I requested this from Netgalley not expecting to get it, but I did and I almost died of happiness.

That being said, I now need the next book because I have so many questions and emotions about what is going to happen. I can already tell that Rose's book is going to be wild and I can't wait.

You can tell right away that this book is going to be different than Labyrinth Lost was, because Alex and Lila have different ways of telling a story and this has it's own feel to it. It's Lula telling the story, and you can tell.

Lula knew she messed up and she doesn't try to deny any of it. She knows what she's done and does her best to fix everything and I'm so proud of her for everything that she's done and how she's grown through this book.

We get new characters in this book! I love new characters because that means new people to love and adore and I love the new ones in Bruja Born and how they're all different and have pasts that I want to know about. I would literally read separate books about all of them if given the chance.

Another favorite part of this book for me was Nova, because I had a huge not so secret soft spot for him and always wanted good things for him and I hope that from where he is now he gets a good ending that leaves him in a good place.

I don't know if Rose's book is going to be the last book, and I hope it isn't, but I'm looking forward to it and her point of view because I know that it's going to be as amazing as these last two have been.

I loved being back on the world created in <i>Labyrinth Lost</i> and how it's been developed outside of Los Lagos. I loved the expansion on anything we knew and what we didn't. Now, I didn't get a chance to re-read the first book before reading this, so my memory is a little shaky.

My major issue is with Lula. I alternated between disliking her foolishness and her attempts to recover what she had done. I had to remind myself multiple times that she's just 17/18 and a lot of her feelings are thrown together by that. However, I didn't understand why Lula did all of this knowing it was going to disrupt everything for Maks, a guy who broke up with her just before they're almost killed. Like I said, I don't know if it's the age thing, but it bothered me. She's willing to put her family in danger, but gets very sacrificial with herself. She annoyed me throughout and was disappointed when she continued to do something that put Maks in front of her family's safety.

I was super excited to get this book from NetGalley and started it right away. I like this series for several reasons - the diverse characters both ethnically and sexual preferences and the writing are what interested me the most when I started the series. The plot was something that really interested me. I love magic stories and following the stories of these characters back in Brooklyn and seeing what happens next. Also, the cover of this book is completely gorgeous and feeds into my cover loving self so so so much.

I was into it and followed along with it pretty well for about half the book before it started falling apart for me. I became underwhelmed with it and didn't know how to get out of that funk. I finished the book but I wasn't as into it as I wanted to be. I am sure that others will get pulled in and love it but I just wasn't into it as much this time around. I'm waiting for book three though to continue on with the story!

I liked the first book in the series, Labyrinth Lost a great deal, so I was excited when I won an eARC through Netgalley for Bruja Born.

From the very start I found that a great deal of issues with the first book were cleared and I found myself enjoying this book a great deal more. This is due to two reasons. One the book setting’s remains in the real world and second the family dynamic is used to its full potential, along with being tested and strengthened throughout the story.

Bruja Born follows Lula, the eldest sister of the trio. In the previous book she was left with scars striping her face, and they serve as both of reminder what happened and symbol of her issues. The beginning shows her getting the scars healed by her sister in order to pretend things are normal. However normal is relative. The events of the previous book has brought her family out of favor by the other witches in her circle, some even going as far to say they are cursed. This sense of being curse is best illustrated when Lola on route to a game with her teammates is inovled in a deadly crash in which she becomes a sole survivor.

The crash is never explained at any point in the book, but is the right sort of chaotic event to propel the main thrust of the story. Lula desperate to not her lose boyfriend, casts a spell to keep him from dying but in turn changes into a type of zombie. Which is bad enough but she also managed to trap the Lady of Death between of worlds, making more zombie as the natural order of death is halted. What follows is a quest for information it undo all the magic business before lives are lost. From this point the plot moves along at a speedy pace with a few twists and turns along the way. While this plot certainly drives the piece it’s also a handy way for a world building, from fleshing out magic council, to detailing more rules that exists in the world, and expand on the history between various supernatural beings , not to mention characters that are sure to show up in forthcoming books.

Like Labyrinth Lost, this story is kicked off by a purely selfish motivation without thought of consequences, but I bought this more with Lula. Although the act was in line with YA cliques, I found never to be about the boyfriend and more about keeping things normal as possible in the wake of so many traumatic things. The circumstances also pushes Lola to rely more on her family and stopping her from pushing them away. This allowed for the showcase of her bond with her sisters, and anytime the trio is together is easily the best part of the book.

I liked a less of the shoehorning of a few characters into the story, and the obvious romantic lead that really didn’t need to be there. (Speaking of romance, Alex’s girlfriend Rishi is conveniently out of town for the story, with a flimsy excuse. Though I expect she be back in spades for Book 3). I also didn’t like spots where for magical foolishness, such as the curse to raise the boyfriend in the first place, needed the plot to go out of its way to make circumstances occur. Minor things, and perhaps a bit realistic, but disappointing overall.

Final Verdict: A vast improvement of already great series and I can’t wait to where the story goes next. ♥♥♥♥

An exciting new chapter in the saga of the Brooklyn Brujas. A few minor quibbles about the plot, but just on things not explored as fully as expected, nothing to complain about concerning the plot we do get. Can't wait for the third book.

I liked this second installment of the Brooklyn Brujas series better than the first, perhaps because the Mortiz sister at the front of this story, Lula, is more relatable than her angsty yet brave sister Alex, who headed book one.
Lula is all about love. Love is what fuels her healing magic and her love life is the center of her world. She's been dating a sinmago (non magic person) named Maks for ever and despite the secrets she must keep from him, everything's going well. Until it isn't. Before they can work things out, Lula, Max, and the whole soccer and step dance team get into a horrible accident. Lula's not about to let her love go without a fight, but she'll soon find that messing with death has unnatural consequences.
This is not your average zombie story. The undead here are technically called casimuertos--almost dead--and they feed on hearts instead of brains. They are usually the result of an overwrought lover trying to go against the finality of death. It will take great sacrifice for Lula to put things to right before the casimuertos spread and take over all of New York.
Full review to come on ChaptersandCharms.com

I loved this book. The story flows well. It shows how Lulu overcomes her emotional past and makes it through. She's a strong relatable character. The family stands by one another through it all. The story is full of twists that will captivate the reader. I cannot wait to see what is next in this series.

Note: This is the second book of the BROOKLYN BRUJAS series. There will be minor spoilers!

Step back into Cordova’s twisted world where brujas and casimuertos roam the land, and your friends and family may not be who you remember them to be…

BRUJA BORN picks up a little bit after LABYRINTH LOST, the first book to this trilogy. This time, we’re reading from the first person POV of Lula, the beautiful sister who can heal. While last book we focused on Alex saving their father from Los Lagos, in this book we try to fix the zombies-like people - or casimuertos - who are plaguing the land after one of Lula’s mistakes. The magic was executed so brilliantly, and I really grew to like all the characters (although I’m so sorry, Lula is probably my least favorite of the sisters). Nonetheless, I thought this was a solid sequel to the series and absolutely cannot wait for Rose’s story!

We start the book with Lula feeling very… lost. Ever since her incidents in Los Lagos in the previous book, she’s been very out-of-sorts and is quite vulnerable due to the fact that her once gorgeous face is now marred by a scar. This vulnerability gets tested when her longtime boyfriend, Maks, breaks up with her. But just as they were to continue on with school, a nasty auto accident happens where most of the students were fatally injured. In order to save Maks, Lula selfishly breaks the rules and tries to revive him, causing the Lady de Las Muertes (the Goddess of Death and the Mortal Earth’s Dawn) to get stuck in between realms and for casimuertos to arise from the dead, seeking human hearts.

“My aunt Maria Azul told me beauty was power. My mother told me beauty was a gift. If they’re right, then what am I now? All I know is I left fragments of myself in Los Lagos and I don’t know how to get them back.”

Lula was a very flawed and genuine character. I was quite empathetic to her struggles… to an extent. Because of her deep capacity to love and be loved, she ends up trying to save and preserve Maks out of this intense feeling. Me though? I’m not a fan of a romance that causes so many problems, and it kind of left me disgruntled. So while I can say I appreciated how this turn of events made it for a NON-love story (it really isn’t, huzzah), the initial justification behind certain actions was a bit iffy. Just personally.

I also enjoyed how Cordova mentions the different TYPES of love: romantic, platonic, familial, and everything in between, without putting down the other. I always like seeing that in stories because I feel like especially with YA, romance gets put before a lot of other relationships. Which honestly shouldn’t be true in real life. And the family elements in this story are very heart-tugging and as sweet as a sugar skull. The sisterly bond between Rose, Alex, and Lula is honestly the highlight of the story.

“‘Because you’re my sister. You might be a pain in the ass, but you and Rose are all I’ve got. I’d do anything for you.’”

While BRUJA BORN cuts back on the romance and instead focuses on the adventure and other character relationships, it still made for a fun and fast read. I especially adored how Cordova resolved everything and the set-up she brings for the next book, as well as really cool twists that I’m here for. I just know Rose’s book is going to be a blast!

“My strength is different from my mom’s. It’s different from my sister’s too. And maybe that’s okay because after everything I’ve done has led me back to the place where I belong - with my family.”

Filled with family love and brujx magic, BRUJA BORN will send readers to another thrilling adventure that stems from a single mistake. Lessons are learned, and hearts are forgiven. But will the bruja sisters’ magic be enough to save the population of Brooklyn and beyond? I really urge fantasy YA readers to pick this series up and fall in love with these flawed but emotional and so very real girls and their shenanigans!

Content Warning: mild violence, death, blood/gore

Thank you Sourcebooks Fire and Netgalley for the review copy!

Loved it. Bruja Born gave me everything I was wanting after reading the promising first book, Labyrinth Lost.

Bruja Born is set in Brooklyn, so it doesn't have the Alice in Wonderland style of the first book. I think this is a good thing because the bits of the first book that were set in the real world were actually my favourite bits. I like to see magic brought into a real-world setting and it was done almost perfectly here.

This book also had more magic in. Lula is not as powerful a Bruja as her sister Alex is but she uses magic more as part of her everyday life. And I loved the character of Lula. She's gone from being the perfect older sister that Alex saw her as into a real person with strengths and flaws. She makes some big mistakes and her misuse of her magic has impressively destructive consequences, but it's her love for her family and friends (and her perfectionist streak) that drives most of her decisions. I was cheering her on inside the whole time I was reading.

The Brooklyn setting is just perfectly suited for the atmosphere of this series. This time around there is so much more world building - it doesn't feel like the sisters exist in a vacuum anymore. Bringing in the girl's friends and the other Bruja families makes their world feel real and alive like somewhere I can imagine actually existing.

I liked the style, the atmosphere, the characters and the magic. There are some big surprises that I just did not see coming! Romance is not the focus at all, it's the love of a family and the strength of sisters looking out for each other that is the main theme running through the story. It's good to read a young adult book that isn't all about finding the perfect boyfriend.

I have nothing bad to say about this at all. Bruja Born is fun, it has masses of personality, and I enjoyed it a lot more than that other series about teenagers using magic in Brooklyn! This deserves to become a very popular series and I can't wait for the next book.

Zoraida Cordova and her brujas have surpassed expectation. Bruja Born returns the reader to Brooklyn as short time after the events of Labyrinth and we find than coming home is not always a happily ever after; there are consequences to the choices Alex made. Bruja Born is a story about making the wrong choice for the right reason, taking responsibility for that choice and correcting it. It is a book of forgivenesses not only of ones-self but of others. It is realizing that anyone can make a mistake and be forgiven. Also who could go wrong with zombies and witches....Sorry, casimuertos and brujas?

This is another fantastic book by Zoraida Córdova!

After reading Labyrinth Lost, I was really looking forward to the next installment of the Brooklyn Brujas. Bruja Born certainly didn't disappoint.

This book reads like a movie. It's full of action and I could see it so vividly in my mind. Love it! Is it possible that I enjoyed this book even more than the first? Maybe. Possibly. Honestly, I think they're pretty equal on the awesome scale.

If you love magic, action, and would do anything for the ones you love, pick up this series! It's fantastic.
I can't wait to get my hands on Rose's story next!

Thanks again to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED this book so much!! First of all, the characters are amazing, relatable, and easy to connect to. This book begins to focus more on Alex's sister, Lula's perspective. The very beginning of this book she is riding with her boyfriend of more than 2 years to get to school for an away soccer game. This book picks up about three months past the events of Labyrinth Lost and Alex's journey to Los Lagos to save her family. Understandably, after these events Lula is a changed person and isn't able to explain what really happened to her boyfriend Maks because it is against their laws/rules. Before they get to the school Maks breaks up with Lula because she has changed and he just doesn't understand her anymore. She is visibly upset but gets out of the car after him and gets on the bus to travel to the game anyway. No one else notices anything amiss and she still sits by him on the bus. During the time leading up to this, Lula has texted Alex about the breakup. Alex has a bad feeling and wants her to not get on the bus but Lula does anyway. They are on the way when all the sudden there is an absolute horrible accident. Lula and Maks are stuck together because a metal rod has impaled both of them. They release Maks first and then Lula and she makes it out alive. She was in a coma for days and wakes up to find out Maks is in a coma but has no real brain activity. She refuses to let him go so does everything she can to save him. Alex and Rose help her with a spell but while they try Lula meets Lady de la Muerta who says do not betray the Deos. Maks was marked by her as she is Death and he was meant to die. She tried to bring him back to life after death has collected his soul and ends up binding herself to him. Later he dies, and she believes it didn't work. Also keep in mind she was the only survivor of this 50 person bus crash. This book is about Lula discovering more of her magic and learning to let go. She is drawn to where she had a previous date with Maks and is stunned to see him alive in front of her. After this discovery, the rest of the book is a whirlwind of events set in motion by the magic Lula has done. This is one of my favorite series and I really enjoyed reading this book. I can't wait for the next one to be released. Zoraida Cordova does an excellent job of weaving together magic, Mexican beliefs, lgbt+ diversity, and the importance of family. Anyone reading this book would not be disappointed. I recommend everyone buy this book!

Hey, book dragons! So I did it,Ii went and finished another book. Two this week something must be wrong with me. Or I'm just trying really hard to escape reality. But either way, I wanted to let you all know what I thought about Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova  Now I have gifted this book through NetGalley. 

Ok, guys, I need to be honest here when I got this book I had no clue it was the second book in a series. All I know is that it sounded interesting and I wanted a new book to read. So keeping that in mind ill tell you what I think about it, and hopefully later when I read book 1 I can revisit this book and understand a bit more. 

Now I am not going to say this book was hard to understand but there were parts where I wasn't sure why a character was acting they way they were and it all boils down to it being book two. But I will say that this book was fast paced and it was interesting to read and I finished it in two days time. So it had a lot going for it. As of right now, I am giving this book a 3.5 but I am sure once I read book 1 it will go up higher. I really loved the way the sisters looked after each other, how they no matter what happened were there. And just the fact that this was so human in a way to where even though these are magical people you could totally get where they are coming from. 

But you know it was a good book, I enjoyed it but I'm just laughing at myself for not checking out the details sooner. So if you have read Labyrinth Lost, give this book a go! You will love it and you will understand everything. 

Till next time at the nook. 

E.

Loved this sequel to Labirynth Lost!
Lula is the narrator of this book, which was jarring at first (because I just loved Alex so much) but you will adjust quickly. This book starts fast and the pace is maintained through the book. I couldn’t put it down.

More magic, more sisters, more awesome. Read it. Buy as soon as you can!

Really, really loved this book! I was pulled into this book instantly just from the title and cover! This book was amazing from the first page and is a one click read! I was deeply fascinated by this books description and amazed at how much research the author put into this book. I really loved the small quote/excepts at the begging of each chapter. I hope this author does some spin offs with other characters!

This book was pretty awesome!!! I loved the first book and this one was just as good. Not going to lie though I had issues with the main character Lula, she's an extremely complex character, who's both soft and strong at the same time, it did however take 75% of the book for her to become strong. This book talks about grief, and learning to let go but also about love and knowing when to hold on.The world we were introduced to in the first book was really expanded in Bruja Born and based on that cliffhanger it's going to get much bigger!!!

YOU GUYSSSSSSS ZORAIDA DID IT AGAIN. If you remember back when Labyrinth Lost first came out, I wouldn’t shut the f*ck up about it. Excuse my French but that was basically the case. I love how we were given such a vivid, exciting story while also infusing it with so much Latin American cutlture. My heart was a bit crushed when Bruja Born but got pushed back but I appreciate Zoraida wanting to make the best book she can and let me tell you she delivered.

One of my favourite parts of the Brooklyn Bruja series is the amazing relationship between the Mortiz sisters. Yes, they fight and disagree and get at each other all the time but that’s the reality of siblings. They’re also infinitely supportive and fiercely protective of one another and that shines through again in Bruja Born. I feel like they are all extended parts of my family and have such an attachment to them. There’s also a moment at the end of this book that hits me right in the family feels.

As expected there is also a ton of magic. Alex using her powers like the bamf she is after the first book and making me feel like I’m infinitely powerful. Rose coming into her own (book 3 now, pls…I want to see her slaaaay too) and poor Lula learning more than she bargained for about brujería and the price of magic. I’m no bruja but I even know that bringing the dead is messy, Lula. I also loved how we got more of the lore behind the Deos and how much the rezos come into play for this story.

The new cast of characters really complement the story and as much as I was attached to the original crew, the newbies wormed their way into my heart as well. The leads are dynamic as ever but Zoraida is also great at writing secondary roles that make you care about their well-being as much as your most-beloved people of all time.

Final Verdict:

READ THIS BOOK. If you haven’t read Labyrinth Lost yet make sure you jump on this and get a preorder in for Bruja Born ASAP. Aside from an amazing fantasy story you also get themes of friendship, family, and love that are so beautifully worked into the story.

I loved this book! I previously read Labyrinth Lost and loved it so I was super excited to read the second book in the series. Bruja Born follows Lula, Alex's sister (Alex was the protagonist in Labryinth Lost) and I love how the author decided to shift to her POV. I oftentimes find myself wishing that I could read the side character's story and in LL, I was intrigued by Lula's character. In BB, Lula is the MC and it is awesome! Bruja Born is culturally immersive and lush. I would definitely recommend this book to everyone interested in witches and family relationships - our relationships with our families are tough, oftentimes exasperating, but ultimately filled with so much love.

( Real Rating : 4.5 Stars )

"This is a love story. At least, it was, before my sister sent me to hell."

Bruja Born is the second book in the Brooklyn Brujas series, and follows Lula, Alex's older sister, after the events of the first book, Labyrinth Lost. I can't really say anything about Bruja Born without spoiling anything, but basically, Labyrinth Lost was about Alex who came into her powers and tried to get rid of them with a spell, but by doing so, accidentally sent her entire family down to Los Lagos, a place that seemed like a mix of hell and Wonderland.

I liked this even more than Labyrinth Lost, and that's saying a lot, because I loved Labyrinth Lost. Lula was my favourite character even in the first book, and therefore, I was ecstatic to get to read a book from her point of view. She's an extremely complex character, who's both soft and strong at the same time, and I adore that about her. She'd do anything for love, and that's wonderful to read about. On top of that, there were her sisters, who also played an important part in this book, who I adored. I grew especially fond of Rose during Bruja Born, and I absolutely can't wait for the next book (which I think will focus on her). Quite action-packed, this novel was difficult to put down. I only took a break reading it due to a readathon I was participating in, and whilst I was reading other books, all I wanted to do was get back to this one. Things never lagged in the story, and I was captivated from beginning to end. Not only that, but the writing was beautiful, and I ADORED the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter. Then there was the ending, which only leaves me wanting more, and all in all, this book was amazing. I honestly can't recommend this series enough.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I like the world and characters created by Zoraida Cordova. I loved the premise of this sequel. However, the frequent references to what happened in and what characters felt about what happened in Labyrinth Lost bogged down the narrative and slowed the pacing. While the book was good, it wasn't one I didn't want to put down.