I adored Bruja Born. Everything I loved from the first came back, even better and bigger than before. And at the same time Córdova raises the bar even higher, surpassing my high expectations and delivering a fantastic sequel. I can’t believe I waited so long to read these, but now that I have, I am fully on board.

So I’m going to list the five reasons I loved Bruja Born better than Labyrinth Lost.

Sisters. I will read anything with sisters. Seriously. I am trash for sisters. I’m not sure if it’s because I have a sister, or because I am transfixed by the idea of family – being adopted. But whatever it is, I’m there. And we get to know more about Lula and Rose.
Córdova has some really succinct and poignant writing. There are just sentences that stop me in my tracks. Writing like this deserves to be read. It deserves to be read aloud and put in frames and on cards. Make them all for me, okay? Thanks! Re-reading all my notes, my book is littered with highlights.
There is fantastic tension on the pages. It’s like a rippling of consequences, a tsunami brewing and all the ways we dive into trouble for love head first without an escape plan. What we will do and sacrifice for love is a huge theme in this book. It’s one of my favorite themes!

Lula feels like an outsider. After Alex gains newfound Encantrix powers have scarred her more than her healing abilities can fix, Lula just wants to be comforted by her family. Thank the Deos for Maks, her boyfriend who sees the best in her and brings a spark of light to her life. Then a bus crash changes everything. All of her classmates are dead, including Maks. With her powers Lula can resurrect Maks, even if she needs the help of her sisters in order to defy Death. Magic that defies the laws of the deos is unpredictable and dangerous. When it's all said and done, though, Maks isn't the only one that's back.

Bruja Born (Brooklyn Brujas #2) by Zoraida Córdova is a fantastic sequel to Labyrinth Lost. In fact, I definitely preferred this sequel to book one. Labyrinth Lost was good and very promising, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. However, I needed to return to the world that Córdova created because her world-building is top notch. As much as I enjoyed exploring the world of Los Lagos the first time around, I loved exploring the sisters' expanding world at home seeing more of the magic they're capable of since they've really started to come into their own. Without the Alice in Wonderland major inspiration, this novel is able to stand more on its own two feet. Honestly, I think I prefer Lula more than Alex as the leading perspective character. I found myself much more invested in Lula and her story rather than Alex who sometimes fell a bit short for me. Lula goes through a lot here, and as far as I'm concerned she's more realistic and relatable overall despite her flaws. My one favorite "cameo" in this story is at the 26% - Adam Silvera get a shout out! Finally, I just want to mention that this novel is more a companion to book one rather than a direct sequel. You wouldn't necessarily need to be familiar with Labyrinth Lost to appreciate Bruja Born, but honestly it just makes the story more intriguing to know the characters, world, and everything the Moritz family has been through.

Overall, Bruja Born hooked me right from the get go. I'm can't wait to see book three - and, of course, I expect it's going to feature Rose, the third Moritz sister, who has psychic abilities. I'm also looking forward to seeing more of the Thorne Hill Alliance and the Knights of Lavant in the next book. In the meantime, though, I will need to pick up the Cordova's other fantasy series, The Vicious Deep to tide myself over. If you're a fan of dark YA urban fantasies, witches, magic, you'll need to try this companion novel.

I loved this book so much. It's so, so great to read not only POC rep, but also LGBTQ+ rep, and therefore see myself represented on the page. I'm very happy to have read this.

Since Lulas life was ripped from the roots it hasn't been the same. Seeing her boyfriend impaled and Lady de la Muerte in the same day doesn’t seem to help things. There are perks to being a bruja, Lula is a healer after all. She can fix this…or can she? Rational or not she's willing to protect the boy she loves, no matter the cost. This is a great fast paced book full of suspense, action and magic.

Disclaimer: I received an arc copy of Bruja Born from Netgallery in exchange for an honest review.

A refreshing take on magic and witchcraft, the Brooklyn Bruja series is rich with Latino mythology and culture.

What I enjoyed the most about this book was the relationship between the sisters. Their bickering and banter made them relatable. The first book in the series was from the perspective of Alex, the middle sister, but this book was from the perspective of Lula, the eldest. After getting into an accident on a school bus, Lula breaks her coven’s rules and tries to bring her boyfriend back from the brink of death. Her actions have sever consequences and leave her physical weak. Now she must race to help the goddess of death, who has become trapped between realms as a result of Lula’s actions. The plot is filled with twist and turns at every corner.

I loved that Lula is still recovering, both physically and mentally, from being trapped in the Tree Of Souls from book one, Labyrinth Lost. Although she makes terrible decisions at the beginning of the book, her character development is fantastic.

While I was happy to see Alex in this story, I still don’t particularly care for Nova. I don’t find him to be a likable character, which makes it hard to understand why he would be a potential love interest for Alex.

Fans of the Percy Jackson Series will love the mixture of mythology and adventure in these books. This is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a while and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys YA fantasy.

This series just keeps getting better and better! I was a little worried when I first started because the beginning felt a bit slow. But once things took off, they reeeeaalllllyy took off! I loved that we got to dove deeper into the supernatural world of Brooklyn and learn more about these awesome characters. Lula, Alex, and Rose are such powerhouses. I just want to be best buddies with them and go on all sorts of crazy adventures!

I read this not knowing there was a first one, I’m a sucker for YA books.. this was awesome. There was a little bit of everything, all supernatural made their way into the story. Awesome work.

I give it a 3.5 stars out of 5. I went into this book knowing nothing about the author and not reading the first book, as it was not required to read that before this one. After reading this, I definitely wish that I did read the first book. I felt like there was something missing when it came to the world this was set in, like I was missing vital information that would get me to enjoy the book more. While this, as a standalone, was a great book, it definitely would benefit more if you read the other first, from what i assume. The characters, writing style, and the setting were are really great, but I definitely felt like there was just some pieces missing. While I enjoyed what I read, i definitely reading the first instead of going blind into this like I did. You can read it as a standalone, but you'll probably feel like something is missing like I did.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for free in exchange for my completely honest review.

This book was everything I'd hoped for. Despite not reading Labyrinth Lost, I could easily keep up with Bruja Born. That's a great selling point, that this book is just fine as a standalone! It skews more urban fantasy to me than straight fantasy or paranormal, but everything about it worked. I'll be recommending this to my teens who love authentic urban fantasy stories.

Zombies, witches, and other assorted paranormal entities clashing all over Brooklyn - what's not to love? In Bruja Born we follow Lula, sister to Alex who was the heroine of Labyrinth Lost. Reeling from an accident that puts her in the hospital and critically injures her boyfriend, Lula convinces her sisters to help her use magic to heal him, with dire unforeseen consequences. Racing against time, Lula must try to right the chaos her actions have caused, even though that may mean letting go of someone she loves and perhaps her own life.

Bruja Born is a diverse, fast-paced urban fantasy that balances lots of action with well-rounded characters. Lula's relationship with her family plays a strong role in the story, anchoring the fantastic with relatable themes and Lula's grief and guilt are portrayed realistically throughout. Though at times violent, most of the stomach-turning gore is implied rather than described, so squeamish readers can pick this up without too much worry. I feel like zombies have been overdone in both tv/film and literature, but this book still manages to bring something new and interesting to the table through framing them in Latinx culture.

As the characters continually reference happenings from Labyrinth Lost, readers who haven't read the (wonderful) first book in the series before starting this one are bound to be a bit confused and should start there instead.

This is the first book I've read by this author but reading the other story about the Mortiz sisters first wasn't required. I enjoyed the unique world which is deeply details and yet easy to follow. Each sister holds unique powers and after a horrible bus crash that kills her boyfriend, Lula will need them all and more. A fun YA book that readers who enjoy vampire (though not a vampire story!) or magic books will enjoy.

Plot: Even though Bruja Born was a sequel to Labyrinth Lost, it read more like a companion. There was a quick summary to remind readers what happened in Labyrinth Lost with the focus being Lula Mortiz and Lula royally messed up Bruja Born. After the happenings in Labyrinth Lost, Lula had both emotional and physical scars. This led to relationship difficulties with her longterm boyfriend Maks. After a fatal traffic accident that left Maks dead, Lula attempted to bring Maks back from the dead in hopes that she could repair their relationship. Instead of bringing back her loving boyfriend, she brought back a horde of zombies. Do I have your attention now?

Just like Labyrinth Lost, Bruja Born was told in three parts with the third part having the most action. I loved the pacing overall and I was surprised by how much more there was to learn about Lula's family and the dynamics between the different paranormal sects. In my opinion, Bruja Born had me with more questions and provided almost no answers which only has me antsy for Rose's story.

Characters: Lula was very different from Alex and I was surprised by how much she encompassed second-child characteristics. She was vain and still upset with her sister for having her trapped in the magical world of Los Lagos. Much of Bruja Born focused on Lula's relationship with her family which made me invested in this series.

Worldbuilding: What I loved about Bruja Born was that it all took place in New York City so it felt more like an urban fantasy compared to Labyrinth Lost. I especially loved that we got to explore the alliance that kept the peace between the brujas and other magical creatures. There were vampires y'all! And for the Supernatural crowd, we were introduced to a group of hunters who appeared when the peace was disrupted.

Short N Sweet: Bruja Born was even better than Labyrinth Lost, all urban fantasy readers will love this!

Oh My!!! First off - I Absolutely love books about witches -- excuse me Brujas. Especially ones as well written as the ones by Zoraida Cordova! I will say that I enjoyed this book more than Labyrinth Lost. There was just something just more magical about this story, more heartfelt and entertaining. You could really feel everything Zula was going through, being torn between family and love, her power, her fears and all her emotions through the entire story. I definitely couldn't put it down. Anticipating the next book!!!

Labrynth Lost was one of my favorite books of the past few years so I was looking forward to book two in the Brujas series. This next story is told from the older sister’s POV and takes place in New York. Depressed and physically scarred, Lula can no longer be the bright and beautiful cheerleader she was before the events in Los Lagos (book 1). Everything seems to be going wrong in her life and it’s making her a bitter, young woman. When tragedy strikes Lula and her friends, she makes some ugly decisions because it just doesn’t seem fair that she should be the only one to always lose someone or something. The living dead, supernatural alliances, and Men in Black types dominate the rest of the book. The writing is still stellar and there’s plenty of action to keep it all interesting but I could not connect with the main character or her bf, Maks, which of course, made the book drag for me. When the other sisters or parents were engaged into the book, the story would take off temporarily but then that same loop of Lula and Maks would return and the momentum was lost. Lula’s best moments came at the end when she stopped feeling sorry for herself and acted liked the big sister she was. I loved the new supporting characters, especially Rhett, and wished the author had only devoted a small part of the story to Maks and dove right into the Bruja sisters and the new romance with Rhett instead of making us wait. I would still recommend because the Bruja sisters’ stories are addictive and so I will definitely keep reading the series.

**Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

I devoured Labyrinth Lost the day before I started Bruja Born. So, I started Bruja Born with incredibly high expectations--and I was not let down. I loved everything from the characters to the plot to the dialogue.

This book follows Lula, the eldest Mortiz sister. It's been 8 months since the events in Labyrinth Lost and Lula is deeply scarred--mentally and physically. She tries to act as if she's okay, but everyone knows she's not. On the way to a soccer game Lula, and her boyfriend, Maks, along with the rest of the team get in a huge car wreck. Heartbroken, Lula beseeches her sisters to help her heal Maks against the Circle's wishes.

Similar to the last book, Lula realizes she has made a grave mistake. You cannot interfere with Death and not expect consequences or payment. Soon, the Mortiz sisters are running all over town in hopes of eradicating the havoc they caused. Throw in some paranormal beings such as: casimuertos (basically zombies; they are half alive and half dead), vampires, and shape-shifters and you have the recipe for an amazing story.

"Everyone wants me to be better, feel better, without giving me the time to do so."

I adore Lula. Her voice is incredibly distinct and unique from Alex's in the last book. The author did an amazing job in fleshing out and developing Lula's character in this book. It was such a heartwarming and fulfilling experience to watch Lula find herself again. I smiled at every sarcastic remark. I cheered for her at every obstacle. It's impossible to not love Lula--which was my biggest complaint about Alex in the last book. In my opinion, Lula is a much more likeable protagonist--however, I did enjoy Alex as a side character in this book!

Overall, this book is about the power of love and family. You get to see all 3 of the Mortiz girls fight together, protect each other, and sacrifice for each other. It's beautiful. Zoraida Cordova does a phenomenal job of painting a picture of what unconditional love looks like. I cannot wait until the next book!! Rose's story is going to be epic.

I love books featuring a strong bond between sisters and Cordova delivers. I was hesitant about this book when the ARC became available simply because zombie stories are usually overdone or cliche. But Cordova weaves such an intricate tale with the lore and brujería tied to that love we feel we can’t let go of at a young age that it’s both entrancing and immersive.

Latinx fans of Charmed looking for brujas that look like them, should not miss this series.

The podcast is in the link, but this was an amazing book! Good tension made me want to never put this book down, there was good characterization, and all in all it was a complete joy to read!

Oooo what a sequal this was. As the second book in The Brooklyn Brujas series I could not wait to start reading this. Labyrinth Lost was such a hit that this one was sure to follow in the steps of its predecessor, right?
It picks up not long after the Mortiz family comes back from Los Lagos. Everyone is still adjusting after their traumatic adventure. You see it most in Mr. Mortiz (their newly returned father) and in Lula herself. Whom the POV in this book comes from. Lula struggles tremendously with her physical and emotional scars which left deep impressions on her. She simply isn’t the same anymore and everyone has taken notice. Not long into the book her schools bus crashes. Leaving many dead or severely injured in the hospital. Including Lula herself. When she hears that there’s even an inkling of a chance for Maks to live she doesn’t hesitate to do everything in her power, and the power of her sisters, to save him. When the magical canto they perform goes horribly wrong Lula, Alex and Rose are left running around fervently to clean up the mess they made.
It’s actually kind of ironic as at the beginning of the book Lula herself isn’t too different from a casimuerto (meaning almost dead). In the sense that she’s only half there most of the time, moping around day to day as though the life inside her is just gone.
What I really loved most was how the whole family came together. I’m a sucker for close family relationships. Alex, Lula and Rose share one of the strongest sibling bonds I’ve ever read in a book. They put each other first and are literally always there for one another. To get each other into trouble and to bale each other out again.
What I didn’t like, was Lula. Actually I shouldn’t say that. It’s more like she was a bit annoying? That sounds better. As the eldest sister she just seemed incredibly immature and selfish. Granted if I was in her shoes and the love of my life could be saved, I’d have done the exact same thing…….mmmm maybe. The results of what happened were really shocking. All I kept thinking was that this is all her fault! She is so so selfish!
Her character growth, while present, took so long that the book seemed to drag on for me. Where Labyrinth Lost had a consecutive timeline of events that made everything just flow right into place, this book seemed to take it’s sweet time getting to the point. Leaving the ending something to be desired. It’s like watching a really long, detailed movie and the end is only 2 minutes long out of the 2 hours you sat watching it. This for me, was kind of a big let down. No one really wants to have to sit there and push themselves to finish a book. But I did, because the first book was really good! So I didn’t hate this book, but I really didn’t love it either.
Despite my conflicting feelings about this book I’m still very excited for the third. You can kind of guess where it’s going to head due to the cliff hanger in the Epilogue, but the real excitement will be reading it from Rose’s POV. Especially after some of the changes that she goes through in Bruja Born.

The second entry in Córdova's Brooklyn Brujas series is an absolute thrill ride! Córdova grabs you by the throat in the first chapter and doesn't let go, following Lula Mortiz and her family through a harrowing trial. This is also a great story about the selfishness of young love -- and the beauty that comes with loving yourself and those who deserve your devotion. Highly recommend!

Note: I did not read book 1 of the series.

This is an enchanting story based around a trio of sisters who refuse to accept that "one way or another, Death always collects."