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shmadsie's review
1.0
This was just... not well-written. There were more than a few occasions where it took me a couple paragraphs to figure out what had just happened and it completely spoils the moment. There are little moments where Leonora has her final face-to-face with Nabarres and the line is "I sever flesh" and then in the next paragraph it's clear she cut off his arm but, like, that could've been a moment if it hadn't been flubbed! Then there are things like the Obsidian Butterfly, who towards the end is almost exclusively called the Demon Queen (despite being primarily the 'Obsidian Butterfly' before then) who takes on her Nagual form of a monstrous deer; she's a monstrous deer for four sentences - not even a full paragraph break - then switches back to her goddess form to use her snake-like tail to knock the Sword of Integrity out of Leonora's hand. I'm sorry..... what was the point of the butterfly being a deer? Was it just to be confusing? Because that is literally the only place it is mentioned and it does not matter AT ALL. There were so many times this happened because the world-building just wasn't done well (I'm still not totally clear on what tonalli can do even now???) and then throw in multiple names for everything and just randomly going: oh yeah, and x can do x now and they're the child of x! WHAT, WHY!
I also didn't understand the purpose for killing off Ines - it seemed to serve absolutely none. Tezca (also... did not love the name change halfway through) and Leonora didn't seem to have really much of anything going on? Every time Leonora showed up unannounced he was with a different girl so.... hard to believe in much of a love connection, y'know? The guy really didn't seem that interested. More like: yeah, if you're into it, sure, but if not... eh, I'll figure something out.
I liked the potential of Amalia but it wasn't delivered on. I was told she was smart but she never actually got to be smart.
Book: She's a strategist.
Me: Great, do a strategy!
*crickets*
Also, some of this was just straight-up dumb as shit. Like. You want me to revere Leonora's dad as a good guy when, uh, the reason Leonora exists is because he cheated on his wife and she didn't seem super on board about that. I understand these marriages can potentially be arranged/loveless but, still, I probably wouldn't want to raise my partner's lovechild knowing it would make everyone of my social circle act like gossipy douches around me. I mean, yeah, the vice regent wasn't great but there wasn't even a little empathy for her position either. Just a completely inaccurate: my mother and father were saints and she's evil. Ummm, *raises hand* I know a few things that might've had something to do with that. Then Jeronimo acting like he's making some great concession by agreeing to.... do all the things Spain was already supposed to be doing and still wouldn't be doing if they hadn't just lost a war against the indigenous people who live there. He's literally standing on bodies in a war he just lost like, yeah, you're gonna have RIGHTS now. Yeah, because they just WON the WAR that you LOST. You're not doing anything for them, they're doing things for you by not cutting your head off right now!
Oh, and we killed one of two stated queer people. *curtsies*
I also didn't understand the purpose for killing off Ines - it seemed to serve absolutely none. Tezca (also... did not love the name change halfway through) and Leonora didn't seem to have really much of anything going on? Every time Leonora showed up unannounced he was with a different girl so.... hard to believe in much of a love connection, y'know? The guy really didn't seem that interested. More like: yeah, if you're into it, sure, but if not... eh, I'll figure something out.
I liked the potential of Amalia but it wasn't delivered on. I was told she was smart but she never actually got to be smart.
Book: She's a strategist.
Me: Great, do a strategy!
*crickets*
Also, some of this was just straight-up dumb as shit. Like. You want me to revere Leonora's dad as a good guy when, uh, the reason Leonora exists is because he cheated on his wife and she didn't seem super on board about that. I understand these marriages can potentially be arranged/loveless but, still, I probably wouldn't want to raise my partner's lovechild knowing it would make everyone of my social circle act like gossipy douches around me. I mean, yeah, the vice regent wasn't great but there wasn't even a little empathy for her position either. Just a completely inaccurate: my mother and father were saints and she's evil. Ummm, *raises hand* I know a few things that might've had something to do with that. Then Jeronimo acting like he's making some great concession by agreeing to.... do all the things Spain was already supposed to be doing and still wouldn't be doing if they hadn't just lost a war against the indigenous people who live there. He's literally standing on bodies in a war he just lost like, yeah, you're gonna have RIGHTS now. Yeah, because they just WON the WAR that you LOST. You're not doing anything for them, they're doing things for you by not cutting your head off right now!
Oh, and we killed one of two stated queer people. *curtsies*
marifer0117's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? No
3.5
fsmeurinne's review against another edition
4.0
This book delved into a captivating tale set in sixteenth-century New Spain. Mariely Lares introduces Pantera, a masked sorceress battling Spanish oppression while living a dual life as Lady Leonora, promised to Spain's heir. The narrative skillfully weaves Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history into a tapestry of magic, intrigue, and romance. However, my enthusiasm waned as the plot unfolded, revealing disjointed storylines and shallow character development. Pantera's dual identity as a warrior and noblewoman is a compelling theme, shedding light on the challenges faced by women in the era, compounded by cultural suppression. Lares impressively incorporates Spanish dialects, the Nahuatl language, and authentic mythological elements, providing a rich backdrop. Despite occasional pacing issues, this story offers a unique exploration of colonialism, oppression, and war, making it a worthwhile read for those intrigued by historical fantasy.
bookish_calirican's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
3.75
katmp1892's review against another edition
The characters didn't seem to have any depth and the plot was just ehh. I was excited for this with a different take but the writing was just not there at all and neither were the characters.
osgonzalez's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.0
lalala_rich_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
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? It's complicated
4.0
titalindaslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
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
First of all, the Mesoamerican fantasy and mythology present in this was so rich and exciting to learn about! Plus, we love when women get over their hesitancy to kill and start wielding a sword against colonizers! That’ll always hit. I liked this genderbent Zorro-inspired fantasy…but there were also some critical things that I couldn’t overlook.
Namely, the wild last half. It feels so disjointed from the first half. It was fascinating to meet mythological beings, but some of the “twists” I saw coming a mile away and felt lackluster as a reveal. We lose the even pacing in the first half as well, and I fear too much was packed into the end. Also, the romantic connection between Leonora and Andres felt incredibly forced, their chemistry was stilted, and by the end I had no idea why she would even be interested in him.
Namely, the wild last half. It feels so disjointed from the first half. It was fascinating to meet mythological beings, but some of the “twists” I saw coming a mile away and felt lackluster as a reveal. We lose the even pacing in the first half as well, and I fear too much was packed into the end. Also, the romantic connection between Leonora and Andres felt incredibly forced, their chemistry was stilted, and by the end I had no idea why she would even be interested in him.
embandsat's review against another edition
Writing style wasn’t landing with me. The first interaction with the main bad guy was very stereo typical and well..."villian"-y. Main character seems too good to be true. Just kinda eh for me.