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A review by e_flah
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-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? Yes
2.5
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina felt more like two books put together than one cohesive story. I enjoyed the first half more, which follows Orquídea Divina's extended family as they follow her summons to return to Four Rivers. There were so many intriguing glimpses of members of the Montoya family that end up largely vanishing from the story when the plot takes a hard shift in another direction.
The aspect of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina I liked the most was learning more about the titular character through glimpses of her life that intersperse the present-day conflict. Orquídea was an incredibly compelling character to read about. Her reluctance to share stories about her early life with her grandchildren and behavior that could be both cruel and kind reminded me of the generational trauma within my own family. Seeing Marimar and Rey try to make sense of their grandmother added another rich layer to Orquídea's character. This dynamic between how the main characters within the story perceive Orquídea and how the reader does was incredibly well done.
The second half of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina had a very different tone, which is where I started losing interest in the story.I really don't like stories about circuses so I was disappointed to discover that this ended up featuring prominently in the overall plot of the book. I also just would've wanted more on page setting up the villain's motivation for hunting down the Montoyas as the conclusion to the present-day plot arc felt very rushed.
The aspect of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina I liked the most was learning more about the titular character through glimpses of her life that intersperse the present-day conflict. Orquídea was an incredibly compelling character to read about. Her reluctance to share stories about her early life with her grandchildren and behavior that could be both cruel and kind reminded me of the generational trauma within my own family. Seeing Marimar and Rey try to make sense of their grandmother added another rich layer to Orquídea's character. This dynamic between how the main characters within the story perceive Orquídea and how the reader does was incredibly well done.
The second half of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina had a very different tone, which is where I started losing interest in the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Infidelity