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A review by aylea
The Encanto's Daughter by Melissa de la Cruz
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
MJ spends most of her life traveling around without notice but not knowing why until it's revealed that she's the only child of the king of magical land, and she's due to be crowned queen in just a few weeks. Nobody wants a half-human ruler, and it's becoming more obvious that her father's death wasn't from natural causes. MJ needs to find out who cursed her father, navigate the complexities of a world she's unfamiliar with, find out what her magical talent is, keep up with homework, and figure out if Sir Lucas of the Sigbin Court is an enemy or an ally.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.
Personally, I wasn't sure I'd like this because I haven't been a big fan of the author's previous works with Disney. I'm happy that this more original work had a spark for me that previous books I've read by her didn't. I still don't think her writing style is particularly strong, but the plot and ideas worked a lot better in this book than in her other books.
My favorite part was the incorporation of Filipino mythology into the magical world. Most of the depth of the world and characters come from these cultural tie-ins. Unfortunately, there isn’t much depth beyond these areas. It’s not completely clear what the titles and areas of the kingdom are, and while there is supposedly risk about what happens if MJ doesn’t take the throne, that risk isn’t very clear. The magic system was interesting, although we get only a few details. The characters also feel flat and more like tropes than individuals. I think there’s a lot of room for these to develop more if this book is going to be the first in a series, but the lack of development sometimes makes it hard to enjoy this book. It also made the book feel like it was for younger readers, even though the main characters are 17 and 18.
The book balances creepy murder mystery (without being *too* creepy,* although there are quite a few bugs some readers may want to be aware of). The plot is generally predictable and had more than its fair share of tropes.
One thing that made the book more difficult was trying to balance going to school with the murder mystery. The school sections sometimes slow down the action too much, and it all feels unimportant (mostly because it is to the story, for the most part). Sometimes the book felt like it wasn’t sure what it wanted to be (murder mystery or magic school, teen romance or lost royalty?), and the school setting had a lot to do with that.
Overall, the book is fine. It has some interesting elements but doesn’t stand out as one I’d reread or recommend. I’d most recommend this book for younger YA readers who might enjoy light romance and mystery but don’t care if there aren’t more complex themes, characters, and world-building. However, readers who hate cliffhangers will be frustrated with the ending.