#Review - Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova #Fantasy #YA

Series: Hollow Crown (#2)
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: May 11, 2021
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

In this thrilling adventure, our magical heroine embarks on a dangerous journey in order to bring justice to the kingdom—perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Sarah J. Maas.

Reeling from betrayal at the hands of the Whispers, Renata Convida is a girl on the run. With few options and fewer allies, she's reluctantly joined forces with none other than Prince Castian, her most infuriating and intriguing enemy. They're united by lofty goals: find the fabled Knife of Memory, kill the ruthless King Fernando, and bring peace to the nation. Together, Ren and Castian have a chance to save everything, if only they can set aside their complex and intense feelings for each other.

With the king's forces on their heels at every turn, their quest across Puerto Leones and beyond leaves little room for mistakes. But the greatest danger is within Ren. The Gray, her fortress of stolen memories, has begun to crumble, threatening her grip on reality. She'll have to control her magics—and her mind—to unlock her power and protect the Moria people once and for all.

For years, she was wielded as weapon. Now it's her time to fight back.

 

Illusionary, by author Zoraida Cordova, is the second and final installment in the authors Hollow Crown duology. The 15th century Spanish-inspired world is expanded in this sequel with ventures to new cities that are fully and beautifully realized. The story is told in the first person narrative by Renata Convida. Renata is wanted for crimes against the people of Puerto Leones, murder, collusion, and illegal use of Robari magic. Renata is a complex character. She basically has no allies, just those with similar goals. The Whispers never trusted her. 

The kingdom used her as a weapon. She's realizing that Cas, out of everyone else, including Dez, was the boy who saved her as a little girl. At the end of the previous story, Renata, once a rebel, once a whisper, now a traitor, decided to leave with Castian to find the legendary Knife of Memory. Renata, who created a vault called the gray, gets trapped in her own mind at times, slipping into a void that swallows memories. Castian is an Illusionari made of shadows and lies after orchestrating his reputation for years. We also learn some interesting twists on Castian's past including his mothers choices.

After years of stealing memories from the living at the behest of Justice Mendez and King Fernando, they have become her own and thus she has difficulties at time focusing on the present situation. She wants to trust Dez, but he constantly leaves her and her so called friends abandoned her when she needed them the most. The journey to find the Knife is a long one that will take them across the country and over the sea beyond, and with danger on all sides and few allies including Leo who was working as a spy for Lady Nuria.

Book really begins with King Fernando trying to figure out how the rebels and Renata were able to infiltrate the kingdom. He gives Leyre Los Rosas, an illegitimate child/heir from another kingdom, a task to kill Prince Castian as well as a sextant that is supposed to lead her to Cas. Instead of killing Cas, she decides that she's going to help Renata and Cas find the Knife of Memory. Meanwhile, Renata and Castian are playing the part of a married couple while they search for Dez. 40 years ago, Fernando went on an expedition that changed the course of history. 

Renata, Cas, Leo, and Leyre travel to a far off land in search of the Knife of Memory and a way to release the memories of the Morai and their history. Ren actually gets some much needed lessons from a woman who could be called a pirate. Illusionary gives readers more snippets of Renata’s past which provided answers and confirmation to some questions formulated from reading the first book. Cas and Ren travel a long distance through many cities and landmarks in this one, so the map in the front of the book was very helpful to keep track of where they were going. 

This story has a predictable ending I won't argue with that point. However, I am going to diverge from others in saying that the ending would have been depressing if it wasn't written just the way it was. Ren needs a break from the limelight and how the author sets her new path is the right one in my humble opinion.

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#Review - Vampires Never Get Old by Zoraida Córdova, Natalie C. Parker #YA #Vampires

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
Release Date: September 22, 2020
Publisher: Imprint
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Vampires

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices!

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire―and a revolution on the page.

Vampires Never Get Old includes stories by authors both bestselling and acclaimed, including Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby, Victoria “V. E.” Schwab, and Kayla Whaley.

Vampires Never Get Old is a collection of authors, some you will know, some maybe not, who wrote short novella's on what they think about vampires. The anthology is edited by authors Zoraida Córdova, and Natalie C. Parker. This collection of authors decided to think outside the box by featuring vampires of color, queer and gender queer vampires, fat vampires, disabled vampires. Most of the stories read like they were sections of longer stories, with no resolution or proper endings. Some didn't even name who the protagonist of their story was. Case in point:

Tessa Grafton writes "Seven Nights for Dying." Her main character is not named. She is a teenager approximately 17 years of age who is approached by a vampires who give her the option of following their 7 day regime, or walking away.

Rating: D

 

Mirrors, Windows & Selfies by Mark Oshiro is a short story about Cisco. Cisco is not supposed to exist according to his parents. Because he he feels alone and isolated, he starts up a blog where we get to see him talk about his feelings, his struggles, and his want of finally being able to see himself for the first time,, because that is another thing his parents’ protectiveness has kept from him. 

 

Rating: C-

 

The House of Black Sapphires by Dhonielle Clayton was one of the stories I wish was full length. The story follows the Turner family, most notably Bea, as they travel back to New Orleans. A setting I am absolutely in love with. Bea finds herself enamored with Shadow Baron's son. I honestly wanted more. There is more to the story than just Bea and her 5 sisters and their mother. 

 

Rating: B+

 

The Boys From Blood River by Rebecca Roanhorse is another creepy horror story. Lukas is the outsider. His mother is dying, he's been bullied by the towns bigots, his only real friend is a co-worker. Then the Blood River Boys show up. Silas, the boy with the face of an angel and the heart of a demon, gives Lukas a chance. Become one of them, or walk away.

 

Rating: C

 

Senior Year Sucks by Julie Murphy: Sweatwater, Texas is where the story takes place. The protagonist is a vampire slayer named Jolene Crandall who is both on the heavy side, and a cheerleader. She encounters a vampire named Alma who just wants to understand what it means to be human for a short time. 

 

Rating: B-

 

The Boy and the Bell by Heidi Heilig; Our MC is a girl named Will who lives as a boy trying to learn all they can while trying to go to school to become a doctor. But, one night when they is grave digging for corpses to learn from, they hear a bell ringing.

 

Rating: D

 

In Kind by Kayla Whaley: This story has a few news articles that help tell the story. 17 year old Grace Williams is “mercy killed” by her father because he could no longer take care of her. She was born with degenerative neuromuscular disorder which means she needed to get around with a wheelchair. In this story, there is no miracle cure. If you are turned into a vampire, then you remain as you were before you were turned. 

 

Rating: B-

 

A Guidebook for the Newly Sired Desi Vampire by Samira Ahmed: This novella is unapologetically racist towards white people, especially White English. Basically, this is told through an anonymous system set up in place for Indian vampires who are recently turned into vampires, and this one was turned against their will by a British tourist. 

 

Rating: D 

Bestiary by Laura Ruby: Jude is the main character of this book. She apparently was turned against her will and is angry and isolated with only the animals she works with as a support mechanism. I'm skidding when anyone says bestiality and this was as close as I could get from not cringing thinking about Jude and the animals. 

 

Rating: D

 

Vampires Never Say Die by Zoraida Córdova and Natalie C. Parker: This story is about vampire Instagram drivers who are hiding that they are vampires. One vampire, Brittany Nicolette Fontaine, Premier of NYC, started talking to a 15-year-old human girl, Theolinda Cecilia Romero de Reyes, who she really likes. Theo decides to throw a big party at a NYC club for Brittany, and ends up with more than she can chew. Not a fan.

 

Rating: D

 

First Kill by Victoria “V. E.” Schwab: This really isn't a bad story either. There are really two characters: Juliette Fairmont is a vampire who goes to high school. Calliope Burns comes from a family of slayers. Callie is the object of Jules desire but she has no idea that her secret as a vampire has already been exposed. A chance meeting at a party, ends with a bite and a stab, and the chase is on. Definitely played with the enemies to lovers trope.I want more!!!

 

Rating: B+ 

 

So, as you can see, I ended up rating this 3 Gizmos overall. Anthologies are mostly a problem for me because the tempt me and then leave me dissatisfied. Schwab didn't disappoint, but I definitely would read a full length novel with her characters.

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#Review - Wayward Witch by Zoraida Córdova #YA #Fantasy

Series: Brooklyn Brujas # 3
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy

The heart-stopping final installment in the highly original award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series!

Rose has always been a fixer, but lately she's been feeling lost. She has powers she doesn't understand, and her family is still trying to figure out how to function in the wake of her amnesiac father's return home. Then, on the night of her Death Day party, Rose discovers her father's memory loss has been a lie.

As she rushes to his side, the two are ambushed and pulled through a portal to the land of Adas. Rose is tasked with saving this magical land, and forced to work with a group of other powerful teens to do so. Soon, Rose begins to discover the scope of her powers, the troubling truth about her father's past, and the sacrifices he made to save her sisters. But if Rose wants to return home so that she can repair her broken family, she must figure out how to heal Adas first.

Wayward Witch, by author Zoraida Córdova, is the apparent final installment in the authors Brooklyn Brujas trilogy. 6 months have passed since Bruja Born where the Mortiz family home burned to the ground. This story is all about the youngest member of the family, Rose Elizabeta Mortiz Vargas. Rose is turning 16, but she's struggling with her new abilities. Rose’s main conflict is trying to reconcile the similarities between her magic and the evil witch who almost destroyed her family from Labyrinth Lost. She used to be a seer who spoke to ghosts and the world beyond the veil of the living. 

Now, she's called a magical hacker and she's having issues with her father's claims that he has no memories of the time he went missing. During her Deathday party she asks La Mama, Mother of all Deos to show her the truth. The response is that she should shine her light on secrets past. Unravel shadows and let the truth out at last. She soon finds that everyone is whispering secrets to her. What's more, she soon finds out that her father's memory loss is a lie. But, before Rose can get the answers she needs, she and her dad are swept into a portal leading to Adas where Carmen admits he remembers everything.  

In Adas, the fairy realm, Rose is forced to work with a group of Guardians who were collected by the King to try to save Adas from an evil that is overtaking the land. She agrees if only to save her father whom the king is keeping as his prisoner due to something that happened years ago. But, things are never as simple as they seem. While she's there, she'll discover more about her family and herself as well as the people of Adas including siblings Iris and Arco, the twin fairy prince and princess of Adas, as well as a toss in character thanks to the authors fans demanding this person be added to the story. 

Lin is not a bad person. Not at all. In fact, Lin may be the one person that Rose can fully trust without worrying about having someone stab her in the back while she tries to save Adas as well as getting her father home. One of the pitfalls of this story was the ending. I think it dragged on way too long. Yes, the family has to deal with her father's past now that he's unloaded it thanks to Rose. Yes, the family has to deal with another sibling learning about the human world after growing up in Adas. Honestly though, Rose really doesn't get a HEA like Lula who found love with a hunter, and Alex who finally accepted her powers and found love in the most unexpected places. I almost wished that Rose returned to Adas and became the Knight she truly became to the new Queen of Adas.

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#Review - Incendiary by Zoraida Córdova #YA #Fantasy

Series:  Incendiary (#1)
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages
Release Date: April 28, 2020
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

I am Renata Convida.

I have lived a hundred stolen lives.

Now I live my own.

Renata was only a child when she was kidnapped by the King's Justice and brought to the luxurious palace of Andalucia. As a memory thief, the rarest and most feared of the magical Moria, Renata was used by the crown to carry out the King's Wrath, a siege that resulted in the deaths of thousands of her own people.

Now Renata is one of the Whispers, rebel spies working against the crown. The Whispers may have rescued Renata years ago, but she cannot escape their mistrust and hatred-or the overpowering memories of the hundreds of souls she drained during her time in the palace.

When Dez, the commander of her unit-and the boy she's grown to love-is taken captive by the notorious Principe Dorado, Renata must return to Andalucia and complete Dez's top secret mission herself. Can she keep her cover, even as she burns for vengeance against the brutal, enigmatic prince? Her life and the fate of the Moria depend on it.

But returning to the palace stirs childhood memories long locked away. As Renata grows more deeply embedded in the politics of the royal court, she uncovers a secret in her past that could change the fate of the entire kingdom-and end the war that has cost her everything.

Incendiary is the first installment in author Zoraida Córdova's Hollow Crown series. Set in a lushly drawn world inspired by Inquisition Spain, (Kingdom of Puerto Leones) Zoraida Córdova's anticipated new fantasy is an epic tale of love and revenge. Protagonist Renata Convida has spent a lifetime dealing with her gift - or curse, depending on who you ask. As a member of a dying, oppressed people - the Moria - Ren has the rarest gift of all: the ability to read and steal memories aka Robari. 

Ren unknowingly helped the Andalucia crown hunt and exterminate possibly thousands of her fellow Moria...and she has spent the past eight years struggling to make amends after joining the Whispers, the last rebels standing against the crown's cruelty. For 8 years, Ren has tried to prove herself to the Moria with little movement in accepting her completely. Some of her own teammates (Sayida, Margo, Esteben) would gladly kill her rather than trust her. Yet when Ren commits a mistake that costs her the boy she loves, she must return to the palace and take his place, else the resistance fail entirely. Political intrigue and murderous intent abound as Ren struggles to find her allegiance and who she is. 

Renata simmers with barely-restrained fury at the prospect of a weapon created by the king that steals magic from its users. Hell-bent on seeking revenge for all the years she was forced to use her magic to extract people’s memories as a servant of the King’s Justice, Renata infiltrates the palace in order to destroy their plan from the inside out. But while living in the palace, old memories resurface, including who really saved her on the night the rebels tried to overthrow the King, and Renata may be forced into using her magic to become the monster that others always viewed her as. 

Ren might hold the memories of hundreds of others, but she has lost so many of her own hidden within the Grey that blocks her from her past. Her remembering is the story. She has never been trusted, never been truly safe. Both her usefulness a weapon and as an inescapable danger to others shapes their every interaction with her. Leo gives the story a bit more balance as he hold some interesting secrets which may or may not align with Ren's own past and what happened to her 8 years ago. 

In this world, other Moria are called Illusionari, Persuari, and Venturi aka lie detectors. *Note* some sources say this is the first book in the Hollow Crown series, some say it's the Incendiary series. Incendiary really is about a girl returning to her past and facing some hard truths, while trying to figure out her place in a world that has rejected her. There is some romance involved in the story between Ren and Dez, and likely Dez and Prince Leodardo. We shall see how that works out now that turbulence has made Ren choose a path which will lead to a conflict with her former allies, and quite possibly, King Fernando.  

“I have to be the one to find the alman stone and I have to be the one to return it to your father.”

A smirk plays on his lips. “And here I thought I was the glory seeker.”

“I don’t want glory,” I say, a bitter laugh on my tongue. “I don’t even want praise.”

The wind changes, smoke encircling us.

When I look at him, he could be one of my stolen memories, coated in a layer of gray, somehow distant and close all at once as he asks, “Then what do you want?”

My heart tugs painfully because the answer is complicated. He of all people should know this. But how could he, when even in the moments I’m the surest of this answer, a new kind of want overpowers the next? I settle on the simplest and truest answer I can.

“Forgiveness. I want the Whispers to know I’m not a traitor. The only way I can do that is by getting as many Moria on the next ship to Luzou as I can.”

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Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova #Review #ARC #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Brooklyn Brujas # 2
Format: E-Galley, 352 pages
Release Date: June 5, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Publisher via NetGalley
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister's newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula's bruja healing powers can't fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life.

Then a bus crash turns Lula's world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn't the only one who's been brought back...

Bruja Born is the second installment in author Zoraida Córdova's Brooklyn Brujas series. Labyrinth Lost introduced readers to the Mortiz family, especially sisters Alejandra (Alex), Lula (oldest), and Rose (youngest), who are witches gifted by the Deos (Gods) with a variety of different magics. It has been 7 months since the events of Labyrinth Lost in which Alex tried to rid herself of magic, and learned that she's a powerful encantrix who has the ability to control all of elemental magic. This time we ride along with Lula as she comes to grips with her emotions and her relationship with her family after Los Lagos. 

Lula is making sure that Alex knows that she's not a happy camper having been sent to Los Lagos with her entire circle of witches and warlocks. Lula can’t hide the damage that her time in the spirit realm did to her physically and emotionally. She sees the scars every time she looks in a mirror. This makes things nearly impossible for friends, and especially her boyfriend Maks, to make heads or tails of her ever changing mood swings and the reason for them.

Then things are really flipped on their heads. When Maks is taken away from her in a horrible accident leaving only Lula as the sole survivor, she and her sisters do the unthinkable; they attempt to bring Maks back to life. Having learned nothing from Alex's mistakes in the previous novel, the sisters disrupt the natural order of death itself. Magic transforms, it changes and it can save you if you follow the rules. Magic comes with a cost every single time you use it. 

In Lula's quest to save Maks, she disrupts the very balance of life and death and pisses off one angry Deos in the process. On this journey, Lula will need to make things right with Lady de la Muerte, the goddess of death, before she can regain a bit of her own dignity and grace and self-esteem. She and her family will face zombie like creatures called casimuertos as well as the Knights of Lavant who put down those who step out of line. They, and those like the Mortiz family, haven't exactly had a smooth relationship over the course of history. 

Even with their issues, there's a very strong bond between the sisters, as well as the presence of actual adults (parents) who don't just disappear for the entire story. They are fully engaged. Especially Patricio who is trying to find his way back to normality. I admit that in the beginning of the story I was worried I wasn't going to enjoy this story. There's a whole lot of resentment by Lula towards Alex. Alex may have saved everyone, but it was because of her actions that people ended up in a bad place which has caused deep divisions in so called allies. 

Plus, Alex has now accepted her role as encantrix, has become the creme of the top of magic, and has a wonderful relationship with Rishi. Plus, let's not forget the shocking ending to Labyrinth Lost shall we? That particular story still needs to be resolved, and weighs heavily on all family members. I'm curious as to the direction that the author has taken with Rose. It's apparent that she will be the narrator of the third installment. I also want to learn whether or not Lula will be given the same happiness that Alex has found. I dare say I hope so. 

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Tuesday #Review - Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova #YALit #Fantasy

Series: Brooklyn Brujas # 2
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: September 6, 2016
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives. 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 marks 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. 

Labyrinth Lost, by author Zoraida Cordova, is the first installment in the Brooklyn Brujas series. Alex Mortiz is a bruja and the most powerful witch in her family. She is also carrying a dangerous secret she hasn't told anyone about. Her powers aren't asleep, as she's led her family to believe, they are very much alive and waiting to come alive as they do in a riotous scene in the beginning of the book. The problem is that Alex has hated magic every since her father disappeared taking her mother's happiness along with him.

While most Latino girls celebrate their Quinceañera, Alex prepares for her her Death Day which falls on her 17th birthday. It is the most important day in a bruja's life. Death Days are about being blessed by the old ones and family that has gone before her. It may also be her only opportunity to rid herself of magic. But, the curse she performs during the ceremony to rid herself of magic backfires, and her family vanishes. 

Alex is forced to work with a shady character named Nova who may have some serious ambitions and plans of his own. To get her family back they must travel to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland. A place with aviana bird people, a river of souls, Saber tooth tigers mixed with snake demon, half bird, half human Aviana's, fairies, a villain named the Devourer, and the Tree of Life which is tied to Alex's family. 

Alex has map lines on her palms indicating that she is an Encantrix, just like her descendent Juanita. One could say it is the highest blessing of the Deos. Encantrix can command the elements, heal the sick, and speak to the dead. Some reviewers have compared this story to a mashup between Pan's Labyrinth and Alice in Wonderland. Really comes close to being the truth. 

Bottom line: Labyrinth Lost is a story about a young witch who has no desire to be like her gorgeous older sister Lula who has the ability to heal, or Rosie who is a seer, or her mother for that matter who has brought more babies into the world than any obstetrician. She just wants to be a normal girl with normal teenaged issues with her best friend Rishi. Alex is an interesting character in that the author gives her so many things she's good at. Volleyball, Indoor Track, Weightlifting, Pole Vaulting, etc. 

Nova is a brujo who claims to be able to help Alex with her problems. He’s basically that ridiculously charming male lead character who you just know that he is going to break someone's heart. I am a cynical person when comes to the mysterious bad boy who makes curious and often times irritating decisions that destroy others hopes. Then, he comes around and it's like, Oh, everything is fancy dancy again! I'm not a forgiving person, and I loathe betrayals. Hopefully Nova won't be around in the next installment. 

Rishi is a Hindu/Guyanese girl, and Alex’s only real non-magical friend. She’s quirky and an honest to god good person who just happens to have feelings for Alex outside of a straight up friendship. Yes, there is a slight love triangle dynamic here, but I don't believe that he weighed heavily on Alex's journey to self-awareness and what her abilities really can do.

Plus, she's get an awesome aunt Rosaria who should definitely get more storyline in coming installments. Book wrapped up in a manner that didn't need to go any further, but the author did anyway. The Epilogue really threw the story for a major loop. Next book doesn't feature Alex, so it will be interesting to see if the QUESTION is answered or not.

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