First person books are not my preference. But with the world of Spanish and Mexican vibes just set the tone. I really enjoyed the fast paced nature of this book. No romance with Leonora, but hopefully we can get another book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for providing me this Advanced Readers Copy of Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares!

I am going to be honest with you. I do have mixed feelings regarding Sun of Blood and Ruin. Did I love it like I thought I would? No, I didn't. Did I hate it? No, I enjoyed reading it. What I felt confused about is the main plot regarding Sun of Blood and Ruin. I found myself not connecting with or rooting for the main character. There was something lacking. I don't know what. Hopefully in the next book, there is more depth with the main character.

I loved the premise of this one but the plot felt disconnected and the pacing was off the entire way through. The characters were well done but I wasn't able to enjoy them because of the pacing.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This book was good but it was also a lot. The plot didn't feel super connected sometimes, and there were some things that didn't seem to add up. That being said, the characters were strong and I really liked the setting. I like reading books based on the history and myths of indigenous South America, so this was a great addition to that reading area for me. I will definitely pick up more by this author!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. I found it difficult to get into the flow of the story which caused a pause in reading. Though I tried to go back to it several times and even bought the audiobook, I was not able to finish this one.

I was rather predisposed to liking this book because I use to watch old episodes of Zorro growing up so a female Zorro-like character? Of course I HAD to read it. I enjoyed this book I love a fantasy rich in culture. It wasn’t perfect but I did like the mythological aspects of it. It was a good story.

I do reader's advisor for fantasy and "new adult" titles and I think this is a good bridge for YA readers who are wanting to read adult fantasy/romance titles.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the E-Arc.

A wonderfully built fantasy that gives light to truths of history and the erasure of cultures in the real world. Reading this was exciting fun and wonderful. I can't wait to read more from this author!

I was very excited about this book as I have a degree in Anthropology and I absolutely love the time frame of this book. However, it was difficult for me to gauge the fantasy/ magic portion of the story. I felt a little bit lost at times and it made it difficult for me to understand how the world in this story worked. The character development was on pointe and I absolutely loved the interactions between characters.

Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares introduces Lady Leonora, a prominent figure at the Spanish court in the New World, who secretly fights Spanish oppression as the vigilante Pantera. The story, set against a backdrop of political intrigue and looming apocalypse, starts strong with rooftop chases and romantic tension but struggles to maintain focus. Rapid shifts between events leave key plot points underdeveloped, preventing emotional resonance.

Leonora’s character lacks clear personal stakes, and the supporting cast feels one-dimensional. The story attempts to cover too much ground, from Spanish-indigenous politics to the agendas of ancient gods, resulting in a muddled and chaotic narrative. Splitting the book into two parts would have allowed for better character development and plot depth.

Despite its flaws, Lares vividly portrays the sixteenth-century Spanish invasion of Mexico, highlighting oppression and resistance. Leonora’s mixed heritage and societal constraints add depth, and the use of Spanish and Nahuatl languages enriches the cultural setting, though pacing issues undermine these details.

Sun of Blood and Ruin combines historical fantasy with a gender-bent Zorro retelling, exploring colonialism, oppression, and personal identity. While it doesn’t fully deliver on its ambitious premise, fans of historical fantasy and Zorro-inspired tales may enjoy its adventurous spirit and cultural depth.

Sun of Blood and Ruin was an excellent read! I loved the sense of setting in historical Spain. It was exciting and rich.

I enjoyed learning about the different gods and mythology but the pacing and characterization needed some work.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The book started off okay. I was intrigued by Pantera and how her body and power work, and also by her "day job" as Lady Leonora. I was interested to see how Leonora was able to operate as Pantera and Lady Leonora without getting caught.

The book took a bit of a turn when a certain character became pregnant. Then it just felt like it was a scandal for the sake of being a scandal instead of for the sake of furthering the story.

There were parts where the book went into a scene with a lot of descriptions, and others where the book just throws actions at us in quick succession without much detail. On the flip side, moments that seemed like they would be very contentious were over quickly and we never got to experience the tension that seemed to be coming. The relationship between Pantera and Andrés felt a little all over the place. One moment they hate each other, then suddenly they're helping each other.

Towards the middle, the book felt a little like it was dragging on. Not much going on. I guess I was expecting more action considering the opening scene of the book. Things didn't improve from there. A lot of the time, it felt like the book was stumbling through the story, with some scenes feeling forced and others overly dramatic. There were too many revelations and conflicts that they became meaningless.

I did enjoy reading the different mythological stories, and about the different gods, though I'm not sure how much of it is accurate as I've never studied it.

Overall the book felt like a slow read, it was a bit over the place, and some things didn't feel fully developed, but I think it had a lot of potential.

A thrilling tale with a fantastic premise. The characters and story-telling isn't the best, but the world-building is superb. Leonora is a bit of a bore, and her obsession with her curse becomes old and feel like a cop-out.

In this fascinating piece of historical fiction and fantasy, readers travel to sixteenth-century New Spain where magic and the gods exist in the shadows of Spanish colonization. As the colonizers’ grip tightens on Mesoamerica, a new vigilante, Pantera, appears, wielding magic and a sword against Spanish tyranny. Pantera, however, is noblewoman Leonora de las Casas Tlazohtzin who appears to be shy, scared of blood, and isolated in the palace, when in reality she is fated to die in battle. Brilliant, brave, and stubborn, Leonora seeks to choose which battle she dies in, but this magical world and the many forces and armies at play have more in store for the Pantera as she fights Spanish colonial rule. With an absolutely incredible magical system and a healthy mix of Mesoamerican mythology and Mexican history, Mariely Lares has created an incredible and immersive new novel full of complex characters, hidden secrets, beautiful settings, and vibrant magic. Using history as her backdrop, Lares successfully creates a new world order where magic, the gods, and their agents have more to say about colonization. Leonora is a complex heroine, and Lares does an excellent job bringing her complexities and contradictions, as well as those of the other major and minor characters, to life in this novel.

This book is an absolute masterpiece! The storytelling is captivating, the characters are well-developed, and the plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing style is both elegant and engaging, making it impossible to put down. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an unforgettable read. Five stars!

2 stars

Thank you Netgalley and publisher.

Unfortunately, I could not connect with this book. I had a really hard time getting through each chapter because I felt lost and had to keep rereading parts. My mind would wonder because I was so bored.

The second half of the book picked up but not enough to save the book as a whole. The synopsis is what drew me into requesting this book, so I had high expectations for this book. I'm so sad I didn't enjoy it.

This is an amazing start to a historical fantasy series! I am in love with it. I thought that it was well paced for the most part and I loved the main character.

I also enjoyed that it was one perspective; I feel like I do not see that a lot in most of the fantasy novels I read. It was a nice change of pace. I recommend this to anyone looking for an anti-colonial historical fantasy novel.