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athenathestorier's review
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
medium-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
4.25
How to describe my experience with Labyrinth Lost? I guess I would say that it had this sort of novelty that was both familiar and new. Much like my experience when I opened the Percy Jackson series for the first time (oof, the nostalgia). The way that myths I was familiar with changed shape and weaved together with myths I was not knowledgeable on and the author-created worldbuilding - it all came together in this vivid new world and carried a well-delivered message of family and belief.
In it, we see our main character Alex struggle with the expectations of her family - magical expectations that scare her to the core. And we notice that all the events that follow her attempt at escape are just as much the fault of her family's toxic positivity as her "selfish" fears. We find out that even though several of her family members have had experiences and feelings similar to our MC, none of them acknowledged it. They didn't address or acknowledge her fears, worries, and trauma. Instead, they dismissed them. "It's a gift," they say, tsking and shaking their heads as they go about their business. And I suppose that it is very fitting that it was the dead that acknowledged that failing, rather than the living who, at least according to the preview for book 2, still have a lot to learn about consequences being for more than just magic. After all, it was our MC's adventure and growth, not her family's.
I loved the worldbuilding and imagery perhaps most of all. I felt like I could see myself there with the characters, and that remained the case from start to finish. I also felt like I had a firm grasp on who all the characters were and what motivated their actions. Character and relationship dynamic writing are two things that tend to take a front seat when I consume stories, and so the fact that I can imaginatively throw our MC into a whole new scenario and feel like I have a firm grasp on what she would do and think is a great indicator of how well she was written to us readers.
And while the sapphic element was a truly extremely welcome surprise (I went in pretty blind) and I found it so very sweet, I felt it was poorly led up tofrom our MC's end . And Rishi didn't have much to her character besides her unwavering devotion to Alex.
Another unfortunate is the fact that the high-tension plot points all fell rather flat. I didn't come out of them like anything was actually done. Of course, perhaps that might have been purposeful - as the climax tension seemed more tied to family acceptance than the defeat of the villain, which I guess would align with the overall message of the book being about the value of family.
Quotes:
"They say El Corazon has two hearts: the black thing in his chest and the one he wears on his sleeve."
"I'm not the encantrix everyone thought I would be. Right now, I'm just a girl, and there is also magic in that."
In it, we see our main character Alex struggle with the expectations of her family - magical expectations that scare her to the core. And we notice that all the events that follow her attempt at escape are just as much the fault of her family's toxic positivity as her "selfish" fears. We find out that even though several of her family members have had experiences and feelings similar to our MC, none of them acknowledged it. They didn't address or acknowledge her fears, worries, and trauma. Instead, they dismissed them. "It's a gift," they say, tsking and shaking their heads as they go about their business. And I suppose that it is very fitting that it was the dead that acknowledged that failing, rather than the living who, at least according to the preview for book 2, still have a lot to learn about consequences being for more than just magic. After all, it was our MC's adventure and growth, not her family's.
I loved the worldbuilding and imagery perhaps most of all. I felt like I could see myself there with the characters, and that remained the case from start to finish. I also felt like I had a firm grasp on who all the characters were and what motivated their actions. Character and relationship dynamic writing are two things that tend to take a front seat when I consume stories, and so the fact that I can imaginatively throw our MC into a whole new scenario and feel like I have a firm grasp on what she would do and think is a great indicator of how well she was written to us readers.
And while the sapphic element was a truly extremely welcome surprise (I went in pretty blind) and I found it so very sweet, I felt it was poorly led up to
Another unfortunate is the fact that the high-tension plot points all fell rather flat. I didn't come out of them like anything was actually done. Of course, perhaps that might have been purposeful - as the climax tension seemed more tied to family acceptance than the defeat of the villain, which I guess would align with the overall message of the book being about the value of family.
Quotes:
"They say El Corazon has two hearts: the black thing in his chest and the one he wears on his sleeve."
"I'm not the encantrix everyone thought I would be. Right now, I'm just a girl, and there is also magic in that."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Abandonment, Gore, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body horror, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders
themoodreader's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Death
emily_mh's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The good things I have to say about this book are that it was well-paced (it always felt like we were moving onto the next thing, but not in a hurried way) and had that classic fantasy quest structure (so it felt comforting to read). Unfortunately I struggled with the rest of it.
I found Alex’s powers way too convenient. She was capable of doing anything with no training, so whatever sticky situation she found herself in I knew she’d use her powers and get out of it. Not only was this repetitive, but it felt unearned. There’s always a risk that a “chosen one” trope will play out like this as they are given their special status without having to do anything.
The love triangle was awkward. I didn’t want to watch two teenagers verbally spar over a third but that was what I got. Alex had better chemistry with Nova, probably because he’s a fully realised character with a backstory, but I found him to be insufferable. He was very much the type of person to invalidate your pain because it’s not as bad as his. Rishi was the much more likeable LI but Córdova doesn’t flesh out her character beyond being a love interest, hence the lack of chemistry between her and Alex.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Animal death, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Blood
Minor: Grief, Gore, Ableism, Misogyny, Sexism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Body shaming, Racism, and Vomit
Moderate: death of pet Minor: internalised misogyny, homelessness, menstruation, fainting, self-injury, foster care systemoddduck's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
Things I Liked:
There was super cool world building in this book. I loved the magic system, how it fit into the modern day, and how it affected every part of the character's lives. The epigraphs tied into the chapters/overall story well, and provided some really interesting insight into the world. I'm not always a big fan of epigraphs, but these were definitely well utilized. I'm looking forward to seeing how the world expands in the next two books.
Los Lagos was also super cool and it was nice to spend so much time there. The inhabitants were all so different and interesting. Even the landscape was cool, and as a person with aphantasia, I'm not usually super into setting. I would not be opposed to coming back here to see how it's been transformed.
I really loved Alex's reason for not wanting her magic. Like, it actually made sense and didn't feel contrived. And since the main plot hinged on Alex not wanting her magic, her motivation needed to be strong and believable and relatable. So having Alex focus on the harm it has caused her family (her dad leaving, the thing with her cat, seeing how healing magic affects her mom and sister) was a really smart decision. Alex wasn't my favorite character (see below) but I did like this part of her. And seeing her attitude toward her magic change once it becomes a tool to save her family? Amazing.
This is kind of dumb, but I was so pleased when I realized I'd accurately interpreted Alex and Rishi's relationship. I was pretty much waiting for the gal pals treatment, convinced that I'd read too much into it, especially after Nova is introduced, but then I was RIGHT. Absolutely thrilled for the both of them, as well as Lady and her wife. Also loved how it wasn't even a thing for Alex's mom. She was literally just like, "Oh you're dating her? That's cool, we'll invite her to your Deathday." That's the kind of acceptance I love to see.
I do love me a good story about healing family wounds. Alex mentions once that for her, family means her mom and her sisters. But for her mom, family is anyone she's related to by blood or marriage. By the end it seems like Alex is starting to see her mom's view a little more, which was some great growth. And everything that happened with Aunt Ro? Loved it. Also loved the scene where Alex accepts her blessing in Los Lagos. It's all about the unconditional love for family.
Things I Did Not Like:
Alex is not my favorite protagonist. She had several moments that felt borderline "not like other girls" which I am not on board with. I don't really know how to describe what else put me off about her, especially at the beginning, but there was something that I just wasn't vibing with. I did like Alex by the end of the book, but she definitely needed to go on this journey for me to get there.
Also didn't really care for Nova. His whole "bad boy" thing was not doing it for me. And his portion of the love triangle was just. Irritating. Like, it's been a long time since I read a love triangle and had this strong an opinion on the potential outcomes. I Do Not Like Nova as a romantic partner for Alex, at all. This dude has some shit to figure out and he should get on that, pronto.
That said, I did respect his motivation. I don't like him as a person, but I do think he's a well written character.
I felt like the pacing could have been a little faster at times. It wasn't too bad, but I did find myself losing interest a little every once in a while. Ironically, the end has the opposite problem and could have been maybe another chapter or two longer. Things moved very, very fast after they got back from Los Lagos and having a little more time for the wrap up would have been nice. The end felt a little rushed, unfortunately.
Conclusion:
I enjoyed the plot and the themes of this book, and there was enough that I liked to get me through the parts I didn't, and with a cliffhanger like that, how can I not finish the series? Overall good and I hope the things I don't like about the characters get left behind as they keep growing.
Conclusion:
I enjoyed the plot and the themes of this book, and there was enough that I liked to get me through the parts I didn't, and with a cliffhanger like that, how can I not finish the series? Overall good and I hope the things I don't like about the characters get left behind as they keep growing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Violence
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, and Bullying
Minor: Grief and Murder
karcitis's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Violence, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Slavery
Moderate: Vomit, Genocide, Self harm, Confinement, Grief, War, Kidnapping, and Car accident
Minor: Colonisation, Classism, Bullying, Racism, Medical content, Drug use, Drug abuse, Torture, and Murder
lmaloney's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence
Moderate: Grief
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