What a brilliant and inventive follow-up to Lobizona! Lobizona was one of my favorite reads of 2020, and my expectations were set high for the sequel. Garber expanded this world, bringing in more political turmoil and introducing the Coven and the legal system. I loved the new characters and following Manu’s journey to understanding herself in this world. I can’t wait for book 3!

“Cazadora is filled with a magic, culture, and language readers of fantasy and magical realism will devour bringing front and center social themes of identity and finding a place to belong.” Cecelia Beckman, Sheaf & Ink

Cazadora is a novel that surprised me.

From the opening pages, readers are in pace with Manu as she and her friends flee for their lives. On the run from the Cazadora (the authorities of Garber’s magical world), we race with Manu across the map, diving deeper into the realm Garber has vividly created. Where we begin to see how magic works. Specifically the lore behind the magic along with a better understanding of the rules in order to wield and master it.

Manu’s on the run, she’s facing prejudice and bigotries within the magical community. Seen as other, a hybrid of human’s an werewolves, Manu only wants to find a place to belong. And throughout, we see how Manu’s not the only one who wants acceptance. How even her friends can’t fully embrace themselves without the consequences of being shunned or outcast. Meanwhile, the social themes are poignant. Readers will experience a revolution and Manu is the figurehead until things start going horribly wrong.

With an ending I was not expecting, I wasn’t sure if Garber was leaving this open for a third book. It notably feels like it should. My hope is there will be a third book where Garber is able to fulfill the revolution and make a change in the archaic and rigid beliefs in identity and gender.

A delicious romance, a richly imagined Latinx world, and characters who leap off the page in their magic and strength, Cazadora will absorb readers in the continued Argentinian folklore and leave us with a hope for a concluding book.

Happy Reading ̴ Cece

What a brilliant follow-up to Lobizona! This was one of my favorite reads of 2020 (and I read it in December), and my expectations were set high. I loved how Garber brought in more widespread political turmoil, and expanded the world even more by introducing the Coven. I loved the new characters and Manu getting to understand herself.

Cazadora picks up immediately after the events of Lobizona, taking us along as Manu and her friends go on the run in Kerana. Garber does an excellent job of reintroducing the reader to the story and reminding us what happened in the first book, without giving a true recap.

If you enjoyed the world-building in Lobizona, you are going to eat up this second installment. We get to experience many new aspects of the Septimus world through Manu's eyes (a perfect way for the reader to learn about the world as everything is just as foreign to Manu as it is to us). The magic system is so unique and I love how intricately it is tied to the land. This is one fantasy world I would absolutely love to visit.

The true strength of this story lies within the political and social issues that we explore. Garber dares to dig deep into racial, sexual and political prejudices in a way that will resonate with many readers. This series is for anyone who has ever felt "other." In this book we get introduced to a wide range of characters from different backgrounds and with different goals, who have all been hurt by outdated beliefs and an unjust political system. We get to see how powerful it is when those who are told they'll never belong, find other outcasts and unite to defy the labels that have been placed on them.

While I loved the world-building and strong social themes in this story, I found that it suffered from a mild case of second-book syndrome in that it felt like the main purpose of the story was to set up the next book. This is not to say that I did not enjoy it, but I did wish that it had more momentum.

Even though Cazadora did not quite live up to Lobizona in my opinion, I still have very high hopes for book three. This series overall is excellent and highly underrated. Go pick up Lobizona if you haven't yet (I promise you it is fantastic) and get ready for the release of Cazadora on 8/17.

It will be absolute torture waiting for the next book in this series. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire second half and was in total shock over the ending. I don’t think anyone could see that ending coming. I haven’t felt this attached to a fantasy series since reading Harry Potter as a child. The symbolism throughout the book in regards to the United States immigration crisis is powerful and is what drew me to this series in the first place. I love all of the characters and can’t wait to see how Manu will continue to change her fate.

I a really interested to see where this series goes. The world building that Garber has done is truly amazing. A lot happens in this second novel, so it was harder for me to keep up, but I still loved this book. I am so glad I got to read it now and didn't have to wait!

Loving the follow-up to Lobizona. It almost feels like a cliff hanger. I just know the ending can't be it so I'll be (not so) patiently waiting for the 3rd installment. Great world building and you really care for the characters.

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

Thank you NetGalley for an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

In Lobizona, Garber introduced a magical new world, straight out of Argentine folklore. In the follow up, Cazadora, Garber expands on the world and the folklore, taking the reader on a magical journey right along with Manu and her friends.

Cazadora wastes no time in starting the action. We pick up right where Lobizona left off, with Manu and her friends arriving in Argentina, on the run from Yamila and the Cazadores. From there, we are thrown from world to world and fight to fight. We also meet a whole lot of new Septimus.

While Lobizona did lay the groundwork, Cazadora continues to build on the world and lore of the Septimus. Unfortunately, all of this world building (on top of recapping what happened in Lobizona) becomes overwhelming at times. I found myself struggling to keep up with all of the information coming at me.

However, I do want to highlight how much I loved all of the discussions about the Septimus world and its strict Bruja/Lobizon roles. This book tackles the gender binary, gender roles, and LGBTQIA+ identities, all while still focusing on Manu’s citizenship, both in the real world and in the Septimus world. This is awesome. And it works really well. I look forward to seeing where Garber takes these issues in the next book.

Overall, I think Cazadora is a good sequel. It’s hard to fit in recapping and worldbuilding in a book seamlessly, and I struggled with this one at times. But if you’re an avid reader of fantasy, then you may not have that issue. I think Cazadora tackles some great issues and continues Manu’s story well.

When I finished Lobizona, I was so ready for the sequel. I wanted it right away. But finishing Cazadora just didn’t leave me with that same excitement. I will absolutely read future books in the series, but I’m not clamoring for it right now.

Cazadora picks up right where Lobizona finished. After loving Lobizona, I was not surprised to love Cazadora as well!

The story follows Manu and her friends as she tries to navigate what it means to be Septima, human, and herself. She is a beautifully written heroine who struggles with her identity and the challenge of how to be different in a world that isn't ready to play by different rules yet. She is relatable and easy to empathize with and is an absolute pleasure to follow her on her magical journey.

The book is action packed and expanses on the already fascinating universe created in Lobizona. I hope hope hope there will be more books so that we can continue with these characters, I'm not ready to leave them yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC.

Garber's follow-up to "Lobizona" is even better than the first. By this time, I'm familiar enough with the terms that they are part of my vocabulary and don't seem as foreign to me. I was transported to a world where reality lives side-by-side with werewolves and witches. While this series has lots of action and romance, it also deals with hard hitting social issues that are directly from our real world headlines including, but not limited to immigration, identity, gender, sexuality, and wealth.

Of COURSE Cazadora was going to be an amazing read! Lobizona was good, but this one was even better! Excellent pacing and plot. As always Romina gave us what we wanted and more!

I ADORED Lobizona, so I was so excited when the publisher Wedensday Books gave me an ARC after the author visited our book club meeting (shoutout to BBBC!) for Lobizona!

This story is AMAZING. We pick up right where we left off in Lobizona. Manu, Tiago, Saysa, and Cata meet some new allies in their quest to turn the Septimus society upside down. The characters are amazingly well-developed and are easy to connect with. The world building Romina achieves in this book is truly magical, as the characters travel to many different parts of Septimus in Argentina.

I'm not going to spoil anything about the ending, except to say a short thing. I believe that this was originally supposed to be a duology. However, THIS CANNOT BE THE END! Romina has hinted that she'd be willing to write more in this world, and she had better, because this felt more like the midpoint in a triology (or four part series) than a true ending. So please, Romina, read this review and write more books! I need more!

I loved seeing what happened next to Manu and her friends. There were a few parts that I felt were rushed through that I wanted more of, but overall I was happy with where Manu’s development went.

This book was the perfect follow-up to Lobizona. We were able to explore more of the world and meet new characters, all while on the run from the cazadores. This book had STAKES!

But moreover it had action, romance, social commentary, just basically everything you want in a book. Will there be a book 3? I don't know. But the ending left me frantically DMing Romina on instagram, so there's that.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I am... obsessed with this book! I didn't know how Romina was going to be able to top Lobizona, but Cazadora is a perfect pair. I would very much love the series to continue, I feel so invested in these characters and the stunning world that has been created.

Cazadora is a great sequel to Lobizona. The story picks up right where it left off, with the same spunky and exciting characters. My only complaint is the increasing complexity of the story and world building. All of the little details that made Lobizona such a fun world to enter into began to feel overwhelming here. I had a hard time keeping track of what was happening and all of the new terminology introduced.

This book was an insane ride, and i enjoyed every second of it. The lush and creative world with Argentine inspiration is layered and interesting. I love our main protagonists, and all the side characters as well. The topics addressed, including but not limited to, gender roles, lgbtq+, immigration and overall themes of fighting for what’s right were weaved into the story perfectly. This was a great sequel.

I have so few words for CAZADORA. IT... IS... AMAZING! I've been waiting for the Romina's sequel to the amazing LOBIZONA. Manu is back! Of course, they with their friends, are still fighting for a better future. Such great character development. The characterizations were amazingly done. The plot kept me on my toes. Fantastic job. I highly recommend this one.

Everything I loved in Lobizona is absent in Cazadora. I've made it 25% and don't want to finish.

What started as a magical and heartbreaking tale of a girl illegal for things out of her control, has turned into a heavy handed, left-agenda'd book where someone in trouble for a biological anomaly is compared and equated with political choices. The issue of nationality or eye color is not the same as biologically being one sex but identifying as a different gender, and by mixing them all together, the message against "building the wall" in the US is watered down and forgotten. Regardless of where you stand on any of these political hot topics, this book is like watching the news. The magic is gone.

Lobizona gracefully handles real issues using Argentinian myth, facing the reader with a chance to empathize with real people in the US today. Cazadora is Garber's ax to grind and a sell out.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for a copy in exchange for my honest review.