Ahoy there me mateys! I received this fantasy eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here are me honest musings . . .

labyrinth lost (Zoraida Cordova)

Title: labyrinth lost

Author: Zoraida Cordova

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Publication Date: currently September 6, 2016

ISBN: 9781492620945

Source: NetGalley

This novel was just plain magical and engaging. The author mixes Latin American religions and cultures, Mexican holidays, Afro-Caribbean religion, and other things. I have to admit my knowledge of Latino and Hispanic culture is woefully low. What I do know tends to be about the Incas, Mayans, and early Central and South American culture. And very little mind you. So this novel with its lush imagery and foray into unknown cultures was mesmerizing. I love learning about new ports, places and people.

The main focus is on Alex, a girl born into a magical family who wants nothing more than to be ordinary, go to school, and live a life of her own choosing. She has long struggled to exclude magic from her life. So of course when her attempts to hide her burgeoning powers fail, she has to find some other way of ridding herself of this burden that is threatening to ruin all of her plans.

Alex is a wonderful, complicated, intelligent, and loving character. Watching her coming to terms with both her place in her family and with the larger world as a whole was a gratifying journey. Speaking of family, every family has its problems, but I adored the close knit community that Alex has. Her mother, sisters, uncles, aunts, etc. all play a role in this novel. I like that Alex literally cannot win working alone. In addition to her family, she also has an awesome friend named Rishi. I adored Rishi’s part in this book and how the relationship develops. Add in a young dude named Nova and you have a quite a mix of personalities and conflict.

Also the magic was wonderful. There is a family book of magical cantos. There are apparitions, spirits, fairies, avianas, and lots of creepy creatures like maloscuros. Add in an in-between world and a creature trying to take over the world. Awesome.

Now this book could be a stand-alone but I am hoping there are more novels that tell the further adventures of the family. I would certainly read the next one.

So lastly . . .

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire!

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