War de los Corazones

Fifth Sun #4

by Talis Jones

Azconetl walked the earth, but her presence drew near those determined to overthrow it. With demons howling at the gate and the Malinche exhausted from defending their city, someone seized an opportunity to slip through unseen. Selah would be tested in her new role as a guardian while Rafael continued to battle the weight of his crown. If they didn’t act quickly, the Fifth Sun may set for good ushering forth the end of the world as they knew it.

This Cinco de Mayo may be the last.

346 pages, Paperback

Published May 5, 2022

About the author

Talis Jones is a Mexican-English author of magic and mischief with several series published in print, digital, and audio.

Dog mom, Broadway enthusiast, and life-long bibliophile, Talis currently resides in North Carolina.

Find out more about Talis and her books at www.talisjonesofficial.com.

Reviews

[Richard Calvert · Rating 5 out of 5]

War de los Corazones is the fourth book of the Talis Jones “Fifth Sun” series. Never a dull moment. The plot steadily builds suspense toward a serious confrontation between good as evil. New and fearsome enemies arise. Not to give the story away, but you may never look at cute little hummingbirds in quite the same way. Evil was almost palpable. And seemingly insurmountable. Reading about the description and actions of the evil supernaturals, I could feel the hairs starting to rise on the back of my neck. Romance between the two main characters develops further. But it is not entirely a portrayal of kissing and hugging. Rather, love here is strong on honor, loyalty and courage. Very refreshing.
It is fascinating to see how the characters change in this series. Selah improves her magical abilities, but clearly does not become invincible. She remains both adorable and frightening. Carmen continues to make claims of being the “Blood Queen.” And she loses nothing of her “charming” personality from Book 3 (a hint of sarcasm here). I don’t trust her.
The words themselves are delightful and well-chosen. It makes the book fun to read. I read it while on vacation. Great for travel or at the beach. At the library on the Queen Mary 2, I spoke to the librarian about another Talis Jones book, Crooked Raven. Cunard was delighted to put this book on the Young Adult (YA) shelf on board the ship. Yes, there are young adults and children that travel on the ship.
I enjoyed the humorous anecdotes here and there. Rafael, tough guy that he is, develops a taste for sweet pastries. His office staff is surprised and greatly amused. His brother recalls a “speech” he made as a boy, which must have been both hilarious and now embarrassing for Rafael.
The setting retains the color of urban and rural Mexico. I found myself stumbling over fewer words than I had in the earlier books.
I still had trouble with the pronunciation of some of the names of the supernatural characters, especially Asconytl. Is it “As-cone-yi-til” or “Az-co-net-el” or “As-con-I-tell?” As a somewhat dyslectic reader, I’d probably say it wrong even after reading the glossary. Speaking of the glossary, Azconytl needs to be included in the pronunciation guide. I also had trouble keeping track of the supernatural powers of the characters. Do reapers consume blood, or only tlacocoyotls? Does a Siren use only song to make spells? What extra powers does a Blood King possess?
Minor criticisms aside, I thoroughly enjoyed War de los Corazones. A great book if you’re seeking suspense and action. Or romance if you’d like a different angle. Or if you like especially frightening characters. I enthusiastically recommend this book for readers of all ages.

[Angela Jones-Cuéllar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The last book ended in a way that felt mostly resolved but this book took those few dangling threads and ran with them. We get to see Selah and Rafael finally go on an official date or three which was swoony and sweet (we also start getting a better idea of how she might fit into Rafael's life which I of course love) but to contrast it there's a lot of dark mystery coiling slowly around them. Be ready for more Aztec lore, shapeshifters, drug cartels, tenacious police, and a demon laughing in the dark. Warning: This book ends on a definite cliff-hanger but there's this little epilogue that has the anticipation for the series finale skyrocketing. *dances and screams excitedly*

P.S. There's also a little thing in the last chapter that has me seeing the potential for a spin-off series starring Noa and ya know what? I'd be down for that.

[Talis Jones]

WAR DE LOS CORAZONES (War of the Hearts), the fourth book in the Fifth Sun saga, places a new role on Selah’s shoulders as the gates to Hell shake and Rafael’s crown weighs ever heavier upon his head.

[Suzanne Rogerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as good as the rest of the series!

I really loved continuing this series, and what an ending. Now I'm desperate to pick up the last book and see Selah and Rafi kick some demon butt!

[Ashlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very hard to put down once I started. Can’t wait to see how this Book series ends! ♥️💙💜

[RDCooper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book. Can’t wait to start reading Book 5! The recipes at the back are a fun extra. Starting to listen to Book 1 on audiobook. Adds a whole new dimension.

[Sarah Ashwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great continuation of the series. I absolutely love this romantic urban fantasy series. It's so fun and unique. And let me just say... the ending of this book...whew!! Don't miss this series!