This was a pretty interesting read. I don't have any idea about the history of this part of the world and I found it fascinating. The FMC was very refreshing. Idk how true this story is. I did notice the male characters are based on history but not much on the FMC
Anyways, This was written very well - 4 Stars

The writing and the narration was so beautiful in this one!! I read this one and Fledgling by S.K. Ali within the span of three days and they both were SO good that I was in a reading slump for a week 😭😭

💫 historical fiction set in 16th century Guatemala, 30 years after the Spanish invasion
💫 the MC is a young K'iche' Mayan/Spanish woman who is fighting to protect her K'iche' history and legacy by rewriting the stories of her culture which the Spanish colonizers had destroyed and banned
💫 there's a rivals to lovers romance! 🧡 with the guy who would have been the next Mayan king had the Spanish not invaded 💔 they work together to preserve their Mayan history!

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

Truly enjoyed this story. I was not very familiar with this time period, but really appreciated reading and learning of the context and culture of Guatemala in the 16th century. The retelling of the K'iche' Mayan religious stories and cultural myths was absolutely beautiful and I loved the colorful imagery woven throughout the whole book. I loved watching Catalina's character growth from the devout Catholic her Spanish father raised her to be, into her K'iche' mother's daughter of fire she was destined to be. I definitely would recommend this book!

This was so interesting! Robleda brings us to a time in history rarely written about. I loved reading about early colonial Nicaragua. Our main character is a firey young woman dealing with split cultural loyalties. Is she Spanish or Mayan? Throughout the story we see her journey to find inner peace while traversing the complicated social norms of the time.

Overall this was a very good book. I enjoyed the historical setting as something totally unique. The characters were interesting. Our main character makes some decisions that seem dumb, but are pretty reflective of being a teenager. A good book, I highly recommend.

This book is going to take the world by storm, and it is an honor to be one of its arc readers.

I cannot begin to describe the poignant journey Robleda has taken me on over the course of this book. I need everyone to share in this experience.

I would classify this book as a strong historical fiction rooted in the spiritual practices of indigenous peoples. We see the aftermath of the Spanish conquest in Central America, with a focus on the K’iche’ people. The trauma and treatment is not taken lightly, and the author did an amazing job at describing the horrors faced by the indigenous people in that time.

Our main character, Catalina, is caught in the middle. She remains true to her mother’s legacy as a Maya noblewoman but must navigate that secretly due to her father’s prominent position within the Spanish government. Like a true mixed-race protagonist, Catalina is looked on with scrutiny by Mayans and Spanish people both. As she comes of age and discovers more truth about her heritage, she is forced to make unthinkable decisions to safeguard herself and the Popol Vuh that is vital to her heritage.

It all felt sickeningly real, and everyone needs to read it. The rage and despair have yet to truly process for me, still under the surface as I reflect back on what I read. That for me is the mark of powerful writing.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Daughter of Fire. I will absolutely be buying this one for my shelves and raving about it to anyone who will listen.

Daughter of Fire was an excellent historical fiction debut. Sofia Robleda's writing was beautiful and the way she wove in Mayan and Spanish cultural elements was masterfully done. I really appreciated the themes of identity, family, and love as they were interwoven in Catalina's story. Moreover, I am over the moon to see yet another wonderfully talented Mexican author writing a story that needs to be told and needs to be read. Thank you NetGalley, Amazon Crossing, and Sofia Robleda for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review. My review will also be provided on my Instagram account (@readcomolaflor) before the August 1 publication date.

Review: This is a debut novel that had potential but ultimately fell flat. Set in 16th Century Guatemala shortly after it was colonized by Spain, the story follows Catalina as she is torn between being both Ki’che and Spanish as she is tasked with keeping the knowledge of her mother’s people safe while also navigating Spanish high society under the thumb of her strict father,

Overall, the concept was really interesting, there is a lot of history referenced and would love to see more stories set in this time period but due to the writing and awkward flow of the store I was struggling stay engaged. There is also a romance element to the store that again could have been an interesting Enemies to lovers but it wasn’t fleshed out well enough to really get on board. That being said there is potential and I will be keeping an eye out for Sofia’s books in the future.

This is a stunning debut! A unique and vivid historical work of fiction that is needed in the genre and industry. I'd never read anything set in the 16th century Guatemala and this book did not disappoint! Well researched with incredible prose to hook readers.

"Daughter of Fire" by Sofia Robledo is a captivating and thought-provoking historical novel. As a young woman coming of age in 16th-century Guatemala, Catalina de Cerrato is caught between her duty to her father and her promise to her mother to preserve the sacred text of the Popol Vuh, the treasured history of the K'iche people.
As I delved into the world of this novel, I was struck by the rich imagination and meticulous research that Robleda brings to the story. The setting of 16th-century Guatemala is vividly brought to life, with its pyramids, Spanish villas, and caves of masked devils. The characters are well-developed and complex, with Catalina's inner conflict and struggle to honour her father and her mother's legacy being particularly compelling.
One of the things that struck me about this novel was its focus on the historical aspect of the story. While there is a romantic subplot, it's not the central plot of the novel. Instead, Robleda uses the romance to explore Catalina's relationships with her father and her mother's legacy. The novel is also unflinching in its portrayal of the cruelty and oppression of the Spanish colonizers, but it's not gratuitous or graphic.
I found the writing to be very readable. I think anyone looking for historical fiction about an independent-minded woman in a complicated era would enjoy this novel. While it's not a traditional romance novel, it does have a strong romantic element that adds depth to the story.
Overall, "Daughter of Fire" is an enjoyable piece of historical fiction for those interested in learning more about the colonization of Guatemala. It's a powerful and thought-provoking novel that delves into themes of identity, family, and legacy.

If you love off centered books and books with different topics than what you see day to day, then take a look at this book! This is an indiginous romace set in 1551. I am not a romance reader, but this book is so much more than that.

First off, big thank you to Sofia Robleda, Amazon Crossing, and NetGalley for allowing me to enjoy this eARC.

Daughter of Fire was unique and unique incredibly vivid. I truly enjoyed this book. The setting and time is not given enough love as it should be. Thank you Sofia for writing a compelling tale that weaves history and culture so effortlessly.

Solid 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️

The bloody legacy and dregs of colonialism rear a heartbreaking but hopeful journey in Sofia Robleda's novel 'Daughter of Fire'. We follow Catalina born as a mestiza in Guatemala (colonized by the Spanish). Catalina's charged with an important legacy and task of protecting the ancient text known as the Popol Vuh of her mother's K’iche’ Maya people. This task and responsibility takes on a new life for Catalina when she meets Juan when she faces reality of her culture being erased.

While reading, I thought of the many Indigenous groups around the world that lost their language, culture, and traditions to imperial conquests. It leaves such a devastating history and legacy that affects generations. Leaving wounds that never seem to heal. Novels like the 'Daughter of Fire' help create a path of reconciliation of honouring rich histories that shouldn't be lost.

Catalina is fiery and is quirky, feisty, and determined. Thank you Sofia for providing an ARC, I can't wait for readers to dive into this novel!

Daughter of Fire - Sofia Robleda

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Crossing for providing me with an early access copy of this book!

Synopsis: Daughter of Fire follows a half-Guatemalan half-Spanish girl named Catalina. She is being raised by her father, a member of the Spanish ruling class in Guatemala that is erasing the native culture. This, however, does not stop Catalina from following her late mother’s wishes for her to learn and protect her people’s history and language. However when the ancient text of their people is destroyed, she has to work with Juan de Rojas, a Guatemalan lord who lost his power in the inquisition that Catalina does not trust, to rewrite it.

Review: I rather enjoyed this book, I don’t read a lot of historical fiction so it was a bit out of my normal but from where I am standing it was a good book. It had a slow enemies/rivals/I-just-don’t-trust-you to lovers which is trope that I’ll admit I rather enjoy. I will say it is a dense book so it took me some time to get through.

Overall: 4/5 ⭐️

A story about the colonization of the Americas. Specifcally, the Mayan empire. Capturing all the uncertainties and strife of the time through the eyes of a young mestiza woman.

In the 16th century, Catalina is charged by her mother, to keep the one remaining copy of the Popul Vuh safe. A task that has to be kept secret from her Spanish father, a high ranking official in Guatemala. And while he seems to be sympathetic to the indigenous, he is ultimately not someone that can be fully trusted.

There are bits of fantasy/folklore in this novel. The Mayan stories come alive through the characters. There is discourse on identity, as Catalina struggles to reconcile her Spanish and K'iche ancestry. Especially, as she is an active member of the Spanish society in Guatemala. There is also romance.

Overall, an interesting novel. Covers various topics and does so in a vivid, and captivating way. Not much historical fiction is set in this region within this time frame, so this was truly a refreshing read.


Rating: 3.75/5


* ARC courtesy of NetGalley *

This is an historical fiction novel set in the 1550's Guatemala after the Spanish conquest of the Mayans. To be fully transparent I'm not really educated about that part of history. But you can tell the author did a lot of research for this book because she's able to tell this beautiful story while also explaining this piece of history that is so fascinating. I couldn't put this book down and I recommend that everyone read this book. It is truly stunning.

Set in 16th century Guatemala, this book follows Catalina’s efforts to remember and record her mother’s people’s history, the K’iche, whilst also trying to honour her father, the governor. It’s a fascinating and rich history which I’ve not seen much of before.

It’s a beautiful story focusing on Catalina’s sense of identity and feeling split between these two worlds, as well as her sense of duty and the societal view of women at the time. I enjoyed that the romance wasn’t the main story line and didn’t guide the plot. My heart broke for Catalina multiple times throughout. Some moments felt slightly repetitive (getting caught after sneaking out, as an example) but otherwise the writing pulled me in to the world.

I’d highly recommend this book for fans of historical fiction, looking for something new.

Set in 1500s Guatemala, Catalina Cerrata is tasked by her mother’s dying wish to protect their people’s sacred book the <i>Popol Vuh</i>. When it’s destroyed, Catalina must look to people she wouldn’t expect to help her right this wrong and fulfill her mother’s dying wish.

Catalina (or Ab’aj Pol) is only sixteen at the start of the novel; she was raised by her Spanish father after her K’iche mother died when she was young. This novel is definitely a coming of age story. You, as the reader, get to watch as Catalina comes to terms with her place as a biracial woman in a colonized society at different stages of her life. The polarization she felt was captured well and added nuance to her character.

The novel also focuses of themes of independence, agency, grief, trauma, and violence in a respectful but engaging manner.

Overall I enjoyed the novel, but the characters at times felt surface level which was frustrating because I would have loved to know more. Situations throughout the book tended to be black and white, reactions from
characters were all or nothing. Very rarely did someone react mildly.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for this ARC.

Loveeee reading historical fiction about indigenous Latin American societies which is so hard to come by! Will basically pick up anything from Amazon Crossing which has become one of my favourite publishing houses - and will also look out for Robleda's other works in future!

Very readable work of historical fiction set in sixteenth-century Guatemala, with a (very) slight romantic subplot. Our heroine and narrator, generally known by her Spanish name of Catalina, is the daughter of the local governor, Don Alonso Cerrato and his K'iche wife. The conquistadores have swept through the area like a plague, deposing the local monarchs, murdering or enslaving the local populace, and forcing Christianity on the survivors. Catalina loves her father, but she also made a promise to her late mother to preserve the sacred text in her keeping.... despite the dangers that might bring.

The back cover copy makes this sound like a grand adventure story, but to me it felt for the most part smaller and quieter than that: Catalina's father is determined that she should be treated like any Spanish governor's daughter, and that means keeping her world carefully circumscribed, particularly given the circumstances of her mother's death. The small world of Spanish colonizers means that gossip is everywhere and as Catalina embarks on her quest, she is doing so at night and in secret, slipping back into her bed just before morning and hoping no one noticed she was gone. What I'm trying to say is, this is historical fiction with a heavy emphasis on the "historical" part; while to the best of my knowledge Catalina isn't a known historical figure, her father was, as was Juan de Rojas (her love interest). This is the story of the preservation of the Popul Vuh as it might have happened.

There is a love story and romantic subplot, but the book doesn't follow the beats of a traditional genre romance novel, nor does the romance feel as central to Catalina's choices and decisions as it would be in a genre romance. Robleda does not shy away from depicting the cruelty and viciousness of the Spanish oppressors, but the actual scenes or references are straightforward and not overly graphic - she lets the horror speak for itself.

Over all, I found this very readable - I read it in two sittings - and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for historical fiction about an independent-minded woman in a complicated era.

This is one of the first historical fiction I've read and I definitely enjoyed it! More accurate star rating: 4,5

There is a lot of grief and pain, from losing loved ones to dealing with settlers wiping out and oppressing your indigenous people. It's a complicated situation to be a daughter of both sides AND the one that needs to protect that indigenous people's history.

I loved Catalina and her growth through the story, her struggle to live by both sides of her roots and at the same time reject some parts of them felt familiar to me and I loved seeing her navigate it. I enjoyed the romance subplot and liked some of the important male characters Catalina interacts with (some guys are just downright nasty, but very well written as the nastiness serves a purpose). The characters felt well rounded out and I wouldn't mind reading more about some of them! I want to hear more about Cristobál!

I wasn't 100% focused on every detail so that's likely why most of the plot twists came as surprises to me, but when they happened the characters' reasons felt realistic to me. The writing was so enjoyable and the story was well thought out.

I loved learning about the Popol Vuh through Catalina's story and learned some history too!