DNF. too much world building; didn't like the connection etc.Not a fan of the writing style. Tried listening but couldn't get into it.

Thank you to Hear our Voices and Levine Querido for allowing me to read this book as a part of being on book tour. I highly enjoyed this book. The illustrations were so beautiful and learning about another culture is always so fun

I loved the flow of this book and the beautiful illustrations throughout the story. 

I went into this book not knowing what to expect, but it caught me by surprise in a good way. Very enjoyable read.❤

Favorite Quotes: Each one of these touch my heart.
🟠 “You deserve this happiness and peace, Mother.”

🟤 “Until the end, my precious flower."

🟠 ‘Never let your enemy see your full strength until you know you can defeat him.’ 

🟤 At the heart of destruction, one can find shelter.
In the impenetrable darkness, one can be a light.
Amid the swirling arms of the hurricane, there is stillness.

🟠 I must remain at the center of the storm. But when I emerge, he will have cleared a path for me. My enemies will be weakened. I shall burst triumphant from the snow and greet the sun- bangled world with a battle cry.

🟤 I too was once a young girl in love. I know there’s no commanding the heart, no changing the course of that raging flood.  Let yourselves spin in its eddies for the moment. But once this harvest is sold in the marketplace, be ready to tell your father.”

🟠 It will take so much love to heal him. Fortunately, the rest of my family is waiting, hearts open, brimming with affection.

DNF after about 15%
Unfortunately, the writing style is not my cup of tea.

I was drawn to this book because of the setting, I was really excited to read a story set in pre-columbian Mexico. I think this book is perfect for those who are looking for a classic historical fiction or an epic for this setting and period in history we don't really see represented. It's clear that the era and setting is well researched and there are beautiful illustrations throughout the book that really enchance the experience of reading this book.

I think the writing style probably fits the genre and readers enjoying a lot of history books will love this book, but for me the narration was too distant to feel involved and the first 15% is basically a lot of infodump and some events and activities a ruler tipically participates in. I usually prefer books that are character-driven, when I can very soon feel invested in the characters and their personal stories. All the political factions and interests and familial relations however are really dense at the beginning of the book and are pretty confusing unless you have some basic knowledge of that part of the history which I unfortunately don't. (It's of course not the author's or the book's fault we don't really hear about this period in history in education or in the media.)
I have to admit that I'm not really invested in political intrigue and ruling families drama unless it's either on a very personal level i.e. I'm invested in the characters because the narration shows them closely, or on a global level e.g. this faction has to succeed because people will suffer if they don't. And if I see the start of a personal plotline I can easily get through any kind of infodump but here I just felt detached and I simply felt that I cannot work myself through the book to find out if it becomes something more to my liking.

However, this only reflects my taste, if you're a fan of classic historical fiction you're very likely to love this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC.

Bowles' demonstrated a depth of knowledge on the historical, linguistic, and cultural aspects of the time period in Mexico. Even with my current interest in historical fiction set in Mexico and Mesoamerica, I struggled to make it through to the end. The military/political elements and Nahuatl language were also very difficult for me to process. I tried to keep up as best I could. The inclusion of so much historical elements slowed down the pacing of the story line.

The shining light of The Prince and Coyote were the characters and relationships. I loved the depiction of Nezahualcoyotl's parents, siblings, and other characters in the story. Nezahualcoyotl's parents have a permanent little place in my heart. They were a beautiful example of partnership in marriage and a parent's love for their children. The story line of Nezahualcoyotl and coyote that he lives with while in exile is another one that was special.

Because of the length and amount of historical content in The Prince and the Coyote, I believe that this book would be appreciated by a specific niche of readers. I would be surprised if it found an audience among the young adults that it's promoted towards. I loved the characters and relationships in the story, but the historical elements were too much for me to read through.

Acolmiztli is a crown prince and only fifteen when his life changes forever. After his father was overthrown, he needed to seek refuge and his dreams of being a just ruler of his beautiful, peaceful hometown were turned to dust.
Can he escape the wrath of those who took away his throne? Can he get it back? Can he return to a life that he always dreamt of having?

I loved the approach of poly, the nuances of love and desire, and how it was so harmonious over all (it has some struggle but everyone made the best out of it). The story telling was enticing and I loved the breaks between poetry and novel!

The Prince & The Coyote by David Bowles might not be my typical read, but I found it quite lovely. The story is marked as YA and is appropriate for 12+, but it can reach other readers as well.

Set in pre-columbian Mexico, this story weaves poetry and prose as it dives into power-struggles, national identity, gender-norms, family ties, battles and the many forms of love. The beautiful artwork and the guide to unfamiliar concepts adds to the depth of this book. Both enhance the reading experience without becoming distracting.

If you are looking for a new book to expand your understanding of pre-columbian Mexico, gender identity or simply one something new, I highly recommend this beautifully written story.

I received this book as an ARC for the hearourvoices booktour. The opinions on this book are my own.

Its very hard for me to put my thoughts to this book into words. First of all I have to say that I know nothing about Mexico‘s history so it was all very new to me. It was an amazing learning opportunity and I loved reading about how Neza was a real person. The history and architecture was well researched and it showed really well how indigenous people lived before colonization.
I really loved this book and I will probably reread it some time.

There were a lot of characters and most names (city names too) were unfamiliar to me because I dont know Nahuatl. That made it really hard for me to keep track of all the characters and sometimes I lost track of what was happening.
There is a list of some of the characters at the start of the book and a pronounciation guide for Nahuatl words is provided. I really really love that, I just didn’t think about using it, because I read it in the kindle app.

Neza as a character is lovely and I liked him a lot. It was interesting to see his growth and how he changed from a little boy to a king.

The plot was really good and I was interested in all the different places and storylines that David weaved together. For me the story dragged at certain places, but this might be because I was stressed about finishing all my ARCs for September. I‘m pretty sure that that truly was just a me problem.

I wish I had taken more time to read this book to really savour the writing style. It is beautiful and feels very warm and surprisingly I really enjoyed the poetry that was sprinkled in between and it just added to my enjoyment of the book.

The book is fully illustrated and the illustrations truly are to die for! This is a book that is worth having a physical copy of.

I truly recommend this to everyone who likes epic sagas and is interested in the indigenous life of people before contact with europeans.

I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this one but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. This YA novel is full of adventure, romance, poetry, and history!
It is also full of diverse and queer representation, something that I love to see in YA books. Fans of The Song of Achilles will enjoy this one!

For me, the standout of the story was the rich history of Mexico in its pre-colonization era. I enjoyed learning about Nezahualcoyoti and Nahuatl language. This book also covered so many fantastic themes throughout, one could do a deep dive and discover so much meaning! The book is also full of beautiful illustrations by Amanda Mijangos, which really elevated the reading experience.

This is a gorgeous story that I am grateful for the experience of reading and would love for more people to discover!

A captivating journey into pre-European/Spanish Mezo-America.

With its stunning illustrations and rich portrayal of indigenous culture and language, this book is a beautiful celebration of the greatness of Indigenous peoples in Mexico.
I myself, like the author have never heard of the Nezahualcoyotl, an Indigenous king and I was very intrigued. The ingenuity and story telling is mesmerizing. Absoluteley beautiful.

This particular book invites BIPOC readers to appreciate their heritage and the vibrant history that predates European and Spanish contact. A must-read for all ages.

4.3 Stars

Beautiful illustrations, an epic adventure with lots of culture and language. My favorite parts were the poems and of course, Justice. An interesting read, that will have you wanting more and yet full at the same time. A riveting journey of strife, sadness, and joy.