Title: Bruja Born
Series: Brooklyn Brujas #2
Author: Zoraida Cordova
Publish Date: June 5th, 2018
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Rating: 4 Stars
Summary: Three sisters. One spell. Countless Dead.
Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister’s newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula’s bruja healing powers can’t fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings to light her life.
Then a bus crash turns Lula’s world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn’t the only one who’s been brought back.
My Thoughts:
I received this ARC as a part of Miss Print’s ARC adoption program.
I read both books in this series within a day, I just couldn’t put them down. Bruja Born begins 8 months after Labyrinth Lost and follows Lula. Who is having a hard time adjusting to her fathers return with no memory of where he’s been, her sister Alex being a powerful Encantrix. Lula doesn’t know where she fits and she’s angry and hurt. After boarding a bus to an away game Lula’s life gets rocked when there’s a horrible accident. Causing her to lose the one person outside her family that she loves the most. Lula uses a Cantos, to save Maks, setting off a chain of events that will destroy the world unless Lula can fix it.
Man, this series just keeps getting better and better. I can’t wait until Roses story comes out. Zoraida creates this amazing world that just sucks you right in. In Labyrinth Lost, we saw Los Lagos, but Bruja Born takes place right on the streets of New York. And I love how no matter where the story is set Zoraida will just place you right in the middle of it. She brings each setting to life and you can just picture everything so clearly.
The characters are also something I love. Each of the sisters is so complex and so interesting. I loved that each story is told from their POVs. That we get to see inside each of their heads. What I love about Lula is that she’s tough and resourceful and she loves her family. These girls aren’t perfect. They make mistakes and questionable choices but they own them and do everything they can to fix them. We see in each story how the girls have to understand their power. They have to understand the balance in the world and throughout the story, you watch as Lula begins to come into her own. They have to fight to make things right and sacrifice but they’re willing to do it for those they love.
Also, side note the action scenes were freaking awesome and I love seeing how many more things each of the Mortiz girls can do. With every book, we learn more about these girls and their powers and about the world they live in. More creatures and organizations. Every time you think you’ve got a hang of their world, BOOM Zoraida comes in and adds something new. I’ve found that a lot of times I can’t pick up a sequel to a series. I find that the majority of the time they’re boring and do nothing back act as a placeholder. But with this story, I felt like there wasn’t a dull moment but there also wasn’t unnecessary moments. Each moment was there for a reason and helped develop each character and storyline. I love that Zoraida gave each of the girls a book in which we can focus on them and their story and really helped them jump off the page.
Overall, I loved this book. It was non-stop, fast-paced, and filled with great moments. We got to learn so much about Lula and the strength she has inside herself. I loved every moment and couldn’t put this book down. I love stories about magic and family and this has all that and more. This is a beautiful story with amazing moments filled with love and understanding. Oh and also Adam Silvera. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series and it seriously can’t come fast enough. If you like magic and great characters I highly suggest you pick up this series. Maybe wait until the third one comes out because I guarantee you’ll be dying for the last book, I know I am!