This was an excellent continuation of Zoraida Córdova's Bruja series. The characters were still recovering from the previous book when the heroine of this story, Lula, does something unforgivable and yet human to save her boyfriend. With the help of both old and new characters, Lula and her sisters fight to fix the disastrous result of her choice and the havoc it is wrecking on New York. It is a complex and intriguing book and I found myself like and relating to Lulu more than I expected after the first book. I'm waiting anxiously for the final book in the series!

I really enjoyed the first book in the Brooklyn Brujas series, Labyrinth Lost. Yet, Bruja Born is so much different than Labyrinth Lost, but in a really good way! This book takes us on a journey through the magical realm of Los Lagos. Alex accidentally cast a spell that sent her entire family to ‘hell’, so she and a brujo named Nova enter that world to save her family.

Lula is the oldest sister of the Mortiz daughters, the one who was beautiful and perfect, behaving like a perfect mirror image of their mother. In this book, Lula is still dealing (or not dealing) with the facial scars she received from Alex's story in Labyrinth Lost, the family is adjusting to the return of their amnesiac father after 7 years away, and Lula is still holding on to her anger over what Alex did to their family in Los Lagos.

I found Lula to be slightly less engaging than Alex, though I think that's my personal preference for social outsiders rather than insiders. Unlike in Labyrinth Lost, we see a whole lot more of the world of the brujas, get to know the family and watch their relationships play out. Lula is much closer to Alex than to Rose, which makes sense given the age gap, but was fun to see the way Cordova shifts perspective.

I loved seeing Nova again, but boy I am more and more glad that Cordova didn't write him as Alex's love interest. He's got some things to sort out before he'd be good as someone's boyfriend.

My least favorite part was the introduction of the usual urban fantasy triumvirate: witches, werewolves, and vampires. I would have preferred if the brujas had remained a slightly more unique urban fantasy. That said, I absolutely love the Mortiz family and the beautifully portrayed bruja-style of witchcraft. And I am SO here for Rose's book!

Full disclosure: I bought Labyrinth Lost because of its cover, and because it fulfilled one of the categories in one of last year's reading challenges. I read it like one reads an assignment for school: because I had to and not because I wanted to. I do not know if that clouded my judgement, but after reading this book, I am thinking I better reread the first book and revaluate my opinion.

This is just to say, I loved Bruja Born. My initial disappointment that this book was not going to be about Alex quickly dissipated the more I got to know Lula. Whereas Labyrinth has a slow build, this book has action almost from the beginning. I do not want to give too much away, but give it a shot even if you were not a fan of the first book.

I received this as an arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The sequel to Labyrinth Lost picks up a few months after the first one ended. Alex's family returned from Los Lagos after her selfish attempt to stop her magic from manifesting and now they're trying to pick up the pieces with very little success. Their father, who had been missing for years, has returned and Lula, the oldest sister, deals with the fact that she is forever scarred from being attacked in the otherworld.

We get Lula's viewpoint in this book as she struggles with life after returning from Los Lagos; it's affecting her relationships with her family, her friends, and her boyfriend--which is almost worse to a teenage girl than being sucked into a different world through a strange portal. Her world continues to turn upside down as a bus crash occurs, killing most of her peers. But, Lula is a Bruja. And her sister is an encantrix, the most powerful type of bruja there is. This can be fixed, Lula is sure of it.

Of course, things absolutely do not go as planned. Lula's boyfriend comes back from the edges of death and, well, he's not himself. And neither are the others who were accidentally brought back. Oh, and somehow all of those that were brought back have a hankering for eating flesh and all of this is Lula's fault because she was just as selfish as Alex was in the first book.

I really liked Labyrinth Lost though I felt like it dragged in places. Bruja Born has very little of that. From the first few chapters, shit goes down and it just gets crazier from there. The crash happens, bodies go missing, different bodies are found littered all over Brooklyn and, while this is happening, Lula is also trying to hide her undead boyfriend from her parents and keep him from zombing out--or, well, becoming a casimuertos.

Córdova does such a fabulous job of expanding the world of the brujas, bringing in her own mythos with the epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter.

If you read the first book and felt wishy-washy about it, pick up the sequel and you'll be begging for the third.

In BRUJA BORN, Lula is dealing with the ramifications of the first book. She's scarred, mentally and physically, and can't discuss anything that happened with Maks, her sinmago boyfriend, despite how much she wants to share her world with him.

Her love of Maks drives the majority of the story. BRUJA BORN features wonderful interactions between Lula and her sisters. They obviously care about each other and will do whatever it takes to protect each other, but Lula places Maks on a pedestal above her family and herself. She's convinced her high school love is a true and forever relationship worth sacrificing for.

Overall, BRUJA BORN is a well-written, action-packed, and diverse YA fantasy with flawed pacing—characters spend a large amount of the book not knowing what to do, or deciding what to do, leaving little room for the climax and resolution. As a result, the ending is rushed. Readers that loved the first book in the series will no doubt love the second if they can accept Lula’s devotion to Maks.

This book felt so different from the first one... At first I thought it was going to be neat that book 2 was told from a different Mortiz girl's perspective. But, it just seemed more juvenile and more overly-dramatic than the first book. It's a little like Practical Magic (bring dead boyfriend back to life) meets Hocus Pocus (kids running around with zombie ("casimuerto") fighting evil while parents are away) meets The Walking Dead (zombies overrunning the city, lots of gore while fighting zombies). It just lacked the fantasy aspects and imagination of the first book. The first book was a solid five stars (I compared it to Practical Magic in a good way) - here's a quote from my review of Labyrinth Lost: "This book gets five stars for the absolute originality of it. It's a fantastic novel about magic - without wizards, or vampires, or werewolves... Completely original." And... book 2... enter "vamps" "weres" fairies and mermaids. I was so disappointed. Can we please just keep an original fantasy concept that doesn't include all the usual cliches? Not only are they rampant, we're using all the slang terms for them. We were off to such a good start. Unfortunately unless I see some reviews that we're closer to Book 1, I won't be reading Book 3.

**** Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review ****

****Trigger Warnings: Violence, Death, Gore, & Self Harm (for magical purposes)****

I enjoyed the first book “Labyrinth Lost” (review here) which was told from Alex Mortiz’s POV and full of Latinx magic and mythology, it’s a fantastic book overall. I was a bit skeptical when I found out the sequel would be told from Alex’s sister Lula’s POV instead of hers but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed her perspective. I can honestly say I loved “Bruja Born” even more than “Labyrinth Lost”!


First off I’d like to say that I think the synopsis for the book is a bit on the spoilery side, I went into this without reading it and I thought it was much better that way. So I won’t be discussing the happenings of the plot in too much detail due to said spoilers. Just know that Lula finds herself in a very heart-breaking situation and thus unleashing some magical chaos. There were some moments where my heart broke for her and things got pretty emotional as well as suspenseful.

There’s still plenty of magic and mythology present in “Bruja Born” which I loved, I think we see even more world building in this one with the Thorn Hill Alliance and Knights of Lavant being brought into the fold. We see several other supernatural beings too, which I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting that with this book (I was more so focused on the brujas) but it was welcome nonetheless. I’m glad we got to see more brujeria (magic) in this book, it was really interesting to see how different each person’s magic was and to see it in action. However, I do wish we had more info on the Deos though, I’m dying to know more about them and the little paragraphs at the beginning of each chapter are such a tease!

As for the writing and pacing, both wonderful! I actually went through this book pretty quickly and it flowed so well, there were definitely no dull moments. There were also a few twists that I didn’t see coming as well, it kept my attention 100%.

I really enjoyed the overall themes present in the book as well, once again (as with Labyrinth Lost) we see strong familial bonds and positive family relationships being portrayed. It’s so refreshing to see families shown in YA that are whole and fully support each other, I especially loved how the sisters (Alex, Lula, and Rose) acted helping each other out while still bickering occasionally, as sisters do! Another sort of theme I thought was shown well was the overall acceptance of yourself as a person that we see in Lula throughout the story. Lula, for example, has scars on her face she finds hideous and uses glamour to hide them but she grows so much as a character throughout the story that she learns to accept herself for who she is physical appearance and all.

And that ending? Can I have the next book now please? You can’t leave me hanging like that! Prepare yourselves for a pretty brutal cliffhanger!


I loved the characters just as much as I did in “Labyrinth Lost” if not even more! As I already mentioned I loved that the Mortiz family is shown in such a positive light and how they all support each other no matter what. I was definitely excited to learn more about each family member as well since they’re absent for most of the first book.

Lula was a fantastic narrator and I thought she was an incredibly realistic and relatable character. She grows so much throughout the story too and I can say she’s easily a very well developed and complex character, flaws and all. I also understood the choices she made, even if they weren’t the best, and liked how she owned up to everything she did.

I really enjoyed the introduction of a few new characters such as McKay, Frederik, and Rhett. Definitely want to see more of them! I mean the side characters have so much personality and we hardly see them!


This is hard to place, there is romance in “Bruja Born” and yet it’s not in the way you’d expect. There is a focus on the relationship between Lula and her boyfriend Maks, which I always thought they were a sweet couple but that’s all I’ll say on that subject. There is a love interest that comes alone much later in the book, and I adore him even more…..

I would say the story focuses a lot more on the love between Lula and her family though, which I basically live for. I love the Mortiz family so freaking much!


What I Loved:

Fast pacing & writing that flowed well
Engaging plot with some great twists
Strong family relationships
Great world building and mythology
It’s diverse YA fantasy!
All of the characters were lovable and well developed overall

What I Didn’t Love:

That mean cliffhanger ending!
I would love to see the world building and mythology fleshed out even more


I recommend checking out “Bruja Born” if you were a fan of “Labyrinth Lost”, this sequel will not disappoint you! If you’re looking for a magical, diverse YA fantasy to add to your TBR then this is the series for you!

I keep trying to read this but they talk about things past and I feel like I missed out on a prequel? Very confusing

I think this one tops Labyrinth Lost, which I really enjoyed. This was such a good read. I love that the characters are fully fleshed out--with flaws and all. This story is full of magic, a dash of romance, sisterly love (and annoyance), and Zombies! Well, not exactly zombies.....
Highly recommended!

I so enjoyed this book, even though I have never read the first book in the series (because, being me, I thought this one was first), but I adored our protagonist Lilly. I think I lost a little bit of what was going on here as well, but that is all reader error since I didn't know that this was a companion novel. Either way, I was highly entertained the entire time while reading this and I would strongly recommend this!

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher!

Full of action from start to finish, there was never a dull moment throughout Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova. I enjoyed the first book in the Brooklyn Brujas series, Labyrinth Lost, but I must say that I enjoyed Bruja Born so much more. Córdova's world building might be some of the best I've ever read, for she truly sucks you into the pages of her story, and I did not want to leave. The entire book was building up to an epic showdown, and I was tingling with anticipation as I neared the final chapters of the novel. We see so much more development in Alex and Lula, and Lula grew to be one of my favorite characters. She was easy to relate to, and seemed very...real for lack of a better word. I'm so glad that we got to see the story from her perspective, and I can't wait to see from who's perspective the next book in the series is going to be told. I really don't want to go into too much detail with the story since this is a sequel and I don't want to spoil anything, but just know that I highly recommend that you pick up Labryinth Lost so you can get to Bruja Born because the series just keeps getting better, Overall I give Bruja Born five out of five stars for the dark, lush world Córdova creates, the interesting characters, and the perfectly paced story leading to one of the most epic showdowns I think I've read.

I loved the first book in this series and I was not disappointed in the second. You won't be either, this title keeps the same magical realism themes as well as building more on characters from the first book. A great addition to any YA collection. I also believe this might be a nice book for librarians looking to get boys to read more book, while this title might be aimed more at girls I believe there are elements that boys would enjoy.

Bruja Born follows Alex from Labyrinth Lost older sister, Lula. The one with the power to heal like their mother. Ever since coming back from Los Lagos Lula has been struggling to adjust and then on the way to a soccer game she suffers a terrible car accident with her boyfriend and classmates. Willing to do anything to save her boyfriend she ropes in her two sisters into performing and forbidden cantos. When things go terribly wrong a ravaging pack of zombies is set loose in Brooklyn and with Lady de la Muerte lost inbetween realms its up to the three sisters to right the balance of life and death. Will Lula be able to make the sacrifice needed to save the city from the spreading zombie infestation?

Lula just cant catch a break. Poor girl has everything bad happen to her. It does take her a while to step up and realize she cant have what she wants which was realistic if not a little frustrating. Im happy with the direction her character and new friendships developped by the end. The sisterly bond was a lot more evident in this book and I freaking loved it. The way the whole family care for each other and the way Lula depended on Alex was heartwarming. It was also nice to see the parents present since it doesnt happen often in YA fantasy. I was disappointed we didnt get to see much of Rishi since she was one of my favorite characters from the first book. We do meet a bunch of new interesting characters though.

I loved the quick pace and all the action just like in the first book, but I felt like this plot was even more intense, especially with all the death. It was a tiny bit slower in the middle, but I was still engaged and invested in the characters. Its an immersive world filled with rich Latin American culture. We get more insight into the magic and the Deos of this world. I tend to love zombie books and this was no exception. The Latin twist on it made it even that much more compelling. The message about how you can be your own worst enemy was nice, but Ive come to realize that Im not a huge fan of the main characters bad decisions causing the plot to move along. Thankfully the main characters decisions was more believable in this book than the first one.

Considering the cliff hanger the first book ended on Im surprised it took so long to start getting information into what happened. We still dont know how Nova found him. Im surprised Nova didnt find out about his grandmothers deal with Alex. I was hoping it would be mentionned before the book ended. The minors issues I had arent enough to really bother me. Overall I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first one, but that might be due to having listened to Labyrinth Lost on audiobook. I wonder if the third book will be from the younger sister Roses point of view as she comes into her power more. I have a feeling the next book will be more fae focused and Im excited for it. Ive become attached to these character and look forward to seeing more of them.

This companion novel lived up to the first book!

For one, I had no idea this was the companion to Labyrinth as I originally thought it was going to be a sequel. Which makes way more sense as in my Labyrinth Lost review, that ending left a pretty satisfactory feeling.

This book instead follows Alex's sister, Lula, a few months following the ending of the previous book. I found this book to be just as captivating while also holding onto the Latin, powerful storyline.

The big bombshell in the first part of the story definitely took me by surprise (because I never read the full synopsis)! There is a lot of tragic moments full of grief which may be a trigger warning for some readers. It is a journey to finding one's self and the family bonds that was also emphasized in Labyrinth. There is also emphasis on self image and the internal battles that constantly nudges on Lula. With this being said, this companion novel may be a harder read, but the heartbreaking moments and mental health components can be inspiring.

I gave this book a 4 out of 5 stars. The paranormal elements brought life, and death, into a diverse world and quickly captivated me within the first few chapters. This is a great series that I highly recommend to all YA readers.

I’ve never been a fan of zombies. But casimuertos, I like! This book was full of action, from the start. I loved it like the first one and probably like the third one that I can’t wait to read. 2019 is too far away!!! I also loved how the story is told from a different character: in the first book, you live through Alex, and now, through Lula. Can’t wait to see who it will be for book 3! Rose, Nova or Patricio?

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you for selecting me to review this book. I didn’t realize this was a sequel and not having read the first, I will have to renounce to reading the second installment.

I read this almost immediately after finishing Labyrinth Lost, and I must admit I was a little hesitant. After spending an entire book in Alex's POV, I wasn't sure I'd like switching to Lula's. But I shouldn't have worried. Lula's voice and character swept me up from the first pages and had me completely entranced.

Córdova has a talent for writing deeply compelling characters you'd follow anywhere, and in Bruja Born she truly outdoes herself. In fact, in many ways, I found it to be even better than the previous book. The characters, their inner challenges and relationships are deeper, more nuanced and mature. The plot is tighter and richer. The world that we got to know and love in Labyrinth Lost becomes magnitudes wider and more complex, even though the entire story is set in Brooklyn instead of an entire, parallel realm.

I loved how very urban this urban fantasy feels. It has so many of the well-worn tropes of the genre--but they're presented in a completely fresh perspective, taking us to exciting, unexpected places. This makes for a mixture of comfortable, satisfactory familiarity, and delightful, page-turning novelty. I found myself multiple times grinning at the page, and then moments later gasping in surprise. The plot and its twists will keep you guessing, and yet at the end, the answer will seem inevitable in retrospect.

The book also does a great job of treating heavy subject matter with care. There aren't many fantasy novels that explore the aftermath of trauma--be it of natural or magical causes. The way Lula and her family struggle with the repercussions of what they've been through rings painfully true, and paints an honest picture many readers may identify with. We need more stories of heroes who have been hurt and broken, perhaps beyond repair, and who try as best they can to survive what comes next--and sometimes, they fail. And while Lula's story ends on a more hopeful note, I greatly appreciated the fact that the ending doesn't give us a happily ever after. In real life, trauma never fully goes away, and no amount of magical adventures can cure it--but they can show us a way to adapt to it.

Bruja Born is a satisfying follow-up to Labyrinth Lost! The second novel in the Brooklyn Brujas series follows Alex's older sister, Lula, as she deals with the fallout from Alex's adventure in the first book, as well as that of a tragic bus accident that maybe-kinda claims the lives of her boyfriend and a number of her friends and soccer teammates. This installment delves further into the practices and politics of the magical Brooklyn the Moritz family inhabits, and expands on the relationships between the sisters that are the heart of this series. It would have been fun to see a little more of Alex's relationship with Rishi, but otherwise this builds very nicely on the first book. It was especially delightful to see Rose’s growth as a bruja!

I am absolutely in love with this series and was super excited to read about Lula - Alex's sister from the first book. I am all about books with good familial relationships and these sisters are so beautiful together, I love them so much! Although Bruja Born doesn't have the same LGBT+ content as Labyrinth Lost, it was so touching and heartbreaking that I will forgive it that one lack.