Contributed by Gillion Machota
I knew that once I received an advanced reader copy of Bruja Born I would fall in love with it. However, my only issue was not realising it was the second book in a trilogy so I decided to hit the library and borrow it. Let me tell you now, you’ll fly through these books if you love a good YA fantasy.
Labyrinth Lost
Labyrinth Lost follows a girl named Alex who, on her death day, decides to flip the usual tradition and give up her powers. However, she does so without knowing that it will cause a lot of problems. Not only, does this book feature a Hispanic bruja (bruja means witch in Spanish) family, it has a LGBTQIA+ main character! The book overall is amazing and I read this in 2 days and fell in love with this world.
The family dynamic in this novel is not only present in this novel, but rolls over to the next book in the trilogy, Bruja Born. Usually families are not always present or play an important part in the plot of the story, but author Zoraida Cordova made sure that family is key in this trilogy. The world is truly unique and it may remind readers of Cassandra Clare’s Shadowhunters Chronicles to a point. It was so whimsical and gave me not only Clare’s vibes, but David Bowie’s Labyrinth vibes because of how whimsical it is. Overall, I would give this book a 9/10.
Bruja Born
Bruja Born is the second book in the Brooklyn Brujas trilogy by author Zoraida Cordova. We follow Alex’s sister Lula who tries to bring back her now ex-boyfriend from near death after a bus crash that happened on the way to a soccer game. Not only is Maks back from the dead, but Lady Murete is also trapped between the living and the dead because of the canto (spell) that Alex, Rose, and Lula cast on Maks.
Oh my goodness, this book was absolutely incredible and if you enjoyed the first book, Bruja Born will be everything you ever wanted. With Zoraida’s writing, it makes you want more and the pacing to this book is perfect, which is why I was able to tackle this book in only a few days! Family is back in full force and I loved seeing more of Rose in this book because I know that she will be a huge part in the next novel. Seeing Rose discover her powers makes me happy and I want to go and give her a big huge like she was the little sister I never had.
Also, Nova’s back! I thought when Nova left in the last book that he was just a onetime character. Also, who knew that a school will have a secret fantasy police force? When writing this review, I realised that it is a Men In Black kind of thing which makes me a little happy on the inside and I would not mind a novella or a short story collection of cases from that little group at all.
In conclusion, Bruja Born has to be one of my favourite books of 2018 and I am giving it a solid 10/10!
The final instalment in Brooklyn Brujas has no title yet, but it is set to release some time next year in 2019.
The series is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.
Have you read the Brooklyn Brujas series? Tell us in the comments below!
Labyrinth Lost Synopsis | Goodreads
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…
Bruja Born Synopsis | Goodreads
Three sisters. One spell. Countless dead.
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…
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