Overall I enjoyed this debut novel. It is heavily inspired by the author's Venezulan roots and includes South American folklore and myths. She really shines when it comes to weaving these elements into the story. I went into this knowing very little about the plot, but I heard such good things, and the cover is stunning. I think that Gabriela Romero Lacruz does have raw talent as a writer, and I am excited to read more of her work. 

That being said, you can tell that this is a debut. I struggled to connect with the characters. Our two protagonists are Eva and Reina, and I feel like I really got to know Eva and only partially got to know Reina because she was held at a distance. While I understood their motivations/goals, it wasn't always clear in their choices or interactions with other characters. They did have some character growth, which was great to see. The supporting characters were good, but not great. They lacked some subtlety and nuance, but that is something that can be improved in future books. 

I don't feel like I have a clear sense of time and place with this book. I know we got a map, which was great, but I struggled to envision the traveling and places in this world. I also don't really know what time period this world is in. The language sometimes felt very modern, which was a bit jarring, especially when used when they didn't have things that are normally associated with that word. 

The pacing was also hard for me. It started off strong, but I felt like it took a long time to move the plot forward. I know a lot of this is set up, but I feel like we got a lot of set up and less of the plot, climax, and falling action. 

That being said, I did enjoy this, and I am looking forward to the next book in the series! 

Thank you to Orbit for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.