Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova

     I almost didn't post this review. I had finished the first one via audio just recently and I hadn't had a chance to review it yet and I wasn't sure how you all would react to having a review of the second and not the first. HOWEVER, this one was too good NOT to have reviewed. I NEEDED this to be on my site in some way!

     After the events that happened with her sister, Lula Mortiz is not back to herself. She's been quiet and stand-offish and doesn't like a lot of attention. Including from her boyfriends Maks. Soon he realizes this and thinks she's just being that way to him. He tries breaking up with her, but Lula has to convince him she'll get better. The bus their on crashes and he doesn't make it. Lula can't bear seeing him hurt (or dead for that matter) and uses her healing powers to bring him back. But then, chaos ensues...

"Women with power always get a bad rep."

pg. 10

     The best thing about this series to me is the characters. Each one is so strong and so independent. I'm so glad that Cordova is telling this in a way that we'll get everyone's stories. In both stories I can see how they all had their own story to tell and I'm glad we will get them all. (And after the events in this book, I need a couple novellas from some of the other people in this series too, but I'll leave out WHO for spoilers.) However, ever since book 1, Lula was my least favorite sister. (I hate saying that because I read in the author's note that she most relates to Lula... Sorry Cordova!) It just seemed that she was super stubborn and didn't learn anything the entire book. YOU HAVE DEAD PEOPLE RUNNING AFTER YOU AND YOU SAY YOU DON'T REGRET WHAT YOU DID?! I just don't understand how she didn't learn anything.

"That's why our kind doesn't go to hospitals. We don't see the police. We get justice ourselves, save our own, protect our magic."

pg. 36

     I also love Cordova's writing style. I could literally get sucked into her words and found myself getting frustrated when I had to put it down. There was a few times that it got a tad bit gory, but it didn't bother me. It wasn't anything I hadn't heard (well, read) before. And call me weird if you must, but I love dark stuff, and this was just the right amount of dark and twisty and weird.

"Magic transforms. Magic is also unpredictable and unforgiving. You don't know who you'll become after wielding it."

pg. 81

     As for the plot, I felt it moved pretty quickly. There was so much happening in the end that I didn't even mind that the first part of the story is told in the synopsis. And the subtle hunts of what's the come in the next book in the series was amazing as well. For instance, the very ending caused me to flip some more pages thinking I had lost something. I really can't wait to get my hands on that one! (Rose is my favorite if you can't tell...)

"The whole world always feels turned upside down." Ma says, a sad smile as she looks around the table. We're brujas. We've been through worse."

pg. 132

     In short, (ha!) this is my favorite of the series so far. Judging from what I've read in this one, the series will only get better. Zoraida Cordova is definitely an author I will be keeping my eye on. I would advise lovers of fantasy and mythology, to do the same!