Bruja Born

Zoraida Córdova

Jun 2018 · Brooklyn Brujas Book 2 · Sourcebooks, Inc.

About this ebook

Next in the Brooklyn Brujas series of fantasy novels that follow three witch born sisters as they develop their powers and battle magic in their hometown and the worlds beyond, from the author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.

Lula must let go of the ghosts of her past to face the actual living dead of her present.

Lula Mortiz feels like an outsider. Her sister's newfound Encantrix powers have wounded her in ways that Lula's bruja healing powers can't fix, and she longs for the comfort her family once brought her. Thank the Deos for Maks, her sweet, steady boyfriend who sees the beauty within her and brings light to her life. Then a bus crash turns Lula's world upside down. Her classmates are all dead, including Maks. But Lula was born to heal, to fix. She can bring Maks back, even if it means seeking help from her sisters and defying Death herself. But magic that defies the laws of the deos is dangerous. Unpredictable. And when the dust settles, Maks isn't the only one who's been brought back...

"Cordova keeps the flame on high... Fantasy and zombie fans looking for flavor—organ-meat, in particular—will not be disappointed." —New York Times Book Review

Brooklyn Brujas Series:

• Labyrinth Lost (Book 1): Alex's story—set in the mythical fantasy world of Los Lagos
• Bruja Born (Book 2): Lula's story—urban fantasy set on the streets of Brooklyn
• Wayward Witch (Book 3): Rose's story—set in the magical lost realm of Adas

Perfect for fans of:

• Zombie books
• Epic fantasy quests
• Latinx books
• Paranormal fiction
• Witch books
• Sister book series

Ratings and reviews

While Labyrinth Lost had focused more on Alex and her family, and built up the foundations of the mythology this series rests on and took place mostly in the fantasy land of Los Lagos, Bruja Born expands the world of the Brooklyn Brujas in the real world, and has zombies, and other sorts of supernatural creatures. When Lula tried to save Maks' life after he slips into a coma, she accidentally brings back all the dead ones from the crash. Mostly dealing with the goddess of death and necromancy, this plot pushes them on a quest to find a way to release the trapped Lady de la Muerte, and bring back her source of power. It also is about Lula finding a new path forward and moving on from the horrors of Los Lagos, which scarred her literally and metaphorically. As with before, this book also has a strong emphasis on familial dynamics. Lula, who had considered her father dead all these years, now has had her father back in her life for months but doesn't know how to contend with this. Her relationship with Alex is also fractured, as she resents the latter for the scars on her face and the torment she endured. Lula experiences heartbreak, faces down tough odds as the goddess of Death hounds her while she has to make shady deals with a scary bruja, all while escaping the revenants she brought back, and deciding how far she will go for love. The other interesting subplot in this book - the introduction of the hunters and the Thorne Hill Alliance, was a good addition to the series, and also bridges somewhat with Cordova's other series, Vicious Deep (only mentioned in the author's notes). Also, we get to see shifters, vampires, mentions of mermaids, etc, which weren't there in the first book (I thought it was only brujas! THA wasn't even mentioned even though they know about it) so it does feel like it was added suddenly, as was the other romantic development later on in the book. Overall, though, it is a good sequel and expands the world of Brooklyn Brujas well enough while also giving us hints of exciting things for the next book.

About the author

Zoraida Córdova is the author of the award-winning Brooklyn Brujas series and The Vicious Deep trilogy. Her short fiction has appeared in Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View, and Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women and Witchcraft. She is the co-editor of Vampires Never Get Old, a YA anthology forthcoming from Imprint/Macmillan in fall 2020. Her upcoming YA novels include Star Wars: A Crash of Fate, and Incendiary, book one in the Hollow Crown duology (Disney/Hyperion 2020). Zoraida was born in Ecuador and raised in Queens, New York. When she isn’t working on her next novel, she’s planning her next adventure.