On the Horizon – bruja born (Zoraida Cordova)

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here are me honest musings. While I try to post no spoilers, if ye haven’t read the first book and ye keep reading this log then ye have been forewarned and continue at yer own peril . . .

bruja born (Zoraida Cordova)

Title: bruja born

Author: Zoraida Cordova

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: Tomorrow! (hardback/e-book)

ISBN: 978-1492650652

Source: NetGalley

It was an absolute delight to be back in the world created by this author.  If ye haven’t read these novels, they mix Latin American religions and cultures, Mexican holidays, Afro-Caribbean religion, and other things.  It is beautifully done.

The first book dealt with Alex.  This one focuses on her sister, Lula.  Lula has been struggling since the events in the previous book.  She seems to have lost sight of herself and is clinging hard to the pieces of identity that she no longer seems to inhabit.  So when events threaten to take the one thing that seems to be holding her together, she aims to fight back no matter what the cost.

This book continues to highlight the importance of family and community.  One of the more interesting aspects is that ye get to see the results from Alex’s adventure and how it has impacted the entire family.  The whole family is struggling with grief, guilt, and post-traumatic stress.  There are scars from the past, some literal, and everyone is coming to terms with this new reality.  I think that this is an extremely positive outlook despite the inherent pain involved.  Magic didn’t solve everything and there is a price to be paid for mistakes.  And yet, this family sticks together and are determined to love and support one another as they heal.

I found Lula’s story to be heart-wrenching.  She really doesn’t make the best choices and doesn’t know what she wants out of life anyone.  She is clinging to a version of the past and the idea of a future that has disintegrated.  Lula uses the familial bonds of love and guilt to chose a selfish path of action that brings no relief and only more pain to all involved.  It is a harrowing journey.

While this was an extremely quick and compelling read, I did have a quibble with the story.  Alex’s actions in the first book seemed to only impact her direct family and friends.  Lula’s actions have a much broader scale and effected people outside of the community.  It seemed out of line with the rules set up in book one.  I am not sure how ye hide magical trouble with those kinds of fatal results.  I am hoping the next book will explain this in more detail.

It seems very likely that the next book will focus on the third sister, Rose.  I sure hope so!  I will definitely be reading it.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire!

Normally, I would post the synopsis here but it be full of spoilers.  I recommend ye skip it and discover the details for yerself!

To visit the author’s website go to:

Zoraida Cordova – Author

To buy the novel please visit:

bruja born – Book

To add to Goodreads go to:

Yer Ports for Plunder List

Previous Log Entries for this Author

labyrinth lost – book 1  (On the Horizon – Young Adult Fantasy eArc)