I love this book. I have both the ebook and the paperback copy and I also was happy with the audiobook version so I can listen to it any time I needed it.
This author is precise and had as teacher the most famous expert on Santa Muerte, Andrew Chesnut. Every word and tips is gold as it has an extensive research on its back

I found this really interesting and a good way to familiarize myself with Santa Muerte. It's clear the author put a lot of effort and research into the book.

A compelling and fascinating book! As someone unfamiliar with the concept of Santa Muerte I found this book an immersive listen to jump into!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

really like that’s what I thought was interesting and different and I liked the narration lots of fun intrigue

This work is a guide and handbook detailing how to connect and honor Santa Muerte, a folk saint of Mexico. The author compiles information from shamans and followers of this saint within this work as well as personal anecdotes. The work discusses topics ranging from the history of the saint, how to create and maintain an altar, interpreting signs, using colors and candles to enhance your petitions, and spells, prayers, and rituals relating to the saint. The author did an excellent job at presenting this information in an engaging, informative way.

There was a lot of good information in this work. It’s obvious how much work the author put into tracking down traditional lore surrounding this saint and the practices that are associated with the worship of this being. There were many uses of anecdotal evidence, both from the author and other practitioners, incorporated throughout the book. I found this work to be extremely insightful – I loved the discussion on the different aspects of the saint and how those are represented through different colors and the related candles. I also enjoyed the example prayers and petitions that were included near the end of the work.

The book was divided into several different sections as mentioned above. The sections all contained some unique and informative details that added to the work. However, there was a good deal of repetition and overlap between the chapters. This work could use an edit to trim down much of this redundant information, which would make for a more streamlined and engaging read.

In all honesty, I’m a cynic. This made some portions of this book difficult for me to digest, especially relating to the anecdotes surrounding different signs that were received as well as answers to petitions. However, it didn’t necessarily lessen my enjoyment of the work, but it certainly didn’t count as “proof” that these practices actually work. I did dislike that the credibility of this information relied solely on trusting the author – she came across as 100% trustworthy, but the academic in me wants footnotes with references to sources.

This was a fascinating work that I highly recommend. I listened to the audiobook version and felt that the narrator did an excellent job. If you’re interested in anthropology, traditional cultural practices of Mexico, religion, or candles, then this is the book for you!

My thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for allowing me to review this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Let's start by saying that this book was not what I was expecting!
I am a cover buyer and the description told me this would be a great read. But you shall discover inside is totally awakening.

Up until now, my little self had no knowledge of this topic & hence, I review this as an outsider of this faith. I appreciate the journey this book takes you through. Starts with explaining how the Author connected with Santa Muerte in the first place & takes you through her developments. The detailed illustration of the overall process to worship the deity, building up her place & keep her happy is elucidating.

It was certainly interesting to read about the divergent nature of Mexican culture & today I know a bit more about how less I know. Somewhere mid-way across the book I also started questioning myself, how did I even come across such content & decided to request it on Netgalley. Could this be a sign?

This was interesting, not quite what I was expecting, but good overall. I enjoyed the history of Santa Muerte more than anything else in this book.

For those who are interested in connecting with Santa Muerte, this is a pretty in-depth guide to the "what to do and how to do it" properly.

Thank you for the advance copy for my unbiased review.

Secrets of Santa Muerte
A Guide to the Prayers, Spells, Rituals, and Hexes
by Cressida Stone
Narrated by Siiri Scott

[blurb]The Secrets of Santa Muerte is a practical handbook on how to connect with the mysterious Mexican folk saint. Drawing from authentic Mexican sources and traditions, it details secret, esoteric knowledge that will foster a deep connection with the Saint of Death.

[review] I'm obsessed with learning about other people's religions and how other people worship. I grew up very religious and very sheltered. It wasn't until I was in high school that I learned about different religions. I grew up Lutheran and I knew about Catholics and Christians. But that was the extent of it. It wasn't until high school, when I did a report on Taoism, that I learned anything about other world religions. And I've never stopped learning since then. Also, I should add, I'm no longer Lutheran or any one religion in particular.

This book was fascinating. I loved learning about the different colors of Santa Muerte and how she represents different aspects. And how you can incorporate her into your every day life. I love that people don't have to have money to worship. How she can be with you, no matter your monetary contribution. This was always a thing for me with big religions.

If you are curious about this religion or want to know more. I highly suggest this book. it's a practical and every day/ every person book.

The only reason I'm rating it 4 stars vs 5 stars is because I don't know enough, and this book could be entirely false, and I wouldn't know enough to tell you that or not.

The audiobook is worth the buy too. But I recommend buying it in conjunction with the actual book too! Having them together is the way, to go!

Thank you netgalley and tantor audio for the ARC audiobook copy!
Thank you Cressida Stone for this insightful and informative book
Thank you Siiri Scott for lending your voice to this book!!

I am incredibly interested in different religions and cultures around the world and I felt this book would give me an opportunity to learn more about Santa Muerte - a Mexican folk saint. I can honestly say that this book gave me plenty of information on that front.

If you’re just looking to learn about Santa Muerte, the audiobook will be perfect, however if you’re looking to set up an altar to Santa Muerte I feel it would be easier to get this book in physical form to be able to bookmark and go back to as needed. It gets pretty in depth into altar creation and the do’s and don’t’s surrounding Santa Muerte.

This is an incredibly thorough source of information for anyone curious about Santa Muerte specifically, but there’s good information that I feel could be used for altar making in general as well. I enjoyed the narration and stories told about the authors experiences.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ thanks to NetGalley for the audio arc!