Daughter of Fire

by Sofia Robleda

For a young woman coming of age in sixteenth-century Guatemala, safeguarding her people’s legacy is a dangerous pursuit in a mystical, empowering, and richly imagined historical novel. Catalina Cerrato is raised by her widowed father, Don Alonso, in 1551 Guatemala, scarcely thirty years since the Spanish invasion. A ruling member of the oppressive Spanish hierarchy, Don Alonso holds sway over the newly relegated lower class of Indigenous communities. Fiercely independent, Catalina struggles to honor her father and her late mother, a Maya noblewoman to whom Catalina made a vow that only she can preserve the lost sacred text of the Popol Vuh , the treasured and now forbidden history of the K’iche people. Urged on by her mother’s spirit voice, and possessing the gift of committing the invaluable stories to memory, Catalina embarks on a secret and transcendent quest to rewrite them. Through ancient pyramids, Spanish haciendas, and caves of masked devils, she finds an ally in the captivating Juan de Rojas, a lord whose rule was compromised by the invasion. But as their love and trust unfolds, and Don Alonso’s tyranny escalates, Catalina must confront her conflicted blood heritage—and its secrets—once and for all if she’s to follow her dangerous quest to its historic end.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Romance, Magical Realism, Ebooks

301 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2024

About the author

Sofia Robleda is a Mexican author. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. She completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in psychology at the University of Queensland, in Australia. She currently lives with her husband and son in London.

Her debut historical fiction novel, Daughter of Fire, was an Amazon First Reads and Editor's Pick for July 2024 and hit the top 100 Kindle bestselling list. It has been translated into Spanish.

Her second novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls, is now available for preorder. Join Sofia's newsletter Author Antics (via her website) for more insights into her writing process, travels, and historical research. You can also follow her on Instagram (@sofiarobleda).

Reviews

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I was better at words so I could write the most compelling review of this book and make everyone read it.

Daughter of fire is an historical fiction, about a girl, born from a central american indigenous mother and a spanish colonizer as father. After her mother leaves her with the task of preserving the book of Popol Vuh, she finds herself struggling to
Live her life as part of both of her roots, and at the same time of neither.

Is a story about identity, pride, love but also oppression, prejudice and fear, fear of the things we can't understand, but still want to conquer.
You can see the perspectives of the main characters along de the context and the larger picture, and understand the reasoning of why they might act and react the way they do.
If you like interesting stories written with a lot of heart, you might want to give this one a try.

Also I know, I know, we shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but I know we, readers, fall in love with beautiful covers, and that alone is a reason to grab this book. It would look great on the shelf after reading it.

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reviewed in my February Wrap Up: https://youtu.be/B2YnQSk6LAc

Written review to come!

[Sofia Robleda · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the author of this novel, I guarantee this is an unbiased and objective review in every way & want to specify that this book is definitely a five star read. My historical fiction novel (and let’s be clear, it IS historical fiction, it’s a novel based on real events and historical figures, not just a historical setting) does blur the boundaries. There ARE mystical and spiritual and fantastical elements, because I am representing essential parts of our wonderful, diverse, melded culture.

Some people will struggle with that - and I guess DAUGHTER OF FIRE simply wasn’t written for them. It was written with Latin Americans in mind, and those who have an interest in our incredible heritage, particularly our Indigenous stories, rituals and myths. I guess these might seem strange to some. They might struggle with the K’iche’ Maya and Spanish words (real languages btw). But that’s part of dipping your toe outside your comfort zone. I won’t apologize for that, and I don’t intend to change it for the next one either, even if it earns me another couple more 2-star reviews.

If you’d like to read more about my motivations for writing this novel, you may want to visit my website and read the letter I wrote as part of the Book Club Kit, which also includes a playlist and discussion questions: https://sofiarobleda.com/daughter-of-...

But in all honesty - the reason why I am writing something here after so many months is that I signed up to listen to the audiobook on NetGalley and I need to write something otherwise my rating will be terrible… so here it is, my thoughts on the audiobook:

My sister Ana Lucia Robleda, who is a professionally trained theatre and voice actor, narrated the story. She is both fluent in Spanish and English and I am incredibly proud of her and the work she did. She was one of several actors who auditioned for the role & she really nailed both the audition and the rendition. We worked very closely together with Professor Allen Christensen who translated the Popol Vuh into English and who is an expert in the K’iche’ Maya language, and who also read my novel from start to finish when it was still in draft mode, to ensure historical and cultural accuracy. For the audiobook, he also helped us with the pronunciation of the K’iche’ Maya words, which was incredibly important to us to get as right as possible.

I especially loved my sister’s rendition of the Spanish accents - a real feat. It was really strange to listen to my story brought to life, and to hear my sister’s voice and her own interpretation, but I’m so glad she got the part!

I hope soon to give more news about a Spanish translation of the novel - if you want to be the first to get the news, sign up to my sporadic newsletter here: https://gem.godaddy.com/signups/ddbec...

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and rated and supported this novel - it means the world to me!

[Nightwitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very readable work of historical fiction set in sixteenth-century Guatemala, with a (very) slight romantic subplot. Our heroine and narrator, generally known by her Spanish name of Catalina, is the daughter of the local governor, Don Alonso Cerrato and his K'iche wife. The conquistadores have swept through the area like a plague, deposing the local monarchs, murdering or enslaving the local populace, and forcing Christianity on the survivors. Catalina loves her father, but she also made a promise to her late mother to preserve the sacred text in her keeping.... despite the dangers that might bring.

The back cover copy makes this sound like a grand adventure story, but to me it felt for the most part smaller and quieter than that: Catalina's father is determined that she should be treated like any Spanish governor's daughter, and that means keeping her world carefully circumscribed, particularly given the circumstances of her mother's death. The small world of Spanish colonizers means that gossip is everywhere and as Catalina embarks on her quest, she is doing so at night and in secret, slipping back into her bed just before morning and hoping no one noticed she was gone. What I'm trying to say is, this is historical fiction with a heavy emphasis on the "historical" part; while to the best of my knowledge Catalina isn't a known historical figure, her father was, as was Juan de Rojas (her love interest). This is the story of the preservation of the Popul Vuh as it might have happened.

There is a love story and romantic subplot, but the book doesn't follow the beats of a traditional genre romance novel, nor does the romance feel as central to Catalina's choices and decisions as it would be in a genre romance. Robleda does not shy away from depicting the cruelty and viciousness of the Spanish oppressors, but the actual scenes or references are straightforward and not overly graphic - she lets the horror speak for itself.

Over all, I found this very readable - I read it in two sittings - and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for historical fiction about an independent-minded woman in a complicated era.

I received an ARC for free but these are my own honest opinions.

[Alex Hirchert · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, big thank you to Sofia Robleda, Amazon Crossing, and NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this eARC.

Daughter of Fire was unique and unique incredibly vivid. I truly enjoyed this book. The setting and time is not given enough love as it should be. Thank you Sofia for writing a compelling tale that weaves history and culture so effortlessly.

Solid 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️

[❁lilith❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

don’t let the three stars fool you, i really enjoyed this.
particularly, the first 50% or so had me entirely hooked, and it took me no time at all to read through it. the strongest points of this book were really the attention to the historical context of its setting. i’m no judge on the accuracy, but i felt as though i learnt a fair amount from reading this book. i really felt our main characters grief, sadness, longing, and desperation at every point.
the historical aspect was my favourite, i also loved the information that was revealed to us through the scenes that focused on spirituality and on the religion that was threatened and pushed to near extinction by colonisation.
i felt the book faltered a little in the romance department, by which i mean i don’t necessarily with there was more romance and less attention to the history, but i felt little to no connection with our love interest, and got only little glimpses into any sort of personality.
i also think that the pacing got a little haphazard towards the latter part, and scenes and chapters did not flow as well as they had previously done.

[JoyReaderGirl1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Daughter of Fire” by Sofia Robleda is a young adult historical fantasy fiction set during the Spanish colonization period of South and Central America during the 1550s featuring a naive young mixed-race Mayan woman and her strict, and often brutish, Spanish father in Guatemala. What begins with tremendous promise due to the vast cultural influences and mysteries intrinsic to the ancient native peoples referenced in “Daughter” just never succinctly nor successfully jellied cohesively as a novel in for me terms of characterization, plotting, or points of view. Young adult readers are smart and sophisticated. Their literature should not be dumped-down. It’s insulting. Nonetheless, if you judge a book by its cover, this one is a beauty. JoyReaderGirl1 graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Sofia Robleda, and Publisher Amazon Crossing for this advanced reader’s copy for review.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although it took a few chapters before I became immersed in the text, I found this to be an engaging story. I didn't know anything about the indigenous peoples of Guatemala and their interaction with the Spanish colonizers of the 16th century. Sofia Robleda uses her protagonist, Catalina de Cerrato as the lens in which we folow this story. The youngest daughter of a Spaniard and a Maya noblewoman, Catalina is caught in an ongoing war for power.

Lots of action in the book with a strong female protagonist.


Goodreads review published 11/08/24

[Jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an historical fiction novel set in the 1550's Guatemala after the Spanish conquest of the Mayans. To be fully transparent I'm not really educated about that part of history. But you can tell the author did a lot of research for this book because she's able to tell this beautiful story while also explaining this piece of history that is so fascinating. I couldn't put this book down and I recommend that everyone read this book. It is truly stunning.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another of IG marketing working best. I entered the giveway, but didn't win. However, I followed the author and she posted a free read of the first two chapters. I was instantly hooked. So, I preordered the book, and read it almost immediately when I got it.

For starters, the cover is beautiful. I took a picture of the cover with my milkweed flowers, which matched perfectly. Second of all, I loved that this took place in Guatamala. When I learned about the conquistadors, we learned about some of South America (which was a collective South America) and Mexico (because I'm in Texas and that's part of our history). I kind of forgot about Central America, and the horrible things the Spanish did there when colonizing. I recently read a 500 years of Indigenious revolts, which also talked about that location, but it wasn't enough. So, this was a refreshing book, which takes place after the Spanish have settled in and breeding with Indigenious women. The main character is of that union.

I loved the characters. I loved the plot. I was so anxious, because I thought she was being releckess with writing the book. I was angry when she married someone and so sad after what happened to her. I do feel like the ending was rushed, but it did seem to work. And I felt like her cousin with the love between Juan and Catalina; it wasn't explicit. I felt like that could have been slightly better. I also didn't really understand the cousin's weird betrayal. But I did love him and his secret at the end. I figured that out, too.

This book was so quick and great to read. You will also learn some history with it. I would definitely recommend this book, and read this author again.

[Larry · Rating 2 out of 5]

A story of a mestizo young girl/woman torn between two cultures during the era of Spanish conquistadors in Central America could have been a tour d’ force similar to Ken Follett’s Pillars of the Earth and its three sequels. I was disappointed.
I was tempted to quit reading a couple of times. The major plot points dragged on, the excessive descriptive prose put me into the doldrums. The most unreadable sections were the protagonist, her cousin, and her on-again, off-again heart-throb performed religious incantations, spiritual dances and mind-numbing chanting under the influence of a psychedelic while rewriting from memory the Popol Vuh, the native equivalent of the Christian bible. I suggest readers flip/skip through these pages as I did. Actually, better yet, skip this novel, and if curious about this part of history, Google it.

[Karen’s Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite place to vacation is on the beaches of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. I absolutely love the Mayan culture and visit their ruins every chance I get, big or small. This extremely interesting Mayan historical fiction is set right around the Spanish Inquisition era.

Catalina is the daughter of a member of the Spanish hierarchy and her mother was a Maya noblewoman. Unknown by her father, Catalina was entrusted with a sacred lost book of the Mayan history by her mother when Catalina was a child, right before her mother was slain.

I found the historical aspects of this book so intriguing. I didn’t know anything about the Spanish invasion of Mexico and found book to be such an amazing read. I learned some of Mexico’s history and would really like to learn more.

The ancient Mayan rites as described in this book were absolutely fascinating.

*Thank you to the author, Amazon Crossing, and to Over the River Public Relations (OTRPR) for the gifted copy!*

[OLT · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure about this one. I think it missed the opportunity to make the evils of colonization more impactful. Yes, we do get the overall idea that one country (Spain) taking over a new land (in this case, Guatemala/Central America) and suppressing the original inhabitants of that land is not such a good idea for the original inhabitants, but I found all the time spent on the rewriting of the lost sacred text of the K'iche people under the influence of psychodelic drugs made the book drag for me. Yes, sacred texts are important to the culture of a people and I appreciate the need to preserve such things. However, I found a lot of the drug-induced fantasy to be a bit bloodthirsty and violent and wasn't the part of the story that made me feel sympathetic to the oppressed culture.

The writing was competent but very YA.

[Justine 🦊🍂 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a bit of a letdown for me. The story felt quite flat and lacked a clear purpose, which made it hard to really engage with the characters. Catalina, the main character, didn’t have much appeal, and I found it difficult to connect with her journey. Juan’s initial curse on her seemed significant, but then it just fizzled out—what happened to his power?
I also wished there had been more exploration of the Popol Vuh. It was mentioned as something treasured, but I found myself confused about why it needed to be kept safe and what secrets it held. Overall, the book felt rather bland and disjointed, which was disappointing given its intriguing premise.

[Donny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something a little different and it went down well! This book blends history and storytelling in a beautiful way. A quest to preserve cultural history, love and loyalty. An enlightening read for one like myself who is totally unfamiliar with Guatemalan History.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The beginning hooked me in, but as the novel went on, the action and sequence of events became very choppy. I also had to keep reminding myself of how old Catalina is, she seemed very immature even as a 19 year old. I loved the premise of this book, but it should have gone through more editing.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sofia Robleda’s Daughter of Fire is a beautifully woven tapestry of historical fiction, mysticism, and fierce determination. Set in sixteenth-century Guatemala, the novel follows Catalina Cerrato, a young woman caught between the weight of her Spanish heritage and her Maya ancestry. Raised by her domineering father, Don Alonso, a member of the oppressive Spanish hierarchy, Catalina feels the pressure to uphold her family’s legacy while being driven by a vow to her late mother. With her unique ability to commit the sacred Popol Vuh to memory, she embarks on a dangerous journey to preserve her people's history, despite the risks to her life and her heart.

Robleda’s storytelling is immersive, richly layering history, mythology, and personal struggle in a way that pulls you into Catalina’s world. The narrative moves through breathtaking landscapes—from ancient pyramids to Spanish estates—creating a vivid backdrop for Catalina’s poignant quest. The blossoming romance between Catalina and Juan de Rojas adds a layer of emotional depth, though it occasionally feels secondary to the novel's more pressing themes of identity, heritage, and resistance.

The pacing is strong, though the emotional weight of Catalina’s journey sometimes slows the narrative in quieter moments. Still, the tension between love, loyalty, and the fight for cultural preservation propels the story forward.

4 stars for an evocative, thought-provoking novel that offers both a captivating historical setting and a powerful story of resilience and self-discovery. Daughter of Fire is a must-read for fans of historical fiction with a mystical edge and a deep emotional core.

[Joy D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter of Fire is set in the 16th century in what is now Guatemala. The storyline follows Catalina, a girl with a Spanish father and Mayan mother. Her mother is executed by burning due to her non-Christian beliefs. As a child, Catalina had promised her mother that she would preserve the sacred text of the Popol Vuh, which contains the creation myth of the K’iche’ people. Catalina has a gift for memorizing stories, and guided by her mother's spirit voice, she embarks on a dangerous task to recreate the sacred texts.

The prose is filled with elemental imagery and sensory detail that provides an almost hypnotic dreamlike rhythm. The book explores themes of identity, cultural preservation, and the power of storytelling. It also critiques the ways patriarchal societies vilify powerful women. It contains a dash of romance and more melodrama than I prefer, but I am glad it did not overwhelm the story. It occasionally feels a bit too contemporary for the period.

I particularly enjoyed the historic setting of Guatemala in the aftermath of Spanish colonial occupation, which is not something I have encountered often. This is a story of a strong woman standing up to tyrannical authority. It is part adventure, part historical fiction, and part cultural immersion. I plan to seek out non-fiction about this period to find out more about the real people and events.

3.5

[Scott Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catalina is born into privilege as a daughter of the president of Guatemala about thirty years after the Spanish invasion. However, she does not fully embrace that identity since her late mother has native blood. Catalina’s promise to her dying mother was to preserve the Popol Vuh, a collection of native Mayan writings describing their spiritual conception of the world. Her father has ruled as a moderate who seeks peace between the native tribes and the Spanish colonizers, but ethnic and religious conflict between the indigenous people and the Spanish has continued to intensify nonetheless.

Despite being treated as a Spaniard – and a privileged one at that – Catalina takes risk after risk to preserve the text of the Popol Vuh, a historical document still around today. In so doing, she discovers a deeper meaning of love, family, loyalty, and her native identity. Since this is a work of fiction, there’s plenty of action to boot that keeps the pages turning. Scarcely a paragraph is wasted in the entire 280-page tale. The writing and plot action are tightly constructed.

Still, Sofia Robleda clearly casts modern themes upon ancient times with this text. While I’m certain that independent women like Catalina, LGBTQ+ couples, and drama around cultural preservation existed in the 1500s, I doubt they all converged all at once around one focused plot. Despite this shortcoming, this book provides some insight into ancient Guatemalan history and shines a light around the brutal Spanish conquest of native peoples. While school textbooks can cast conquering Europeans in a noble light, Robleda rightly demonstrates that crude financial greed motivated much of the colonialist venture.

This book is entertaining and enlightening – a good combination for a work of historical fiction. Sadly, the implausibility keeps this book from transitioning from good to great. It does beneficially share about the cultural beauty of indigenous peoples and conveys the importance of cultural preservation. As the afterward shares, the Popol Vuh is preserved today, but ironically only through the pen of a Spanish Dominican monk. Cultural preservation is a very human virtue transcending any one group, but it’s a task that must be taken deliberately. Robleda’s tale reminds us of that while pushing us to turn the pages.

[Noemi Gutierrez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great historical fiction novel. Great book and story line. It was hard to put it down. Plenty of action, suspense and fantasy.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Talk about complete stunner of a book. I am so glad I picked this one up through Amazon First Reads. The writing is impeccable, Sofia does an amazing job of blending historical events, traditional Mayan culture, and magical realism. The world painted is lush and incredibly descriptive. The pining romance between the FMC and MMC is perfection. The journey the FMC, Catalina goes on is at times heartbreaking but oh so beautiful as she learns to trust herself and her beliefs. I also really enjoyed the fact that this is a standalone, so the book provides real resolution to the characters journeys and the quest they embark on.

Highlights:
✨Forbidden Love
✨Historical Fantasy
✨Magical Realism
✨Mayan Culture
✨Slow Burn/Fade to Black

Favorite Quotes: "People are always arguing about which stories are true and which are not. It's a pointless argument, for all contain a speck of truth about our world and ourselves. The only thing that matters is this: some stores are protected, safeguarded, and others are left to fade with time."

"You don't need to shed blood in order to fight"

Thank you to the author and Amazon First Reads for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

[Hailey Despain · Rating 5 out of 5]

enchanting

This book really sparked my imagination and inspired me to think on what the time of the conquest of the New World was like for all parties involved. I loved that the narrator was mestiza and the struggle that came as she wanted to honor all her roots. There was plenty of action and suspense. It was a great read!

[Sarah M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow.

A gorgeous work of historical fiction served just the way I like it- transporting scenes with great pacing and plenty of rich information about a time and place I know very little of. Thank you to the author for honoring beautiful souls of Mesoamerica with this work. I picked this book up as a Prime first read, but am considering picking up a paper copy to keep the strong, bold narrator nearby. I hope the author keeps bringing more work into the world!

[Dani Rymers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes I read this in two days. I had absolutely no idea what this book was going into it, as I got it through the prime free ebook a month promotion, and boy am I so grateful I chose this one!!! I love historical fiction, though I usually am reading books centered around East Asia, or US history. This was phenomenal. I didn’t even know it was true historical fiction and some of the characters were based off of real people until the end, and it made it even better!

The writing is beautiful, with the cultural and historical elements effortlessly woven into a story of resilience and hope. This side of the story needs to be told more often and what a triumph this was as a place to start!

If you’re looking for a fun, soul quenching read, look no further.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read! I had trouble putting it down - I stayed up late reading and finished it in less than a day.

Set in Guatemala in the 1500s, the story takes place shortly after the Spanish colonized the region. The protagonist is Catalina, whose father is Spanish and mother K'iche. The story follows her efforts to fulfill a promise to her mother to protect and preserve their sacred book, the Popol Vuh, while also grappling with the two halves of her identity.

The backdrop of the story is tragic, but there's a lot of perseverance shown as well. In addition to reckoning with the aftermath of colonization and genocide, the author touches on issues such as women's agency(/lack thereof), and the book includes LGBT and disabled characters.

I really enjoyed the romantic storyline as well, and felt that it was well-balanced and did not overshadow other elements of the plot.

This is a time period and region I haven't read much about before. As a historical fiction book, several of the characters were historical figures. The book made me want to learn more, especially about K'iche history and the Popol Vuh.

I'll look forward to whatever else this author puts out in the future.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story about the colonization of the Americas. Specifcally, the Mayan empire. Capturing all the uncertainties and strife of the time through the eyes of a young mestiza woman.

In the 16th century, Catalina is charged by her mother, to keep the one remaining copy of the Popul Vuh safe. A task that has to be kept secret from her Spanish father, a high ranking official in Guatemala. And while he seems to be sympathetic to the indigenous, he is ultimately not someone that can be fully trusted.

There are bits of fantasy/folklore in this novel. The Mayan stories come alive through the characters. There is discourse on identity, as Catalina struggles to reconcile her Spanish and K'iche ancestry. Especially, as she is an active member of the Spanish society in Guatemala. There is also romance.

Overall, an interesting novel. Covers various topics and does so in a vivid, and captivating way. Not much historical fiction is set in this region within this time frame, so this was truly a refreshing read.


Rating: 3.75/5


* ARC courtesy of NetGalley *

[Linda Sadler · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book really had some weird plot pivots. They made the book a bit discombobulated. I know this is a debut author so maybe she’ll take a different path next time. I also get this is a period piece that takes place in the 1500’s but it had me wondering what the heck
Was going on and what the whole point was.

[Andria Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a delightful historical fiction that flowed so beautifully that I was enchanted to read this in one sitting.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come! 🔥

(FINAL REVIEW:)

This was a wonderful historical fiction with a dash of fantasy tale set in 16th Guatemala. I really like the mixing of Mayan mythology and belief in a historical setting that holds such tragic and traumatic memory for the K’iche’ Maya. 🌋

The story follows Catalina, the 16 year old Mestiza daughter of Don Alfonso López de Cerrato who was the president at the time. She is heavily sheltered against her will by her father who, in his own way, wanted to bring her up as a respectable Spanish lady. Sadly for him, she’s willful and seeks to have meaning in her life other than a courtly lady and constantly at odds with both sides of her heritage. I really liked how Robleda wrote about Catalina’s issues that came with her mixed identity and how both her mother and father expected a lot from a young child. Also having the responsibility of guarding your people’s most prized document from your own father? Applause to you, my lady! 📜

The subplot of romance was interesting, but I do feel like it was a bit rushed towards the middle point. I would’ve liked a bit more slow burn to make the attraction really feel genuine instead of kind of forced. I also found the beginning slightly rushed as well; I feel like if the book had maybe another 75-ish pages to really hone in on the romance and tension that sneaking around performing ancient rituals under dark would’ve given me more of a sense of urgency instead of slight recklessness. 🤷🏻‍♀️

In general though, I still had a great time learning about Mayan mythology and the faith that went with it and how lucky we are today to even have ANY relics, documents, culture and language left! 💀

I was incredibly lucky to read this through Amazon’s First Reads program via Prime, and I wanted to thank the author, Robleda, for crafting a beautiful historical tale of survival in the face of occupation and cultural genocide. ❤️

Publication date: August 1!

Overal: 4.25/5 ⭐️

[Marisol M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️