A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
Kuxtal Academy: The Beginning by Mikayla D. Hornedo

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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

"'I believe that by pretending our history doesn't exist, we're asking for it to be repeated. No one, government officials or otherwise, should have that power.'"

There’s either too much I wanna say about how much I love this book (which would spoil it) or there aren’t words to accurately describe how much I love it (because it’s too epic for mere words). In any case, this book is pure magic and I’m obsessed with the world Nelle and Mikayla have created for us! Firstly, I super appreciate the nonchalant diversity in a couple of regards: the diverse use of mythology inspiration (we really don’t read a lot of Mayan-inspired stories) and the diversity of the characters (yes, they’re diverse, but it’s so not a big deal, it’s just life in Inecha… which is kinda beautiful in an “idealistic world” kind of way). And the characters are beautifully complex, deliciously morally grey, and wonderfully representative of so many. There’s a bit of mystery in this story, an in-depth introduction of the world (without being overwhelming by info-dumping all over us), two unique budding love stories, an intriguing criminal underworld element, and cinematic elements that will have you petitioning studios to make this into a series! This book is just… WOW. Simply Amazing!

"When I ran my gaze over him this time, I saw so much more. Someone who could pull me back when I was about to spiral, someone who didn't care that my mental health was less than average on a good day. A man who embraced my imperfections and helped me when I needed it. I wanted to give him everything. I wanted to let him fill every empty space in my being. But I just... couldn't. Even when he said things like that. How could I give him such a broken gift?
'Thank you,' I whispered."

And, I want to quickly rave about the authors. I genuinely don't know how you go about writing a book with another person, but these ladies did it beautifully because there wasn't any point that tripped me up while reading. Nelle is an author I've already been a fan of (her State of the Union series is seriously every single thing I love in movies/shows) & I've been obsessing over her world & gently threatening her in her DMs to not "unalive" my babies. Plus, I've lovingly harassed her with my theories & it really bothers me that my last attempt was "ice cold," because I'm usually not so far off... I'm working on it, girl, I swear. 🤭 But this was my first experience reading & interacting with Mikayla & I love her so much too! (Girl, I can't believe you don't visualize the scenes you read because they literally play like a movie in my head. But maybe that's why your writing is so descriptive, you literally have to build the scene with words.) Thank you for writing Mira so beautifully. As a fellow anxious girlie, her experience felt authentic, even though mine differs from hers in some ways.

"Koa's jaw ticked, and I tried to stop laughing at my brother's jealousy but failed... Sienna raised her hand as Koa moved toward her. 'Do you know how many people have let me know they've fucked you since seeing us together? There are at least fifty people coming to me as a woman in my DMs right now. Please calm down.'"

After growing up in and around Hispanic communities & taking a couple of Latin American history courses in college, Mayan culture has always captivated my attention, but there isn't a lot of representation in the entertainment world, so I haven't kept up with it. Nelle & Mikayla take a lesser-known mythology, place it in the modern era, & introduce us to their inspired version. Well done ladies! Y'all already know how much I loved (& needed) escaping into this world, so thanks! You're great. 😊 
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