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onthesamepage's review against another edition
adventurous
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
This was a mixed bag. I really loved the world and the way the author described it—it felt lush, beautiful, and so vivid. The focus on Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology was fascinating to me, and I'm genuinely happy we're getting more and more books like this.
Unfortunately, the characters and the plot are a let down.
Once again, this falls into the pitfall of being labeled an adult book, but reading like a YA book, with a heroine whose entire character development is about her finding her place in the world. I wanted Leonora to be more confident. If this is a reimagining of Zorro, then I want to see someone who is fearless, and who understands that the price of resistance is bloody sometimes. Instead, she got wobbly in her convictions more than once, and it made parts of this really drag.
The other issue is that there were way too many different plotlines. It starts with Leonora opposing the Spanish, and dealing with an arranged marriage with the prince of Spain. She doesn't care about him, by the way, but when he sleeps with someone else and she finds out, she barges into his room all huffy with a speech about how he can't hurt her pride like this. Then she meets Andres, who she thinks is a pirate and who stole something from her, and they develop a "will they won't they" romantic vibe. Also, there's a prophecy about her death, and another one about the end of the world, and actually the end of the world is closer than we think, and also there are all these gods walking among people, and who is Leonora, really?
It's not even a very long book, but this could've been 200 pages shorter, focused on 1-2 plot lines, and then used the rest to build up a series. I honestly just wanted a bit of a fun romp with a female Zorro, but that's not really what this is.
Unfortunately, the characters and the plot are a let down.
Once again, this falls into the pitfall of being labeled an adult book, but reading like a YA book, with a heroine whose entire character development is about her finding her place in the world. I wanted Leonora to be more confident. If this is a reimagining of Zorro, then I want to see someone who is fearless, and who understands that the price of resistance is bloody sometimes. Instead, she got wobbly in her convictions more than once, and it made parts of this really drag.
The other issue is that there were way too many different plotlines. It starts with Leonora opposing the Spanish, and dealing with an arranged marriage with the prince of Spain. She doesn't care about him, by the way, but when he sleeps with someone else and she finds out, she barges into his room all huffy with a speech about how he can't hurt her pride like this. Then she meets Andres, who she thinks is a pirate and who stole something from her, and they develop a "will they won't they" romantic vibe. Also, there's a prophecy about her death, and another one about the end of the world, and actually the end of the world is closer than we think, and also there are all these gods walking among people, and who is Leonora, really?
It's not even a very long book, but this could've been 200 pages shorter, focused on 1-2 plot lines, and then used the rest to build up a series. I honestly just wanted a bit of a fun romp with a female Zorro, but that's not really what this is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Religious bigotry, and Colonisation
Moderate: Animal death and Death of parent
jvbook_reader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and War
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death of parent
bessadams's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Racism, Religious bigotry, and War
Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
starrysteph's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
A Zorro-inspired vigilante who can shapeshift into a panther, torn between her role as the Spanish heir to the throne and her half-Indigenous identity? What a delicious concept.
The ideas in Sun of Blood and Ruin were phenomenal, but the execution unfortunately made it a very challenging story to read & enjoy.
Pantera is a warrior sorceress, but underneath that bold identity is Leonora, a charming young lady who is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. While Pantera fights to protect the Indigenous people from Spanish tyranny on the streets, Leonora wages a war of politics inside the palace.
But Leonora knows she’s been prophesied to have a short life, and to die in battle. And when the earthquakes begin - signaling the changing of a Sun and tons of destruction - she is ready to fight until the bitter end.
There is so much happening here, from palace politics to fights in the street to ancient gods to promises of paradise to anti-colonialism escapades to a budding romance … and truly so much more. There are so many intriguing elements, especially when you bring in real (slightly and fantastically altered) history and folklore. But it turned into total chaos.
I love a large cast of characters, and mythology, and lots of different threads. Here it felt like the writing was bubbling with excitement and attempting to weave in every single brilliant idea. I just think it needed a lot more structure, more information around the main elements (most readers won’t know the intricacies of this mythology), and someone to cut some of the excess elements.
I was not in flow with the writing and not totally aligned with Leonora as a main character. She’s very immature and adolescent, and while she definitely has a bit of a coming-of-age journey, it just felt like she was too young & too flat to shoulder all the story elements. Her realization towards the end was just so simplistic, and much of the dialogue is cheesy.
I think I was far more into the first half, which had a lot less action, but more of a clear plot. When we get into the action scenes, people are just popping around and it felt impossible to envision what was actually going on half of the time. And then nonsensical plot twist after nonsensical plot twist after revelation after revelation after character death (!) where we’re just moving on. And the stuff between was all so murky. I wasn’t sure why this story was written and who the author’s intended audience was.
I am so bummed. I saw the vision!!
CW: death (parent), murder, religious bigotry, colonization, racism, genocide, xenophonia, grief, war, animal death, classism, guns
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(I received a free copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, and War
vexatiousbird's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This was exactly what I wanted it to be. Vivid and heartfelt. A protagonist who struggles and doubts but perseveres for a higher cause. A little twist of romance that doesn’t get in the way of the plot. A more hopeful reimagining of a terrible time in history. Well written and hard to put down. I loved how the mythology was brought to life and explored in a new way.
My only complaint is Leonora’s brother- his character is a little too flat to have as big an impact on the resolution as he does in the end, and his part of the plot wrapped up too neatly and suddenly. I think there could have been another chapter or two to get there more realistically.
My only complaint is Leonora’s brother- his character is a little too flat to have as big an impact on the resolution as he does in the end, and his part of the plot wrapped up too neatly and suddenly. I think there could have been another chapter or two to get there more realistically.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death
sorayacorcoran's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death