cares about most.
"Salvación" is one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, so it is no surprise that I flew through this book once I was lucky enough to win a copy of it. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting it to be, but I'm still down for a feminist "Zorro" reimagining any day. It is important to note that the action in this book isn't nearly as intense as in the "Zorro" TV series and the book has quite a different plot line; it takes place in a similar era and setting, but Salvación is not Zorro. I repeat Salvación is NOT Zorro. I think people that are hating on this book because it isn't "Zorro" need to learn the definition of the word inspired.
This book honestly reads as a historical fiction book with magical realism and a hint of romance. It is certainly not a high fantasy, and I pity those who thought it was. I found the subtle romance plot to be quite nice, especially when so much of the book focuses around Loli finding herself and the importance of familia. Not having the romance suffocate the rest of the story was much appreciated, and the speed that Loli and Alejandro's relationship developed at was more my speed than many YA books that I've read recently. The Mexican American War is often forgotten about, so I think it was nice that this book dwells in this era of history.
The themes in this story are all so uplifting and sweet. One of the overarching ones is finding peace—be that with oneself, one's lifestyle, or one's family. Some others are the importance of family, standing up for what you believe is right, and embracing the person that you always wanted to be. The feminist lens of this story showcases how Loli feels alienated by how society wants a young woman to behave and validates the fact that she feels more at home in her skin when she acts as Salvación.
The way that this book talks about the Earth is also quite magical. It speaks to not fearing nature, because it is never inherently evil (unlike humanity) and that we must not take from the earth unforgivingly without expecting to face the consequences. The way that Loli is one with her horse, Carisma, is also very endearing.
Loli has a complex relationship with all the members of her family. She and her brother, Víctor, are quite close now, but weren't always that way. Loli adores her papá and feels like the chosen child, but she doesn't recognize the man that he has become recently. She has never seen eye to eye with her mamá for many reasons, but Loli begins to understand where her mother is coming from in the end.
Overall, "Salvación" is a fun historical read with a hint of magical realism and a touch of romance. It didn't quite live up to the unobtainable expectations I had going into it, but I still enjoyed my time with it regardless. "Salvación" is filled to the brim with feminist messages, asks that you find peace with the life you have been given, and begs that we embrace the person that we are meant to be. I think this book is a great example of an alternate universe historical fantasy, and I hope that people can accept it for what it is. I really enjoyed my time with Loli and the gang; I certainly look forward to reading more of Proudman's work in the future!