I really enjoyed the first book, so I was happy to get a chance to read this one. Manu remains a strong main character (if a little pretentious - Edith Wharton, really?), the writing is very readable, and the themes of family/connection, identity, and societal roles are interesting and consistent. Although it has a bit of middle book syndrome - multiple new characters introduced and previous ones set aside, a somewhat meandering and directionless first third and overly packed last act, leading into a dramatic finale setting up for the final book - and the world-building sometimes edged from strong into overly detailed and hard to manage, those who enjoyed the first as well as Children of Blood and Bone, Raybearer, Blood Like Magic, Legendborn, or Witches Steeped in Gold, will likely be interested in trying it out.

I received an eARC of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own!

In this thrilling sequel to Lobizona, Manu and her friends continue to fight for their freedom and their very identities. Will they be able to change the world, or will the world never stop pushing them into hiding?

Where can I even start with how much I loved this book? It was such a beautiful story of self-discovery for every character involved, and I so greatly enjoyed watching them become who they are truly meant to be. The themes in this book tore at my heart in the best of ways, from joy at watching these characters grow to utter heartbreak at watching their world try to tear them down. This series really gets to the heart of the issue of identity and self-worth, giving insight into the issue of "illegal" people. Reading these books has really opened my eyes to issues that I have never personally had to face. I have greatly enjoyed connecting with Manu and watching her journey unfold.

This book was action-packed from the very beginning, and it had me unable to put it down because I simply had to know what was going to happen next! The world is so immersive that simply reading about it is like stepping into it for yourself. I cannot get enough of how unique and stunning it all is!

These books hold such a special place in my heart already, and I simply cannot wait for the next in this series. Manu and her friends are going to be with me forever!

If you're looking for a unique, soul-touching fantasy that will leave you on the edge of your seat out of love for wonderfully perfect characters, these books are for you!

4.5⭐
G as in give-this-book-to-your-teen-
because-they-will-love-it

This series is just so good. And I say series not duology because I refuse to believe this is the last book about Manu!!

Cazadora is the sequel to Lobizona where Manu tries to find her way in a world where she is once again illegal, but this time she is judged for her parentage and powers rather than immigration papers. Romina weaves such a beautiful world for Manu to explore as she hides from the magical authorities. I honestly would have loved to see even more exploration into Karana because it was so interesting.

Romina's commentary through this world about what it means to belong, to be illegal and owning your identity is so powerful. I loved how this book truly allowed the reader to see Manu realize how she can impact other people and help them. There was definitely a moment where it seemed like this wouldn't happen and it was Katniss in the Hunger Games at District 13, but the end of the book more than made up for this as Manu insisted on owning her story and taking charge of the narrative.

I want more of these books and I want to read more of these books. If you love YA and books that take you to other slightly different versions of our world like Hunger Games, Divergent or Maze Runner, you need to read this series!!

This book was excellent. I couldn't put it down, flew through it within a day or two, and was SO SAD when it was over. Seriously, everyone buy it so that Romina Garber has to write another (she teased that she has a short addition written!!)

This book has it all: very clear dissection of the distinct gender boundaries in their world, addresses the label of "illegal" even more than the first book and the challenges Manu faces internally and externally with that label, the idea of not having a place where you fit in, friendship, found family, not hiding, shame…

Honestly it's an emotional rollercoaster and I need more.

{3.5 stars}

"She reminds me of the protagonists I like to read about in adventure stories who are independent and free in a way that makes them untouchable. I used to think I was like that because I wanted to be an astronaut and travel the stars. But part of the appeal of outer space was the hope of finding a world where I belong."

-----------------------------

I adored Garber's debut YA fantasy novel Lobizona, it was about an undocumented girl living in Miami who found out she was not only hiding from ICE but an entire race of mythical beings. (Note: It's hard to do a proper review without spoilers about Lobizona as you can't talk about the sequel without acknowledging the truth revealed in book one but I'll try.)

When the truth of Manu's existence is revealed she is on the run in not just one but two worlds. This second novel is about her acceptance of herself, finding a pack of loyal people who accept her for who she is and perhaps even changing the minds of those who find her an abomination. She takes up her father's mantle and becomes the face of a movement that she didn't want to be a part of but is the only way for her to survive.

I really loved the in depth analysis of self that these characters go through - it felt really mature for a YA novel. Their friendships and relationships had depth and sincerity. 

Why this gets a 3.5 is for two reasons. This book suffers from the fantasy magical loophole syndrome, there is a ton of cool magic introduced but it always seems to appear at a convenient time when it's just what we needed and yet the reader had no foresight of it. Lots of YA fantasies do this, probably to be more readable, but it's a pet peeve of mine. Second, the ending. It had such potential to be a good ending. Then there was the epilogue. It was unnecessary and did not fit in with the book's theme of acceptance. There was major character regression and it made me angry. But maybe you'll like it, just be forewarned that it doesn't fit the rest of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley for access to this novel. All opinions above are my own.

While I didn't read the first one, I really enjoyed this book despite not knowing what happened in the first one. The imagery is the book really beautiful and bright and the characters and plot are extremely beautiful.

Review posted on GoodReads (July 29, 2021)
Review linked.

5/5 stars!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me an E-ARC of this book for an honest review!

I have loved Romina’s writing and stories for years and this book is no exception. I loved the first book in the series, LOBIZONA, and this is such an incredible addition to the story. If you loved the first book, or have loved Romina’s other books, then I really recommend picking this one up.

I love this story and this world so much. Romina’s writing is beautiful and her world building is magical. I cannot wait to see more from her and the wonderful stories she creates.

Thanks for reading!
Caden

I really love this series as a whole. It's unique, compelling, and tackles big issues in a digestible way. Without spoiling either book, I'll say this: I think the second book expands on the first beautifully. Honestly, the pacing of this one was a lot better for me and drew me in more. Manu really came into her own as a dynamic character and things that were just barely touched on in the first book -- the concept of humans being labeled as illegal, gendered language, fear of the other, political change/revolution, etc. -- flourished in this sequel. I would love to use this book to teach about the concept of identity and finding where/who you belong with.

My only hope is that this is not the ending of the story. It seemed like the ending was building to another book, but if it wasn't, it's extremely unsatisfying.

Manu is on the run again but this time she has friends surrounding her. Manu is part of two worlds...a half human side and a half wolf side. She is being hunted for being an anamoly among both her people.

This is a fantasy book but it deals with very real topics of racism and sexism. It feels so real because Manu is being seen as "less than" or "not worthy" because she is different. I love her in both books, she just wants to belong and she's out to price that she DOES being!

Cazadora is the sequel to 2020's Lobizona (my review here), a book I read earlier this year and absolutely fell in love with (and tried desperately to fit on my Hugo/Lodestar ballot). I knew going in that Lobizona would be a YA Fantasy story dealing with the plight of illegal immigrants inspired by Argentinian culture, and well as is typical for YA, I didn't expect it to be subtle about it. But it was also very much a story of queer allegory, featuring not just issues of immigration but also the plight of not fitting in in a cis-hetero world, and it tied all the themes together so well in often really surprising and interesting ways as it told a story of werewolves (lobizones) and brujas in a world parallel to our own.

Cazadora continues that story tremendously, showing Garber very much has a feel with the plights and issues involved here.* Whereas book 1 wasn't exactly subtle with its trans allegory and theme about its main protagonist struggling with the idea of always having to hide who she herself is, Cazadora takes off any hint of subtlety whatsoever, as it dives fully into the Argentinian world of Septimus and introduces to a whole group of non-conforming lobizones and brujas who don't fit this cis heteronormative world. And the struggle of its protagonist Manu, along with her trio of best friends, with the balance between safety and freedom and being who they are, is just tremendously done from start to finish, with the book ending on a tremendous cliffhanger. I cannot wait for book 3.

*Obvious Caveat here - I'm a cis straight white male person reviewing this book, so it's always possible I'm overlooking problematic elements in how things are portrayed. But I can only lend my perspective.*

Spoilers for book 1 are inevitable:

-----------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------
Manu and her close friends - Tiago, Cata, and Saysa - have escaped the Cazadores hunting her in Lunaris and managed to make into Kerana, the mystical realm of Lobizones and Brujas in Argentina. Manu may now know who she herself is and the truth about her heritage and her father and may have made friends who she would trust with her life, but she still knows practically nothing about this world. Where can they go to find safety? And will she always be running from the Cazadores? And what about her human mother, left behind in ICE custody?

The struggle to stay ahead of their pursuers starts to wear thing on Manu and her friends, all of whom are still struggling to deal with the revelations about each other. But when Yamila, the Cazadora who nearly chased her down, nearly catches Manu in a trap, the quartet is able to escape thanks to the help of the Coven, a group of Septimus who don't conform to the rules of their society, and see in Manu an inspiring figurehead for change.

But even as the Coven seems to be everything Manu might need in allies, and everything Saysa has ever dreamed of joining, Manu fears revealing the entire truth to them - for legends abound in Septimus culture of the half-human known as La Ladrona, and will her new allies be willing to help her if they know that might really be her? And if they aren't so willing, will Manu really need to keep hiding who she is forever?
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As I mentioned above the jump, Lobizona was not just the story of an illegal alien, caught between two worlds without proper papers and without any hope of finding acceptance in either, but it was also, in the story of its first person protagonist of Manu, very much the story about being queer/trans in a cis heteronormative world (and comparing those two oppressed groups by equating them in some respects). Manu is a Lobizona, a female werewolf, in a society where men are werewolves (Lobizones) and women are brujas (witches) and there are no exceptions, and so her existence breaks the gender paradigm upon which the whole society runs - which mandates special rules for each sex, requires procreation, and does not tolerate non hetero relationships - a struggle for Manu's friends Saysa and Cata, two brujas who love each other and have to keep it quiet. So much of Manu's hiding as an illegal also translates to her hiding as a Lobizona, hiding who she is, and struggling between the need to be safe and the need to be free to be who she is, and that struggle was just beginning after book 1.

Cazadora continues hitting these themes hard, as each of the four main characters have a different perspective on the whole thing. In many ways - and this is absolutely not subtly pointed out in the narrative but it still works - Tiago is the one outlier among them all, as a cis hetero dude who could absolutely find a life in this world, even if it meant he wouldn't be with the girl he loves or would have to deal with the attention he absolutely doesn't think he deserves. And so, from his privileged perspective, he can't help but want to just stay running and not to take a stand for everything.

Then there's Cata and Saysa, two different sides of the same coin. The two love each other desperately but have different approaches to their love: Cata still longs in part for parental approval and wishes those she cares about to be safe above all else except those wishes now openly include Manu and Saysa, even if that means still hiding a little; while Saysa has always pushed for Manu to be open and to fight openly for who she is....yet Saysa also now fears the dark powers she almost used to kill the Cazador Nacho, and fears how others will react if she uses them openly. Both Cata and Saysa are not part of the norm like Tiago and in their own ways they grapple with whether or not their relationship and existences can ever be fully revealed, and whether their differences about it will tear them apart.

And then there's Manu who has all of the above feelings at times, and feels torn in all directions as a part of it. This is only amplified by her meeting with the Coven, a group of Septimus fighting for gender and queer equality, who see her as an icon to cherish from the outside. The Coven Septimus struggle with all the issues Cata and Saysa do and more, and feature trans, ace, disabled, and other Septimus who have little to no place in their own society, and while they all agree there needs to be change and that the current rule must be torn down, they disagree in large part about what should take its place. And so when it quickly becomes apparent for Manu that some of them would turn on her if she reveals her half-human nature, for their views have a hard time accepting her existence as the same as their own, it only furthers Manu's desperation.

The result of this all is a plot that winds around with a whole bunch of swerves among some really fun moments (the book even includes a battle with pirates that basically is just there for fun, which well...it's fun!) that really touch about the issues and struggles of these people all the ways they logically react to it all. The relationships between the main quarter are tremendously well done, each feeling like whole characters you absolutely care about, and many of the side characters (particularly the leader of the Coven) are really really strong as well. And Cazadora concludes with a moment in which Manu makes a fateful choice that threatens to change everything....and with an epilogue that is absolutely devastating while still being incredibly hopeful, and leaves me in just so much suspense as to how things will move from here.

Just a tremendous overall package and again highly recommended. It may be perhaps the opposite of subtle, but sometimes hitting important themes head on works incredibly well, and that's absolutely the case with this series two books in.

I loved Lobizona so incredibly much- I wasn't sure Cazadora could live up, but it did! The characters and the story I fell in love with are back and strong as ever. You do need to read Cazadora first. I highly recommend picking up both!

“The only truth we can offer one another is love.”

Manu, Tiago, Saysa, and Cata are on the run traveling a mystical realm to “plant a new garden and form a new pack” but there are so many forces working against them. Hunted by the elite military police, sought by a vengeful, powerful bruja, and betrayed by some of their friends they seek the mysterious Coven and allies in their fight for equality and freedom. Manu struggles to connect with her found community, be honestly, authentically herself in a place where her hybrid parentage and illegal status are punishable by death, and work to reinvent the rules that bind all around her. The stakes are highest for Manu but her friends take dangerous risks to protect her.

Go preorder Cazadora now and start reading Lobizona now (if you haven’t already). So much action, real world tension, cinematic worldbuilding and authentically drawn characters. A book that engages you quickly and thoroughly with the plot. Then, leaves you thinking about the characters and issues that carryover into the real world: self worth, community, and who gets to write our stories. Garber argues vehemently that the more others try to write for us, the more we need to work to write for ourselves. Written as a duology, I’m hoping Romina Garber isn’t finished yet. The world she has built is so rich and the characters so vibrant and engaging I believe many readers won’t be finished with Manu and her friends just yet. This duology belongs in every high school library.

A great read to pick up if you love dystopias, mythology, doomed chosen one tropes or books featuring secrets, pirates, magical portals, romance, brujas, and werewolves.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

Cazadora, thankfully, picks up right where Lobizona left off. We miss nothing as Manu and her friends enter a different world in search for a better future and safety. The Cazadores are trying to lock Manu up for the crime of existing as a hybrid and falling prey to the legend of la ladrona, a half-human folktale that the Suptimus are terrified of. Manu, Tiago, Cata, and Saysa have to keep themselves alive and convince everyone else that Manu isn't dangerous for being born who she is.

Lobizona was so rich with culture and imagery, and Cazadora gives us more of that with the foray into the Septimus' world. It's vibrant and colorful, and it makes the book a joy to read. Garber takes us deeper into the themes of found family and fighting for what's right. Why does a person's birth status mean they shouldn't exist? Why do we call people 'illegal'? They're human beings, not crimes being committed.

We see more of the magical side of things in this book and the world-building is expanding upon beautifully. The overall magic system and social nuances of it feels more well-rounded having read this book.

The friendships are given more depth and the character development shines. There's so much action and not all of it is bad for our friends! I think the only complaint I have for this book is the pacing was a bit off for me. It took me longer to read and longer to really get into it than it did Lobinzona, but it's still a great read regardless.

The ending is a total cliff-hanger and I have no idea if there will be a book 3, but here's hoping!

Did I think this was a duology? Yes. Am I disappointed? A bit. Because even though my feelings about this instalment were kind of lukewarm, the ending hooked me. I kind of expect to be in the same spot again with book three, where I end this review thinking the next book might inspire some love and probably being a little let down again.. but oh well, we're going to do it anyway.

<i><b>Bruja. Lobizón</b>. There's no accompanying symbol, but there's no need. The gendered language makes it clear which one is for girls and which one is for boys. There's no breaking out the binary, no room for anything in between.</i>

Some of what I struggled with in book one wasn't here in book two, which was great, but overall I'm not 100% what actually happened in this book to differentiate it from book one. I mean, yes, we had the big capture, the big confrontation, but the majority of this book was just going through similar motions except the world expanded a bit more from the binary structure introduced in LOBIZONA. Until those misfits, much like their strict counterparts, weren't willing to unbend quite as much as expected. Part of me appreciated it, because going with the flow would've been a little too easy, but it did reinforce the whole 'what was the point of this' feeling. I imagine where we go next will be to lean back into a lot of the themes of book one -- isolation, illegal, unwanted -- with a few key differences.. such as the truth being out in the open. I can't picture how this ends, though; so that's something.

"<i>They've been making up stories about independent girls in every tradition since forever. And I think it's time we take back our narrative.</i>"

As creative and visual as this world is (don't ask me why but my brain conjures Avatar-like colours and scenery), I do think it is a bit of a distraction from the dragged out plot. The themes, the dialogue, are all just as important and great as they were in book one, but.. I don't know. There's just a but for me.

Again, the ending was good, I will be back for more, but am I still sad I'm not loving this world? So much. Because of that, please disregard this review. I won't recommend you pick it up but I think this is important enough that you should anyway.

2.75 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been having trouble sticking with YA fantasy recently and I think Cazadora suffered the same treatment. However, I really appreciate how layered this narrative is and all it tries to do in the topics it addresses. I also think that the twist here was brilliant and I was pretty surprised until the last minute.

I do think the story is a little cluttered with names and backstory, but I think the world is relatively solid and there are quite a few things that I am excited to see resolved in the next book. 3 stars!

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Wednesday Books.

I was so glad to be able to take another trip to Manu's world. A world where there is no place for her and just existing is dangerous (and I'm not just talking about Lunaris)

This one starts right where we left Lobizona with the search for a group known as The Coven.

It's a fantastic read!

Cazadora by Romina Garber is the second book of the Wolves of No World and is the sequel to Lobizona.

In this follow-up, Manu and her friends are on the run. They seek the Coven, a resistance that may or may not exist. They must avoid the Cazadores, who will do anything to arrest Manu. When Manu and her friends discover the Coven is real, Manu feels comfort among others who don’t conform to society’s stiff rules. Manu is still hesitant to disclose to her Coven friends that she is a human-wolf hybrid. Will their acceptance of differences only go so far? Can Manu stand keeping her full self a secret?

This book is as compulsively readable as the first. Manu’s story is a powerful one full of folklore and real world issues. I really hope we get a third book!

Another amazing book! I throughly enjoyed book 1 and was so excited NetGalley sent me an eARC of Garber’s second book in this series. It’s powerful, entertaining, and beautifully written. I continued to stay captured every time I opened the book and struggled to get real life responsibilities done before the book was completed.

This series addresses so many important topics our world is struggling with and reminds us our country has so far to go still.

This review has been posted to Goodreads. It will be added to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my instagram account after its release.

“You inspire intense loyalty in others because life has been so spectacularly unfair to you yet your spirit doesn’t dampen. That’s not darkness, Manu. What we’re drawn to is your light.”

Cazadora by Romina Garber picks up where Lobizona left off. Manu and her friends are on the run and find themselves in the beginnings of a new revolution. They find a group called the Coven, who like them are tired of a world where boundaries are set on who can play what rolls in the world based on things they are born into. This is a group of outsiders who may help them. But they do learn that being a part of this revolution may cost each of them more than they are willing to pay.

I really love this series. It has a lot to say about the rights of women, immigrants, the LBGTQ+ community, all while telling the story of witches and werewolves in a beautiful fantasy setting. The romance is really beautiful too.

“‘Stars, hide your fires,’ he murmurs into my neck, ‘let not light see my black and deep desires.’
Just when I thought he couldn’t get more magical, the beautiful boy quotes Shakespeare to me.”

I highly highly recommend this book series. It has a powerful message, and it says it all in a really captivating way. I give it 5 full stars.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I'm so freaking excited that I got Cazadora. I'm also really happy that it picks up right where the previous book ended. Plus, we are leaving the human world to explore a new one. If you think things are going to be easier for our friends.. well, you'd think wrong.

Manu is on the run from the Cazadores. Mostly because they want to capture her and lock her up. So, yeah, I feel her pain and not wanting to do that. While trying to dodge everyone, her friends are trying to convince them that she's not harmful like the myth says she would be. Again, nothing was super easy for anyone involved.

Now while I absolutely devoured the first book.. this one took me a bit longer to get through. I just like the pace was a smidge off for me in certain parts and I also wanted a bit more action or something else. The world itself was still amazing but the people living within it weren't so much. Definitely made me suspicious of some and I just wanted Manu to live her freaking life - safely.

In the end, I'm so happy that I got the chance to dive into this. It was a lot of fun to find this series and I'm sad that this book is over. The issues that they brought up throughout these two book made me think and open my eyes at the same time. I also really liked how Manu was trying to figure out where she belonged. She grew throughout these two books and I'm secretly hoping there's going to be a third book.

Pretty please give me another book. I can't walk away from this world yet. I'm not ready. I need more.