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starrysteph 's review for:
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
by Zoraida Córdova
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina was simply magical.
When matriarch Orquídea sends out an invitation to gather her massive family in the days before her death, they come - reluctantly - to collect their inheritance. But nothing is normal about the Montoya family. As magic and family members clash during their long-delayed reunion, an evil that has followed Orquídea for her whole life returns, threatening to rip up the roots & safety & protection she spent her whole life cultivating.
“You could be born into a family, but you still had to choose them.”
It’s all about family. About loving your family - and accepting their mysteries and secrets - even though you never quite understand them.
It’s about the struggle of creating a home where you and your descendants will be safe. About ancestral trauma and how different generations attempt to push back against their roots.
It’s about the power of protecting the ones you love while trying to create a better life for those who come next. And when you create those barriers between parents and children - putting up walls to protect your vulnerabilities with the hope of preserving their magic - that ultimately does more harm than good.
“We don't talk. None of us. Why don't we ever talk? Silence is a language of its own in this family. A curse of our own making. That's the inheritance my daughter got from me, and I am very sorry.”
Generational trauma is the Montoya family curse. But their power is in their magic - their love and tradition and ferocity. What will you inherit from your ancestors? And how well do you really know your family?
I loved getting to character hop and spend time with so many branches of the Montoya family tree - all the while jumping back and forth through time as more and more of Orquídea’s peculiar life is revealed. Each character has a distinct voice and distinct troubles, and each pushes back against their inheritance in a compelling way.
There was a bit of a super villain-y bit at the end that got wrapped up oh-so-neatly which didn’t quite mesh with the rest of the mystical magical tone, but I cried at the end all the same.
It’s enchanting and poignant and comforting. This story truly came to life for me.
CW: death (child and parent), grief, body horror, toxic relationship, fire, abuse, blood, abandonment, stalking, infidelity, self harm, racism, xenophobia, sexism, murder, drowning, pregnancy, sexual content
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