Review: Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Cordova

Nothing says Happy Birthday like summoning the spirits of your dead relatives.

Alex is a bruja, the most powerful witch in a generation...and she hates magic. At her Deathday celebration, Alex performs a spell to rid herself of her power. But it backfires. Her whole family vanishes into thin air, leaving her alone with Nova, a brujo boy she can't trust. A boy whose intentions are as dark as the strange marks on his skin.

The only way to get her family back is to travel with Nova to Los Lagos, a land in-between, as dark as Limbo and as strange as Wonderland...

Alice in Wonderland with the type of diversity we keep campaigning for - that is exactly how I would describe Labyrinth Lost and isn't that such an exciting description?

I was absorbed into this book from the first page, when we meet Alex and are pulled into her family of witches and tradition and all of the dysfunction that goes with that. I was excited by the prospect of a bruja that hadn't found her power and her deathday upcoming and that part of the book did not disappoint, in fact it was really enjoyable to read. Straight from the start, it was clear to see that Cordova is a very talented author.

However when we got into the main chunk of this book, my interest began to waver. To start with I was really into the Los Lagos world and Nova and Alex's journey through it, but despite the fact that there were many obstactles, I just started to lose focus. It just seemed quite uninteresting, like I was waiting for something to happen but between 25% and 75% not a whole lot did. I still read it, but I can't say I was caring a whole lot about what happened.

There was a big climax, and this redeemed itself a little as did the ending, but because the majority of this book barely kept me hanging on I can't really say that means a whole lot.

Another thing that I have to fault was Risa and Alex's relationship. It felt very forced, and I was initially excited by a gay relationship in YA fiction, but because Risa just sort of dropped in when Nova and Alex had been at things themselves I didn't really see this work for me. I wanted Nova by that point, Risa just seemed to be an awkward add on.

Now, don't get me wrong. Labyrinth Lost wasn't a bad book, I read it from start to finish and I really enjoyed the premise, but it lost me at a few points and the romance didn't work for me, so whilst i'd recommend this book if your local library stocked it, I personally wouldn't be in a rush to buy it. 

Book released September 6th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

Book received from the publisher/author in exchange for an honest review