thenovelmaura's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-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
I read this book back in September and I had high expectations because I've seen so many positive reviews of this one. It didn't end up being a favorite, mostly because I didn't care very much about the modern-day timeline. Orquídea's past was much more interesting to me than anything that was happening to the Montoya descendants. I did love all of the magic and mystery that were woven into the story but it was hard for me to get into the actual plot when the chapters were focused on the modern-day Montoyas; I kept putting it down and not really wanting to pick it up again.
After a similar middle-of-the-road experience with Incendiary, I think Córdova has become a "just not for me" author; I tend to like her characters more than I do her plots. But I don't regret giving either of those books a try, and there's never a bad time to support Latinx writers!
After a similar middle-of-the-road experience with Incendiary, I think Córdova has become a "just not for me" author; I tend to like her characters more than I do her plots. But I don't regret giving either of those books a try, and there's never a bad time to support Latinx writers!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity and Death
Moderate: Sexual content and Death of parent
dfrancis's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
ilostyourphone's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
e_vie's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
laylavreads's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
3.75
energyrae's review against another edition
5.0
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina is a quirky read from the very start. The storyline is engaging, and it all seems so relatively, harmlessly normal. However, when we start to travel back in time to Orquídea’s youth, we can fully appreciate how we got to this point, with a large family whose matriarch has always been something a little bit more.
Of all the characters to love, Rey was the one I was especially fond of. It was endearing how the family came together, even when they reflected that they all had less than stellar childhoods with Orquídea. I love the magic involved, and as stated above, it’s quirky and so very imaginative. I absolutely adored this book and didn’t want to put it down. I hadn’t read Córdova before reading this book, but that is something I will correct immediately. Thank you, Atria, for sending this along.
Of all the characters to love, Rey was the one I was especially fond of. It was endearing how the family came together, even when they reflected that they all had less than stellar childhoods with Orquídea. I love the magic involved, and as stated above, it’s quirky and so very imaginative. I absolutely adored this book and didn’t want to put it down. I hadn’t read Córdova before reading this book, but that is something I will correct immediately. Thank you, Atria, for sending this along.
marianeedstoread's review against another edition
3.0
I recently finished this magical novel and I’m still thinking about it. The story begins when Orquidea invites her descendants back home to Four Rivers for their inheritance. As her eager family comes, they realize that their inheritance isn’t monetary but a magical legacy. Disappointed, some of her family leaves and some embrace their magical inheritance… until strange things begin happening 7 years later. As the family comes together again to unravel the mysterious tragedies befalling on them, a few of them (Miramar, Rey, Tatinelly and Rhiannon) try to uncover Orquidea’s complicated history by traveling to Ecuador where it all began… before time runs out on them.
I’m not a huge fantasy, magical novel reader. But I did like this one as it’s so different from what I usually read. I loved the main characters, especially Rey and Rhiannon. I especially appreciated the resilience and fierceness of Orquidea who had to fend for herself from a very young age. There are some strong female characters in this novel which is always a bonus!
Thank you to @simonandschuster @bookclubfavorites for gifting me an advanced readers copy of this novel.
I’m not a huge fantasy, magical novel reader. But I did like this one as it’s so different from what I usually read. I loved the main characters, especially Rey and Rhiannon. I especially appreciated the resilience and fierceness of Orquidea who had to fend for herself from a very young age. There are some strong female characters in this novel which is always a bonus!
Thank you to @simonandschuster @bookclubfavorites for gifting me an advanced readers copy of this novel.
kiditkid's review against another edition
3.0
R-Rated version of Disney's Encanto
If the last 25% of the book had been twice as long I think this could have easily been a four or five star story for me. Unfortunately, Cordova takes on too much (via convoluted plot, large cast, and inexplicable magic) that was not tied together in a satisfying way. I had no issue with what happened or how the story ended. It was the timing. As if the last 8 chapters of the book were the author’s outlines that she couldn’t flesh out before the deadline. Then again, maybe that’s just the nature of the magical realism genre: rushed endings filled with nonsensical explanations.
If the last 25% of the book had been twice as long I think this could have easily been a four or five star story for me. Unfortunately, Cordova takes on too much (via convoluted plot, large cast, and inexplicable magic) that was not tied together in a satisfying way. I had no issue with what happened or how the story ended. It was the timing. As if the last 8 chapters of the book were the author’s outlines that she couldn’t flesh out before the deadline. Then again, maybe that’s just the nature of the magical realism genre: rushed endings filled with nonsensical explanations.
kellyarmadillo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Loveable characters? No
2.5