DNF at 85 pages

I really like the concept of this one, but it reads on the younger side of YA. Its first person POV, lost royalty type story. There's also supposed to be an enemies to lovers storyline but I haven't gotten to that part by the time that I DNFd. The writing just felt very juvenile and info-dumpy and the protagonist read more like a 12 year old than someone in their teens. I was hoping that the Filipino-inspired folklore setting would add something to the story, but at this point, it just didn't feel like it was doing anything new, and I was not interested in continuing.

When your father dies and you suddenly find yourself inheriting a throne... and only have one month to figure out your magic before your coronation and hopefully surviving until then. MJ Rodriguez has spent her life living in hiding in the human world, she is half-encanto and the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court. She is the rightful heir to the throne and when her father suddenly dies she is pulled back into the world of Biringan. She has to figure out her magic (something that she should have known by now) and only has one month to do so before her coronation... and that also means she has to go to royal magic school and deal with politics as well as trying to figure out the murder mystery surrounding her father's death. With everyone out for the throne and her place being challenged, she'll have to forge alliances and friendships to survive. She finds herself striking up an alliance with Sir Lucas of Sigbin Court, a boy surrounded in mystery and who has found a way to win her heart, and Nix, her newfound friend. This book was suppose to be young adult and MJ is around 17-18 but she read and felt as if she were 14-15. The story itself felt on the younger end of the spectrum, along the lines of Descendants (Disney). Unlike Descendants however, this one did not work for me. MJ has to find her magic in a month but doesn't really work towards trying to find it at all and it just ends up being there in the lat 10%of the book. The book hits all the tropes of : royal magic school, she's not like everyone else, mysterious boy who falls for her, mean pretty girl who is her enemy. Honestly it felt like Descendants without any of the charm or actual moving plot of Descendants. I really wanted to like this because I am always about supporting AAPI stories and characters, and I think this one was just too young for me. This is the first book in a duet and definitely ends with a cliffhanger. I think if you are a young reader around 12-14 and like Filipino mythology, this would be a perfect read for you.

*Thanks Netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I really enjoyed reading this! I flew through the pages and couldn't wait to read it all. This is a YA fantasy romance with a bit of a murder mystery mixed in. I have to say, it's a nice change to have the heroine be aware of her heritage before being brought back to her home world. The story has an ending but when you read the epilogue you know there's going to be another book for sure. This is a really good book and anyone who likes the author's other books, will probably like this too.

I am not sure I have ever read a Filipino centered fantasy story and I am glad this book exists.. I do think it read a little younger than I wanted it to given the main character was 17. I also didn’t find the mystery to be as complex as I would have liked. But the story was intriguing and the world building was excellent. I am looking forward to reading the next book and finding out what happens (even if I didn’t care for the “twist” in the epilogue. MJ has grown up hidden in the human world always on the move, but she has always known that she is half Encanto. When her father dies she is summoned back to his world because he was the King and she is the one true heir. But there is clearly a faction not happy for her to take the crown and she needs to figure out who has been killing people, including her father, as well as who wants to steal her crown before it is too late. The world of Biringan was wonderful and intriguing and it is a place I hope to visit again soon.

MJ Rodriguez has always hidden in the human world. However, she is half Encanto and next in line for the throne. When her father suddenly dies, it is her time to claim her place on this throne.

This is a ya romantic fantasy that is inspired by Filipino mythology.

I loved how it felt like a bit of a thriller/murder mystery mixed with this very sweet romance! I absolutely loved all the attention to Filipino culture in so many big and small ways. Bc, let's be real, this is what reading is about ya'll!!!!! I love learning about a different culture while reading a great story. This is not a really long book. It's a fairly quick and easy read, and I just really enjoyed it.

Out March 5, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I have been a huge Melissa de la Cruz fan for many years and although this wasn't my favorite of hers it was still pretty good.
I enjoyed the Filipino mythology inspiration in this book. This book was pretty engaging and entertaining, it was never boring. But it did feel like a thriller at times but then also a murder mystery, I wasn't too sure what the overall vibe was supposed to be.
I do think the age of MJ was a little off, she was 17/18 but she read more 14/15 to me.
Overall I would say this book is a 3.5 rounded to 4 stars.

A rich and fast paced fantasy, The Encanto's Daughter is a dive into a world of magical beings and a hidden princess recovering her birthright. It was an engaging read, although it is definitely aimed at a young audience (not necessarily a bad thing!) and I think would be perfect for anybody who needs a little magic in their life

Thank you to the publisher for providing a copy for review

I DNFed this book at 20%. I have read one other book by this author and wasn’t a fan so I was giving her a second chance and I sadly just don’t like her writing style.

I’m DNFing this one at 12%, it’s probably a perfectly fine book but I just don’t think it’s for me.

I will say it started in the middle of some action and I felt like I was playing catch-up, trying to figure out what was happening and my brain just couldn’t do it.

Regardless, thank you to Penguin Teen for sending me an advanced copy of this book.

So, I’m going to just say this up front: I mistook this author for another “Melissa” author when I initially requested this book on NetGalley. I’ve only read one other book by de la Cruz, and to say it wasn’t a favorite is probably an over-statement. I think it might be one of my lowest rated books on the blog, actually. That said, even after I realized, I still wanted to give this one a shot. Over the last year or so, I can think of a few examples where I’ve really loved books by authors who didn’t work for me the first time around. So, who knows? This could have been another situation where, with a new project, my mind could be changed.

All of that nice intro just to find out…nope, turns out everything that I disliked about the first de la Cruz book was more a feature of her writing than a bug. Ah, well, worth the shot I guess! But, as always, let’s talk a bit at first about the things that did work for me. Really, not much did. But I can see more where things would work for other readers whose tastes differ from mine. I did like the elements that were drawn from Filipino mythology (I especially appreciated the author’s note about this), and I wish there had been even more of these elements included on the whole. By the end, I still felt like we’d only scratched the surface of what could have been a rich fantasy tapestry. I also think that many of the choices made with regards to characterization and plot will appeal more to younger YA readers, so they may find more to like in this book than I did.

But for me, this was really a disaster of a read. Both the characters and the plot felt like cardboard cut outs of the most stereotypical elements of storytelling that on could cobble together. From the ridiculousness of the “magical royal school” setting, to the plot quickly devolving from MJ taking seriously her task to learn to take the throne in only a month’s time to instead partaking in juvenile bickering and drama. And to people these scenes, we have all of the stereotypes you can imagine: quirky best friend? Check. Mysterious romantic interest? Check. Hot girl that the main girl must hate? Check. This last one was most disappointing to see. I vaguely remember having problems with this in the other book by de la Cruz I read, this propensity to making the main female character seem special by degrading the other women around her. It was distasteful then, and it’s pretty depressing to still see it popping up here in YA fiction years later.

Beyond this, it felt like the book didn’t know what it wanted to be. You have, of course, the boarding school aspect. But the story also has elements of a fantasy thriller and then a murder mystery is introduced. And yet, even with all of these elements, I found myself so, so bored while reading this. Not being able to connect to any of the characters is always an uphill battle as far as engagement with a book goes, but it also felt like the pacing of this one was simply very slow. It felt like nothing was really happening for large chunks of the story. And as it went, it was easy to guess exactly where every plot line was going which sucked any tension out of the experience. And then we get to the end and what do we get? A cliffhanger!

I really disliked this book. The writing felt limited, the plotting was questionable, and the characterization could be reduced to stereotypes. All of that said, I know this author is popular with a lot of readers, so if you’re a fan of her previous books, take all of this with a massive grain of salt. Also, if you’re very dedicated to checking out a book that draws from Filipino mythology this might be worth a shot, though, I have to say, I feel like there have to be better examples out there than this. Overall, while I’m glad I gave this author another shot in the service of not having fixed opinions of an author based on one reading experience, after finishing this one, I’ll think I’ll call it quits.

Rating 5: At best it doesn’t stand out from the pack of other YA fantasy stories, and at worst, it’s a muddled mess of stereotypes and predictable plot lines.

(Link will go live on The Library Ladies blog on March 20)

Based on the premise, this book sounded very exciting and unique to me. The potential for the promised world building made me want to read this gorgeous book. However, this book just fell flat for me and here's why:

1) I was expecting a young adult book based on the point of view character's age, but as I was reading I mistakenly thought I was reading middle grade

2) The plot was everywhere and no where simultaneously; it started off as a fantasy thriller, then moved to a royal school story, then romance, then a murder mystery, and felt more of a surface tale in which the magical system aspects were assumed and events happened conveniently

3) I felt the romance was not authentic and too insta-love with no chemistry

4) MJ needed to find her talent to become queen, but never did anything to try to find it and when the last seconds were ticking away, she just happened to find her talent just in time

5) The murder mystery didn't have enough red herrings/false leads

6) The characters lacked depth and all felt like cardboard cutouts, giving me nothing about them to care about and cheer them on

Overall, middle grade readers who enjoy fantasy may like this book. The ending leaves a small cliff hanger telling me there will be a sequel and makes me curious what feature book two will focus on--the romance, the mystery?

I made it through 16 chapters with this one, but I just couldn't do anymore. The book was trying to be too many things at once - mystery, coming of age, enemies to friends, missing people, fairies - and it was just too much. It didn't seem like it had a clear direction.

2.75 stars

This is the second time recently I’ve picked up a book by this author because of my love for her older work and felt it just wasn’t for me, which is disappointing but also kind of my own fault. Fool me once, etc etc etc. I did find it refreshing and interesting to read a fantasy based on different lore than most fae-related stories. I’m not familiar with Filipino myths and legends, but that world-building was by far the best part of this book.

MJ is half human and half encanto (basically a type of fae). Her encanto father is king of their realm, making her heir to the throne, but she and her human mother live in our world, constantly relocating to avoid being chased by magical threats who are after her for reasons. Until one day, immediately at the start of the book, MJ’s father is dead and she has to go to the magical world RIGHT NOW to take the throne. Also for reasons.

So MJ goes to magical royal school to learn about the realm’s history and how to be queen, where she meets the quirky best friend, the mysterious love interest, and the romantic rival, who she calls a skank. Are we still calling other girls skanks for liking the same boys as us in 2024? Felt very 2008 to me, which is ironically when I started reading this author’s work. So again, maybe on me for being surprised.

There’s a mystery element here as MJ learns that of course her father was murdered and obviously there are insurrectionists trying to keep her from the throne, and she must solve this with the help of quirky best friend and mysterious love interest.

It all unfolded in the way you’d expect, and I didn’t feel connected enough to any of the characters for them to make up for how formulaic this story felt. If you’re looking for a lower-YA targeted book, and specifically if you’re interested in Filipino fairy tales, you may have better luck with this one. Such is the possibility when reading YA, but I definitely felt too old for this, and probably won’t pick up the second in the duology when it’s out. Thanks to Penguin Teen and the author for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

MJ and her mother are always moving. They have been on the run because MJ is the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court. After her father dies, she is tasked with returning to his realm and taking her place as the heir. Unfortunately, she is half human and many do not feel she has the right to become ruler and she only has one month to get ready for the throne. Will she discover her magic in time to demonstrate her power? Will she be able to survive the numerous attempts on her life?

The Encanto’s Daughter is the first book in the series with the same title. This fantasy novel is nothing like de la Cruz’s other books, yet this fast-paced book was a wonderful distraction. Readers will quickly find characters they love and hate as the story develops and climaxes. The Encanto’s Daughter would be a great introduction to the fantasy genre.

What a fun story! I’ve read several of Melissa De La Cruz’s older books years ago when I was a teenager and I always had a fun time with them. This story was no different for me. Right from the first page, I was sucked into this fun YA fantasy world that also seemed modern because of our FMC being from the normal world. I did cringe a little at the mention of twerking but it didn’t take me long to get over that.
This story was like a palate cleanser for me, nothing too crazy and easy to read. I felt like the story was very fast paced and I never felt bored. The plot was a little all over the place, but I expected that from a YA and it never felt like too much. I liked the MMC and how boyish he seemed. I did think the romance came a little out of left field and I don’t really think it was necessary for the story. I would’ve liked it more if the romance had been developing from the beginning, but it didn’t really start blooming until the middle of the book. I liked Lucas as a character, but I didn’t feel like he was necessary as a love interest.
Our FMC, MJ, was very frustrating to me. I tried not to be too hard on her because of her age, but sometimes I wanted to grab her and shake her. This book is meant for young adults, and they make frustrating decisions like MJ did, so I tried not to be too hard on her.
Overall, I had a fun time with this one. Will I read the second book? Maybe. With the ending of this one, the probability is high. I can’t wait to see the drama and angst that come out of the next one.

I received this as an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

Thank you Netgalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

"The Encanto's Daughter" by Melissa de la Cruz is an engaging story demonstrating excellent world-building in a Filipino-inspired fantasy.

I absolutely loved the incorporation of Filipino mythology and magic into the narrative. While the general idea of the story focused on the basic premise of Fae courts, de la Cruz was able to bring new life to the idea through the use of Filipino mythology throughout. I don’t think I’ve read a YA book centered around Filipino mythology, so I loved reading more about the magic and creatures from the culture. I also appreciated MJ's character development, where she started as a bit lacking in confidence but quickly changed into a semi-fit ruler. Seeing MJ come into her own as the princess actually reminded me a bit of “The Princess Diaries.” The plot was was also engaging as I spent the book trying to unravel the mystery behind MJ's father's death just like MJ, and I think de la Cruz provided the perfect number of clues to help the reader.

The romance between MJ and Lucas is fast-paced. It’s almost like enemies-to-lovers, but it quickly developed beyond the troupe, and I did enjoy the banter between the two. In their relationship, MJ was a bit immature, especially in the beginning, though she definitely did grow as a character throughout the book.

The tone and overall writing style, however, seemed to be more suited for a middle grade audience or a lower YA audience rather than what some may assume is upper YA considering MJ’s age. Some of MJ’s character development and plot points were a bit juvenile (like the stereotypical mean girl character bullying the main character). And there were some slow parts in the book where not much was happening even though MJ was in the middle of a murder mystery. However, if you like slice-of-life moments in books, you would definitely enjoy that aspect of the book.

"The Encanto's Daughter" had well-detailed magical elements, character development, and romantic subplot. I definitely can’t wait to read the next book after the cliffhanger at the end of this one.

MJ Rodriguez has spent her life in hiding with her human mother. She is the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court. and when he dies, under suspicious circumstances, MJ is taken to Biringan, where in just a short time, she will be crowned queen and where she will have to display her magic. Only one small problem, MJ does not know what her powers are. On top of that, she once again is a new student in school, where rivals for the throne are willing to anything to remove MJ from her rightful place. She reluctantly joins forces with Sir Lucas, a classmate and member of the Sigbin Court, to access her magic and to try to solve the mystery behind the death of both King Viencio and Sir Lucas's father. Another wonderfully crafted novel by Melissa de la Cruz.

This is YA fantasy, and I liked the author did Filipino mythology, it was filled with magic, mythical creatures, and the world building was fast paced. I could picture everything that was happening, and the cliffhanger has wanting book 2 already! Thank you penguin teen for the arc!

This YA fantasy was awesome. The MC is half human and half encanto. She lives in the human world with her mother but after her father (the King) passes away she returns to his land after narrowly escaping the insurgents and entering a portal. She then goes to a school. You have your regular high school drama with added political drama as she learns all the things she needs to in order to become the Queen of the land and avoid war. Add in a murder plot, and a hunt for a witch. It was a fantastic read and I enjoyed every minute.

An enjoyable read, even though I found the main char kinda weak at points. The mythology was utterly gorgeously used. Thanks for the arc!