Was immediately drawn in by the premise being sixteenth century Mexico and colonization via Spain. The fantastical abilities of the characters were exciting and I was excited to read a fantasy/mythology not based on white cultures. Overall it was a solid read, I didn’t have the easiest time connecting to the characters but the world itself was fresh and exciting!

this book was utterly captivating from start to finish I really enjoyed the spirit of it and I cant wait to read more from this author

2.75, rounded up to a 3

sun of blood and ruin is the story of leonora and her vigilante persona pantera through times of tragedy, ruin, and evil. leonora loses a lot of fights and friends but she stands up, with magic courses in her veins, to spanish tyranny and the end of the world.

this book had a LOT of things going for it:
the INCREDIBLE premise of the story itself, i mean a fantasy zorro fighting against colonial rule? sign me up!

the world-building is one of this book's MAIN attractions, it is so rich and decadent and it is clear that mariely lares has put her effort into this atmosphere because every single aspect is incredibly detailed--it does get a little headspinny as fantasy exposition does with a lot of new words and little explanation but once settled, it is truly so great

one of my favorite things about fantasy, and especially fantasy like this book, is its brutal nature. mariely lares does not shy away from depicting the gruesomeness and death that i love and appreciate in fantasy and that makes me appreciate this book a lot more

leonora, at her core, is just an 18 year old girl as she finds herself and with every decision she makes, it is clear. she's literally still a teenager and i never once was annoyed at her personally for her admittingly stupid decisions <3 (ones involving her love interest aside. but we'll get to that) if one didn't like her it would be hard to enjoy the story and lucky for me i liked her!

the action scenes are ACTION scenes. they're tense and full of bloodshed and fighting and they're a spectacle to read i loved it
but i also had some major gripes:

the writing is hard to get through, the beginning is a little rough but the middle especially drags. it is almost hard to pick back up again but boy is it worth it because the end is incredibly fastpaced, it just takes a LOT (like almost 300 pages) to get there

the romance was not done very well. i could understand the appeal of the two characters but it was handled, especially in the middle and end, haphazardly. the chemsitry at the beginning was THERE but then..somehow it fizzled away when they started getting to know each other genuinely. like a crush! every scene where leonora was upset at tezca was contrite and made me roll my eyes and when they did get together, there was no fanfare from me

at a certain point it did feel like there were too many characters at play, i would lose track of who's who whenever i would stop reading and pick the book back up after some time and it took quite a few pages to remember again.

the last third of the book was incredible, but it took trudging through two-thirds of the book to get there

overall, while i'm disappointed about the book, i definitely appreciate the direction we're headed for fantasy and i will be waiting for the sequel that i'm assuming this book has !

thank you to avon and harper voyager for this arc (however late my review may be!)

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

Sun of Blood and Ruin is Lares' debut novel set in a fantasy-reimaging of sixteenth century Mexico, shortly after the Spanish conquest of the Aztec empire. The main character, Leonora, is a noblewoman whose father was the Spanish viceroy of New Spain and her mother was indigenous. Since her father's passing, the Spanish have been terrorizing the indigenous population and Leonora decides to hide her identity and become a vigilante to protect the people. Lares genderbends the Zorro archetype and adds a lot of magical elements into the story such as Leonora uses Nuhuatl magic and can shift into a panther . The premise sounds interesting and there were certain aspects of the book that piqued my interest. But the book feels like a first draft.

It's obvious that Lares had A LOT of ideas for this book, and she tried to stuff every last one into the book. The pace is outrageously quick and when important poignant moments happen in the book, Lares doesn't take a moment to let it sink in. That leads the reader to not care about these moments that are really meant to inform Leonora's struggles and trauma. Lares also has a tendency to info dump in inorganic ways. Honestly this book could've benefited from being split into two different books and taking more time to allow the story to develop after big events. This appears like it's going to be the first book in a series, but I'm burnt out on it. Also the main relationship between Leonora and her love interest screams toxic to me.

I give Sun of Blood and Ruin 2.5 stars rounded up. Because of the hyperspeed pacing it didn't drag or get boring, so that's why I'm rounding up. However, I could also make a strong argument that the writing warrants a 2 star rating. I won't be continuing this series and I don't recommend the book. It's disappointing because I was looking forward to a fantasy mythological retelling set in the Aztec pantheon.

My honest review is that I was disappointed. The premise is great - a Zorro retelling set in Mesoamerica during the time of the interloping Spanish colonialists, a heroine (the Zorro-figure) who is part of both worlds yet even more than that, magic and culture and spiritualty-- all things that sounded so good!

Let's start with what was cool! There is a vast love for the indigenous peoples that lived in Tenochtitlan and the surrounding areas because as we know American schools teach us basically zip about Central/South America except "and then the Spanish came and colonized--" so I appreciated both the afterward basic explanations, the big glossary, and the throwing us right into the culture and language. Although there is a lot of Spanish and Nahuatl words and phrases, they were pretty much immediately translated either with direct English or obvious enough in context to get the vibe without having to do a search all the time.

Now, for the less positive:

I don't know if it just wasn't for me but I didn't much enjoy the ride. There were a LOT of contradictions:

"I don't kill." two pages later (not literally) kills a bunch of dudes
"I haven't shifted since I lived in the jungle, I'm not supposed to without a master, I won't do it" two pages later shifts and does the aforementioned killing of a bunch of dudes

There's more examples but I don't want to just make a laundry list of immediate contradictions and things that don't really make sense.

We know Leonora is the legendary Pantera, a masked witch/heroine to right the wrongs of the Spanish subjugators but also we never once see her do that nor get any backstory as to how she's so righteously regarded or even why people know to blow the horns three times for her (?).

Another thing that is maybe a 'me' thing is that I don't really jive with writing that has lots of short sentences for effect(?). Leonora... doesn't quite have a defined personality and that may be a first-person-narrative flaw here since it's her POV only, how she is seeing the world and coming to terms with all this wild stuff that is happening around/to her but it's also hard to get a sense OF her at any point in this book. Likewise with Tezca -- we know from his intro that he's going to be a love interest but there's also not much to it. They're attracted to each other (partially because of their spiritual energy) but once they start working together there's like no chemistry and they spend almost no time together.

I'm glad this being the first book in the series doesn't leave everything extremely undone like a lot of first book in a series have issues with recently and that there was a clear and definitive end even if we the readers are reminded there's still a crummy dude out there and also an epilogue that's really just a very unclear (to me!) setup for future story, but I think I'll stop my reading journey here on this one.

Also: the cover is SO BEAUTIFUL! Loved that, it's what drew me to read the premise which led me to reading the book.

Rounding up to 3 stars because even if there was a lot I don't like I think there's enough here that others may, and the historical fiction cultural education is pretty neat and is an important edition to historical fiction shelves.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager/Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for review.

I did not realize that this was a Zorro retelling as I began this book. I enjoyed the integration of fantasy and Mexican folklore/history with fantasy; however, the book was difficult to get into. It threw you into this world without the proper world-building I ended up DNF-ing.

Book Name: Sun of Blood and Ruin
Author: Mariely Lares

ARC
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for an ARC of Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares

Stars: 1 (DNF)
Spice: (DNF)

Thoughts
- No World Building
- Assumed Too Much Knowledge of the Reader
- Gender Bent Zoro
- Vigilante FMC
- 1550s Mexico
- Mesoamerican Mythology

Apparently, I didn't know enough MesoAmerican mythology or enough about Zoro to enjoy this book. I felt lost and then because the longer I read the fewer things seemed to connect I got frustrated (frustration with no reward or too long to be rewarded is the kiss of death for books with me)…. So DNF… I wanted to like this and it had everything in it to make it something I liked.... So I blame Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia for spoiling me with amazing Mexican History Meets Fantasy reads that feel accessible and enjoyable.

Due to the Negative Nature of this review, I will not be posting it to Goodreads or retail sites with respect to the publisher and author.

2.75⭐️

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes for this book. A fantasy novel set in 16th century New Spain with Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology?! Along with the stunning cover?? I had to know! Sadly, it didn’t live up to my hopes. The pace felt very confusing, and the plot holes made it even more difficult to follow. I also felt that the romance was… nonexistent? They had no compatibility or connection whatsoever that it felt forced. I will say I really enjoyed Leonora as the FMC, and I felt like she was definitely a badass that fit her role well.

Loved this book. I read it in one weekend because I was hooked. I will be recommending this to everyone.

I will admit I'm disappointed, but I'm happy I still grateful I got to read it when others couldn't at the time maybe this is because of my reading slump but I will re-read at a later time to see if my opinion changes.

Sun of Blood and Ruin feels like part Zorro part wild fantasy. I love books with secret identities and persecution.

Mariely Lares created a wonderfully vibrant world that brings to life Pantera/Leonora's struggle to decide who she is going to be. Leonora is a dainty royal but Pantera is a panther with magic in the streets trying to protect people from the tyranny of the throne... whom Leonora is supposed to marry.

This book is a wonderful break from thick European-style fantasies with multi-person storylines.

*I received a free copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley.*

From the moment I read this epigraph at the start of the book, I had high hopes:

"They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds." (Mexican proverb)

What a powerful proverb, right? Powerful, somehow ominous, full of promise. Honestly, I loved it and was excited to read everything that followed. And for a while, the book captivated me. It definitely had a Zorro feel, and I liked the inclusion of ancient Mesoamerican history and culture. But at some point that I can't really pinpoint, my intention every time I opened my Kindle changed from enjoyment of the book into a rush to finish the book. My interest in the characters and what happened to them diminished as the story branched out from the original Zorro-ish plot and into a "Leonora encounters all kinds of mythological demons and gods as she seeks to recruit people to fight against Spain" plot.

Leonora (18) was a more interesting character when Inés was around, as odd as that may seem. Their friendship bordered on sisterhood, and it was a great relationship. But one the book meandered away from Pantera-the-people's-masked-defender, her personality began to flatline. I felt the same about Andrés--he was interesting and charming until he just wasn't. I didn't appreciate his tendency to share his bed with so many women (big turn-off for me), despite his claims that he was discerning about his partners. I don't know why Leonora maintained any interest in him at all. The best chemistry the had was at their initial meeting.

The epilogue indicates that a sequel is forthcoming, but I'm okay leaving it alone. That said, I do appreciate the research that must have gone into a book about Mesoamerica and all of its mythology. I enjoyed the occasional inclusion of Spanish.

How it ends: (view spoiler)

Note: Some language. A couple LGB characters. Violence.

The Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariela Lares - ebook ARC

I had heard this book pitched as a Zorro retelling with a Bad Ass FMC. Say less! It’s 16th Century Spain and witchcraft is frowned upon. Okay, actually it’s punishable by death. Where once stood beautiful temples and lands filled with mythical creatures, now you see crumbs of what once was. The Spanish Throne rules with iron fists and there is one in peticular who isn’t going to take it sitting down. We have a bad ass FMC, and a timid, wallflower Lady Leonara… the twist? No one knows they are on in the same!!! One cay a prophecy from a seer changes everything.

I know there have been some mixed reviews of this book. I wanted to say this is a 5 star read because of the amazing cultural influence in this book. IT highlights some amazing mesoamerican mythology into it and the imagery and magic is so unique. If that was all I was reviewing, it would be a 5 star. The balance of plot, character development left me wanting for me. I wanted to care deeper for the main characters and I wanted a deeper plot. There were times where I found myself skimming. That’s always a sign that I like enough to want to finish but I’m losing interest. The romance felt like an afterthought, the narrative in the beginning was hard to follow… just fell a bit flat for me.

I was glad once I finished and I’m not sure if I will finish the series or not. Still undecided.

I just found myself exasperated with the story, especially the romantic main character. He felt too condescending. The type of guy that says he's doing something for your best interest, but won't explain why... and I'm just done with that.

What a fun and exciting read! A very enjoyable experience, as Lares has laid the ground for a fun retelling of a Zorro inspired theme, with lots of action and fun as we follow along on the journey. You get a mix of magic and sword fighting, while we follow Pantera through an era where there has been a plethora of loss and belief that magic/witchcraft are a punishable offense. What a great story!

Easily a 4 star read, and I do recommend if you enjoy action and magic, all mixed in together!

Thank you to NetGalley for sharing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I want to very emphatically recommend this book to avid fantasy readers! We have all been sleeping on the goldmine of a historical setting that was historical Mexico with all of the politics between indigenous nations, the Spanish settlers, and Spain itself. Although the writing had its flaws at times, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend the overall story. I found the characters endearing in a “they’re flawed, and annoy me at times, but I also kinda vibe with their quirks” way. (And no, I don’t mean quirky as in code that nuerotypicals use for nuerodivergent, I just think that the characters’ backstories were often fairly complicated, and that lent itself towards each character having something about them that was extremely unique.)

I would really look forward to any other books in this series, and I think that I would have the potential to enjoy future installments more now that the multifaceted aspects of the world-building have been fully explained in the first book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for an arc!

A reimagining of a female Zorro but make it an Aztec fantasy novel! What an interesting and ambitious debut novel for author Mariely Lares.

I was drawn to request this arc because any type of Zorro/Robinhood-esque theme is a win for me — in combination with the beautiful cover and the lure of the Aztec/Mexica folklore. I also found that my recent trip to Mexico City definitely enriched my reading experience. I thought back to places and things such as Chapultepec, Pulque, Xochimilco, hot cocoa, and even a protest from an indigenous group called the Triqui still asking for better representation and fair treatment.

Overall it was a fairly enjoyable read. Some things didn’t fully vibe with me. The book read young adult sometimes, and admittedly, that’s not my favorite genre. The pacing was very inconsistent, heavily dragging through the politics or deep diving the mythology, interrupting the flow of the plot. The character development was mediocre. All the mains felt copy-paste and I never truly felt invested in their journey.

A reimagining of a female Zorro but make it an Aztec fantasy novel! What an interesting and ambitious debut novel for author Mariely Lares.

I was drawn to request this arc because any type of Zorro/Robinhood-esque theme is a win for me — in combination with the beautiful cover and the lure of the Aztec/Mexica folklore. I also found that my recent trip to Mexico City definitely enriched my reading experience. I thought back to places and things such as Chapultepec, Pulque, Xochimilco, hot cocoa, and even a protest from an indigenous group called the Triqui still asking for better representation and fair treatment.

Overall it was a fairly enjoyable read. Some things didn’t fully vibe with me. The book read young adult sometimes, and admittedly, that’s not my favorite genre. The pacing was very inconsistent, heavily dragging through the politics or deep diving the mythology, interrupting the flow of the plot. The character development was mediocre. All the mains felt copy-paste and I never truly felt invested in their journey.

To conclude, I think this novel brings something new and interesting to the table with the Aztec mythology spin. Definitely a fun first installment in her debut trilogy.

Read this now, if you are interested in young adult books with a focus on mythology, México, and the battle of good vs. evil.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Publication date: February 20, 2024
Pages: 384

Thank you to @netgalley and @avonbooks and @harpervoyagerus for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Selling Pitch:
Mary Sue the cat girl takes on the Spanish in a historical retelling of the 16th century.

On my do not read list.

Pre-reading:
No part of me wants to read this. I think it’s going to be bad. I think I’m going to hate it. It was a Fairyloot pick so I asked for it like a dumbass. It’s been sitting on my TBR for almost a year. The cover is ugly. I don’t know anything about Zorro, except it was vaguely in a Eureka episode.

Thick of it:
Hegemony

Girlypop, I appreciate how much research you clearly did for this book, but making me read variant spellings throughout a book to mean the same thing is abusive. I am so dumb.

Cabildo

Encomenderos

Chinampas

Viceroy

Rebozo

Tianguis

Curanderos

Nagual

barrios

vicereine

This book has terrible Goodreads reviews, but it’s like aggressively fine right now.

pueblos

cornices

fecundity

I know this book is a YA and I’m a pervert, but highly recommend auto-correcting Tonalli to dick every time it’s in the story.

Pescadores

peccaries

Some of this is bordering on religious kink, and I’m annoyed that it can’t lean into it.

Ugh, not the I hate other girls shit.

Wow, green sickness. I should call him.

You know, I went into this book with a bad mood, but I’m having a decent time.

The curative powers of intercourse is not a phrase I had on my bingo board.

I mean you don’t have to mount on the left but-
Also, girlypop is allowed to ride astride? That feels incorrect.

Sallet

Lmao how much you wanna bet Ollin is Andres? (Ha, Samantha. you were wrong, you dumb bitch.)

cuartel

They remind me of Ladybug and Cat Noir. (The book should’ve kept this vibe.)

Lmao he did sprout an extra head.

Y’all I’m so easy. I’m having a good time.

It reads a bit like fanfiction where it’s like scene snippets and no real logical resolution or conclusion to the action, but it’s also like I don’t care?

The Kindle Unlimited girlies are like we’re listening

Also, I’m 30% in and I’m still live, laugh, loving. I think it’s garbage, but I think it’s fine garbage, so I don’t know what everyone’s complaining about. Like I can’t believe I’m being the positive one here. How bad does this book get that like the masses hate it?

Well, thank god Mary Sue is here to tell a literal prince to stop being such a slut. I’m sure that would go over great.

Did she just ask this man not to use soap with her whole chest?

Mestiza

Why are we villainizing girlypop for making the most of her situation? Let’s not do this. I’m not happy with this.

That was kind of a metal line. Like Wattpad metal, but still metal.

Well, I like her. (Amalia.)

Every time I translate the chapter titles correctly, I give myself a cookie. Take that Duolingo.

Farthingale

That was another kind of metal line.

Tell me this writing isn’t on par with Scarred though. (They had us in the first half.)

I know the Habsburg line is real people because Keith Habersberger, but is she saying that she’s a hamburger or that he’s a hamburger because I don’t know who has burger, and does it matter? Not even a little bit.

Oh, they’re literally trying to explain it to me right now. I’m just too stupid and impatient.

Peninsulares

This is just throwing names at me, and it’s rude.

Everyone having multiple names and then the same names is abusive to me honestly. My brain is so full of books. Stop doing this.

I’m stupid. Does that mean the deal’s on? Why are we grabbing elbows? What’s going on?

Everyone in this book is a better ruler than this bitch.

Hacienda

Fuck, I want a churro. (This is the insightful commentary people follow me for.)

Can we pick a lane of we’re stone-cold killers or like omg we can’t kill ppl, we’re the good guys

Call your boyfriend and tell him to fix your girlfriend’s face.

She wants your DICK. sorry I’ll go

Very Princess Bride lol

I don’t know why people are so upset about this book. It’s so fine. I’m digging the romance. (I feel like this is the perfect review for people who are like Samantha, you’re always a hater. And I’m like no, I was live, laugh, loving and then this book ruined itself, and you can watch it happen in real time.)

encomienda

Some of this book’s Christian lines make me gasp, and I don’t know if it’s just because I’m a horny little pervert or what, but-(that. It’s that.)
Telling me my tongue is an unruly demon? Sinful. More please.

This writing is on par with What the River Knows.

What do you mean the horse just ripped a tree out of the ground?

Someone wanna explain to me why he keeps his clothes when he shifts but she doesn’t? (Like the book attempts to explain this, but it’s also stupid. Just be nakey.)

I’m gettin' whiplash from whose side everyone is on.

I’m getting bored.

Your stomach growling is not unladylike. Fuck off.

Remember how I was like the romance is paced well? Throw all of that out lol.

And add this book to does the dog die.

I don’t understand this book’s pacing.

The back half of this book has really fallen off.

I am no longer live, laugh, loving.

And title drop.

This book has really lost the plot and can’t decide which storyline it wants to follow.

Oh wow, so that was rape. That’s like very not cool. And this book is very much handling it like that wasn’t rape, you can’t rape dudes.

This book has an awful lot of I’m not sure lines. Maybe you should’ve figured it out before you published, Girlypop.

I’m not following any of this.

Remember how I was like it’s not that bad. IDK what people are talking about? This is unreadably bad.

I’m at 94%, and I’m still tempted to DNF it.

Oh, ending your book by freeing the native peoples when that’s not what happens in real-life history is a baddddd look.

Is this meant to be a series? What the fuck ending was that? (Yes. Yes it is.)

Honey, Henry Cavill isn’t Spanish or Mexican. What do you mean? What did you want him for?

Post-reading:
You know they had me in the first half.

For the first half of this book, I was like why is everyone hating this book? It’s so perfectly fine. Then the second half hit, and it wasn’t a book anymore. It devolves to the point of being indecipherable. It’s going on my do-not-read list.

The writing is beyond choppy. Clearly, a lot of research went into writing this book but that just translated into a lot of out of place info dumping. The action feels repetitive. The writing feels like a lot of snippets were just smushed together. It feels like the author had come up with scenes, but hadn’t finished coming up with a book but published anyway.

The characters are dime-a-dozen archetypes and lack any depth. There’s a good whiff of internalized misogyny here, and it feels like the author tried to counter that by making enemies become besties and or hint that they’re lesbians. And that is lazy and will never work for me.

The romance’s initial banter was solid, but then their relationship goes 0 to 60 and they lose all their chemistry.

It really felt like two different stories. The first half was a political historical romance and it was mediocre at best, but readable. Then it became some fantasy trying to dabble with the gods and magic and destiny and demons and shit and we were retconning things every other chapter. If you read any of my other reviews, you know a surefire way to make me hate something is to start retconning. Just don’t lie to me. It feels like you’re lying to me. Tell me the rules of the world and stick to them.

The main character’s motivations are so wishy-washy. She became insufferable to read.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m an ignorant slut. I don’t know anything about the actual history of this time period. Everything I know, I learned from a Nancy Drew game. (This is even not funnier when you realize that the Nancy Drew game is about the Mayans and not the Aztecs, but somehow I knew about the Quetzalcoatl guy and Cortez so-(And by know about, I mean it wasn’t a brand new word to me)) I will not be critiquing the historical accuracy at all. You could not pay me to touch that. However, I will say that having your Mary Sue main character convince everybody to just work together maybe doesn’t erase years of trauma, but it certainly glosses over it and that feels really icky to me.

This is a mess. I don’t think there’s anything redeemable about it. Don’t read it. I blame the editor, not the author because this should’ve stayed the rough draft. I don’t think the idea is horrible, but the execution is shit, and this wasn’t ready to be published.

Who should read this:
No one?
Mesoamerican historical fans

Do I want to reread this:
Fuck no

Similar books:
* What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez-YA historical fantasy romance, Mummy retelling
* A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft-historicalish fantasy romance, enemies to lovers, more vibes than plot
* Scarred by Emily McIntire-historicalish romance, enemies to lovers, more vibes than plot, Lion King/Hamlet retelling

3.5 stars!

Lares' has written a debut narrative with a captivating blend of Mexican mythology, pulse-pounding action, and the allure of magic. Imagine a female Zorro, steeped in the rich tapestry of Mexican lore, wielding not only a sword but magical powers. Leonora, a young woman torn between two worlds—Spain and Mexico—is on a crusade to curb Spanish tyranny as the masked vigilante 'Pantera'.

Lares skillfully paints a portrait of Leonora's dual existence, seamlessly blending her place amongst the nobility and her fervent quest for justice for the indigenous tribes of New Spain. Pantera IS a symbol of defiance against the oppressive grip of Spanish rule with no one suspecting that Leonora and Pantera are one and the same.

Believing she is doomed to a short life based on a prophecy given to her at birth, Leonora must set aside the world she knows and choose to let go of her mask or fight to her last breath. As her journey progresses to self-discovery, along with a vast cast of characters, Leonora finds that there is more to herself than even she knew.

However, amid the thrills of Leonora's journey, there are moments where scenes felt sparse, leaving me wanting more detail.

Sun of Blood and Ruin was an intense journey through a world brimming with magic, mythology, and action. This is book one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and Mariely Lares for an advanced e-copy of this book. It's out now!

Sun of Blood and Ruin had such rich detail in the writing of the landscapes, they are so well described that you can really visualise the scene right down to what it would sound like and feel like to be there. Pantera/ Leonora was such a great strong and interesting leading character that you really want to follow her journey and see how she manages her different identities and if she can find balance in herself. There was lots of action/ battle scenes that kept things progressing forward, with threats from all sides, adventures into the forest, courtly scheming, prophecies, and other worldly beings. It's a great read!