The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina

I have a complicated relationship with magical realism - it's either a hit or a miss. Having said that, I'm happy to report The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina is a definite hit, similar to Isabel Allende and Garcia Marquez. Incorporating magical realism into a world that still felt grounded contributed to a fascinating read that was hard to put down.

My only complaint is towards the end. Spoiler alert!!! The entire final battle felt a bit too much like a Hollywood screenplay and took me out of the story. By the end, Londoño Bolivar felt too much like a caricature of a villain instead of a three dimensional person.

Overall though, really great read - 4.5

intergenerational trauma, but punch mari in the face as hard as you can with it.

the comps to encanto are fair, but this takes the idea of a magically gifted family a step farther, especially with the secrets that orquidea kept to herself. listening to the kids unravel the secrets of their grandmother was incredible, especially with the flashbacks to orquidea's origin story. i felt like there were some extraneous moments, but other than that, quite enjoyed myself! besides, you know, being punched with yet another story about intergenerational trauma...