Cover Image: Wayward Witch

Wayward Witch

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Member Reviews

Wayward Witch is the third in Zoraida Cordova's Brooklyn Bruja series. In this book, she expands on the Moritz's family and the relationship between Rose and her father. The book begins at Rose's Deathday celebration, to celebrate her unique powers as she embraces her life as a bruja. By the end of the celebration, however, Rose and her father have been taken through a portal to the Kingdom of Adas, where Rose discovers that her father hadn't lost his memory after all, and that lie shakes Rose's world.

I loved this book for the worldbuilding and characters that Rose discovers in the Kingdom of Adas. Cordova builds lush settings for her characters to inhabit. She also does an excellent job creating a believable relationship between Rose and her father. The Kingdom of Adas always feels off, just as Rose experiences it. This book was a quick read for me, but thoroughly satisfying as a fan of the Brooklyn Brojas series. I love the body positivity in this book. I love how Rose feels conflicted about her magic and her destiny. I think this is an excellent third book in this series and beautifully builds upon the first two books. I love recommending this series to teens in my community because I know they'll love it as much as I do.

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As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

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3.5 stars. Unfortunately I don’t feel like I have much to say on this book since I read it while in a reading slump. I was immediately pulled into the story and super excited to see where it would go, but then I put it down and didn’t pick it back up until about a month later. By that time I had forgotten the details of what I had read and character names but I pushed through anyways. I did enjoy it but not as much as the second book. I liked the father-daughter dynamics, but was very not on board with the romance.

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I remember starting the first book in Zoraida Córdova’s Brooklyn Brujas series back in 2016 when I had just started book blogging. I had gotten a NetGalley account that year, and remember being so excited to get approved for an e-ARC of Labyrinth Lost! I have grown with this series, not just as a reader, but especially as a book blogger! The Brooklyn Brujas series is a series that I’ve actively been following throughout my “career” as a book blogger, and finishing the series now has definitely been bittersweet. (I would not be upset if Córdova decided to continue this series or do a spinoff series!)

Now that I’ve laid all of this out for you, it should come as no surprise that I was both excited and apprehensive about picking up the last book in the series, Wayward Witch. This did not come from a fear that Córdova would let me down in some way–I love her storytelling! The apprehension came from anxiety (that I’m sure I share with a number of you) when it comes to finishing a series and having to say goodbye.

But, I tried to put all of these depressing thoughts aside and finally picked up Wayward Witch (a little later in the year than I would have hoped due to COVID-related mental health things and other obstacles) and started reading. I’ve always been curious about Rose, and was super excited that the third book would finally give more insight into her character as well as play out her story arc. And speaking of the story arc, I had no idea what sort of journey Córdova would take me on!

Wayward Witch takes us to the land of Adas, which is quite different from the worlds we explored in Labyrinth Lost and Bruja Born. And as if that’s not fun enough, the author added in a quest! I love quests. But, enough of my blabbering. This was a nice wrap to the series, and I definitely enjoyed it. Also, I’d like to say again that I would not be upset if Córdova were to do a spinoff or continue the Bruja Born series. If that’s not the case, however, there are other books of hers that I look forward to reading and recommending!

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This was a solid conclusion to a fantastic trilogy! The diversity, characters, plot, and development in this novel were phenomenal, and I really enjoyed my time reading this book. I highly recommend this series!

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I didnt realize that this was part of the series, overall I enjoyed it a lot, the magic system was great and i have never read anything like this before. I was I had read the previous installment before I read this.

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I'm not a big fantasy reader, but I picked up the first book in the Brooklyn Brujas series on a whim and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it! This is the third book in the series and I would say it was probably my second favorite of the three -- really good, but the first is still my favorite (I think I just have a soft spot for Alex). I have come to really love the Moritz sisters, so I'm a little sad the series is over (though I also kind of want life for this family to just be calm and lovely after all they've been through!).

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It might be a case of It's me, not you/the book. I didn't very much like this book. BUT, I haven't read the previous two books.

What I liked: the cultural references, the magic system, getting to know Rose.

What I didn't like: The story felt drawn out. I wish there had been more about the relationship between Rose and her father.

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I didn't realize this was a part of a series when I started it. Still enjoyable, but obviously would have liked it better if I had read the previous installments.

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Thank you for providing an advanced reader's copy.
Overall, I found this book to be enjoyable. The protagonist, Rose, has a unique voice and is a believable character. I like how she has such close ties to her family, especially her sisters. Her heritage is a big part of the book and it's influence is seen throughout. Rose is also not a stereotypical size two stick figure with spellcast men falling all over her. She is a normal girl with normal thoughts and she has body positivity. It is refreshing to read a fantasy book with this kind of protagonist.
I also want to compliment the author on including a character that is gender fluid. Lin was one of my favorite characters and it was cool to see that representation in a fantasy book. I'm a teacher who has some gender fluid students and I would encourage them to check out this book. I also really enjoyed Iris. She had depth and was a compelling character.
The first 15% of the book takes place at a party where Rose recaps the two previous books. I have not read those, but the recap helped. It did take a while for the plot to really get going, but once it did, I was immediately interested. Rose and her father, who had previously been missing for seven years but has since mysteriously returned, are kidnapped and sent to another realm. The world building of the other realm, the Kingdom of Adas, is very strong. We learn about the layout of the island, the lore, and the gods who created it. Rose is basically volun-told that she must use her powers to defeat a threat that is facing the island and a quest ensues.
The book left with me a few questions. To me, the climax of the book felt rushed. There was a big build-up, then everything happened very quickly and all at once. I think the book would benefit from some extra explanation in those scenes so that the reader isn't confused about who is doing what, why things are happening, or where the characters even are. Also, Rose is confused because she has just discovered that her powers are different than she previously thought. While she is "testing them out", several strange events happen, but they are never followed up on. I know Rose doesn't understand her powers, but this makes the reader confused as well. How does her power work? By the end of the book, it's still not very clear. Lastly, quite a bit of time is spent on Rose having a crush on another character, but this doesn't seem to go anywhere and they don't seem to have much chemistry. That plot line fell a bit flat for me.
Again, this book was a fun read and I would be interested in checking out the two previous books and spending more time with the Mortiz family. Thank you again for my advanced copy.

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This is the third book in the Brooklyn Brujas series and it is a perfect book for this Fall! Zoraida Córdova is a consistent writer who continues to deliver fantastic YA novels with plenty of diversity and action! This book is another great installment in this series that follows Rose Moritz, a bruja who feels lost and is grappling with new powers, teenage struggles, and family issues. She soon finds herself on a fantastical mission to save a secret fairy realm and discovers more about herself along the way!

Lovely characters that have an incredible amount of depth! Spooky season is upon us and this is a perfect addition to this fall's YA releases! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

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So here goes nothing. I am a massive fan of this series and every other damn book Zoraida Cordova has magicked into this world of disillusion and dread. But Wayward Witch seemed to not hit that important note that rounds out a series - it felt more like a second novel slump than the culmination of many years of waiting. This is not to say I didn't like it, I did, I just didn't like it as much as the last two.

First off Rose has always been the sibling that has seemed the least interesting to me. Alex is opinionated and firy; Lula is loyal to a fault; Rose just kind of exists and feels a little like an afterthought. She is a great person and has an amazing ability with being a siphon, but I feel like she was more worried about the fact that she wasn't in fact a healer than the fact that she can literally take anyone's power and use it as her own.

Now, the writing style still has the same flourish that Cordova always includes is her fantasy novels. They are upbeat and full of action but with a lead character who feels like they want to run away the whole time, that impact gets lost. Yes, there is action but it seems to take a backseat to Rose's lack of enthusiasm that SHE IS STUCK IN THE LAND OF THE FAE WITH IMMORTAL CREATURES.

I really loved the idea of Eterno being stuck in the throne for *reasons*. It gave the novel that villain that I always love to hate but also humanised the fair folk in a way by proving their actions could be emotionally charged. I also really loved Iris in all her snark and pomp despite being the 'lesser' sibling.

Overall, Wayward Witch is definitely a novel I would purchase because it finishes out the collection of stories but I'm not sure it would have drawn me in had it been the first Brooklyn Bruja novel. Me having read the first 2 in the leadup to this one may have also set the bar extremely high because, lets be honest, I thrust it at all my customers whenever it comes into stock.

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I missed the fact that this was the third in a series, so I was a little thrown off course at first. Overall, great representation and I'll be circling back to the beginning.

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This is the book I was most eagerly awaiting. Zoraida Córdova has an extraordinarily unique talent for building worlds. First with Los Lago and now with Adas. It immerses you deeply and paints a picture so vividly that it feel like you're there and you can almost see the characters right in front of you. As I traveled throughout Adas I got to visit beautiful little villages with giant fields of rainbow Sunflowers (what!?), see the destruction that was caused by the Rot and experience magic in a way that was set apart from the other adventures Zoraida took me on. Zoraida introduced a set of new characters that I hadn’t seen before, along with familiar characters. Each character had wonderfully imaginative personalities. Though they were all different in their physical descriptions. Zoraida’s creations just blew my mind the more time I spent thinking about them. To name a few extremely memorable characters;

Rose who changes and grows immensely. Learning who she is and how to be on her own.
Lin, a non-binary brujex <3 who's personality was so capturing that it made me feel like I'm seriously going to miss them not that the book is over.
Iris (Ee-reees) who was a beautiful strong warrior, with a secretly kind heart.
Rose's friendship with these two was made all of them my favourite characters. The way they all grow on each other throughout the book was so fun to read. There were many well shaped characters especially among the guardians. Truthfully I don’t think there was a character here that I hated. Not even disliked, aside from the antagonist. Even still I liked that character for being so good at being bad.
Like her sisters before her, Rose also experiences her own budding romance. I won’t give away with whom (it becomes very obvious after a couple of chapters). However the book doesn’t linger very much on the romance which is great because that’s not what the book was about at all. It was very nice that Zoraida added this element without over shadowing what was really important.

Alas when it came to the ending, I cried! Some things happen that I didn’t see coming. Thanks to being so wrapped up in the adventure. Ninety percent of all the events these brujas endured was wrapped up in the end. Except for one character. It would have been nice to see a little more of Nova. Understandably he was only in this book for like five minutes. Maybe I’m just used to him being around since we saw so much of him in the previous books.

Probably my favorite thing about all of these books was the Hispanic culture tied so heavily into this world. Being Hispanic myself there were many things that were familiar to me. Being American born meant there were many things I hadn’t even known about! Zoraida has actually taught me more about my own culture and I can’t put into words right now how much I appreciate that ❤

I am both thrilled and saddened that the adventures for these three sisters has come to an end. Obviously I’m really hoping for some novella’s or a surprise fourth book. These characters feel like family to me! I waited for each of them as the books came out one by one.
From the moment I started reading Labyrinth Lost I know that Zoraida would become one of my most favorite authors. So here’s to hoping we get to see more of these brujas and here’s to eagerly awaiting for what Zoraida will come out with next.

See my full review on Miss Elizabeth.

*Thank you Zordaida Cordova, Sourcebooks Fire and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

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Rose Moritz has been trying to fix her family for the past six months. Everyone says they're fine and to leave it be, but Rose and see the barely sealed fractures threatening to send her family into pieces. When adas abduct Rose and her father and drag them into the fairy realm, Rose finds out that her father has lied to them all this time. He didn't forget. And the secrets he hid were bigger than she ever could have imagined.

I think I built my expectations too high, and it did not live up to my internal hype. It was still enjoyable, but I skimmed a lot of the story.

Lots of elements were fantastic, but overall it felt stereotypical of a lot of YA fantasy in a way the previous two books didn't.

There was the warrior-fairy princess. There was the cobbled together Guardians who were supposed to be a team but never managed to click together (I think this was due to me skimming). There was the love interest who was kinda a love interest but I was really meh over. There were a whole bunch of other characters and I was struggling over the timeline of events, which kept changing and made me go, wait, when did this happen? A couple years ago or several centuries ago?

Anywho, I feel that most of my frustration lay with the YA-samesies of the story. I felt the same way with Shielded. I felt this one pulled from way too many other places and just didn't stand on its own.

But again, this is entirely to do with me, because I was in a slumpy mood while reading it and honestly skimmed quite a bit of the story.

I did love the mythology and the ending portions, and I loved Rose's magic. I loved the wrapping of the Latinx fairy land, and how the realm was set on an island in the Caribbean. I loved a lot of the characters in the story. I loved the winged horses, although I felt they needed more page time.

I am just tired of immortal fairies who act like teenagers and ferocious fairy kings with paper-thin personalities and motivations. And immortals falling for teenagers.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

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Two and half years ago, I read book 1 in this series featuring three bruja sisters. The first one had Alex journeying through a hostile fairy land to free her vanquished family. Book 2 told the story of how the oldest sister, Lula, dealt with her unfortunate decision to bring back her boyfriend from the dead.

Book 3 is about the youngest sister, Rose, and is definitely the best written of the three. The author briefly touches on the past books but then dives headfirst into Wayward Witch. At first, it seems that we’re getting a rehash of Alex’s venture, a 15 year old bruja forced into a mystical land, but Rose and her band of fellow magical heroes aren’t just a collective of power. They’re sunlit and star infused beings who are barely grown, vulnerable youth trying to shine and fulfill their promise. They’ve been kidnapped by the corrupt Bastard King of Adas who enthralls a few of the populace with merriment and greed, distracting them from his vile treatment and enslavement of the majority. His evil heart has fouled the land and the putridness is literally eating away at the lush paradise. Rose and her found family together must use their magic to fight away the Rot and save Adas.

As always, Córdova’s world building and nonstop action is wondrous. Rose’s two royal companions, twins Arco and Iris, are passionate and swoon worthy champions to the cause against their father. I would recommend to fantasy fans, especially ones looking for beautiful language and diverse characters. Because Rose is a bit younger, there’s no romance other than crushes. Hopefully, the author revisits Rose and Adas in a few years.

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I found this book to be interesting but still not as gripping as the first book in the series. I enjoyed exploring the Kingdom of Adas. It was an okay end to the series. I wish I enjoyed it more.

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This is the third book in the series, but if you’ve not read the other books that’s okay! They focus on a different character (or sister) so it’s not essential that you’ve read them beforehand.

This story follows Rose, who is the youngest sister and seemingly the most powerful. She can clone/take others magic and use it but she has control issues. She finds herself in the Fairyworld in trouble, but with a chance to undergo a journey of her own.

I loved the setting of this novel and think this was definitely my favourite of the Brooklyn Brujas trilogy! It’s a great final book and ties up a lot of questions purported earlier on in the series. I read an awful lot of magic based novels but Zoraida has this amazing ability to truly immerse a reader in the world and creatures. Their writing is so inventive and the way in which they express their magic off the page is very unique and I love to read anything written by her.

The story is enthralling and the characters are fun but have depth. A must read!

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Zoraida Cordova consistently delivers solid adventures for teens with plenty of action, a clear arc of character development for the MC, and well-executed diversity. Wayward Witch is no different, and I probably would have loved this series as a teenager. This installment follows Rose, the youngest of the bruja Mortiz sisters, as she finally reachers her 15th year and embarks on her own magical coming of age. This series is steeped in Latinx culture and places a strong emphasis on family with realistic feeling sister dynamics.

I can't say too much without spoilers, but Wayward Witch feels more akin to Labyrinth Lost as it involves a portal fantasy element where Rose must find her power, decide who she will become, and maybe experience her first kiss along the way. It moves along at a fast pace with a lushly described world, danger, violence, but always hope. It's also body positive with good fat representation, and I love that for teenagers. We are also introduced to a new character who is non-binary, and this definitely leaves the door open for future installments, even if none are currently scheduled. I found this to be enjoyable and would recommend the entire series as a great option, particularly for teens. YA is sometimes written with an older audience in mind, but with Brooklyn Brujas that isn't so much the case. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Content Warnings include peril, betrayal, death, rituals, monster violence.

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I loved the first two books in this series and have been waiting eagerly for this third and most likely final story. It had been a while since I’d read them though it seems, so there was a bit about Rose that I didn’t necessarily remember from before. As with other books like this during this crazy pandemic time, my mind had a bit of a struggle keeping on track with the story, so that is part of why I gave it 4 stars probably.

The world the author wrote for us in this book was beautiful and vivid and so colorful. I know part of the time it took me to read was spent stopping and trying to make pictures in my mind by rereading the details in the descriptions of each of the Adas, or fairies of this world that Rose ends up in with her father.

The book began and I wanted to shake Rose for doubting everyone, but of course like her sisters she had to cast a spell that would lead to a little bit different result than she’d hoped. She found out that there may be something to her feelings. And when she and her father got taken to the other world we learned just what her father had actually been through in his time when he’d been lost there before, and it made sense why he’d been so withdrawn and different when he’d come back and even still after he seemed to be getting back as part of the family.

All the characters we met were unique and so full of life, and made the story so much more. I also did really like the way the whole debacle was solved in the end, a very creative way that I was unsure how it would even happen until it did. And the extra things Rose learned and gained in the land of Adas made the book that much better.

Now while I think this is the final book in the series I have to wonder if we will get a book for one of the characters from the first book, Nova. I’d love to see what happens to him on the path he chooses at the beginning of this book.

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