My first Fairyloot book!
I did enjoy this book a lot, but it was not original nor did it feel really Latinx-inspired. I am really sorry, but I could only find stereotypical things that are common in those countries, yet that is not enough. I wanted to feel as if I was in a Latin America country, to get to know more about it, instead of hearing some familiar stuff only. It never felt as if it took place in an Latinx-inspired world. It could have been Europe for all I knew. I was disappointed, because I badly wanted to feel that atmosphere. (Even though I am from Europe, I have always been drawn to the Spanish language and cultures Latin America, so I am somewhat familiar with it. I have lived there, I would not call myself an expert, but I feel confident enough to say that this book could have been more.) Also, the magic words felt really dumb when you speak Spanish. I wasn’t a fan of it.
Next problem, the story is very similar to A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab. Finn reminded me of Lila after a few chapters, and as the story progressed, more similarities came up. I am not that sure anymore if the magic system is similar, but the story itself is. I still liked it, but I understand why people are complaining about it, because it is way to similar and not as good.
The story is interesting, the world is pretty well developed compared to some YA novels, and the magic system actually has limitations, yay! The last books I have read, did not bother with a proper magic system unfortunately, it just existed. I couldn’t bring myself to care about Alfie that much, but that might be just me. I never really care about the main character of any series. I loved Finn and Luka! They felt better developed than Alfie and had more interesting backstories, especially Finn. I was also quite surprised about the darkness and grotesque things that were suddenly displayed in this book. I wished our main characters had been more shocked after finding the bar in that state. It would have been more realistic to see some actual shock on them afterwards as well, but in true YA fashion they went on with their lives, focussing on love yet again. This book might not have a romance in it, it is hinted at annoyingly often.