The Montoyas come together when their matriarch, Orquidea Divina, is dying. They receive magical gifts from her and go their separate ways until someone starts hunting them down for their magic. The story follows three of the Montoyas as they try to solve the mystery of who in Orquidea's past would want them dead.

I loved reading this book because it had so many elements woven together that worked beautifully: family dynamics, magical realism, and mystery. The family in this story was fascinating to read about because Orquidea had 5 husbands so it's a large family. I'm not huge into magical realism because sometimes it's confusing but this was very well done. The mystery of trying to find out Orquidea's past kept me turning pages to find out what happened.

If you want an adult version of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, this is the book!

<i>“You have to focus all of your energy on that connection every family has. It’s in our bones, our blood. More than that, it’s in the questions we need answered. The secrets, traumas, and legacies that we don’t know we’ve inherited, even if we don’t want them.”</i>
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, set alternately between the United States and Equador, follows five generations of Montoyas and centres on the figure of Orquídea, a woman with many secrets. The novel jumps between Orquídea’s past as a child and young woman and her grandchildren’s present as they work to uncover the mysteries surrounding their family.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel! It’s well written, the story is compelling, the characters are well developed, and the magical realism is perfect. I particularly appreciate that the story focuses on so many generations of multi-faceted and complex girls and women. The pace is a little slow at the outset, particularly as each member of the family is introduced in turn, but it picks up quickly enough and held my interest throughout – by the halfway point I <i>had</i> to know what was going to happen. Something about the third-person voice didn’t quite work for me consistently, but the beautiful writing, strong character development, and compelling narrative definitely add up to something special and I absolutely recommend this novel especially to those who enjoy magical realism and/or multi-generational family stories.
Thank you to the publishers + Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When each member of the Montoya family receives an invitation to attend her funeral and collect their inheritance, they all rush to return to Four Corners. Except Orquidea hasn’t died. She has transformed. Their inheritance takes the form of various magical powers but it soon becomes obvious that someone is hunting the Montoya family and they may be connected to Orquidea’s past. Despite having a large extended family, little is known about Orquidea Montoya’s upbringing. The cousins' search for answers takes them back to Orquidea’s roots in Ecuador.

This is Zoraida’s first adult novel and it does not disappoint. It reads a lot like a love letter to the author’s roots in Ecuador and to her own family. Is it just me or is Zoraida on a role when it comes to releasing books? I feel like I only just read Illusionary and Vampires Never Get Old. Her ability to consistently put out quality publications so frequently should not be overlooked.

Zoraida does a wonderful job of dropping enough answers while somehow leaving you with more questions. As the plot progressed, I started to feel like I was Marimar, Rey or Tatinelly. I NEEDED answers. Why does Orquidea have these strange powers? Why won’t she discuss the past?

The book alternates between two timelines, the present alternating between various family members and the past as told by Orquidea, by far my favourite character. Orquidea managed to show unwavering resilience despite constant and extraordinarily difficult circumstances. An honourable mention to Reymundo who managed to bring both comedy and snark.

I’m a firm believer that actions make you family not DNA. The book does a great job of exploring family dynamics and how sometimes putting distance between you and someone else is an act of love in itself.

I really liked how small details briefly mentioned throughout the book became pivotal later on. The story was well-crafted from the first chapter. The magic itself is quirky and weird and I loved it. The story takes place in real places and it took on a mythological feel. Almost like a story you had heard before passed down through generations.

To describe this book as pure literally magic seems slightly cliché but I’m going for it anyway.

Thank you to #Netgalley and #SimonandSchusterCanada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova follows the Montoyas. The family matriarch Orquídea Divina has invited her family to her funeral in her home in Four Rivers, which she never leaves. She invites them to collect their inheritance. The family hopes this time will allow them to get to know the secretive Orquídea better. When they arrive and Orquídea is transformed, they are left with more questions.

Seven years after these events, Orquídea’s gifts have manifested for grandchildren Marimar, Rey, and great-grandchild Rhiannon. Soon, a mysterious entity begins picking away at the descendants of Orquídea, dead set on ending her bloodline. Marimar, Rey, Rhiannon, and Rhiannon’s mother Tatinelly are determined to save what is left of their family. They travel to Ecuador, where Orquídea once lived and left behind her secrets.

This book is beautifully written. It tells of a family greatly affected by actions of an ancestor, and reclaiming their futures. I love how the story alternates between the present of the descendants and the past of Orquídea.

This was a really enjoyable read. I love the elements of magic in the story. I feel like the story really picked up in the last 20% of the book, pacing wise. My only complaint is that the scenes mentioning sex seemed a bit gratuitous and out of place, especially since it otherwise reads a little like a YA novel.

'The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina' is a magical realism story about family trees, ghosts, blessings, and
curses.

The story centres around the uniquely named Orquidea Divina, the matriarch of the family who are set to inherit more than they bargained for. Orquidea is both mysterious and mystical, haunted by her past and transformed by a supernatural event whose origins run deep and dark in her former life. Her descendants with their newly bequeathed powers are forced to confront Orquidea’s murky past when a spectral figure begins threatening their lineage. Secrets long dead and buried are unearthed when the descendants travel to Ecuador to uncover the truth about their inheritances and Orquidea’s magical life.

This was a quirky and beguiling story about ancestry and its unexplainable impact upon future generations. The lines between fantasy and reality were smudged perfectly without losing its strangeness and charm. Ghosts, fallen stars, a vintage circus, river monsters, and peculiar flowers stain the story with their spellbinding powers, adding metaphor and curiosity to this tale about the powers that bind but also the powers that free.

Some are comparing this book to the works of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Isabel Allende. While I can only speak to Hoffman and Allen, I will say that this story is darker and more seductive than the fiction of the two mentioned authors.

There were a few vulgar scenes which disrupted the unputdownable effect the story was having on me. I also felt the ending could have been stronger because it seemed like the whole book was leading up to an epic finish, which unfortunately for me, it was not.

Overall this was a highly unique and original proper magical realism story that has made me think about my own ancestry and what I may have unknowingly inherited from generations long before me.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this free ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.