Oh, wow! i just that my younger self will love this start of a duology inspired by Filipino mythology.
Encanto's Daughter is the first book in a duet from Melissa de la Cruz following MJ Rodriguez, a half-encanto/half-human, who get swept into the encanto's kingdom after her father's, King Vicencio, sudden death.
The world of encantos is set in the island of Biringan which is a renowned setting in the Philippines dubbed as the lost island and has been a favorite among conspiracy theorists and legend discussions.
Even the ARC has a map so I can say that I had a full experience reading the galley.
What went well for me is how Melissa de la Cruz fleshed out MJ's character as someone who went from zero to hero. It rarely works for me since MC tend to be whiny and uncooperative given what's at stake but in this one, MJ had a full circle as she found herself being readied as Biringan's next in line.
The representation of Filipino myth, lore, foods, and culture is present. The magical characters in Biringan island were all derived from the Philippines' lore and legend. I guess the author in do more in terms of bending some of the characteristics of these creatures but that's something that I look forward in book two.
What can be improved is the pacing because it seems that there's a lot happening in this book alone that it wasn't able to take advantage of the momentum in certain parts. Encanto's Daughter has fantasy, adventure, romance, murder mystery, and coming-of-age elements which felt a bit crowded in my opinion.
Overall, this is an enjoyable first book and I'm looking out to read the next one hopefully by next year.
Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC!
Encanto's Daughter is the first book in a duet from Melissa de la Cruz following MJ Rodriguez, a half-encanto/half-human, who get swept into the encanto's kingdom after her father's, King Vicencio, sudden death.
The world of encantos is set in the island of Biringan which is a renowned setting in the Philippines dubbed as the lost island and has been a favorite among conspiracy theorists and legend discussions.
Even the ARC has a map so I can say that I had a full experience reading the galley.
What went well for me is how Melissa de la Cruz fleshed out MJ's character as someone who went from zero to hero. It rarely works for me since MC tend to be whiny and uncooperative given what's at stake but in this one, MJ had a full circle as she found herself being readied as Biringan's next in line.
The representation of Filipino myth, lore, foods, and culture is present. The magical characters in Biringan island were all derived from the Philippines' lore and legend. I guess the author in do more in terms of bending some of the characteristics of these creatures but that's something that I look forward in book two.
What can be improved is the pacing because it seems that there's a lot happening in this book alone that it wasn't able to take advantage of the momentum in certain parts. Encanto's Daughter has fantasy, adventure, romance, murder mystery, and coming-of-age elements which felt a bit crowded in my opinion.
Overall, this is an enjoyable first book and I'm looking out to read the next one hopefully by next year.
Thank you Penguin Teen for sending me an ARC!