Labyrinth Lost (Brooklyn Brujas, #1)

by Zoraida Córdova

[justine_manzano]

There is nothing I love more in a book than characters that feel real and complex, and that's what we get with Labyrinth Lost, the latest YA release from Zoraida Cordova. Alex, the book's main character, struggles with her choices, and sometimes makes very bad ones. But her heart is good and her search for redemption after one particularly bad choice is what fuels this novel. She is surrounded by secondary characters that are both lovable and questionable, and I found myself drawn to all of them as well. I spent the whole book thinking "give me more!" but in that good way that works for the first book in a series.

For a reader who is definitely more interested in character, I found that, while they were great, they weren't even the best thing about this book! Where this book wins is in the inventive and extensive world the author has created. I loved that the magic system in this world had very real and often painful and frightening consequences. Things didn't come easily, and the challenges were both real world interference and magical ones. While the book starts off in Brooklyn, it moves on to Los Lagos, a magical land that has been conquered by a powerful evil being known as the Devourer. Los Lagos was vividly constructed with strong imagery and surprises.

Lastly, this book is heaven for those looking for diverse books. The cast is entirely POC and there is also an LGBT character, all of which are handled as well-rounded people with cultures and lives, who are not stereotypes, and are not entirely determined by their race/sexuality. Still, these things are a part of who they are and the strength of family and what determines who you are and who you want to be is an important theme in this tale.

All in all, I found this world interesting to follow, and I can't wait to discover the resolution of one mysterious thread that I know we'll be learning in a future book. Read this book