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cass_cgallegos's review
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Blood, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
meat_muffin's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
2.5
To be honest, this book BADLY needed an editor - it was 75-100 pages too long, full of flowery prose that didn’t add anything and repeated commentary by each MC on the attractiveness of their own ?? Body ?? It was like the author often forgot whose POV they were writing.
Not to mention that both main characters were absolutely infuriating. You’re 60% of the way into the book before they have AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION - this isn’t even a miscommunication trope, this is body-betrayal-means-we-only-hate-fuck-and-never-say-anything-meaningful. Pissed me the hell off.
Super interesting plot, I liked learning about magic systems from another culture (El Salvador!), but the lack of an editor shone through so obviously it was tough to enjoy 😬
Not to mention that both main characters were absolutely infuriating. You’re 60% of the way into the book before they have AN ACTUAL CONVERSATION - this isn’t even a miscommunication trope, this is body-betrayal-means-we-only-hate-fuck-and-never-say-anything-meaningful. Pissed me the hell off.
Super interesting plot, I liked learning about magic systems from another culture (El Salvador!), but the lack of an editor shone through so obviously it was tough to enjoy 😬
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, Torture, Trafficking, Stalking, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism
Minor: Forced institutionalization and Deportation
kittykels's review
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I LOVE the cultural elements of this book. I love the general story. However, I found it very hard to keep interest. The important world-building information leaned more towards being told rather than being shown. A lot was told to us through the narration and dialogue in a very direct and info-dumping kind of way. It really should have been better woven into the story, the people, etc.
The FMC was a bit annoying, but by the end I was wondering if her naivety (to put it nicely) was intentional, before embracing her full self (phrased this way to avoid spoilers). She doesn't seem as dumb and naive by the end at least, but she very much was for most of the book.
A lot of people have complained about Sal and how he's forcing himself on her the whole time, so that's what I was prepared for going into this book. I was even prepared to DNF if it was too much. However, I didn't find this to be the case at all. Sal is dominant and brutal, but Xochi loves that about him from the beginning, despite it bristling her at first due to her whole shitty life she's lived until now.
So while I was expecting the sex to be the uncomfortable part, it wasn't at all and it was actually the gore for me, especially towards the end. If you're looking to avoid triggers, I'd be more worried about the gore and violence.
I think this is a series, but I honestly don't know if I'll continue reading it, especially if they're all long like this. I like long books but this one definitely could have been shortened. Some basic interactions took several pages to complete.
The FMC was a bit annoying, but by the end I was wondering if her naivety (to put it nicely) was intentional, before embracing her full self (phrased this way to avoid spoilers). She doesn't seem as dumb and naive by the end at least, but she very much was for most of the book.
A lot of people have complained about Sal and how he's forcing himself on her the whole time, so that's what I was prepared for going into this book. I was even prepared to DNF if it was too much. However, I didn't find this to be the case at all. Sal is dominant and brutal, but Xochi loves that about him from the beginning, despite it bristling her at first due to her whole shitty life she's lived until now.
So while I was expecting the sex to be the uncomfortable part, it wasn't at all and it was actually the gore for me, especially towards the end. If you're looking to avoid triggers, I'd be more worried about the gore and violence.
I think this is a series, but I honestly don't know if I'll continue reading it, especially if they're all long like this. I like long books but this one definitely could have been shortened. Some basic interactions took several pages to complete.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Fatphobia and Panic attacks/disorders
avniavnipatel's review
adventurous
dark
medium-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? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, and Cannibalism
Minor: Body shaming, Rape, and Murder
domnicmtz's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail
leonalikesliterature's review
challenging
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I feel very conflicted about this book because there was a lot I loved about it but there was a lot that I hated about it.
The first thing I loved was the world building and fantasy elements in this book. The fantasy is so beautiful and greatly represents Latine Indigenous mythology and culture. I loved the cadejos! Their powers and communities were so interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before, it was like a twist on werewolves but also so much better!
Next, the writing was beautiful. Although I started to get frustrated with the pacing as it was really, really slow, the descriptive imagery was very poetic.
Onto the things I hated.
The relationship between Xochi and Sal was painful to read. Although I liked Sal at the start of the book, the more I read, the more I disliked him. He was possessive, controlling, and sexually aggressive. Aside from the fact that he threw out her birth control and ADHD meds, treats her like a prisoner, and basically assaults her multiple times, Xochi was also genuinely terrified of him in multiple chapters. Her fear of him is never even addressed, it’s just forgotten about, and then they just reach a lovey dovey stage which solves all their problems. I feel like a big problem was that Xochi was described as a sassy, plus sized mc, but she really isn’t sassy until the end of the book. She is easily manipulated by both her mother and Sal and it’s kind of just sad. Only later does Xochi gain any independence. Although it’s framed that life in the compound is freeing for Xochi, in the beginning, her life in the compound really isn’t any different than her living with her abusive and controlling mother.
The sex stuff was getting WAY out of hand for me. Xochi and Sal were sooooo cringe sometimes. They would be arguing with some literal random person and share the most graphic, pornographic details about their sex life as a flex? and I was so confused why. 😭 It was so painful to read. Not even to mention that they literally fuck on a dead body as revenge. That was so weird and nasty. Hated it. I never thought I would read a book where I would think that there’s too much sex, but this book made me a prude lol.
There’s too much going on in this book that just gets dropped, which was disappointing and frustrating, especially for how damn long this book is. There are multiple subplots with Xochi’s family, this medical cadejo torture slave ring, and this broken goddess that literally just gets dropped and forgotten about and I’m not reading the next book to figure that shit out.
I was frustrated that this was called a Dark Fantasy Romance because I think that led to confusion for me. I would have preferred this to be a romance with dark fantasy elements, rather than a dark romance with fantasy elements. I think the dark romance was what I hated the most about this book. Anyways, I am just glad this book is over. I feel like 2.5 stars is generous. There was a lot I really liked, despite what I hated. I think I would’ve really loved this book if like 4-5 scenes were just taken out of it.
The first thing I loved was the world building and fantasy elements in this book. The fantasy is so beautiful and greatly represents Latine Indigenous mythology and culture. I loved the cadejos! Their powers and communities were so interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before, it was like a twist on werewolves but also so much better!
Next, the writing was beautiful. Although I started to get frustrated with the pacing as it was really, really slow, the descriptive imagery was very poetic.
Onto the things I hated.
The relationship between Xochi and Sal was painful to read. Although I liked Sal at the start of the book, the more I read, the more I disliked him.
The sex stuff was getting WAY out of hand for me. Xochi and Sal were sooooo cringe sometimes. They would be arguing with some literal random person and share the most graphic, pornographic details about their sex life as a flex? and I was so confused why. 😭 It was so painful to read. Not even to mention that they literally
There’s too much going on in this book that just gets dropped, which was disappointing and frustrating, especially for how damn long this book is. There are multiple subplots
I was frustrated that this was called a Dark Fantasy Romance because I think that led to confusion for me. I would have preferred this to be a romance with dark fantasy elements, rather than a dark romance with fantasy elements. I think the dark romance was what I hated the most about this book. Anyways, I am just glad this book is over. I feel like 2.5 stars is generous. There was a lot I really liked, despite what I hated. I think I would’ve really loved this book if like 4-5 scenes were just taken out of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Sexual violence
ninabest's review
challenging
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation
ireadinbed's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-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? Yes
4.5
I enjoued this book so much i moved up my rotating KU month a whole month because i couldnt wait to finish it :)
I think the prose is lovely. This reads so naturally and sucks you right in, just like you want from a dark romantasy!
The characters are really well done. Its super easy to fall in love with this cast (and easy to hate the villains which is a nice change of pace for me! Lol). The main characters are flawed people but no less lovable for it and i adored the large supporting cast.
The setting really transported me and i love the authors descriptions. It definitely inspired me to look up the myths that inspired the unique worldbuilding!
The spicy scenes are intense and compliment the dark elements of the book perfectly.
Tread carefully! There are TWs on the authors site :)
Honestly it would be a 5 for me except there were a few sections that i think could have used a bit of trimming (or it could have been two books and been expanded!) Because i found myself getting lost or skipping ahead. Also some of the ADHD related talk was a bit too close to indigo children type theory for me. But not so upsetting i couldnt move past it to keep loving the book!
I definitely want to continue the series and I am excited for the next one coming out soon.
I think the prose is lovely. This reads so naturally and sucks you right in, just like you want from a dark romantasy!
The characters are really well done. Its super easy to fall in love with this cast (and easy to hate the villains which is a nice change of pace for me! Lol). The main characters are flawed people but no less lovable for it and i adored the large supporting cast.
The setting really transported me and i love the authors descriptions. It definitely inspired me to look up the myths that inspired the unique worldbuilding!
The spicy scenes are intense and compliment the dark elements of the book perfectly.
Tread carefully! There are TWs on the authors site :)
Honestly it would be a 5 for me except there were a few sections that i think could have used a bit of trimming (or it could have been two books and been expanded!) Because i found myself getting lost or skipping ahead. Also some of the ADHD related talk was a bit too close to indigo children type theory for me. But not so upsetting i couldnt move past it to keep loving the book!
I definitely want to continue the series and I am excited for the next one coming out soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Cannibalism, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Stalking
Minor: Fatphobia
noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings: Sexual content, sexual violence, racism, blood play, dubcon, blood, gore, body horror, murder, death, fatphobia, child abuse, forced isolation, loss of body autonomy, slavery, ableism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, cannibalism, gaslighting, kidnapping, child murder, rape, self harm, drugs, man taking contraceptive control over a woman [destroying her birth control...but don't worry he learns the error of his ways real quick lol] and PTSD.
Mention of: deportation, genocide, and colonialism.
"...be a good girl, be a bad girl. I'll enjoy it either way. Though good girls get treats, and bad girls give me treats. You pick, beloved."
~Sal
Gah damn. This book...is just incredible. The amazing history and lore along with the passion of the two MCs...and the way our leading lady learns to love herself and finds her strength *chefs kiss*
This book does cover really heavy and dark subjects along with a lot of blood and violence so don't go into this without checking content warnings.
Don't read this if you "can't relate" to brown women🙄 ...this book is filled with beautiful and rich history, lore, and tradition...the story of a woman finding her strength, her truth, and love she didn't know she could have for herself, her culture, and for others. A woman who's always felt out of place...finally finds the place she truly belongs.
A freaking incredible book and I cannot wait to read the books that continue this series!
Mention of: deportation, genocide, and colonialism.
"...be a good girl, be a bad girl. I'll enjoy it either way. Though good girls get treats, and bad girls give me treats. You pick, beloved."
~Sal
Gah damn. This book...is just incredible. The amazing history and lore along with the passion of the two MCs...and the way our leading lady learns to love herself and finds her strength *chefs kiss*
This book does cover really heavy and dark subjects along with a lot of blood and violence so don't go into this without checking content warnings.
Don't read this if you "can't relate" to brown women🙄 ...this book is filled with beautiful and rich history, lore, and tradition...the story of a woman finding her strength, her truth, and love she didn't know she could have for herself, her culture, and for others. A woman who's always felt out of place...finally finds the place she truly belongs.
A freaking incredible book and I cannot wait to read the books that continue this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, and Death of parent
Moderate: Genocide, Colonisation, and Deportation
discarded_dust_jacket's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I have such mixed feelings about my experience with this book, and my thoughts are sort of jumbled. There were some things I really really loved, and some things that disappointed me. (This entire review is going to be spoiler-y so I’m just gonna hide it all, and read at your own risk.)
I should say first and foremost, I really appreciated the focus on Indigenous culture, lore, and characters. Experiencing a glimpse into the lives of Latin American Indigenous people through this story was a treat and a privilege, even if the cultures were somewhat altered to fit in a fictional world. I deeply respect that, and absolutely no criticism of the crafting of this book is meant to reflect anything but the crafting of the book itself.
Now. Having said that. It took me a really long time to actually like and want to root for Sal to be honest. Both he and Xochitl were so all over the place for the first half of the story (maybe intentional? Idk). Sal goes from being this sort of suave, mysterious figure when we first meet him to overbearing, immature, and volatile so suddenly it gave me whiplash. The literal ONLY CHARACTER I liked from the moment they appeared on page to the very end and formed any sort of deep emotional attachment to was César, and I’m so glad that it looks like the next book will center him more (if the final chapter is any indication).
I also feel like there were a lot of plot threads that got dropped in the end (Xochi’s father/grandparents? The neighboring totoco? The broken goddess?) Are these all questions that will get resolved in future books? I know the series will include more, but I’m unsure whether those will be standalones centering different characters or if they’ll be continuations of this particular story.
As far as what I loved about this book, I have to say: it’s like 550 pages long and I managed to read it in basically two days, so. That’s saying something, lol. There was something about this story that had me wanting to keep turning the page, even when I felt tempted to skim, so it definitely managed to capture and hold my attention.
The sex scenes were really good, I’ll say that. And as an avid monster smut reader, the scene where Xochi and Itzatecuani do it while he’s in his spirit form was *chef’s kiss*.
Now. Having said that. It took me a really long time to actually like and want to root for Sal to be honest. Both he and Xochitl were so all over the place for the first half of the story (maybe intentional? Idk). Sal goes from being this sort of suave, mysterious figure when we first meet him to overbearing, immature, and volatile so suddenly it gave me whiplash. The literal ONLY CHARACTER I liked from the moment they appeared on page to the very end and formed any sort of deep emotional attachment to was César, and I’m so glad that it looks like the next book will center him more (if the final chapter is any indication).
I also feel like there were a lot of plot threads that got dropped in the end (Xochi’s father/grandparents? The neighboring totoco? The broken goddess?) Are these all questions that will get resolved in future books? I know the series will include more, but I’m unsure whether those will be standalones centering different characters or if they’ll be continuations of this particular story.
As far as what I loved about this book, I have to say: it’s like 550 pages long and I managed to read it in basically two days, so. That’s saying something, lol. There was something about this story that had me wanting to keep turning the page, even when I felt tempted to skim, so it definitely managed to capture and hold my attention.
The sex scenes were really good, I’ll say that. And as an avid monster smut reader, the scene where Xochi and Itzatecuani do it while he’s in his spirit form was *chef’s kiss*.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Child death, and Fatphobia
Minor: Colonisation and Deportation