Wayward Witch by Zoraida Cordova – a Review
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Description:
Rose Mortiz has always been a fixer, but lately she’s been feeling lost. She has brand-new powers she doesn’t understand, and her family is still trying to figure out how to function in the wake of her amnesiac father’s return home. Then, on the night of her Deathday party, Rose discovers her father’s memory loss has been a lie.
As she rushes to his side, the two are ambushed and pulled through a portal to the land of Adas, a fairy realm hidden in the Caribbean Sea. There, Rose is forced to work with a group of others to save Adas. Soon, she begins to discover the scope of her powers, the troubling truth about her father’s past, and the sacrifices he made to save her sisters.
But if Rose wants to return home so she can repair her broken family, she must figure out how to heal Adas first.
Review:
Wayward Witch by Zoraida Cordova is the 3rd book in her Brooklyn Brujas series. I have not read the first two books in this series, and was not sure how that would affect my reading this book. However, I am happy to say that Cordova gave us a glimpse at the family characters early, and Wayward Witch read very well as a standalone. In each book, each Mortiz sister (there are three) takes center stage, and in Wayward Witch, the story revolves around the younger sister, Rose.
The story starts out with Rose’s family having her Deathday party, as well as with them all dealing with their father returning and not remembering where he had been. Rose is also trying to come to terms with her new found power, which is hacking magic from others. Almost immediately, when she is talking outside with her father, they are both grabbed and transported through a portal to Adas, a magical fairy realm to help stop the rot that is destroying the land. The King of Adas wants Rose’s powers, and has her father locked up to ensure she helps them, since the father supposedly was partially responsible for this issue.
Rose will begin to train with a group of others that have magical ability, with Iris (King’s daughter and commander) and Arco (King’s son) leading the adventure to save Adas. There were a number of very good characters created by Cordova, especially the team, and the bad King. At first I thought Iris was too tough, but over time I really got to like her, as she was a very good heroine to work with Rose. I also loved Lin, who became her best friend, as well as Arco, who was not only cute, but a friend to help them find the dark rot and destroy it. Iris and Arco know their father is evil, and will think nothing of eliminating anyone who disagrees with him.
What follows is an exciting, action packed, intense adventure with Rose able to use some of her powers to save her new friends, and especially Iris. Though at times, some of them become resentful that she is able to pull on their powers, but it is Rose who will find the truth about the dark rot, and pull them all together to right a wrong and save the land. Wayward Witch was a wonderful intriguing story that not only captivated me, but kept me unable to put the book down. This different world was so very well written by Zoraida Córdova. If you enjoy fantasy, great world building and exciting adventure, you need to read this book. I for one plan on going back and reading the first two books.
Reviewed by Barb
Copy provided by Publisher
