This book is for people who enjoy meandering, atmospheric historical fiction, which is far from how I'd describe myself. I only got halfway through the book on my first attempt, yet thankfully I'd reached the quicker part of the story when I returned to finish it months later. While I'd hoped this story would focus on Carlota's relationship to the hybrids, most of the narrative was dedicated to a tense will-they-won't-they relationship between her and an inappropriately older man. This story obviously ties into the history of Spanish colonialism, yet that theme was not layered for me to give it much praise. The writing style itself was decent, though much of the dialogue felt stiff. I was disappointed to find that this story is more of a slow-paced and tragic historical romance that anything else. If you expected a science fiction or political thriller, this is not the book for you.