I loved the premise of this but the execution just didn't work for me . I felt that the story didn't flow and found it really hard going. I DNF.

Set in sixteenth-century Mexico, Sun of Blood and Ruin is a reimagining of Zorro. We follow Lady Leonora, a young noblewoman with an alter-ego, Pantera who has legendary sword skills and can turn into an actual panther.

I was so intrigued by the premise of this novel, especially as I haven't read anything set in this time period before. While there were definitely good parts to it, ultimately it didn't end up working for me.

The characters were just okay. I didn't feel particularly strongly for any of them. The biggest critique I have for the character of Leonora is that as Pantera she is meant to wield amazing magic and be unstoppable with a sword, but we don't see any evidence of this on the page. When she did fight (which was not often) she seemed to lack the skills and experience she supposedly had obtained over 10 years of training.

I also had some issues with the writing/pacing of the book. We seemed to switch between either heavy dialogue or large passages of information. While I did enjoy reading about the culture and mythology, this chopping and changing in the writing made the pacing very off and as a result a little hard to get through.

What I did love, however, was the world and the rich mythology. The way the author wove myth through the whole story was something I found added a lot of nice depth and pulled everything together. I also really liked how the mundane and everyday was described (food, for example), as it lent realism to the setting and grounded the book.

This was by no means a bad book, but it just did not work for me overall. I think with a little more balance between the dialogue and the rest of the writing it could be a fantastic story, especially because the world it is set in is so rich and well-realised. I am going to be keeping an eye out for more from the author, and I would be especially interested in exploring more of the past - the gods and Pantera's training.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, I'm let down by a book with a handsome cover. *sigh*

The basic premise of Sun of Blood and Ruin is that it's meant to be some kind of retelling of Zorro, with more of an emphasis on the non-Spanish side of the conquest of Mexico. Our protagonist (Leonora) is taken in as a child and trains for 10 years to become a warrior and also be able to shape-change into a panther, taking on the role of Pantera when she returns to colonial society in order to protect the poor. Unfortunately, she doesn't do a very good job a lot of the time (we're told about her skills more than we actually see them being used) and once the obvious love interest/antagonist turns up she becomes even less able.

Sun of Blood and Ruin is one of those books which doesn't know quite what it wants to be and tries to compensate for that by throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Sadly, it just left me feeling annoyed as there were definitely the bones of a good story underneath all of the teenage angst from our protagonist and overwhelming info-dumps about the setting. It's always a fine line to walk, when you write about a setting that much of your readership are not going to know as well as you do, and this book definitely erred on the side of too much information more often than worked for me.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

Riffing on Zorro, Sun of Blood and Ruin is the publishing debut of Mariely Lares, and has our hero Pantera attempting to save the poor and downtrodden in 16th Century Mexico from the dastardly tyranny of the Conquistador' boots

In 16th Century New Spain, the practice of witchcraft is punishable by death. The indigenous people have been subjugated by their Spanish masters, with their heritage and lands being systematically destroyed and stolen.

In amongst this, Leonora de Las Casas Tiazohtzin, lady of the ruling class, takes up the mantle of Pantera, face of the voiceless and repressed, to fight back and give the people that she half belongs to justice and a means to fight back.

Mixing, fantasy, history and mythology, Sun of Blood and Ruin is a mixed bag. The first half of the book sets the scene for a tale of prophecy and ultimately a coming of age drama.

At first the narrative is difficult to navigate as Mariely Lares does not hold the reader's hand, particularly in the pronunciation of the Mesoamerican names that pepper the story or the history that surrounds the colonisation of New Spain. Subsequently expecting the reader to know or find out the facts that underpin the story.

When hearing that this was a riff on the Zorro story, but with a female protagonist, I was expecting a zippy story of derring do, acrobatics and quippy one liners. However, this unfortunately was not the case, and there were many times I seriously considered tapping out in this book as it tends to spend a lot of it's time on the courtly dramas of Leonora.

When we get to the second act, the story does become a little convoluted as the various factions involved in the reclamation of New Spain come to the fore, and then we delve into a tale of rebellion and then ultimately what it means to straddle two cultures.

Then the third act takes us in a completely different direction. One that I was not expecting.

Ultimately, this is a little bit of a Frankenstein of a book with various bits stitched together to give the sum of its parts. Unfortunately, not all the parts fit together all that well, and there are times where I thought I could see daylight through the stitching.

However, there are some really good things in this book. I like that Mariely Lares does not hold the reader's hand with all the Mesoamerican mythology and history, opting instead to keep the narrative flow rather than stalling it with exposition to explain to the unenlightened reader what everything means. I'm being purposefully vague in some aspects of the plot because I don't want to spoil it for those that read it.

When the mythology does eventually kick in, the story starts to fly like the wind beneath Pantera's paws, and that's when the book comes alive.

All in all, whilst the book has some issues with plot and pacing, there are some really good fantastical aspects to this book and I think we may be hearing a lot more from Mariely Lares.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this eARC.

I really enjoyed Sun of Blood and Ruin, it was written really well and engaged me throughout the story. I really liked the MFC she was strong and knew what she wanted. The descriptions and world building in this novel capturvated me and formed a lavish backdrop as I swept up in the storyline.

A form changing women who protects her citizens is hunted and hated by those in authority she challenges, while at the same time also being the future human royal consort of the Spanish Prince in colonial Mexico. Both worlds come together in an action packed fantasy story, something has to given as she tries to stay true to herself. Mexican mythology often features uncredited in fantasy stories, it is nice to see here the setting is Mexican. Thank you to Harper Collins, Harper Fiction and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

Sun of Blood and Ruin is a retelling of the legend of Zorro, or more accurately, it is loosely inspired by it. The premises of this book was one I was very interested in, the blurb had me sold. Sadly, I don't think the execution was quite there.

I found the story to be quite clunky and chaotic, with a distinct lack of flowing narrative to hold it all together. And I'll admit, I found myself very confused at times. I had to keep referring to the end glossary pages and rereading paragraphs to get my head round what was going on - the book is also sadly A LOT more YA than I was lead to believe going in. Now, I often enjoy the YA genre but this was a little too much for me.

I think the author obviously has some amazing ideas so I would like to try read more from them in the future, just sadly this one didn't do it for me.

As always, thanks so much netgalley and publisher for the ARC!

Sun of Blood and Ruin is a Historical Fantasy, focused in Latin American and South American history and is marketed as a gender swapped Zorro mix, which is definitely is. However, I think I can sum up my experience with the book in two words: mixed feelings.

I loved that there was a map and 'a note on History, Terminology, and pronunciation' at the beginning. More of often than not, notes like these are kept to the end of the book so to have it at the beginning to lay out the background and provide a reference tool was amazing, it provided a foundation before the story even began. Chapter One kicked right of with action with Leonara jumping across buildings. That's where the mixed feelings come. I think because we start with the action and a fast pace of movement and story the lulls felt longer because the pace I started the book with didn't carry through. Whereas if it were slow -> conflict and climax -> slow I may not have felt the way I did but actually looking back on it I liked it because it wasn't slow, we didn't spend chapters building up to Leonara doing something and overall maintained a fast-pace.

This is a adult historical fantasy but at times Leonara felt a bit impulisve and childish, especially mixed with the first person present tense which I wasn't expecting however, to expect all characters in an adult novel to act rationally is a bit of an ask so it did add a sense of realism to Leonara.

Overall, I'd say if you liked Fourth Wing you'd like this and you should check it out!

Thank you to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperVoyager for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperVoyager for a free e-arc in exchange of an honest review.

I DNF'd this book fairly early on. I just didn't want to ever pick it back up again. I will be open minded in the future to give it another try- maybe once the audiobook is out and I'm able to hear the words that aren't in my usual every day language as sometimes that can take me out of a story when I'm trying to figure out how to read something- that is FULLY A ME THING and not this book- i don't have a rating but as i DNF'd so early on ill give it a 3 star as its not bad so far but it didn't grip me enough to want to continue.

Although plodding in pace and the writing does stutter at times, this was a solid debut novel, all things considered. The author has poured a lot of research into the writing, and it shows in the careful and meticulous placement of details.

DNF'D @22%
As always I'm extremely grateful for any arc I'm fortunate enough to receive but this one did not work out. The tropes employed aren't particularly interesting, the characters are flat and I think I'm just burnt out on rebellion fantasy. I was really looking forward to exploring South American mythology but this particular style just isn't my cup of tea.

Thanks Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing an ARC.

The book had quite a bit of exciting premise and potential but it never really reached there.

This is the story of Leonora, a young noble torn between two worlds. Born from a white father and native mother, Leonora struggles between being in the ruling class and being a rebel. With the looming threat over the native population and marred by the prophecy of the early death, our protagonist has to discover who she is and make a choice.

Set in the world after Cortes's conquest of Mexico, the setting of this book is a mix of historical fiction and fantasy. Bringing together the themes of colonialism, history, and myth against a backdrop of fantasy was always difficult, and that is probably where the story loses its steam. While the first half seems to be about colonialism and the plight of the indigenous people, the second half is all fantasy. Apart from setting up the initial world from actual history, there is not much of a world-building. You will have to take everything at face value.

Also, there are a lot of elements of the mesoamerican culture and for a reader like me, that has little understanding of the same, it was a little difficult to follow the references. The book also made no attempt to add any understanding of the same as well.

All in all, I enjoyed some parts of it but leave the readers wanting.

This is one of those books that has a decent premise and lots of potential but it never quite gets there.

It reads like its unfinished and almost like a draft and I think it would've been of benefit with a little polishing here and there

The characters are just ok, they're easily forgettable but there is still enough here to keep you reading. I really liked the setting of the world, I don't think I've ever read a book set in this type of inspired world before but this has its drawbacks as I have zero knowledge and I think some more hand holding would've helped me out

Its a relatively short read so it was easy to get through with a harmless plot but thats about it for me

“There is war, there is burning. Guide my sword arm. Let her sing in battle.”

Mariely Lares’ Sun of Blood and Ruin was a great mixture of fantasy and the real impact of historical events. Taking place in sixteenth-century Mexico, at the height of Spain’s colonisation, this Zorro retelling focuses on Leonora, our magically-gifted protagonist.

I quite enjoyed the magic system within the story, it was something different and with Lares’ sharp and spare writing style, we are confronted immediately by its non-complexities. I did struggle at time with Lares’ writing; whilst it offered Leonora’s no-nonsense personality, I felt like it did not work towards the end as we moved into more theoretical and metaphorical writing. I lost sense of the plot in the last third of the novel which drew me away from any attachment I had to characters and removed any tension during the battles.

Despite this, I quite enjoyed Leonora and her internal battle as she discovered more about herself and began to grow into her powers. Being able to change into a panther was an added bonus, and I enjoyed the, somewhat, horrific (and I believe would be quite truthful) transformation. The continuous relationship of being given and giving in return helped to solidify Leonora’s motivations.

The romance element fell flat for me towards the end, but I always love the tension of enemies-to-lovers and the build up of her relationship with Tezca. The chemistry that was there in the first half of the novel seemed to fizzle out as the narrative got more complex.

I will say that the stand-out strong point of Lares’ novel is her intricate and detailed world building. I felt immersed in the setting; the myths, the history, the fantastic descriptions of the deep jungle. I always feel that diving immediately into a new world works wonders, and I abhor info-dumping (something that Lares avoids). I also LOVE a glossary which really helps with this book as you are introduced to both real linguistic terms mixed with those Lares has created herself.

A strong three star debut. I look forward to seeing what else Lares has in store.

As much as I welcome with open arms more additions to SFF inspired by mythologies other than Western, I feel this book could have benefitted from a bit more polish before hitting the shelves. The balance of information exposition was a bit off, the plot developed in uneven bursts, and inconsistencies in pacing were unfortunately made worse by the tone of voice/the pathos of prose, which would have been way more at home in YA rather than adult designation. I did enjoy to learn more about Mexican and more broadly Mezo American folklore, but I’m feeling more inspired to pick a different book on the subject as opposed to being confident that I have learnt about it from this novel.

It’s an interesting debut, though, and I would be interested in seeing this author evolve and mature, because I’m definitely interested in this kind of genre maturing as there is a bigger body of work for it.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC of the novel.

Sun of Blood and Ruin had interesting premises but for me they weren't meet at all. The writing style wasn't fluid or captivating, the characters weren't fully fleshed out and the story also lacked in worldbuilding. Plus, I'm no expert in Mexican cultures and found myself lost while reading because the explanations provided didn't help much, nor the glossary at the end of the book. It had the potential to be a great story, but in the end the book has too many flaws.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for this ebook in exchange for my honest opinion and veiws.

This book was amazing I was pulled in and captivated by the intricate details and world of this fantastic story.
This is my first time reading a book with mexican inspired mythology with mesoamerican folklore and places. The characters were interesting and sometimes I was a bit lost in the story trying to keep up with the different people and places.
This story kept me turning the pages because it was definitely a new and exciting adventure for me to learn more about the culture that inspired this wonderful story.
Well written and I like the introduction at the beginning with the explanation of places and terminology it made reading the book much better and didn't slow down my flow.
Excellent read for me I have already pre-ordered a copy for my library and I look forward to reading more about mexican history and culture.
Well deserved five stars for me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mesoamerican mythology meets Masked MC.
Set in an alternate 16th century Mexico during the oppression by the Spanish invaders, this book opened a whole new world of mythology, history and political background to me.
The author took great care to name as much as possible in Nahuatl, and she gives background and glossary in the beginning and end of the book which is really helpful.
The most criticism I read about this book is its weird pacing, and I can't deny its weirdness. However, in this case I didn't mind it at all, as it gave the book so much character and was really interesting to read. Along with its structure that sometimes gave me whiplash as well, the whole vibe of the book is so raw and vulnerable that I think it was intentional.
The FMC is just as raw and vulnerable as the story, but she is never annoying or naive, as it is sometimes the problem with female heroines. She might not always have a sound plan or know what she is doing, but she's always doing it with so much energy and spirit that I never grew tired of her.
There's also many real intriguing side characters, some drawn from actual history, some from mythology.
The magic system is not easy to grasp, but it's based on a mix of the powers of the gods and humans, with a lot of important lessons to learn.
I really enjoyed this book, and even though it could (almost) work as a standalone, I was very happy to read that there will be a sequel next year. I can't wait to dive back into this unique world

4,5/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @laresmar8 and @harperbooks for the eARC

Thank you Netgalley and HarperVoyager for this e-arc!

Review: ⭐️⭐️

The Positives
- It highlighted the colonial aspects of Mexico and the horrors of colonialism
- The blend of Aztec myth was very interesting and my favourite part
- The vigilante elements and secret identities
- Leonora’s banter was witty and funny
- Definitely a break from European fantasies

The Negatives
- more of a coming of age (more juvenile than I’d thought it would be) (undeveloped for an adult fantasy)
- The jumping between past and present was a jarring as there was little transition
- The plot wasn’t coherent and I struggled to identify the main storyline
- Leonora didn’t feel very fleshed out - she needed more substance and depth

The strength of this book is its world building. Lares created a vibrant and beautiful world that blended historical narrative with fantasy elements.

It’s weakness was that the characters lacked depth, making the plot hard to grasp. Unfortunately it failed to grip me the the first 100 pages, which meant that I could not finish it.

Overall, this series shows a lot of promise. I think it could shape up to be very interesting but the finished result wasn’t what I expected.

I hate writing bad reviews because as a form of art, writing is subjective and resonates differently with every single person. Furthermore, the fact that every author puts a bit of themselves in every book they bring to life.
Unfortunately, on this occasion, I have to say that this book didn't resonate with me.
But let me start with the thing that I liked – the idea of a noble woman with a secret identity playing vigilante and the setting of Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology is a fresh new thing to read.
Alas, the writing style and more the way that it switched abruptly between past and present make it a bit harder to follow. As I said, I loved the setting, but as a person who is not so familiar with the folklore, it would've helped me pique my interest if there was more information.
Some dialogs felt like they were reading a script and I couldn't connect with the characters.
I am a bit sad because I had high hopes for this book as a something that promises an interesting and fresh plot to read, and I really wanted to like it.