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A review by emilyrandolph_epstein
Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares
adventurous
emotional
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
I really liked some things about this book: the protagonist who can transform into a panther, the incorporation of mythology, the nod to Zorro, and the political machinations within the court of New Spain.
On the other hand, I didn't particularly care for the male lead. I didn't like how he made decisions for Leonora and kept her in the dark about things she had the right to know. He was frequently dismissive of her, and I didn't feel he ever did enough to make that up to her. I kept finding myself thinking that Leonora needed some better men in her life.
There were also a couple of points in the plot where I felt like things got sidetracked for no discernable reason. Particularly one episode that didn't seem to develop the plot and what character development there was didn't seem worth the detour. But I'm not familiar enough with the mythology, so perhaps it was simply a reference I don't know.
That said, I thought this book was fun and refreshing. I found it compelling enough to stay up reading until 3 a.m., even though I am fully adult with adult responsibilities. There were multiple twists that I didn't expect, and they surprised me in a good way. I think the one thing that would have pushed it up to a full five stars for me is if the male lead turned out to be a secret baddie. Who knows, maybe the next book will make that happen because I really don't like him for Leonora.
On the other hand, I didn't particularly care for the male lead. I didn't like how he made decisions for Leonora and kept her in the dark about things she had the right to know. He was frequently dismissive of her, and I didn't feel he ever did enough to make that up to her. I kept finding myself thinking that Leonora needed some better men in her life.
There were also a couple of points in the plot where I felt like things got sidetracked for no discernable reason. Particularly one episode that didn't seem to develop the plot and what character development there was didn't seem worth the detour. But I'm not familiar enough with the mythology, so perhaps it was simply a reference I don't know.
That said, I thought this book was fun and refreshing. I found it compelling enough to stay up reading until 3 a.m., even though I am fully adult with adult responsibilities. There were multiple twists that I didn't expect, and they surprised me in a good way. I think the one thing that would have pushed it up to a full five stars for me is if the male lead turned out to be a secret baddie. Who knows, maybe the next book will make that happen because I really don't like him for Leonora.