THIS BOOK.
I absolutely loved every single piece of this book. It checks all my boxes
The writing is gorgeous. Not a word felt out of place of useless. Many parts were practically poetry. Ugh and her food descriptions!
The world is amazing, too. So bright and colorful. It was built up perfectly, with just the right amount of backstory. Plus, the Bolivian aspect of it was so well done. It felt real. Even with this being a fantasy in another world, the Bolivian culture was woven perfectly throughout. It never felt like it was too much or too much of statement.
The magic was breathtaking. Ximena’s magic with weaving is so unique and beautiful. I would love to know even more about the other magic people have in this world and how the power Luna works.
The characters were also pretty much perfect. Ximena was stubborn and constantly saying or doing the wrong things. But it was her flaws that made her feel that much more real and gave her great depth. All the side characters felt real, too, which doesn’t always happen with a large cast. I loved Rumi, El Lobo, and Juan Carlos. Plus Ximena’s relationships with them and the others were great, how they changed throughout the course of the story.
The plot was so intriguing. I’ve mentioned the Bolivian history aspect already, but the political plot worked so well here. Something was always happening. There was never a dull moment.
If I am nitpicking, there are a few things that fell a little short, but they didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story. First, the El Lobo thing was a little obvious. Second, there was one person that was mentioned numerous times but never became important. Just a little confused about that. Third, the very last page (ish) felt a little weak? I expected a teeny bit more to happen between the end event and “the end.”
Overall, I enjoyed every minute of this and I just loved it so much. Plus, it has an absolutely gorgeous cover (illustrated by the author herself!). And the fact that it’s a debut blows my mind. I can’t wait to see what Ibañez wows us with next.
I absolutely loved every single piece of this book. It checks all my boxes
The writing is gorgeous. Not a word felt out of place of useless. Many parts were practically poetry. Ugh and her food descriptions!
The world is amazing, too. So bright and colorful. It was built up perfectly, with just the right amount of backstory. Plus, the Bolivian aspect of it was so well done. It felt real. Even with this being a fantasy in another world, the Bolivian culture was woven perfectly throughout. It never felt like it was too much or too much of statement.
The magic was breathtaking. Ximena’s magic with weaving is so unique and beautiful. I would love to know even more about the other magic people have in this world and how the power Luna works.
The characters were also pretty much perfect. Ximena was stubborn and constantly saying or doing the wrong things. But it was her flaws that made her feel that much more real and gave her great depth. All the side characters felt real, too, which doesn’t always happen with a large cast. I loved Rumi, El Lobo, and Juan Carlos. Plus Ximena’s relationships with them and the others were great, how they changed throughout the course of the story.
The plot was so intriguing. I’ve mentioned the Bolivian history aspect already, but the political plot worked so well here. Something was always happening. There was never a dull moment.
If I am nitpicking, there are a few things that fell a little short, but they didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story. First, the El Lobo thing was a little obvious. Second, there was one person that was mentioned numerous times but never became important. Just a little confused about that. Third, the very last page (ish) felt a little weak? I expected a teeny bit more to happen between the end event and “the end.”
Overall, I enjoyed every minute of this and I just loved it so much. Plus, it has an absolutely gorgeous cover (illustrated by the author herself!). And the fact that it’s a debut blows my mind. I can’t wait to see what Ibañez wows us with next.