Reviews

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls by Kaela Rivera

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bffbookclubkate's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This Middle Grade fantasy is the first book in a series following our main character, Cecelia Rios, in her quest to become a bruja and save her sister from the clutches of a dark criatura.

One review about this calls it “Pokémon meets Coco” and I love that description!

I think this book is perfect for an older Middle Grade reader. It’s action-packed and has these fascinating cultural and spiritual elements woven into the magic. I loved rooting for Cece as she learned more about the mysteries of her own world of Tierra del Sol and the hidden parts of her very own soul.

librarylandlisa's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was fantastic! This is the kind of heroine we need in fantasy novels. Lovely growth in the character and the folklore and mythology and all the rich everything. Beautiful. I look forward to book two and learning more about this culture and setting. I will be ordering more copies and adding this to my RA lists at work.

mdevlin923's review against another edition

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5.0

Cece Rios has grown up in Tierra del Sol not quite understanding her community's fear of criaturas...creatures who wear their souls on necklaces. When her older sister, Juana, is captured by a dark criatura, Cece is determined to venture into the Devil's Alley to rescue her. Through kindness, love, friendship, and bravery, Cece finds three criaturas to help her, learns (and ultimately rejects) the ways of the bruja, discovers that she is a calenduras, and saves her sister.

An amazing middle grade fantasy that has a lovely focus on acting respectfully and kindly towards people who aren't like yourself. The Mexican folklore was intertwined beautifully into the story while still feeling modern. Cece's struggles were relatable and her character development was great to read.

jnishi's review against another edition

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5.0

Great read. Such wonderful messages and lessons to be learned within the pages of this book. Can’t wait to get it into the hands of my students.

thechanelmuse's review against another edition

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5.0

Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls is a rich adventure-fantasy story about a 12-year-old girl who sets out to save her kidnapped sister from a criatura, a powerful dark spirit. This is a very fun debut novel that interweaves mythology from Mayan, Aztec, Toltec, and other tribes native to Mexico and Mesoamerica. It's perfect for "Rick Riordan Presents" fans and adventure-fantasy lovers.

Upon finishing this book, I wondered if there would be a sequel or two since it feels like this could be a great series instead of just a standalone book. The author says, “Yes.”

bibliobrandie's review against another edition

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3.0

When Cece's older sister is kidnapped by El Sombreron, the only hope to bring her sister home is Cece (which is honestly my first question, why didn't the parents step up? Why is her father such a jerk?). In order to reach Juana, Cece will need to become a bruja and enlist the help of other criaturas. Cece shows her strength through kindness and compassion towards her criaturas. The story is rich with Mexican folklore and culturally infused language and there are many twists and turns. I did feel like I was reading book 2 in a series, there just wasn't enough background information before dropping the reader into the action. The fighting scenes were too long and there were some pacing issues but I will recommend this to fans of adventure, mythology, and fantasy.