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!

This was such a great read! I had trouble putting it down - I stayed up late reading and finished it in less than a day.

Set in Guatemala in the 1500s, the story takes place shortly after the Spanish colonized the region. The protagonist is Catalina, whose father is Spanish and mother K'iche. The story follows her efforts to fulfill a promise to her mother to protect and preserve their sacred book, the Popol Vuh, while also grappling with the two halves of her identity.

The backdrop of the story is tragic, but there's a lot of perseverance shown as well. In addition to reckoning with the aftermath of colonization and genocide, the author touches on issues such as women's agency(/lack thereof), and the book includes LGBT and disabled characters.

I really enjoyed the romantic storyline as well, and felt that it was well-balanced and did not overshadow other elements of the plot.

This is a time period and region I haven't read much about before. As a historical fiction book, several of the characters were historical figures. The book made me want to learn more, especially about K'iche history and the Popol Vuh.

I'll look forward to whatever else this author puts out in the future.

this book because the description seemed very interesting and I'm happy that I found it! The plot was on point, characters had depth, and the story was compelling.

Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda is definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year! It is a tale of a girl of mixed race who grew up in the 1550's in Guatemala. Being half Spanish and half Mayan she struggles to navigate both cultures and ends up on a journey to save her K'iche culture.
This book was so beautifully written, and the story was so engaging that I couldn't put it down, I read it all in one day!
Thank you #NetGalley for access to the ARC read of Daughter of Fire, I loved it!

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of Daughter of Fire by Sofia Robleda, published by Amazon Crossing.
I enjoyed this novel, I didn't realize how much history it wpild contain, I liked the way it was written as a story vs a historical book. I liked the characters, the plot and setting. I mostly liked Catalina's determination and fiestiness to get what she wanted. It was interesting to learn some of the history of Guatemala for the 1500's.
This is the first novel I've read by Sofia Robleda, and would happily read more of her books.

Daughter of Fire starts off running, this novel captures your attention from the first page and is impossible to put down. Follow Catalina, in her journey of self-discovery of her indigenous culture, spirituality, folklore, paranormal activity and romance. Robleda does an amazing job of highlighting the effects of colonialism, the conquistadors and Christian missionaries as the events unfold in 16th-century Guatemala.

The cover attracted me to this book initially, but the synopsis hooked me in. Full disclosure, I needed to get online and research a part of history I only have a vague knowledge of, but Daughter of Fire is so eloquently written, with such extensive descriptions that I learned a lot while enjoying an exceptional work of fiction

Following the spanish invasion, 88% of indigenous mayans perished in the first 10 years and Daughter of Fire tells the story of Catalina de Cerrato and her battle to preserve her Mayan heritage (from her late mother) in the face of adversity frrom her fathers oppressive dominance (Spanish Tyranny) The Mayan heritage is gradually being destroyed as every day passes and Catalina embarks on a journey to preserve and rewrite the ancient texts of Popol Vuh, on the way, meeting Juan de Rojas, a displaced lord and a slow burn romance

There is so much to consume in this book and it is a book that is certainly a keeper as it is very likely going to become a classic. The love story takes a back seat to a powerful narrative of identity, independance and tenacity in the face of tragedy. Preservation of heritage and standing up against tyrany. The book is so full, so opulent and immersive, it just keeps giving page after page of a gorgeous flow that is top tier whether you are screaming or celebrating

Thank you to Netgalley, Amazon Crossing and the incredible Sofia Robleda for this phenomenal ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC copy of this book!

I absolutely devoured this book. Daughter of Fire tells the story of a young woman struggling with both sides of her heritage. She wants to keep her indigenous heritage alive and honor her mother but she is forced to try and live up to her Spanish father.

The writing is gorgeous and vivid. The characters are complicated and interesting. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me on my toes. This book definitely made me want to learn more about the history of the K'iche people.

Overall, I really enjoyed!

This book is set is 1550s Guatemala after the Spanish conquest of the Mayans. This story follows a young girl who is of mixed race, both Spanish and Maya, as she is torn between the two cultures and the two religions. She is on a quest to restore an ancient, sacred Mayan text and to break free from the many men controlling and directing her life.

I really enjoyed this book and rated it 4.25. It was very engaging, I read it all in one day. I did see several of the plot reveals coming, but it didn't diminish my desire to keep reading until I got to the end. It's based on, and includes, historical people during that time period. This book also includes a romance subplot, so if you enjoy historical romance you may enjoy this book.

I feel like this book has been written with so much character.
Most historical fiction that I have read has felt so long and drawn out, but this really had me captured from the beginning and is relatively short. I enjoyed getting to to know the fmc.
The odd grammar mistake here and there, but I think I read at the start that it’s the unedited version, so I’ll look forward to a reread once official release has came by.

The prose is lovely and well-crafted. I stopped after chapter 1 (3%) but definitely three stars for the target audience and four to five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Crossing for the ARC.