Lucha of the Night Forest

Lucha Moya #1

by Tehlor Kay Mejia

An edge-of-your-seat fantasy about a girl who will do anything to protect her sister--even if it means striking a dangerous bargain. Dark forces, forgotten magic, and a heart-stopping queer romance make this young adult novel a must-read.

A scorned god.
A mysterious acolyte.
A forgetting drug.
A dangerous forest.
One girl caught between the freedom she always wanted and a sister she can't bear to leave behind.
Under the cover of the Night Forest, will Lucha be able to step into her own power...or will she be consumed by it?

This gorgeous and fast-paced fantasy novel from acclaimed author Tehlor Kay Mejia is brimming with adventure, peril, romance, and family bonds--and asks what it means for a teen girl to become fully herself.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy

368 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2023

About the author

TEHLOR KAY MEJIA (he/him) is a bestselling and award winning author of books for all ages.

His debut young adult novel, WE SET THE DARK ON FIRE, received six starred reviews, as well as the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, and the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner up honor for debut speculative fiction. It has been featured on Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O by Oprah Magazine’s best books lists, and was a 2019 book of the year selection by Kirkus and School Library Journal.

Tehlor’s debut middle grade novel, PAOLA SANTIAGO AND THE RIVER OF TEARS, was published by the Rick Riordan Presents imprint at Disney/Hyperion. It received four starred reviews, and was named Amazon’s best book of 2020 in the 9-12 age range.

Tehlor strives to create stories which showcase the importance of community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values. He lives with his child, wife, and two dogs in his home state of Oregon, and is active on Instagram @tehlorkay.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who enjoyed a YA fantasy? Moi? I'm flabbergasted. Anyway. As with the rest of my ARCs, I meant to read this 9234829346 years ago, but here we are. It's a good month for this one, anyway. Heritage. Horror. All of that. I may have mentioned this before when reviewing MEXICAN GOTHIC, but what is it about mushrooms?

As always, there is a very prevalent theme of light and dark. I don't enjoy the idea of a savior, but I get that it's relevant to the culture. Because I'm trash, I wanted a villain romance. That's not what we got, and I'm mostly fine with that. It's not quite first love, but it almost feels like it. It's cute, I guess. What is wrong with me?

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Make Me a World

[Samantha Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great sapphic tale from Tehlor Kay Mejia. Lucha of the Night Forest is a gripping journey into the unknown, rooted in sisterhood, steeped in ancient peril, and sown with romance.

Note: I received an Advance Reading Copy from the publisher.

[emileigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!

This book was...a mess. Let's start with the good things. The cover is beautiful and what drew my attention. The description was intriguing but really didn't describe the book at all. The writing was good with some occasional quotes I liked.

There was no goddess, Lucha had known that for a long time. No savior. There was only what you were willing to do for the people you loved. Only what you were willing to pay for their freedom.

Okay on to the rest.

I really liked Lucha, the main character, a lot at first. She reminded me of my favorite character, Katniss Everdeen, and their situations were even similar. A stronger older sister with an absent mom who is the sole provider for her little sister. Except Prim wasn't a brat :( Everything was going okay and then suddenly everything was just happening so fast. At one point, Lucha is in a cell apparently for months described in a couple of paragraphs. I had no idea she was in there that long until later when she reflected on it for like two seconds. Lucha and her love interest had maybe a total of four conversations between a couple of days before Lucha decides she loves her...but she doesn't.....but she does. The romance felt very shallow, and even by the end, it hadn't gotten any deeper. It felt like there was supposed to be a blossoming romance with the antagonist but only in weirdly worded sentences that just eluded to clouded feelings before bouncing back to hate.

Everything was just...confusing. It felt like reading four different books at once as Lucha's feelings for anyone including her own sister weren't consistent. I went into this book thinking it was the beginning of a series, which made the ending even that more disappointing. The ending fell flat and really made me feel like I had read the whole book for no reason.

[Hanna☾₊‧⁺˖⋆ (Free Palestine) · Rating 2 out of 5]

So let’s start with the fact that I’m going to kill Dream because he was NOT the god of hunger and rot, it was JUST rot. Or Rot and Decay but NOT hunger and that threw off all my guesses you beghairat insaan.

Ahem, anyway….


This book was an okay read, but in some ways sort of predictable. With quite a few different aspects.

Lucha, our female main character (does anyone know how you pronounce her name? Is it like, Luca? Or do you pronounce the ‘cha’?) lives in a typical fantasy in terms of a small group of elite people who have all the power, riches and control and make the lives of the rest a living hell.

She suffers through the drudgery of her day to day life trying to make ends meet and have enough money to keep herself and her sister alive because their mother is a big time user of the drug, Olvida.

Essentially Lucha ends up undertaking a quest, fueled by her rage against the drug that has ruined so many families, so many lives and the people who use it as a means to control others.

Aided by a god of rot and decay (not hunger, ahem) and an acolyte called Paz, she sets out to change her reality once and for all.


Now, let’s go into more detail.


The Romance:

After having had numerous encounters with this author’s work, I’ve noticed that when it comes to romantic relationships, insta-love is an extremely prominent theme. Within five seconds of casting eyes on each other, sparks begin to fly and the characters feel everything from warmth in the other person’s presence to even silent acknowledgement that they love the other person. Yes, crazy, I know.

But, believe it or not, there is something that irked me even more than that all too familiar and despised trope. From the moment Lucha meets Paz, all her observations to do with the girl are nothing more than physical. It is so weird and uncomfortable, the way she sees and thinks about her is exactly like a horny guy and forgive me if I’m asking too much but, is there nothing else to her other than her physical beauty? While Paz time and time again describes Lucha’s bravery or good heart or whatever other undeserved compliments she gave her that I honestly can’t remember at this point, if you are dying to know what was running through Lucha’s mind, allow me to enlighten you. It was: ‘curves’, ‘lips’, ‘body’ and more along the same lines. I’m nott saying physical attraction is wrong but for the love of everything, could you not think of anything else good about her?

*Insert clip from that movie where the guy says, “You’re beautiful” and the girl says, “Thank you, but, what else?” And he goes, “What else? What else is there?”* (I haven’t watched it and don’t know what it’s called lol, don’t kill me)


Now let us delve a little deeper into some of the characters:


Lis (the sister) - She and Lucha really need to learn how to communicate with each other. When they’re not facing off in a typical teenager angst moment where ‘no one understands me’ and ‘you’re not my mom’, they’re running headfirst into dangerous situations to save the other instead of thinking, hm, maybe I should talk to my sister and make a plan with her to save ourselves without any unnecessary sacrifices.

Alán (the ‘bad’ guy) - So either Lucha has really bad taste in friends or people really DO change that much. Also why is everyone always obsessed with or ‘wants’ the fmc? Are you really telling me that there isn’t even one other girl in the vicinity who is just as, if not more, (since this is all that seems to concern you) pretty?


El Sediento/Lucha - The reason I’m putting them together is because despite this being about him, how thick would you call her exactly to not even consider that the dark creepy cloaked shadow who has been stalking her and gives off creepy vibes might be evil? I mean, since when is any goog guy awake and about, lurking in the streets at that time? I am not, for the record, saying she was stupid to take the deal but you didn’t even suspect him? Really?

Rio (the intense, overbearing, bossy, controlling, power-hungry acolyte leader) - She um… let’s just say she has issues she clearly needs to work on. Though honestly she comes across as annoying more than anything, one of those I am right, you are wrong, kind of people who want everything to go their way and would probably throw a tantrum if they didn’t get it. I mean, she literally forced Lucha to take part in a special ritual which essentially symbolises her submitting to their goddess, coercion much?

Paz (lover girl) - Honestly she was really sweet and I think Lucha was absolutely ridiculous with her decision in the end. Is open communication illegal or something? But yeah, she would be a greattt friend and she was not at all appreciated properly for her sacrifices, bravery and good heart.



The Plot:

Well… every twist is apparent from a mile away, the events are cliche, the dialogue is nothing special, the pacing is off. The whole mushroom magic aspect was so cool but I feel like we deserved more scenes with vines choking people to death and sprouting through every pore of their body. Just me? Anyway that’s all from me (for now).

[Gohnar23 · Rating 2 out of 5]

#️⃣2️⃣6️⃣6️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 ⛈️⚡🚨
Date : 📢 Monday, June 2, 2025 🍙⚔️
Word Count📃: 85k Words 🏕️

──★ ˙💥🪨💣🪨💥 ̟ ⋆✮˚.*⋆

ദ്ദി ≽^⎚˕⎚^≼ .ᐟ My 4th read in "Explosive Impactful Reads June"

2️⃣🌟, what is...happening
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗

Reading this because of a reading challenge everyonee :D (i hate fantasy books so we're gonna have a trip in here)



If there's such thing as "too fast paced" i would say this one, there is simultaneously many things happening & no things happening at the same time. There's the little girl, the thirsty man, the forest goddess, there's this random character named ‘Lis’ that I thought was a side character til I realized that was actually her sister¿¿?¿, Ma boi aLän who only appeared like idk..4 times in the entire book?. Lydia, (more random side characters) and then……Paz~~

I DIDN'T EVEN THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS THE LOVE INTEREST IN THE FIRST PLACE 😭😭😭😭😭 I THOUGHT THAT WAS LIKE HER FRIEND OR SMTH, IT JUST HIT MY BRAIN THAT (waitt..is she the love interest?). Its insta love,. But insta love to the point where i didnt even realize it was insta love until further down their ‘very shallow relationship subplot’ cuz this book has really no ✨main main main plot✨, plus their insta love went from ‘totally unwanted unreliable strangers’ to ‘oooohh ok i love u now’

I partially blame the writing style for here. This book is too pretentious and tries to do many things at once, but in doing that, just proceeds to do absolutely nothing of the goals that it set for itself. There's just ACTION, ACTION, ACTION, too many action, it jumps from new ideas to one another, moving in then wanting to move out of the city (or whatever a place is called in a fantasy setting). There's little space for characters, character depth and character development. But if you just want pure and only action in your books then this is probably for you, but I just really need well written and deeply introspective characters (or even just the main character) to be able to achieve that.

But what about world building? I mean yeah there's the forest and alla that, the descriptions make it sound so delightful and so scarcely horrifying at the same time, such a nice contrast, but that's where it ends, to the descriptions of the many locations. The IMAGERY is the highlight and the primary strength of this book. But just like The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, imagery alone doesn't atone for every other aspects of the story. What am i going to do with beautiful lyrical prose that express and detail the environment without the implication to use it for a good story? Right….nothing :/ but what about the history, culture, society, cosmetology, and economics???,.UHHHHHHHHHHHH NONE, the magic system is well crafted and explained thoo 🥰🥰🥰🥰 there are also gods and goddesses, pretty good. AND the talk about government control and politics is well explored here too! Especially with the use of the Olvida drug that everyone is addicted to, which is the closest thing in here as the ‘main plot’ or the eviction notice ish of both of the sisters as they navigate available jobs and career options.. oops another ‘main plot’. Too young for Los Ricos so they have to do labor in other locations which are just more dangerous than that. Once again trying to do so many plots at the same time.

✨So many plots, so little pages✨

cuz really if this was 300 pages more this would've been perfect, if the book took its time to explain every subplot and connecting all of them together. Also making space for character depth AND to finally emphasize the sapphic romance that this book tries to brag about.

And the ending tho is quite open and ‘up for interpretation’. or maybe a stylistic choice for ppl to purchase the sequel to have a true explanation of what the hell just happened, it's too vague AND FOR A STORY WHERE THERES TOO MANY THINGS HAPPENING…the ending which doesn't even give the readers a distinct conclusion, ye is kinda bad haha.

So the main problems in here is juss, TIMING, PACING, CHARACTER, DEPTH CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (and also should have more world building). Every single aspect of this is already really good, the drugs, the forest, the sapphic romance, the sisterhood, the villains, the godesses, and ALAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LUV U ALLLLAN EVEN THO UR JUST A SIDE CHARACTER, URE PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW WELL WRITTEN ONES.

But u know i am too biased, cuz this IS my review. I am biased towards fantasy books, i hate reading those so take this with a fat grain of processed commerciallized salt🧂.


Well props to them really, they managed to insert a filipino swear word :D (im from da Philippinesssssss)

“Filthy puta,”

orrrrr it wasn't supposed to be that and is actually puta in Spanish or Portuguese which means prostitute. eh nothin, just silly thing that i found.

[sarah 🍉 · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, a summary of what i think of this book is in Carolina's review: Carolina's review
She wrote every small thought that I had while reading this, but regardless of that, i'm still going to write my own version lol.

So, lets start with the WRITING:
This part was a major reason as to why I took almost a week to finish this book. While reading, I felt this was more suited for beginner readers or people who are just getting into fantasy or magical worlds. Since I’ve read a fair share of books, I felt that the language used was basic or very sterotipycal. There were moments were the characters went from very emotional out of knowhere to very violent that it was just ridiculous. It had a few moments were the writing was beautiful or had somewhat decent dialogue.

CHARACTERS:
The characters were alright: too many stereotypes, little character development, and they felt stiff, with no depth at all.
LUCHA MOYA: She was the typical 16-year-old who relies only on herself until she slowly learns to ask for help. That’s clearly what the author wanted to show, but she didn’t quite pull it off. Lucha felt like a brick. That’s it.
PAZ: She was Lucha’s love interest. There was no chemistry. Nothing. Nada. I probably could’ve found more interesting chemistry between a spoon and toilet paper. She was just there to be the love interest and didn’t have much depth, apart from being a follower devoted to the goddess (whose name I can’t even remember).
LIS: Annoying. Absolutely no character development. The typical scared damsel in distress + rebel teenager that the sister has to save. Then out of nowhere, Lis is strong, resilient, and brave. Brother in Christ, where did that come from?!?
OTHER CHARACTERS: I’ll summarize: the villains are not memorable. They’re just the typical villain stereotype. Blah blah blah. The other characters… were something (not in a good way).

ROMANCE: There was no real romance. Like I said, Paz felt like a placeholder love interest for Lucha, not someone with dreams or goals. Lucha and Paz had no chemistry, as mentioned before. The love between the sisters was boring, just like Paz and Lucha.

PLOT: God, the plot had amazing potential, but it was badly executed. The themes touched on in this book could’ve been explored in much more depth. The story leaned more into the action and fantasy aspects, rather than exploring the political or religious elements, which was a real shame and a waste of potential.

Lastly, one thing I disagree with Carolina on is that the book didn’t have too many things going on at the same time. Rather, it had inconsistencies or just didn’t finish the arcs it started. It felt like the author got bored halfway through one plotline and rushed to wrap it up.

In conclusion, I expected more from this book.



♥ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝓟𝐫𝐞-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝:
(i haven’t done this in a while 😅😅) sooo, this seem interesting (??) apparently it mixes english with a little bit of spanish lol soo, let’s see if it’s good

[Carolina · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars ⭐️

Lucha of the Night Forest promises a lot: a gripping blend of fantasy, dystopia and queer representation. With this bold premise - desperate teenager makes a pact with a God of rot to save her sister in a drug ridden society - I had high hopes. The idea of a magical forest against a corrupted city addicted to memory erasing drugs had so much potential. Also add queer representation and feminist themes and the book seemed destined to deliver something memorable.

Unfortunately, while there were moments of interesting ideas, the book didn’t quite land for me. It had all the right ingredients (that’s why my 2.5 is a 3 on Goodreads), but didn’t fully came together in this execution.

THE PLOT AND PACING:
The story opens with our main character, Lucha, surviving in Robado - a city where the poor are trapped in poverty and the wealthy profit off the memory erasing drug Olvida. Her mother disappears and she is left to care for her younger sister, Lis. The plot advances and Lucha is desperate, which drives her to strike a bargain with a God known as El Sediento.
This setup is compelling and the stakes feel urgent in the beginning. However, the execution of this felt uneven. The first quarter of the book is slow and focused on setup and atmosphere (all the vibes). When the action ramps up, the pacing becomes erratic. Big plot developments happen quickly and sometimes confusingly, while other moments that could have used more emotional weight get lost because they happen so quickly and superficially.
I feel that there is a constant tension between trying to be dreamlike and trying to be action driven, and the result is a narrative that feels fragmented. Several important plot threads are introduced, but either are underdeveloped or abandoned too quickly. By the end, I’m not sure the payoff was worth the build up. I don’t see this book hanging on his own, maybe with the second book everything will get together.

CHARACTERS:
Lucha: Our protagonist has a clear motivation in the beginning: protect her sister at all costs. Her love for Lis is supposed to be the emotional backbone of the story. However, I struggled to connect with her on a deeper level. She is reactive for much of the story and while that fits the narrative of having to survive, it made her character act feel stagnant.

Paz: The romantic interest, a girl connected to the Goddess Almudena. She had potential, but felt underwritten. Their relationship is well meaning, but the chemistry didn’t feel earned. Their moments together lacked tension and development, making the romance more of a checkbox you know? Not an emotionally element of the book.

Lis: For me, she was one of the more compelling characters. Her innocence and courage ground the story and her dynamic with Lucha is emotionally believable. That said, even she doesn’t get much independent character development beyond being “the little sister to protect”.

Alán: The antagonist. He had so much potential, however for me he felt flat and the stereotypical “rich boy villain”. He serves his narrative purpose, but doesn’t offer much depth. We are compelled to believe that there is past history between him and Lucha, but that’s not explored at all and his antagonist role is not long.

The other secondary characters, like the followers of Almudena, are introduced very briefly and fade quickly, there’s no emotional connection nor attachment.

Overall, all of the characters felt more like archetypes than fully formed people. They supported the themes of the narrative, but didn’t leave a strong emotional impact.

THEMES:
This book tackles big themes: memory, power, sisterhood, queer identity and the cost of survival under an oppressive regime. These are powerful and important ideas and they are clearly present in the story, especially through the contrast between the decaying city of Robado and the mythical forest.

The critique of memory altering drugs speaks to issues of trauma and capitalist exploitation. The fact that the poor are addicted to forgetting while the rich profit from it is a sharp metaphor. However, it’s one that the book doesn’t explore as deeply as I would like.

Sisterhood is probably the strongest theme represented in the bond between Lucha and Lis. Their relationship is supposed to be the heart of the book, but doesn’t really achieve that.

The queer self discovery theme is present through Lucha and Paz’s relationship, but much more subtly than I expected. It’s refreshing to see queer characters in a fantasy setting without their queerness being the entire conflict, but I felt the emotional and romantic arc lacked depth.

There are also ideas about reclaiming personal power, resisting corrupt systems and finding community, but none are explored as they could.

WRITING STYLE:
Tehlor Kay Mejia’s writing is ambitious. There are several moments where the prose definitely shines, especially when describing the forest. The dreamlike narrative lends itself well to magical realism and metaphor heavy storytelling.
However, I found the writing inconsistent. At times it felt overworked (metaphors layered on metaphors). The dialogue felt stiff sometimes or overly formal (I felt this in emotional scenes especially).
The book tells rather than shows. Emotional revelations and dramatic decisions are delivered in a sentence or two, without building up to them. This undercuts the impact of these key moments.

WORLD BUILDING:
The dual settings of Robado and the Bosque de la Noche are strong. Robado is a dystopian city marked by decay, addiction and control. By contrast, the forest is lush, eerie and alive with magic. The Gods that rule it, El Sediento and Almudena, serve as metaphors for corruption and healing, respectively.
However, the world building for me lacks clarity. I’m used to reading high fantasy books with complicated magic systems, but this one just didn’t explain it. The rules of the forest magic, the origins of the Gods and even the way that the resistance operates all feel vague. I often found myself wanting more, more context, more detail, more logic behind the magic.
The atmosphere is effective, but the lore isn’t quite strong enough to support the story’s weight.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Lucha of the Night Forest is a book with a lot of ambition. It wants to be a feminist dystopia, a queer fantasy, a critique of capitalism and a magical coming of age story all at once. While those elements are present, they don’t cohere into a satisfying whole.
The prose is sometimes beautiful and the bond between Lucha and her sister is touching. But uneven pacing, thin character development and underdeveloped world building kept me at a distance.

For me this was more style than substance, a story with a strong concept that didn’t quite follow through.
Great premise, strong themes and representation there, but ultimately underwhelming in execution.

[Amy]

I am so beyond excited for this can fall 2022 pls arrive so I can have this in my hands <3

[Andrea Beatriz Arango]

I'm a big fan of Tehlor Kay Mejia (both YA and MG), so I was thrilled to get approved for the Netgalley arc of LUCHA OF THE NIGHT FOREST. Tehlor's narrative style is so different in this one -- they made me nostalgic for something I couldn't quite pinpoint. I gobbled the book and its whole world up.

Anyways, grab this one when it comes out on March 21st if you want:

🗡️sisterly bonds
🗡️forest magic
🗡️an all-consuming addictive drug
🗡️classism + a corrupt govt
🗡️old powerful gods
🗡️sapphic romance
🗡️ambiguous morals
🗡️an angry MC with a dagger

And remember that you can always request that your library buy it - that helps authors too and costs you nothing 💖

[Tessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

A lovely surprise.

We absolutely need more of this type of fantasy in the mainstream. Not only was the content different; the magic, Gods/Goddesses, and the personal situations the characters went through, but the very tone of how the story is told is so different than most of the books you'd pick up. A stark honesty throughout this story made even the lulling parts keep my interest.

I will say that some aspects took some time to get used to, and others felt a little rushed. This didn't deter me from continuing. But I wish I had known more about what Lucha encountered in the prison, or even a more personal connection to the world around her. I'm probably not the only one that notes that with the type of POV this book portrayed. I think a shift in perspective might have given the story a bit more depth in the places it was lacking. There was a lot going on in this book though.

Overall I loved, again, the honesty of this. Lucha's relationships with her mother, who is addicted to Olvido, the drug that has so many in its thrall and what causes them to lose their home, her sister, who is difficult at best, the finicky God in her head promising all kinds of things, and Paz, whom she wants absolutely nothing and everything to do with in turn. I think the relationships are what really made this book for me and the narrative of Lucha using her power to disrupt the current way of things, refusing to sit back or run away, mirrored a desire I think many people have to live in situations similar to hers.

[Musings on Living · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucha of the Night Forest is a Latinx sapphic YA standalone fantasy that explores the ties of loyalty, sisterhood and friendship.

Lucha and her sister are forced to fend for themselves after their mum becomes addicted to the drug that has been taking over the land. Lucha discovers her mysterious powers may be the answer to stopping the corruption.

For me, the story started off slowly and then really kicked into hyper mode after the halfway point. The world-building and magic system were quite unusual, it gave a whole new meaning to magic mushrooms! I would have enjoyed more development of Lucha’s abilities and greater depth to the plot, but the uncovered backstories add a nice complexity. As does its take on the chosen-one trope which includes discussions around free will, addiction and faith, all mixed into the action of the story.

3🌟

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a fantastic premise, a strong main character, and nice representation. There are passages that are beautifully written and the story is fast paced. It's overall a good read and I enjoyed following Lucha on her mission.

I struggled with how quick this went and had times where I wasn't sure what exactly was happening. I think the author packed a lot of action in, but didn't take as much time to develop the character relationships or show us all the details of what was going on. The romance was cute but came off a bit too insta-love for me. If things weren't quite so rushed, maybe we could have watched the attraction build and come naturally?

I still don't quite understand how Lucha was going to stop people from taking the forgetting drug that so many were addicted to. The ending was a bit open and I think a sequel would be nice.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the copy.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started out liking this book, but then as it went on, I found my feelings toward the book changing. It started to feel too big in scope for one 16-year-old girl. And I felt that she was given no agency, no free will. She was just reacting to the situations she found herself in.

And then the conversations in the book started to discuss fate and free will directly and how important it was for Lucha to make a choice. The theme that had been beneath the surface was suddenly all the book seemed to be about. And I felt like I was being beaten over the head by the theme and told over and over that Lucha had a choice and that what happened was because of the choice she made.

But was it? Did she really have a choice? I'd argue not. She's the Chosen One. Sure, she's shown that she could have a happy life and let another Chosen One come in the future. But could she do that? Truly? So although she felt like she made a choice, I don't think she truly had a choice at all. And the book's insistence on her making a choice felt strained beyond belief.

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

TW: drug abuse, drug addiction

Lucha of the Night Forest is a powerful story about sisterhood. It's a force that pulls you through the story. That no matter what happens, Lucha will always try to save her sister. In a world surrounded with inequity, with drugs, and power, Lucha is about to risk everything to save her home and her sister. Lucha of the Night Forest is a story that unfolds and expands. With an immersive forest setting, it features characters who are trying to protect each other. Fleeting moments of power, bargains and compromises, if you love Kay Mejia's writing style, you'll have to add Lucha of the Night Forest to your TBR.

full review: full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/thre...

[Caitlin Michelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the E-Arc**

I'll be honest, I'm struggling to write a summary for this book, so I'm just going to say it follows Lucha, her sister Lis, and their ally/friend Paz, as they try to escape their dangerous city and save their mother from the drug Olivdado. Lucha makes a bargain with El Sediento to free her city and family, and things escalate from there.

I am so disappointed because I wanted to enjoy this book so badly but it just did not work for me. I'm not sure how but both the plot and storyline felt like they were too much but also not enough for a standalone fantasy, and the ending left me incredibly unsatisfied. I didn't find the world-building to be particularly well done and there were a lot of things in the beginning that just didn't make sense to me and were not explained very well. Everything just felt incredibly surface level to me - the characters, the connection between them all, the relationships - felt one-dimensional and rushed particularly the romance. I felt like there was no time for me as the reader to build a connection with these characters either. Everything just felt very rushed - for example, there's a scene where Lucha is imprisoned for apparently months but is only talked about for around 2 paragraphs. I feel like this story had a lot of potential, and maybe would have been more enjoyable if everything wasn't crammed into one book; I could definitely see this being a solid duology that allows the world and the characters to expand so much more than they did. This one wasn't for me, but that cover is still absolutely stunning.

[Sarah {The Clever Reader} · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prose in this YA Fantasy is done beautifully. I am enjoying the standalone fantasy novels we’re getting because we get some quick resolution. However, I felt like this one needed at least one more book. The story was lyrical and the descriptions fully developed but I think that lent a bit to the confusion I had while reading.

Lucha learns to navigate her power while trying to keep her sister safe. She wasn’t always a very likeable character and I didn’t feel like I ever really connected with her. I can appreciate the love she has for her sister and the adventures they face along the journey in this book. Lucha’s abilities with the mushrooms gave me some Mexican Gothic vibes which I found interesting.

Overall, I enjoyed the writing but found it to be a bit confusing. This book will satisfy you if you’re looking for an action packed YA fantasy that is unique in nature. I would recommend reading this one even for the writing alone and if you’re looking for a quick fantasy.

[Stevie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
Sapphic Latinx story centered around sisters trying to finding ways to save each other, a mysterious forest, and a god of death lurking in the shadows.

Lucha Moya is a hunter with a special skill to go unnoticed by the beasts she’s tasked to kill. The more she tempts fate with this uncanny ability, the less she wants to use it. So she only resorts to taking bounties when her mother has gone on another bender with the Forgetting Drug, Olvida. After one such time, their mother hasn’t returned for several days and the sisters, Lucha and Lis, are facing immediate eviction. They decide to take matters into their own hands and go on their own terms, leaving their mother behind and heading into the unforgivable world.

Plot: 4/5
I. Love. Mushroom. Magic. The whole magic system developed in this story is incredible and I love it.
The plot starts kind of slow, it takes a while to feel completely invested in the story. But once they’re deep in the forest and the action picks up, I was deeply invested.

Characters: 4.5/5
Lucha Moya is such a strong character even when she believes herself to be weak. Her life has been full of pain and disappointment but she’s determined to save everyone else before herself. She doesn’t have that chosen one ego because she never really believes she was chosen. I love seeing her overcome her trust issues and fight for the ones she loves.

Paz was such a surprising character. At first I didn’t think she had much depth or purpose but she proved me wrong! She was the warrior at Lucha’s side. I liked the note the book ended in regarding their romance and I’m really hoping for a second book so I can get some more of it.

Writing: 5/5
Truly ethereal writing. I may be biased because I love mushrooms but I have never seen a cooler type of earth Magic than flesh eating fungus. Mejia created such a vibrant world with so much depth and intention. Lucha’s inner monologue builds on profound self reflection that gave me chills.

Overall: 4.5/5

[Cande]

isn't this the most beautiful cover you have ever seen? don't lie, yes, it is. i can't fucking wait!!

[Célia Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much TBR and Beyond Tours, Netgalley, Tehlor Kay Mejia, and Random House Children's for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Content Warnings: drug abuse, drug addiction, death

It took me a little bit to shift from the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy to something a little lighter and younger, but this book was a very enjoyable read! I really enjoyed the worldbuilding, the plot, and the characters in this unputdownable Latinx, sapphic fantasy!

First of all, the worldbuilding was well thought-out. While it wasn't as detailed as other YA novels, it was good enough to keep the story going and keep me hooked. It was very interesting to read about the mythology of the Night Forest (especially about Salvador and his mother), as well as the effects of the Olvidar drug on both the people who used it and their loved ones.

Secondly, the writing and plot were nice as well. The writing was very different from Mejia's "We Set the Dark On Fire" duology, and it kept my attention a lot more. The plot was a little twisty, and I honestly couldn't guess what was going to happen next. Specifically, the sort-of betrayal of one of the character's was absolutely mindblowing. I didn't see it coming, nor did I forsee the character's true role. I think my biggest complaint would have to be that the pacing was a little off. It was really hard to tell how long each scene took, and sometimes the pacing was too fast/slow for the context of the story.

Thirdly, my heart broke almost immediately for Lucha and Lis with their mother's addiction and how they were struggling to survive. I admired Lucha's bravery and determination, as well as her will to do whatever it took to protect Lis. She reminded me of Aelin from Throne of Glass; if Aelin was mixed with Katniss Everdeen (in regards to survival skills). In other words, she was one fiersome heroine. In regards to Paz, the main side character, I wish Mejia had included her POV in the story, as I felt it would've added something more to the story. However, what little we did of her, she was kind and brave.

Overall, this book was a fast fantasy read that contained elements of important real life struggles. I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves sisterly bonds, forest magic, old powerful gods, sapphic romance, and/or an angry FMC with a dagger.

[kat]

Lucha of the Night Forest is a breath of fresh air in the YA Fantasy genre!

Lucha of the Night forest is a captivating read about sisterhood. It makes me so happy to see books with sapphic and Latinx representation be published. As someone who falls into both of these communities it feels so amazing to be able to feel represented in a book, and especially with this being a young adult novel, I cannot fathom the number of young girls who will be able to relate to finally relate to a protagonist who looks like them. It‘s something I wish I had more of, and still actively seek out. Queer representation in media is so important for young people; being able to read about narratives where queer people exist, where they are the main character, makes this journey of self-discovery, that can be isolating, so much easier.

I hope to see more novels like Lucha of the Night Forest be picked up for publishing, and I cannot wait to read more from Mejia!

-
Thank you to Netgalley and to Peguin Random House for the eARC!

[Ariel (ariel_reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucha of the Night Forest is an enjoyable YA standalone. We follow the point of view of Lucha, who lives in a fantasy realm run by corporations in a capitalist nightmare. Driven by her desire to protect her sister, Lucha finds herself on a magical adventure torn between two powerful forces. I appreciated the themes of power and Lucha's drive to use her power as an act of resistance against the status quo. If you like mushrooms and mushroom magic, there's a lot of that in this book as well, which made for a unique and lush world building reading experience. I appreciated the symbolism of Lucha (in English: struggle/fight) juxtaposed against her love interest Paz (peace), and how their chemistry drives both of them to challenge their inner drives and find agency. Overall, it was a quick read and I recommend to anyone looking for a solid Young Adult with themes of resistance, family, loyalty, and power.

A huge thank you to Random House Children's and Netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review!

[Dilly · Rating 3 out of 5]

i liked it well enough but there was a lot of things that i was confused about, plot holes that needed to be filled and time jumps that should’ve been explained. lis goes from being a brat to a prisoner to little more than a decimated corpse in the matter of 1-2 pages and i was lost. the romance wasn’t much of anything and the book could’ve done without it bc the character of paz didn’t do much except get lucha imprisoned. all in all, it was mid.

[Ray of Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot even begin to describe the amount of love I have for this book and for the author, it is perfect in its imperfection. slightly darker than my usual fantasy reads but so worth it, so beautifully written, such a Rollercoaster of emotions. I still love her book 'we sat the dark on fire' more, or maybe I just love it differently, but for anyone starting with Tehlor Kay Mejia I recommend reading that book first. All in all a masterpiece ✨

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!~

And Lucha wasn't a child, she'd never gotten the chance to be.

Characters - 9/10
I love characters that really cannot be stopped when they're fighting for their friends or family and Lucha is one of those characters. I liked Paz, but I do feel like she could have been fleshed out a little more. I love how their relationship changes along the journey, especially at that moment of confession, just for Lucha to find out she's been lied too just as much as she's been lying.

Atmosphere - 8/10
I really enjoy the setting of this! Spooky forests, hidden organizations dedicated to the goddess!! Ah, so much fun! Creepy setting always make things much more interesting in my opinion.

Writing - 9/10
Tehlor Kay Mejia has a way with words and I very much enjoyed their writing. The only real complaint I had with the writing was the lack of POV, I think it would have really pushed this book to another level. Other than that, it was a delight.

Plot - 8/10
The plot was also quite interesting. Girl makes a deal with a devil of sorts, Another girl tries to stop her from completing her end of the deal, Girl ends up being the key to destroying humanity or saving it. Devil creature is a whinny little man lol. I really liked the acolyte side of all of this, I really wish we could have learned more about them and their powers of the goddess.

Intrigue - 8/10
I will definitely be looking into Tehlor's other work! I had no issues picking this up to continue the story whenever I had free time!

Logic/World Building - 7/10
Logic makes sense, I just wish we could have dived more into Salvador and the Goddess' backstory and powers. The mushroom magic was absolutely incredible and definitely the first I've seen of it's kind. I would have loved to seen even more of it!!

Enjoyment - 8/10
I really enjoyed this! I'm hoping their other works are just as intriguing. I'm very happy with the ending and it seems like there could potentially be room for a sequel so we will have to keep our eyes peeled!! I highly recommend this one if you like creepy plant magic~

Overall 8.29/10 or 4/5 stars!

[Tomes And Textiles · Rating 3 out of 5]

RTC

[Katherine Bichler · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
3.5/5 STARS

This is a YA sapphic fantasy standalone.

Synopsis:
Two sisters are forced into survival after their mother becomes addicted to a drug. Lucha must use her powers to try and bargain with the gods to save her sister.

This was an action packed YA book. I loved the sisterhood aspect: one sister trying to save the other as well as survival. I listened to the book on audio and had to go back a few times because I felt like I missed some time gaps. When she was in prison for example, I thought I zoned out but it was just a short description of what went on. The sapphic romance was a little forced for me but if developed more it would have been better.
I did enjoy the book as a fast paced, unique fantasy that wasn’t your typical fae/dragon book. So if you want something a little different try this!
Thank you to Underlined for the gifted copy! 🖤

[Kristeen_]

Pre Read
I really dont wanna,,
*sigh* I think this is what too much time on hands gets you,,,

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I Like:
1. The pace of the story is GOOD. I never feel it's too long or too fast so I am always hooked to read it until finish.
2. The forest is alive and brimmed with malevolent & magnificent creatures–alive or not, I LIKE THIS. It sure feels magical and solemn whenever the forest is being described.
3. The precious values inserted, ex: Lucha understood why her mom behave like that, Obispo Rio and her ‘gilded’ sanctuary that actually doesn't help the ones that need it the most–can be argued tho, and Lucha realized... (And strucked me) that in certain situation we cannot pick righteousness because we just can't because we cannot afford it. The last value has me in chokehold because it's the blistering truth.

What I Don't Like:
1. This doesn't bother me much tho: Lucha jumping to name the feeling as love for Paz and vice versa. I think it's attraction because they both barely know each other at that time.
2. Sometimes the description is not clear enough for me so I don't know what exactly happening, did Lucha do something? If yes, what did she doooo? I feel like the author uses words that aren't that clear but it's arguable since prolly my vocabulary that's limited.

Overall I enjoy reading this A LOT!! Placing this in my favourite reads, hehe.

[seasalted.citrus (Topaz, Oliver) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars?! The start was really strong, with brutality that made it incredibly difficult to read at times, and a more than solid sister bond. After that, though…it went a little wonky? The romance shared some promise of steady development, but then the chemistry felt contrived towards the middle, as if the author suddenly realized Lucha couldn’t keep herself shut off if it was to work?! I thought the god and goddess aspects would ruin this for me, because they added an additional fantasy element to some of the more grounded-in-reality issues that I didn’t really jive with?, but they ended things off on a somewhat open note and it redeemed that for me.

(SPOILERS!!: I was a little annoyed with Lucha losing her abilities at the end, but then I realized that her keeping her mortality kept the humanity of the plot and her character intact. In a story like this, I think that’s incredibly important! Another book I started out really liking but then kinda went off the rails towards the middle *cough* The Gilded Ones *cough* did that, and I did not like it. The ending was clunky as shit.)

The additional .25 was added because of the strong first third, and some of the issues with the godly elements being redeemed for me by the ending.

[Emily Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 ⭐️ An enjoyable sapphic fantasy with plant magic.

This is not my favourite book by the author, but they still remain on my very short auto buy list because even though it was not my favourite work of theirs I still enjoyed it greatly. Personally I would say start with the We Set the Dark on Fire duology first which remains one of my favourite YA works to date.

Saying that, this was a good read. Don’t go into this for romance, it’s barely a focus. Go into this for its critique on the world of hard drugs harming at risk communities, the plant magic, and feminine rage.

Rep// Latina WLW/ sapphic MCs. Relationship featured is sapphic.

TW’s listed below, please skip if you don’t want vague spoilers.




TW// Drugs, dealing, addiction, death of a parent, overdose scenes (on page), vague suggestions of possible sex work (this was so vague I’m not 100% sure on that one but it definitely seemed to be hinted at), blackmail, abuse (hitting, on page), confinement, absent parent.