The Sunlit Ruins by Andrea Septién is a magical adventure reminiscent of Percy Jackson, set in Mexico City. There are Gods, Deities, monsters and mythology. Twin cousins (born at the same time on the same day) Miranda (Miri) and Guadeloupe (Hada/Ada) have been arguing and competing with each other. Now they have to put their differences aside and learn how to use and control their newly released magical powers to save Mexico City and the world! Read by #LuzmaOrtiz & #MartinMartinez Thanks to #NetGalley and #BandeleBooks for the audiobook to review.

This was a very good audiobook! I really like the narrator and the way the author writes! I plan to read more by this author!
The story was beautiful!

ARC from NetGalley, these are my own thoughts and opinions.

This was a fun YA fantasy listen! I felt like the writing was somewhat repetitive, with a lot of descriptive words used. The plot is nonstop action, with some sweet cousin bonding happening in between. The fantasy elements were new to me and I enjoyed the change in the magic system!

Audio: I really enjoyed the narration in this one, but the random sounds effects were a bit much at times. If it was a constant thing, then I would enjoy it, but it was very random in my opinion.

Overall, I really enjoyed it!

Posted to Goodreads and StoryGraph on 1/10, posted to my Instagram stories and saved in a highlight on 1/10

In this Mexican heritage fantasy, cousins Ada and Miry unlock their magical powers as they go on a quest to help ancient architects tied to the abandoned civilization of Teotihuacn. This mythological tale had promise, but it fell flat in the characterization and the tempo. First, the main characters Ada and Miry don’t seem to fit either the middle grade or YA vibe. The girls constantly are squabbling like little children, and their dialog would usually be juvenile, but then they would throw in a random swear word here and there (that usually didn’t fit with the flow of dialog and was totally unnecessary) and they had an instance of sexual harassment (that was not handled very well). Second, the plot lost me a few times to where I didn’t even know what the girls were trying to accomplish, and too many characters thrown in at the end did not help. Finally, the audio recording had some additional things that I did not enjoy, such as music and sound effects, which for me did not add to the story, they interrupted the flow of the narration.

I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it. I did love the magical aspect of book and the entwined parts of the deity’s coming to help. Also the best part of this audiobook was the background noise, it helped you fall into the Mexico environment and feel like you were there!

The characters are cousins Ada and Miry. They are definitely spoiled. We spend a decent amount of time with them hating and being jealous of each other. Which I can understand teenager girls but we had other bigger more important issues going on around them, that I felt they should have gotten over themselves earlier in the book. Especially since they both had magic powers!!!! I felt bad for Fernando, he has some crappy luck finding out things that can cause bigger issues, his poor mental health. He was a great character, probably my favorite in this book.

I am interested in seeing what happens in the sequel now that the girls shouldn’t be arguing as much and they also have to try to refigure out how to survive with their powers and all they know

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Andrea Septién for the arc

I’ve listened to many audiobooks before and i will say this audio was one of the best ones i have listened to, the sound effects and music that they added made me feel more immersed in this world and i love that. The different animal sounds, the laughing and the rest of the background noise was soo good. i especially loved how we got to hear different voices for their grandparents letter at the end, it was a very nice touch. All in all the narrators did an amazing job!

For the story i would say i enjoyed it, there were parts that had me interested and had me guessing (wrong but still guessing) what was happening/ would happen next. I will say that i think this book feels more like a Middle Grade book rather than YA. The 2 main characters Ada & Miry were really childish with their childish toward each other (i didn’t find it as annoying as other people might).

I do think that this book did a good job touching on the subjects of Ada’s disconnect with her culture and heritage since this is so prominent in the world, as well as Mira’s bullying and SA.

Overall i would definitely recommend this book to others and i had fun listening to it. i’m interested to see we’re this series goes in the future.

This was a really fun audio adventure and one of my top fav. I loved the sound effects, music, and the narrator did a really good job with the voices for the characters. I will definitely be looking forward to the next book in the series to continue the story of family secrets, adventures through portals, and learning more about the family ties to ruins. I definitely recommend the audiobook version of this book.

I’m a sucker for some urban fantasy, and the at is exactly what this is! It’s really fun to read about something that you can tell is very much grounded in reality and our world and that the characters act like one would imagine an ordinary person reacting to stuff would. Because the two teenage girls that are the protagonists are exactly that. Ordinary.
Or well, and ordinary as you can be when you find out that old Mexican gods are real…
It explores the feeling of not understanding someone that you used to be really close to, and how that rift can make things difficult, but also shows that things can get better, and rifts can be mended.
Really beautiful, and compelling story.

This book is incredibly sweet, with 2 main protagonists that fly off the page! I loved the self discovery that both characters went through. The plot was very fun and intriguing. I learned new things and new mythological aspects of Mexico. I am very excited for the second book!

My 12yo loved it and can't wait for the next one. I enjoyed the concept more than the execution. In audio, the swearing feels over done and often out of place. It doesn't flow naturally and stands out awkwardly. Otherwise decent. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this audiobook. DNF. I didn’t know this was going to read as young as it did, so I ended up not finishing this. From what I heard the audio book is great, but I am looking for older sounding books. I would recommend this to younger girls who love fantasy. I’m only rating this because it makes me and I don’t want to hurt my profile ratio.

I haven't listed to many audiobooks, but this is one of the best one's I've had the pleasure of hearing!! There were sound effects and music added into it that made the experience very immersive. The sounds of cars, kids laughing, and the growls of pumas all added to the atmosphere I was building in my mind while listening to this. I also appreciated how there were two narrators for the different characters in the story. Hearing their grandparents distinct voices for the letter was a very nice touch.

Overall for the story though, I was surprised when I realized this book was marketed as YA when it felt more like a MG novel. The characters Ada and Miri felt very childish with their jealousy and anger towards one another. I was frustrated by their constant arguments and didn't blame Fernando at all when he kicked his cousins out of the car so they could finally talk things through. Their issues with one another could've been solved so easily if they'd just talked about what was bothering them. I do understand that teenagers might have a hard time discussing their feelings but both girls were very perspective of each other, despite their outward disdain. Ada is also a very talkative character so I expected her to open up to Miri and ask her questions but that's not what happened.

They did eventually open up to each other and boned over their love for BTS (which was so real of them) but by then I was already so frustrated by their petty fights that their reconciliation couldn't amend how I felt about them. I do like them individually though. Ada was very upbeat and positive despite the stress of learning about their magic and the deities. Miri was very strong and confident even in the face of her bullies. Together though... the girls were too much.

I liked that this story touched on topics like Ada's disconnect with her culture and language, Miri's bullying and her SA. These topics were handled well and discussed at length by the characters in a way that was respectful to the topics and helpful to those who don't understand the kind of pain that comes from these situations.

I would rate this book a 3.75 as I do think it is a very great read (listen) and I am looking forward to reading what happens in the second novel as the end result of the novel was very harrowing for the girls. I anticipate that I'll like the second novel more because the girls have become friends and probably won't be fighting as much.

I really liked this little inter connected series, I may have to check out the original !✨

I enjoyed all the action, and the magic system created in this book✨

All the monsters ( Puma-eagle, giant spiders, Mayan gods) were very refreshing side of fantasy creatures ✨

The resolution, and character growth in this book was my favorite part✨

Definitely gonna have to check out the first series that lead to this book ✨

I got an eArc for the audiobook on Netgalley, and I really need to say as someone who hates audiobooks, THAT WAS AMAZING! OMG, Luzma Ortiz narration was perfect and all the sound design, it was incredible, you could hear the streets, the jungle, steps of people walking, it was so good and it helped alot to get into the story and now I kinda wanna hear more audiobooks like this.
But for the story, I love it and it was perfect, I already read most of Bandele's books from the TJ Young series and was really interested in the shared universe, the choice is kinda interesting, it's not exactly "Aztec/Nahua cosmologies", but cosmologies of Teotihuacan, the people that were living in the region before the Aztecs, althought there was some sincretisms, similar to how the romans adopted greek gods. One of my nitpickings with many "mexican folkore" books is that they always treat indigenous people (specially nahua and mayans) as something of the past when having books talking about their cultures, so at first I was bothered with the deities talking about the aztecs in the past tense, but that's because they come from way before them and this whole thing of they remember what humanity remembers and since humanity forgot her name, she also forgot too or even the whole identity crisis of Quetzalcoatl with him being the most famous deity and having way too many forms, because humanity keeps adding to his mith is kinda interesting, the series do have some Percy Jackson influence even if they aren't demigods.
Also is a small thing but I like that contrary to most "mexican mithology books" they actually discuss and acknowledge that THOSE ARE NOT GODS, they are deities, the book itself says it Quetzalcoatl wasn't the god of the light, he is light itself. This is one thing that I see alot of books get wrong, trying to take indigenous believes and write them using an eurocentric view, making them be similar to greek gods, one of the things that I loved so much about TJ Young from Bandele was that he actually took the effort to understand how being a son of Orixa works, doesn't mean that they are your biological father but it's more like a spiritual connection, I love that he just didn't take the Percy Jackson gods and added a "Yoruba Skin" ignoring how rich it all is and this book also had the same effort, of not comparing them to the eurocentric compect of gods and pantheons but actually presenting them as cosmologies, the only characthers that treat them as gods, are the villains who don't understand how exactly it should work.
About the main characthers, I kinda love them, I'm brazilian (born in Brazil) but I do speak spanish and I'm familiar with some parts of mexican culture, the spanish parts were not hard at all and it's interesting seeing how they identity works, they're both mexican american, with Ada having both mexican parents but growing up in the USA and Mini having an american dad but growing up in Mexico (also, wouldn't that make her American Mexican instead of Mexican American?) also I love the scene of Ada screaming fucking gringa to Mini, it was so petty LOL. Yes, both of you are and that's okay, just accept it. They bickering never get's annoying and is really interesting this thing of they both wanting to be like the other or not feeling "mexican enough" while Fer is just there having to stand both of them fighting, Fer is also such a interesting characther, I hope we get more of him in book two.
There is so much more in this book, I loved this journey and it was right up on my alley, I need to read more stories like this, most of it was pretty funny and lightharted but there were some serious moments, a huge CONTENT WARNING/TRIGGER WARNING for death, grief, bullying SA (Groping) and stalking

I loved this YA contemporary Fantasy based on ancient deities of Latin America. The characters were ultra lovable, the relationships well written, and the plot seamless. I would recommend this author to anyone who loves YA Fantasy! The abundance of information and lore from ancient Mexico was both enjoyable and interesting, and I learned so much about the history of Mexico City and Teotihuacan. The dynamics of being Mexican American, in two different countries, was so beautifully portrayed within Ada and Myri, as well as how difficult family ties can be when spanning two distinct cultures. I really thought the Author did a wonderful job of highlighting important topics while weaving them into a story and look forward to this Author's future works.

Summary:

Ada and Miry are cousins with one growing up in Mexico and the other in America. When the whole family takes a trip to Mexico, the two cousins accidentally unleash an evil spirit. Ada and Miry also figure out they have powers given to them by Gods and that they are the only ones who can re-trap the spirit into the pyramids of Teotihuacan. They get help from their cousin who knew the truth and the Archivists of Teotihuacan.

My thoughts:

The Sunlit Ruins was a nice listen but I am not sure I would have been able to read it as a physical copy. It is a well written story and for the most part is flows smoothly. I did find there were parts that seems thrown into the story. It is an action packed book that would be enjoyable for many to read. I am not sure I will continue with book 2 when it releases.

Thank you NetGalley and Bandele Books for the complimentary audiobook of The Sunlit Ruins.

I love the premise of the story. I enjoyed the relationship of the cousins and how they navigated their differences for the greater good. It was an awesome read

The concept of the story, the history, the culture, and the plot were good. It’s a journey based in Mexico City and there is a lot of angst between the cousins about whether their Mexican or American identity was better. It got a bit grating at times but the mystery and action kept me in. This book is definitely targeted at the younger teenage category. The narrators on the audiobooks were good but the sound effects added in were a bit distracting,

Visiting family in Mexico, Ada keeps butting heads with her cousin, Miry. While out with her family Ada makes the mistake of following an unseen voice and unleashes an evil spirit. Researching the creature as well as the old gods of Mexico, the two unlock their superpowers as archivists. Tasked with releashing the creatures by an unknown god, the two must travel across Mexico, brave Mexican traffic and public transportation, and figure out the mythology and secrets they need to save the world. Will they succeed?

Narrators, Luzma Ortiz and Martin Martinez’ narrations are off putting at times, but capture a realistic portrayal of the characters. Characters are underdeveloped, but the plot is well written and helps bring the mythology to life. World building is well done and draws the listener into the story. Readers who like mythology, adventure, and mystery will want to pick this one up.

Please Note: A copy of this audiobook was given in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. No other compensation was received.

Absolutely loved it! Only my second audiobook but I couldn’t turn it off! You are so immersed into this story with the narrators and the music and everything! I loved the experience, the story, the characters, the whole plot and twists. I had guessed some things but it didn’t bother me at all! I loved it! Can’t wait to read book two!