The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers.
Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
I haven't updated my process on this one as much as my other books. Mostly because a lot of this book was spent waiting until I finished working on it. Three-ish years! Now that it's finally going to be out in the world, all I want to say is that it's super personal to me. It's a book that's lived in my mind for so long, I just didn't know how to tell it.
There's a giveaway of 100 ARCs hosted by my US publisher. Go enter! A reminder that ARCs are not the finished books. I'm also the kind of author that works on it until they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
Xo,
Z 9781982102548 On the surface, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina should be everything I enjoy. So why couldn't I get into it, no matter how hard I tried? Honestly, I'm still puzzling that one out.
Orquídea Montoya knows she is dying, so she calls her descendants back home to bestow upon them their inheritance. But when the large family arrives, they are greeted by strange events. And when an unknown figure threatens the entire family, they must band together and venture into Orquídea's past to learn her secrets and protect their future.
Sounds promising, right? Well, maybe too much so. This is a really ambitious story, with a huge cast of characters. And I think herein lies the first issue. We are introduced to so many of Orquídea's family members, and each comes with their own accompanying background. We are inundated with information about each person, but it's only ever on the surface. So while my eyes glazed over from all these extraneous details, I still don't feel like I know the characters underneath.
The story is told via dual timeline, which always makes me wary that one will be less interesting than the other. Unfortunately, that happened here. We follow various members of Orquídea's family as they wander aimlessly, trying to figure out what happened to Orquídea. But because so much of that is irrelevant to the main story, it felt really slow and plodding. What's more interesting is Orquídea's narrative told through her own eyes, but that's just a chapter here and there.
But probably my biggest issue is that, after finishing the story, I'm still confused. There were so many ideas introduced throughout that were never adequately explained. A lot of the fantasy elements, while interesting, were handwaved through with vague or no explanations. And it doesn't help that the writing tends to border on flowery, especially during crucial moments. So instead of elucidating, it just added to the bewildering and chaotic feel of the whole thing.
I had such high hopes for this story going in. And while I enjoyed bits and pieces of it, it just never came together into a cohesive whole for me. I didn't end up making that all-important emotional connection with it, and instead come away feeling dazed and unsatisfied.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review. 9781982102548 Finally something gave me same extraordinary literature taste of dreamy magical realism with old time Marguez, Cortaza , Allende vibes!
I’m rounding up my 4.5 to 5 blazing family curse, Ecuador roots, ring master, debt, cousins against the world stars!
I liked to get lost in the fairy tal-ish chapters, tragicomic family attractions, luring magic, bunch of interesting characters!
Four Rivers where the place where Orquidea Montoya’s house appeared from nowhere. The town already lost its water sources,its magic faded till she decides to move to the place. In the deep valley where the four rivers had once intersected she built her house in 1960.( let’s stay not built because it’s truly appeared as if from the ether!)
She’s five foot one, brown skinned, black haired, giving you penetrating looks with her blackest eyes: such an intimidating woman, originally coming from Guayaquil, Ecuador who was born during the time when planets converged to create singularly worst luck to a person could ask for.
She has carried that cosmic fate for years which was never her fault! But now two husbands and twenty years later she made it to the states, didn’t she? And she found a loophole where she could get rid of her worst luck which was the reason how she got debt by dealing with the wrongest person!!!!
Of course as soon as the Montoya family arrived in the town, they brought their own ghost stories with them as great material of town’s gossipers. They didn’t want them in their town but Sheriff Palladino already met Orquidea and got charmed by her presence.
So the place welcomed six children, five grandchildren and as well as deaths of four husbands and one daughter.
Now she’s sick, before turning into something she needs to talk to her family. She already suffered so much after being in debt of some mysterious creature for 48 freaking years and now she has to pay what she has to protect her loved ones. She sends them letters to summon them to their family house.
Marimar has conflict feelings to get grandma Orquidea: for years she resented her for being throwing away from the childhood house and she blamed on her for the death of her mother who has drowned in the lake.
Now she’s living in NY with her cousin Rey who is accountant intern and who recently lost his mother. Both of them have hard time to fit in the city, losing their unique voices, living their shells.
Their other cousin Tatinelly seems like having a better life in Oregon, carrying her first baby. But as soon as they got the unstamped envelope their grandma sent, they find their ways at the family house located at Four Rivers for collecting their inheritance as a final wish of Orquidea.
But instead of inheritance and answers to their questions they wanted to get for years, she just passes away, leaving them with more questions. As the same day she dies, Tatinelly gives birth to her daughter Rhiannon.
Seven years later, Marimar, Rey and Tatinelly’s daughter finds themselves granted with different kinds of magical gifts and a dangerous hidden figure starts threatening their family members which bring them together to fight against it to save their loved ones!
In the meantime we move back to past for learning more about Orquidea’s past and finding more about the decision she’s made which ruined her entire family’s lives.
This book is pure magic, bringing back old time Latin authors’ that perfect magical realism stories back with lovely, deeply layered, honest characterization! It’s definitely one of my favorite fantasy reads of the year!
Ms. Cordova creates pure magic with her lyrical words and dreamy chapters!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. 9781982102548 Zoraida Cordova's fantastically wondrous, dream-like, and imaginative novel follows in the footsteps of the South American magical realism tradition, set in Ecuador and the U.S., it is a multi-generational family drama that overflows with the inexplicable, and the author's outstanding gifts with her fascinating and stellar characterisations. The Montoya family have been summoned to receive their inheritance, to the deathbed of their matriarch, Orquidea, who has not left the protected home at Four Rivers in Ecuador for some time for any reason. However, their curiosity about the family secrets are to be left unsatisfied as a transformed Orquidea departs this life in a manner that surprises.
The narrative goes back and forth in time to reveal Orquidea's colourful, complicated, and intriguing life, joining the circus, the consequences of the decisions she makes, and the tragedies and challenges she faces, which includes abuse. Years later the descendents lives have changed in different ways, thanks to Orquida, using her talents to bestow surprising benefits. However, there is trouble brewing, the family line is facing dangers and threats, that have the descendants having to overcome their issues, Miramer and Rey with their close connections and Rhiannon, Tatinelly's daughter, travelling back to Ecuador to save the family, to get to the truth, the protective magic and the secrets.
It can be hard to follow all the twists and turns in this complex story, and much is left ambiguous, and unexplained, but this makes no difference to the joy I derived from reading this beautiful novel, so brilliantly written, that it mesmerises. Cordova draws on and is inspired by the rich tradition of South American myth, legend and folklore, and its culture and perspectives, painting on a wide canvas in this story of magic, its protection, of the power of family and the trauma that can travel through the generations. This is for those readers who love fantasy and appreciate magical realism in particular. A glorious read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Atria for an ARC. 9781982102548 yeah, ngl this book is beautiful 9781982102548
Zoraida Córdova È 1 SUMMARY
Actual rating: 2.5 stars
This is one of those books that seemingly had everything I want, but ended up missing the mark. I enjoy magical realism and whimsical tales and this story had both of those things. I appreciated the author's creativity and the themes she explored. However, the execution and plot just didn't work well for me. It was so bizarre at times and the story felt slightly chaotic. I never fell in love with the characters so it was hard to be emotionally invested in the story. I'm bummed because I really wanted to love this book. Even though this one wasn't for me, I would still encourage you to pick it up if it sounds interesting to you.
**ARC received from publisher in exchange for an honest review. 9781982102548 what a fantastical, mysterious ride, I loved it! 9781982102548 **Update 2/10/21**
HOUSTON WE HAVE A COVER! The artist is Erick Dávila. Check out his work. Erickdavila.com!
**Update 2/1/21**
THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUÍDEA DIVINA has a change of date! It is now going to be released on September 7th, a month sooner than originally scheduled!
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My adult debut novel! For more details check out my newsletter, which also includes my Pinterest and Playlist. -> https://mailchi.mp/1b2ab38837ef/janua... 9781982102548 This book was breathtaking beautiful 9781982102548 I loved this so much it was my pick for September for the Fantastic Strangelings Book Club.
Gorgeous magical realism. Wonderful characters. Reminded me of Bradbury's From the Dust Returned mixed with The Umbrella Academy. 9781982102548