Rhiannon
First, I have to preface this review by saying that, with very few exceptions, I’m generally not one to read urban-fantasy-light-horror books. I usually find them too forced, too twee, too repetitive. And yes, this book leans much more to the light side of things and is only horror adjacent in that it does have ghosts, entities, witches, and supernatural shenanigans.
So, when I surprisingly realized by the second chapter of this novel that I was absolutely smitten with it, I suspected I had been lured in by nixies and held hostage by a group of pesky chaneques… somehow Debra Castaneda had won me over to her magical world in just a few pages!
Along with creatures and entities from a wide and wild variety of world mythology, it’s packed with Mexican folklore and witchcraft, which I was rather unfamiliar with, and which I’ve discovered to be rich with complex, but engaging, tradition and culture. And it’s set in a real historical neighbourhood, Chavez Ravine, in the Los Angeles area – albeit in an alternate reality. And the (real) history of that neighbourhood is, itself, intriguing and tragic. Castaneda has done a fantastic job altering the history just a bit in a bid to bring in the supernatural elements, as it were. And she’s done it with a charmingly effortless blend of magic and the mundane. This is a world where magic and spirits are par for the course and wholly believable.
I loved the lighthearted humour. I adored the very real characters in this world – Maddy felt absolutely relatable and someone I’d want to hang out with – she’s weary but determined. She has real flaws and tragedies in her past that don’t overwhelm her character or the story, but rather make her the strong person she is without boxing her into a trope.
The humour is subtle and clever, the mystery intriguing, and the overall tone has just the slightest hint of darkness amongst the whimsical without it being overbearing. I loved this book and can’t wait to continue on with a new favourite series!
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.
First, I have to preface this review by saying that, with very few exceptions, I’m generally not one to read urban-fantasy-light-horror books. I usually find them too forced, too twee, too repetitive. And yes, this book leans much more to the light side of things and is only horror adjacent in that it does have ghosts, entities, witches, and supernatural shenanigans.
So, when I surprisingly realized by the second chapter of this novel that I was absolutely smitten with it, I suspected I had been lured in by nixies and held hostage by a group of pesky chaneques… somehow Debra Castaneda had won me over to her magical world in just a few pages!
Along with creatures and entities from a wide and wild variety of world mythology, it’s packed with Mexican folklore and witchcraft, which I was rather unfamiliar with, and which I’ve discovered to be rich with complex, but engaging, tradition and culture. And it’s set in a real historical neighbourhood, Chavez Ravine, in the Los Angeles area – albeit in an alternate reality. And the (real) history of that neighbourhood is, itself, intriguing and tragic. Castaneda has done a fantastic job altering the history just a bit in a bid to bring in the supernatural elements, as it were. And she’s done it with a charmingly effortless blend of magic and the mundane. This is a world where magic and spirits are par for the course and wholly believable.
I loved the lighthearted humour. I adored the very real characters in this world – Maddy felt absolutely relatable and someone I’d want to hang out with – she’s weary but determined. She has real flaws and tragedies in her past that don’t overwhelm her character or the story, but rather make her the strong person she is without boxing her into a trope.
The humour is subtle and clever, the mystery intriguing, and the overall tone has just the slightest hint of darkness amongst the whimsical without it being overbearing. I loved this book and can’t wait to continue on with a new favourite series!
Originally posted at www.amazon.ca.