Solimar is a delightful fantasy full of fast paced adventure. It isn’t a very long book and is perfect for elementary and middle grade readers. The conflict never gets too intense, and the magic is helpful and good.

Solimar is strong female character who lives in a fictional kingdom in Mexico where monarch butterflies come to rest each year. The butterflies end up taking her on a magical journey to save them, herself, her family and her kingdom. It’s a story that many young reader will enjoy immersing themselves into.

As an adult reader, I enjoyed the cultural elements of the book and found the plot to be entertaining. Also, the narrator of the audiobook did a beautiful job! However, the story wasn’t as complex or engaging to me as Echo or Esperanza Rising were. I think Solimar will definitely resonate best with a younger audience.

Thank you NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#Solimar #NetGalley

This book was amazing! I adored the character and the coming of age story. This is great for middle school readers.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of Solimar by Pam Munoz Ryan, narrated by Franchesca Agramonte.
Solimar by Pam Munoz Ryan is a fast-paced adventure of a Mexican girl trying to save her family and the forest where monarch butterflies migrate. Ryan creates a heroine in Solimar; a strong female character that finds the courage to take on the enemy. The friendships that are formed as well as the magical realism make this a story that will interest many readers. The addition of the environmental concerns about monarch butterflies creates a well-rounded package. This book could easily be a Disney movie!
Franchesca Agramonte's narration completes the story. Her use of voices and tone make the story come alive.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this advance listener copy and advance reader copy.

Description from NetGalley:
On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her.
After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage—all except Solimar.
Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?
I was able to listen to and read this book, which is a wonderful emersion. I finished this book in like 2 to 3 days. Solimar is quite the character. She cares for her people but embraces what she needs to do for them and for the monarch butterflies. The author and narrator did a great job of making the world come alive for the short amount of time that I was reading because this is a quick read. I don’t want to give to much away because it is a fun, quick book, but it feels very “Disney,” which makes sense since Disney published it.
Overall: 4/5

What a treat! Young readers are sure to love this grand magical adventure that feels like a Disney movie.
Solimar is a breath of relief from the trend of main characters who want to escape their roles and leave home, who exhibit strength and independence as obstinacy and rebellion. She is smart and brave and kind, a girl who is proud of her home and loves her family. She values what other people say, can follow a plan, and doesn't give up when something matters to her. None of these traits make her a meek, quiet character though - she won't stop pointing out the unfairness of her kingdom's patriarchal system, and she is willing to fight for what is important.
Franchesca Agramonte does a lovely job narrating the book, and the entire story feels vibrant with color and adventure only hinted at by the gorgeous cover.

Solimar is a beautiful novel about a princess, a river "rat", a talking doll and a faithful bird who team up to save a kingdom. Solimar is close to being crowned the princess of San Gregorio at her upcoming quince. She wants to have her voice heard, but she's a princess and not the prince. Her brother does not want to be king yet, he seeks adventures on the high seas. One day, Solimar is given gift/curse when she is selected to protect the butterflies of her valley. In return for her protection, she can see the immediate future. When the wrong person finds out about her gift/curse, she must set about on a quest to save everyone and everything she loves. It's fast-paced and exciting.

If you're a fan of any of the Rick Riordan series, this one is for you! It's not exactly mythology, but it could be! I loved the use of Spanish and the culture presented. The audiobook was phenomenal.

If you're looking for a strong female protagonist, pick this up!

Plus the cover is just gorgeous.

Rating: Really Enjoyed It, 4 stars

Solimar is a delightful middle grade fantasy following Solimar, an almost-princess in a Mexican kingdom, set to be crowned at her upcoming quinceañera. Throughout the course of the book, Solimar winds up tasked with a magical guardianship of the newly hatched butterflies who guard their kingdom as well as eventually saving her kingdom.

Overall, there wasn't anything particularly deep or groundbreaking in this, but it was a lot of fun! It was basically a Disney movie in a book. There are some lovely side characters and it is perfect for the middle grade audience it is intended for.

The audiobook was also excellent! The narrator delivers it all really well and sounds like a believable Solimar. I am very glad that I picked this one up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Audiobooks for the advance audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Girl Power.
Challenging the rules
Grand adventures
Vivid Imagery
Deep connection to culture and family

Solimar: The Sword of Monarchs is an amazing adventure that I devoured in about three days. For this read I chose the audiobook and it immediately connected me into the world of Solimar as she visits the forest and embarks on her adventure. This book one i will definitely recommend to my friends who have little girls that are taking on the world.

On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her.

After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage—all except Solimar.

Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?

I have been eyeing this book for some time! I remember first finding a mirror in Pam Muñoz Ryan’s writing in Esperanza Rising and now again in her new, middle-grade novel, Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs. I didn’t even have to read the summary to know that I wanted to read this book. The cover is stunning! This book centers on Solimar, a soon to be princess of indigenous and Spanish-European descent. I envy her from the get go when she crosses the river to visit the monarch butterflies and is warned to be careful by her sidekick & compatriot, Lazarus, a resplendent quetzal. Here, surrounded by the magic of butterflies she experiences a gift of power, an intuition to predict the future! Upon returning to her town the joy in this discovery is brief when a neighboring king seeks to conquer their lands whilst her father is away. What will Solimar do next? How will she harness the power within her to save her people? This book emanates powerful themes from colonization, to the relationship with the land, environmentalism, and spotlights an admirable female protagonist. I will be purchasing this book for our school library collection and highly recommend this read for those readers of the Central American diaspora! The narrator’s voice is spot on, their accent, and narration captivated me. While I will also be buying a hardcover copy of this book it is worth listening to the audiobook to have a deeper experience.

Pam Munoz Ryan’s latest is a Mexican fairy tale with themes of girl power and environmentalism. Solimar’s Quinceanera is approaching. She is not your typical girl. She’d rather talk about ruling her country than having her hair done. The audiobook was excellent. Franchesca Agramonte has a lovely voice that draws you in. Her pacing is spot on. It was easy to differentiate among the voices. The youthful sound of her voice matched Solimar. I will be recommending this audiobook to the public library which partners with our schools for digital titles. I will purchase hard copies for both the high school and middle school libraries. High school students will enjoy a short book with a strong female lead. Since Solimar is nearly 15, her age is a plus.. I hope there will be a Spanish version as I’d definitely purchase copies and am certain that they would circulate freely.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pam Munoz Ryan has a way with words. I love her books. This one was different from the ones I am familiar with. It had a little bit of fantasy mixed in. I loved it. I finished the book in one sitting. The audiobook was fantastic. The narrator was perfect.

With Solimar Ryan has written a spirited heroine for all ages. One who knows what she wants her kingdom to become and the inclusivity of voices that she wants heard.

Solimar was such a treat to read. She is strong, knows herself, wants to establish equality in her kingdom, protect and preserve the forest that serves as a home for the monarch butterflies as well as the ancestors.

When her home is threatened, Solimar must find her courage as well as seek help to find a way to derail the plans of a greedy king who wants to deforest vast swathes of land for profit.

Solimar is not only a story about finding our inner strength and voice but also how to be selfless and fight for the ones we love and those that depend on our actions for their continued thriving.

Ryan's writing is evocative and engaging, taking her readers on a journey that is bright, adventurous, and lush. A great read for kids of all ages and kids at heart.

What a wonderful tale. I loved how this read as a fairytale of old. It was full of adventure and magic and was just wonderful. I especially loved the imagery of the butterflies and the magic surrounding them. Solimar was such a fun protagonist. I really think middle grade kids are going to love this one.

Thank you to the Disney audio and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this book. This wonderful book tells a great story of a strong heroine, Solimar, and her magical power of predicting the near future and being a protector of the monarch butterflies. The major themes of the story are the environmental protection, social justice, and good vs evil. The lyrical language and adventure would appeal to middle grade readers.

OMG THIS WAS RELEVANT, SPLENDOROUS, COLORFUL, RADIANT, AND PERFECT IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY!

THIS BOOK SHOULDBE A MOVIE!

I cannot recommend this a celebration of culture and feast of imagery enough to readers of any age. It is an absolute "MUST READ" for kids, especially girls, but many adults will enjoy this children/MG book just the same, or even more! Because... the universal messages in this book are so profound!

This book is just a celebration of everything that is wonderful in life: culture, tradition, ancestry, family ties, friendship, beliefs, values, identity, devotion, responsibility, sacrifice, bravery, girlhood and womanhood.

The audiobook, with its different voices and Hispanic cadences, was such a pleasure.

Solimar is just such precious role models for girls, especially Hispanic girls. She is smart, driven, has very strong opinions and palpable dreams and goals for her future but is not self-centered and really tries hard to balance all that with a sense of responsibility and devotion to her family and her kingdom, She

Her relationships with her families and friends are just adorable. I especially loved her relationship with her grandma, through which we get to experience a good deal of the magic system of the history.

The way the culture was weaved with the magic and mythology was one of my favorite aspects of the book: traditional magic and medicine, curanderism, shamanism, herbalism, all all centered around the forest and the monarch butterflies. So imaginative and a feast of imagery!

The enthralling story telling and wonderful writing make the entire book is a feast of imagery and celebration of culture! The descriptions of the kingdom and its inhabitants, their colorful outfits, the forest around, village, the market, the food, the cooking, the preparations for Solimar's coronation and her quinceañera. EVERYHTING!

And it is not all cute unicorns and rainbows! There is intrigue, politics, and tons of action. So cinematographic! I really wish this book was made into a movie!

Then last but not least... The representation! It is such a gift to the world. This is a great book to honor, celebrate and learn about Mexican (and Latin-American in general) culture and mythology.

You would enjoy this book if you like multicultural tales with striking imagery and imaginative magic system and mythology with uplifting relevant messages such as Like Water for Chocolate, The Astonishing Color of After, Bruja Born and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina.