Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida CordovaYoung Adult Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, LGBTQIA+
September 6, 2016 from Sourcebooks Fire
Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.
Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.
The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...
"Spells are for witches. Brujas do cantos.
All brujas are witches but not all witches are brujas."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 11)
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Los Lagos
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"Los Lagos is a place of power. You have power, whether you want it or not. The land calls out to us."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 104)
Terminologies
Deathday: a magical coming of age, like a bat mitzvah or a sweet sixteen, but for brujas and brujos [of Zoraida's own creation]. It is a time when a family of brujas/brujos gets together and wakes the dead spirits of their ancestors. The ancestors then give their blessing to the bruja/brujo. In the glossary that can be found in the back of the book, Zoraida says that aspects of Deathday are inspired by the Day of the Dead (Mexican holiday) and Santeria (Afro-Caribbean religion).
Death mask: white clay that covers the face, which the matriarch of the family paints on the bruja or brujo receiving their Deathday. Then a black paint or charcoal powder is used for the eyes, nose, and lips. The death mask is influenced by the sugar skulls of the Day of the Dead. In real life, sugar skulls are used to represent the dead and decorate the feasts of Dia de los Muertos.
the Deos: the pantheon gods worshipped by brujas and brujos. It represents all aspects of nature, creation, and everyday life, similar to the orishas of Santeria and the gods of Greek mythology. Brujas and brujos often choose a Deo the way catholics choose a patron saint to pray to. Even though the Deos rarely present themselves to mortals, they make their presence known. It is believed that the Deos act through the mortals they created--the brujas and brujos.
**Info from above are from the glossary, which can be found in the back of the book. Zoraida informs that these are creations of her own for the purpose of Labyrinth Lost**
Spanish
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| photo by me |
Bruja/Brujo = witch
Mi'jita = my little daughter
Viejos = old
Brujita = little witch
Nena = baby girl
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Favorite Quotes
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"I like to think I'm the right amount of cold. That way, no one can hurt me."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 18)
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"This is for every time I wasn't strong enough to believe. Now belief is all I have left."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 96)
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"I'm just a girl, and there is also magic in that."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 264)
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"Let's dance," Rishi tells me, pulling me onto the dance floor. "Is it weird that I miss the Meadow del Sol? And that you could see so many stars. Sometimes I dream of it."
"I'll give you stars," I tell her.
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 312)
*SWOONS*
"Not all loves are meant to last forever. Some burn like fire until there is nothing left but ash and black on skin. Others, like the love I feel for Rishi, stay close to the heart so I'll never forget."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 314)
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**Quotes are taken from an uncorrected advanced review copy and is subject to change in final copy**
Book Trailer
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_DBTALS6bI]
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"Wild magic can't be tamed."
--Zoraida Cordova, Labyrinth Lost (ARC pg. 297)
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Meet Zoraida Cordova
I write YA Urban Fantasy about mermaids and other things that go bump in the night. I also write about 20-something-year-old-girls searching for love and the meaning of life. I often wish my life were a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Sex and the City. I’m a contributing writer to Latinos in Kid Lit because #WeNeedDiverseBooks.
I’ve always loved stories about magic and impossible worlds. Other things I love: Harry Potter FOREVER. I’m always either sorted into Ravenclaw or Slytherin, so instead I pledge to the mermaids of the Black Lake. Moon Prism Power. Five by five. Orlando Bloom’s Face. Daughter of Poseidon. I love you/I know.
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