**Review copy provided through Netgalley for an honest review.**
Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas, book 1) by Zoraida Córdova
Genre: Paranormal Young Adult
Edition Reviewed: ebook
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Labyrinth Lost (1)
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
I fall to my knees. Shattered glass, melted candles and the outline of scorched feathers are all that surround me. Every single person who was in my house – my entire family — is gone.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation…and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can’t trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange markings on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland…
Beautiful Creatures meets Daughter of Smoke and Bone with an infusion of Latin American tradition in this highly original fantasy adventure.
Review:
“I'm not the encantrix everyone thought I would be. Right now, I'm just a girl, and there is also magic in that.”
The instant the synopsis dropped I was obsessed with this book. When the cover dropped I stalked Netgalley waiting for it. Thank goodness I did and that I was approved! The writing, world and characters stole my heart from the first page. Unfortunately things didn't quite keep my reading high going.
Alex is a very interesting lead. The idea that she's afraid of her powers and the consequences of using them was spot on. As the story went it became frustrating that she wasn't just hiding from the truth of her powers, she was willfully thinking that it was all nonsense. Despite all of the proof saying otherwise. She ignored her powers until she finally used them, and be of damned the “consequences” when she was meddling with scary things. Common sense says is scary as she never studied using them to suddenly think she could pull off big magic.
Alex was frustrating. I understand wanting to deny such scary powers and things. Yet to actually try and make yourself believe it isn't real, and then to turn around and play with dangerous powers that you've ignored. Alex is supposed to be the smart girl. Even after she made the mistake she actually became this bully. It was a bit unsettling.
Thankfully after all that drama Alex goes on adventure to Los Lagos and I was again enchanted. The magic of Bruja's, not witches, and their beliefs is so fascinating. Bruja's aren't that common in paranormal titles and are usually reserved as side character roles. So I was intrigued by the rich history and the rules of the magic. The close relation to death.
“Death is the most sure but unexpected part about life. It's almost up there with love. It's bound to happen, but how and when—now that's the tricky part.”
“Tricky isn't the world I'd use.”
In essence Labyrinth Lost is a coming of age story. One in which Alex not only have to face the reality of her powers, how she feels about her family, her father leaving, and who she is. Or basically facing the reality that she's trying to be someone else and isn't happy in it. Alex essentially becomes a hero trying to fix the horrible mistake that she made. It's realistic.
Labyrinth Lost is filled with other amazing characters. Alex's mother and sisters are amazing. Not to mention the relationships she had with both her older and younger sisters. What was most refreshing is the love triangle. I have yet to see such a one in a mainstream release. I love that Alex is just as conflicted about love and that her story does not rely on her choosing or being in love. Instead her heart and feelings are something that grow along with her discovering herself. The love triangle isn't wrapped up in this book. Alex has a journey ahead with regard to both, and still has to explore the degrees and types of love one can have for another person.
Overall I wouldn't say that the plot is terribly original. It's the basic story of a young girl having to face reality and to quit having a pity party. Oh, and getting over lots of denial. It works though and I think this is a fun introduction to Brooklyn Brujas. A series I hope to see more of. Now that the tiring drama is out of the way maybe the future books will be even better! Oh, and I am so in for this love triangle.
Content Warning: Kissing, minor homosexual theme, sexual humor. This is a title that the girl is exploring love . . . I don't want to spoil anything. Nothing graphic, and I think it does a beautiful and natural job.
Dead things people. Corpses. Despite dark themes, this book is pretty "light" hearted.
3/5- Adored it, just a few minor details held it back.
| Previous book(s) in series: | ||
| Reviewed on BW: | Amazon: | Goodreads: |
| Labyrinth Lost (1) Untitled (2) Untitled (3) | Labyrinth Lost (1) Untitled (2) Untitled (3) | Labyrinth Lost (1) Untitled (2) Untitled (3) |
No comments:
Post a Comment