This book is woven with so much magic and beauty it was hard to put it down. In this book you will find a fantasy world deeply inspired by the Bolivian culture and history. There is political intrigue and violence but there is also much, so much love. Love of ones country, the lands, the history, and the people.
The main character, Ximena, is a strong female tasked with finding a way for her people to survive and take back what was taken from them by the Cruel Atoc and his priest. The Illustrians and the LLacsans are two peoples who hate each other and both have different reasons and feelings about why the other is so distasteful. The illustrians are given magic by Luna, the moon goddess and the LLacsans magic comes from the sun god, Inti, and the earth mother, Pachamama. The false King Atoc has ordered that Ximena become his wife. While Ximena is working out how to help her people and what she needs to do (with the help of her magical moonlight weaving) she is immersed into and amount the Llacsan people and their ways and comes to befriend a few of the people charged for her “care” while staying in the Castillo. She also comes in contact with the elusive and mysterious rebel, EL Lobo, then there’s the healer, the guard, the ladies maid, and the Princesa. Throughout her journey, Ximena, comes to realize that, though their two people are different, maybe they are also much the same.
The writing of this book is truly beautiful. The way the author describes everything from the Castillo to the food to the clothes leaves you wanting more and never wanting to leave her world full of colors and magic. She is able to write characters that you can both relate to and feel grow as the story continues through the pages. The dialog is a little slow at times and I do wish the author has used more Spanish and Quechua language throughout the book. I feel it would have given the dialog a bit more magic.
The main character, Ximena, is a strong female tasked with finding a way for her people to survive and take back what was taken from them by the Cruel Atoc and his priest. The Illustrians and the LLacsans are two peoples who hate each other and both have different reasons and feelings about why the other is so distasteful. The illustrians are given magic by Luna, the moon goddess and the LLacsans magic comes from the sun god, Inti, and the earth mother, Pachamama. The false King Atoc has ordered that Ximena become his wife. While Ximena is working out how to help her people and what she needs to do (with the help of her magical moonlight weaving) she is immersed into and amount the Llacsan people and their ways and comes to befriend a few of the people charged for her “care” while staying in the Castillo. She also comes in contact with the elusive and mysterious rebel, EL Lobo, then there’s the healer, the guard, the ladies maid, and the Princesa. Throughout her journey, Ximena, comes to realize that, though their two people are different, maybe they are also much the same.
The writing of this book is truly beautiful. The way the author describes everything from the Castillo to the food to the clothes leaves you wanting more and never wanting to leave her world full of colors and magic. She is able to write characters that you can both relate to and feel grow as the story continues through the pages. The dialog is a little slow at times and I do wish the author has used more Spanish and Quechua language throughout the book. I feel it would have given the dialog a bit more magic.