Two stars for the actual story, plus one star because the descriptions were quite vivid and well-written.

This was a lot more vibes than an actual storyline, and the FMC, Sofía, was thrown in one bizarre situation after another in a way that felt like I was reading an Alice in Wonderland retelling. Around the 60% mark, it really did feel like a hallucination as hallucinogens and vengeful gods were thrown in.

It made for an interesting, yet unorganized, read.

While this novel wasn't my favorite, I did like the fantasy version of Spanish colonization that the author created. As the story progresses, Sofía learns more about her Indigenous roots, the effects of colonization on the Indigenous population, and including how the Indigenous fight back against these wealthy (and obnoxiously silly) colonizers.

It's a slow burn revenge story of sorts, and I'm all for it. I just wish the story was tighter and more coherent, and a lot less of a hallucinatory read.

Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for this arc.

★★★★ ¾

What a beautiful book this was. Rich, lush, and steeped in mythology and beautiful prose, Beasts of Carnaval moved me in a way that not many other books have. Securely a tale of coming-of-age—of finding a home when even you are unsure of which world you are meant to belong to—this novel is one of heartache, decadence, and rediscovering a self that the world has demanded you keep hidden. Sofía's desire and struggle for an identity as she hovered between multiple iterations of two worlds (both the rational world and that of the spirit, and between that of the oppressor and oppressed) was done incredibly well, and the story unfolded in a way that paid homage to the cultural themes while letting the reader grapple with the realities they may have been shielded from themselves. My best friend is descended from the Taíno, the mythos that prompts the fantasy elements of this book, and it holds a special place in my heart to see that there are people dedicated to keeping the indigenous cultures of the Caribbean alive, even into today. The yearning for something she could call one's own, whether in place or person, was so palpable I felt as if I could sink my teeth into its pith, and I have not had a novel move me this way in a very long time. I will absolutely be picking up a copy for my personal collection when the time comes.


My only complaint is that there was a small part of the book in the third quarter that dragged slightly and brought me out of the immersion of the Carnaval—that I think could be shortened with little-to-no effect on the overarching story and how it affects the reader.

With gratitude to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of BEASTS OF CARNAVAL by Rosália Rodrigo from a Shelf Awareness/Publisher's Weekly giveaway. Thank you for the early look, and have a safe and happy summer!

First, I’ll say I love the idea of the book - connecting with ancestors and culture, and taking back what was stolen. I love the main character and how she developed. She went from being very rigid in her thinking and her reasoning for things to being very open minded and willing to believe that maybe science and logic can’t explain everything. I loved the development of her friend and how she realized that while she loved her friend, she didn’t always acknowledge exactly what she went through and how their lives were different.

What I didn’t like was how much I feel like was fluff was spread throughout the book. There would be so much description about thoughts the main character was having, or about things going on around her, that I would forget what was going on. I found myself having to restart paragraphs or sometimes even entire pages because there was so much in between plot points. It was also incredibly slow. I thought about DNFing multiple times but decided to see it through. Once I got to 70% it started to pick up a little bit, but it was still pretty slow.

The climax and resolution also weren’t as exciting as I thought they would be. I found myself not really caring about what happened to anyone at the end.

Overall I enjoyed it, but I would not read it again.

Taino inspired magical realism to deconstruct your colonized mindset. A narrative defined by the magic of the Caribbean and the way of the old gods. Rodrigo’s word choices show careful precision aside lost folklore and the idea that the gods must be plural. How would you fight against colonialism eating away at your culture and your very fiber of being?
Sofia is on a journey to reclaim her identity, her culture, her brother, and ideally find her place. The island is above, the gods are reaching out for help, and the island weeps at the hands of destruction. The island is reminding us that the gods are very much alive. The gods' emotions are a metaphor for the immense pain instilled upon a culture that has continues to be demeaned through assimilation.
The monster comes alive as more than a simple bedtime story. The descriptions are vivid and ghastly but so are the experiences. The world building combined with the metaphors and similes really pull on the emotional chords of our being. Caribbean gothic fiction to show you the horrors of western ideals in a land it never belonged. The horrors of humanity are ripe with established consequences.
The human condition is monstrous and the true big scare of the narrative. How would you survive when the humans are more capable of destruction by throwing their own monsters at you for selfish greed? This is a narrative that hits home and shows the power in character building and character growth. Join the Carnaval in this dark gothic adventure in tropical paradise. Thank you Netgalley and MIRA for this advanced digital copy!

Read more reccomendations and reviews on https://brujerialibrary.wordpress.com

This book tackles topics such as reclamation, colonialism, and slavery and makes sure that these topics have a space in fantasy as well.
I'm glad that the author is able to portray Sofia having mixed feelings about her friendship with Adelina due to the power imbalance between them, despite Adelina being a good person and doing her best to help her early on in the book because it's definitely valid for her to feel that way. She also feels conflicted in saving the new friends she's made in Vicente and Fatima and seeking for a more peaceful approach clashing with how Kaona perceives war and violence as the only way from all her 300 years of trying to help out her people.
I also loved the way that Sofia was portrayed with a lot of qualities that society mostly associates with masculinity: being logical, having an adventurous spirit, and not being afraid to speak her mind. Whilst her twin brother, Sol, is portrayed as an opposite: a lover of arts, the emotional one, and the more reserved one. However, both of them are still self-sacrificing and have big hearts capable of love despite the things they went through.
The author also was able to portray the beauty of Coaybay and the Taike'ri culture (Based on Taino culture) and how it contrasts to Hisperian Culture (based on Spanish culture) so well that it felt vivid while I was reading through the descriptions.
I think there were some scenes that kind of dragged on with the exposition but overall, I still loved it and think that the ending felt like it was able to sufficiently explore and reach a great conclusion for everyone's journeys.

I was hooked from the beginning with the lush and enchanting writing, but the story itself was mid. It started strong, but the middle dragged and it easily could have been 100 pages shorter.

My main beef is that the ending felt a little too convenient in a way that undercut some of the earlier tension and thematic weight.

Still, I mostly had a good time. Rosália Rodrigo’s prose is stunning, and I’d be interested in reading more from

This book was like reading about someone’s deepest desire but never truly knowing the cost.

Our FMC, Sofía, a formally enslaved woman, is on a mission to find her brother-who disappeared 5 years before. Her former owner/friend, Adelina, refuses to let her go alone, much to Sofía’s chagrin. Soon, they find themselves on Isla Bestia-a land of wonders and dreams fulfilled. But everything has a price, and by the time you may realize it, it’s far too late.

Rosália doesn’t hold back on providing a wondrous feast for our eyes, but juxtaposing it with the backs of those who had to break for the riches to flow. It’s overindulgence vs the tread upon-the lesser than. This is also shown clearly in the differing ways Sofía and Adelina view Carnaval. Sofía is able to break its hold on her and see it for what it truly is-a rotting lie; Adelina can only see the magnificence. The wealthy adore the magic as long as they can’t see what it cost.

The other part of this story is the island itself, and the people who live on it-the original inhabitants. The Taike’re ancestors still speak through the life around them, despite the measures taken to destroy them. But the pain still lives on, and still speaks of the blood shed and lives lost. The author lays are the ugly truth of colonialism, and how the effects of that never go away. But Sofía and the other islanders refuse to let go, even if they don’t get the answers they want and desire. They fight and desire true freedom.

This was a compelling read that felt like a fever dream. I definitely recommend this one. 4.5 stars.

🪇 I saw "For fans of The Night Circus" in the description and jumped in—and I’m very glad I did! Beasts of Carnaval felt like a fever dream. This historical fantasy uses magical realism to explore deeper themes of ancestry, cultural memory, and survival in the face of colonialism and exploitation. If you like dismantling systems, but with ✨flair✨, this is right up your alley.

🪇 The beautiful cover and haunting tagline (“They come chasing paradise...”) immediately pulled me in. It’s a perfect introduction to a story where characters arrive in search of answers or escape, only to be seduced and transformed by a place that reshapes their worldview. Sofía, our protagonist, travels to Isla Bestia in search of her missing twin brother. What she finds is a mystery buried in decadence, spectacle, and myth—a journey that slowly unravels her understanding of herself and the world.

🪇 Rodrigo’s prose is lush and atmospheric, transporting you to a tropical paradise laced with tension. The island feels alive, pulsing with both beauty and menace. Details like fabrics, food, masks, music, and architecture make the setting feel like a character in its own right. Rodrigo plays with time and memory in a way that mirrors Sofía’s descent into the seductive chaos of Carnaval, blurring reality just enough to keep you unsettled and waiting for what's lurking around the corner.

🪇 What stuck with me most was the message: hope, community, and small acts of resistance matter. This story is a reminder that joy, memory, and collective action are forms of rebellion - especially when beauty used to mask systemic violence and harm. While I hoped for a slightly stronger ending punch, I also appreciated the realism of its conclusion. Sometimes, justice isn’t neat, and all we can do is move forward and hold onto each other and our little flags in the sand.

Major Themes and Tropes:

- magical realism, historical fantasy
- colonialism & exploitation
- grief, loss, cultural memory
- beauty masking horror
- language as resistance
- mythology & ancestral roots
- found family
- determined, pragmatic heroine

You'll like Beasts of Carnaval if you like:

- Mexican Gothic or Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
- The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin
- Caraval by Stephanie Garber
- The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
- Kindred by Octavia Butler

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars, rounding up!)
Clever, immersive, and haunting. A bold and engaging story that blends commentary on beauty and discomfort with subtle grace.

I would like to extend a thank you to Rosália Rodrigo, Harlequin (MIRA), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read Beasts of Carnaval. I will share my review to retail sites and Instagram upon release! ✨

Quick very high level summary.
Five years earlier Sofia’s twin brother Sol went missing accompanying their former owner to the island's renowned Carnaval. Now a freedwoman, Sofia sets off to the mystical Isla Bestia in search of him. Isla Bestia is renowned for el Carnaval de Bestias, an endless festival that seems to bewitch those who attend. The more Sofia learns about Isla Bestia the darker and more sinister it becomes.

My Take.
We have some heavy themes here my friends. Themes of decolonization, cultural reclamation, the impact of slavery and colonialism all disguised in a world of magical realism. They authors writing style is lush and beautifully vivid creating a captivating and immersive setting. The story reflects the complexities of healing in the face of trauma and being able to find ones self and embrace ones culture even when it is being suppressed. There are moments where the story slows and I found myself loosing interest in the second half of the book but the ending made up for it. Overall this book is well written with heavy thought provoking themes. Defiantly worth a read.

Sofía missed her twin brother Sol. Born slaves, they were sold away from their loving mother when they were 5 years old to the Hacienda Esperanza in Etérea owned by rich Hisperians. Over 300 years ago Hisperians conquered Etérea and its native people, the Taike’ri. Though Hisperians raped, sold, and murdered them by the hundreds of thousands in their lust for gold and riches the Taike’ri were almost decimated, but their descendants lived on as mestizos and slaves. Sol and Sofía knew some of their ancestral history, but most had been obscured through years of Hisperian dominance.

Five years earlier Sol and his master left to attend el Carnaval de Bestias on a nearby island but never returned. Sofía spent years collecting every scrap of information on the Carnaval that she could find, seeking information on her brother. Though she had been freed at age 14 it took her many more years to gather the courage to leave Adelina, her young mistress and best friend, to go find her brother.

She thought she’d succeeded in slipping away, but Adelina found out and they went together. When they arrived on the island, it was unlike anything Sofía had ever experienced. Everything was beautiful. The hotel was detailed and opulent, and every desire was met. Hotel workers wore scary-looking masks, portraying themselves as vejigantes. Guests also wore masks, spending their days partying, drinking, carousing, and dancing. Everyone slept and rose at the same time, ate sumptuously decadent food, and were entertained with nightly carnival-like shows. Everything followed the same incredible pattern every day, so the girls soon forgot why they’d come to the island. They were having too much fun.

Things went on this way for a long time, until Sofía began to remember why they were there. Though she kept forgetting, she also began having strange dreams and felt like she was being watched. Adelina was oblivious, but Sofía was determined to find out why she kept forgetting and discover what was hiding under the Carnaval’s perfect surface. What she found out would shake the foundations of her life and cause her to question everything she’d ever known to be true.

As I read, my mind kept making comparisons between the Taíno and the Taike’ri. Descendants of the Taíno of Puerto Rico, like me, grew up thinking our ancestors were destroyed by Columbus and his fellow conquistadores/torturers. We are still here! There is much to learn about the Taíno, so I enjoy books like this which shed more light on their life before Columbus “discovered” them.

Recommended for Adults.

"For fans of The Night Circus, this sweeping historical fantasy set in a lush, Puerto Rico-inspired world, uses magical realism to combine Caribbean carnaval culture and the mythology of the Taíno - the Indigenous people of the region - in a gripping exploration of community, reclamation, and healing in defiance of a violent past.

When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave - the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.

There's a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia's ancestral lands and her people's labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances - whispers of the island's native tongue, music and stories from her Taike'ri ancestors...a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island..."

It's like the Fae of Northern Europe. They intoxicate and delight and are oh so deadly.

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Rosalia Rodrigo gives us a fantasy re-telling of the outcome of Spanish colonialism in Latin America. While the countries involved have different names, she doesn't let us forget what she is really talking about. However, I would say that the book feels a little directionless and almost like a three-act story.

We are introduced to a free woman named Sofia and her former owner/current friend Adelina. Complicated relationship number 1. While Sofia does get an opportunity to explore that relationship a little bit, I feel like there should have been much more insight into that character dynamic in particular. Sofia and Adelina go to Isla Bestia to try to find Sofia's brother and Adelina's father who went to the island five years ago and never returned.

Isla Bestia is like a nonstop Bacchanal. Rodrigo's beautiful prose is uncontested during descriptions of the spectacle of the island. Sometimes though, it almost felt like she was more interested in writing descriptions of Carnaval than of telling the story she set out to. The idea started out as rich people go to the island for debauchery, but essentially they never leave. We spend a very long first act seeing Carnaval and Adelina and Sofia descending into their desires and thus forgetting the reason they came to the island in the first place.

Act II sees Sofia desperately trying to unravel the secrets of the island.

*******SPOILERS BELOW************









Act III - We discover the secret of the carnavaleros (the performers in the spectacle) and find Sol, Sofia's brother. Which was really disappointingly anti-climactic to be honest. Rodrigo gives us almost no character development for Sol - which is kind of stupid when we realize that he has gone through a pretty radical change. So the carnavaleros are actually indigenous peoples who are believed to essentially be extinct (see the Taino people for reference.) They designed Isla Bestia to lure the colonizers over and they keep them in a constant drugged state so they never want to leave. The reason is.... they want blood revenge. Their divine goddess (who is bonded with the leader) is essentially going to explode the island with everyone on it. Including the indigenous people if they don't choose to leave the only home they have ever known. Sofia manages to commune with said goddess and stay her hand using .... rhetoric.

I have quite a few things about this book that frustrated the hell out of me.
-The goddess retribution subplot feels entirely undeveloped.
-Sofia leaves Adelina behind in the Carnaval.
-Even though it took medicine and a couple of days of her body purging for Sofia to recover from the drugs, Adelina gets better over a few minutes because... they need her to captain a boat so she kind of has to?
-After the entire Sol rediscovery, we aren't really given any interaction between Sofia and Sol even though it was the driving force that initiated the entire book. And we don't even discover what happened to Adelina's dad until quite a bit later. When Sol tries to justify his distance, it almost feels like it was tacked on.
-Colonizers who never went to Isla Bestia go free with no consequences and no realization that the island's explosion was actually engineered by the very people they believed that they had eradicated, thus never realizing the blood retribution was intentional?

There are some other aspects of the book that are unclear but less crucial. It's even more problematic because there are so, so, so many good ideas. It's almost as though Rodrigo planned it as a trilogy but then had to make adjustments last minute to get the initial story wrapped up.

- Debut novel, Puerto Rican female author.
- Release date : July 29th. 🎆

- The mystery is compelling and the setting extremely vivid and refined.

- Reality's limits are retraced a couple of times which give the story its beautifully blurred edges. Sometimes it gives a poetic effect, sometimes a spooky or mystical atmosphere.

- The theme of Caribbean colonialism is at the heart of the narrative and its historical and political aspects anchor it.

- Lovely diversity ! Exploration of healing moments.

- The pace is slowed down by insisting on or explaining certain passages.

- I expected more beasts and fantasy because they're my usual fare, so I was thrown off by all the realism.


I'll be reading what Rosália Rodrigo puts out next, I loved the richness of her world.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review ! 🙂‍↕️

This was truly a unique and gripping story. The writing was vibrant and colorful with stunning prose. This story really brings to light the damage and pain that colonization brings even after years and years. The fact this is based off of the history of the colonized Caribbean is heartbreaking. Rosalia Rodrigo does such an amazing job of conveying the complex emotions and friendships in this book. I loved how the story developed over time and as the reader continues through the story the truth is revealed little by little. The pacing was a bit slow at the start but it is written in such a way to keep the reader questioning and curious. This is a book that will stick with me for a while and one I will kerp returning to over the years.

Rosália Rodrigo’s Beasts of Carnaval is an entrancing debut that transported me in the best way—a dreamlike, otherworldly, and deeply human story that lingers long after the final page. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and MIRA for my gifted copy, and to NetGalley for the ARC. I feel lucky to have experienced this one early, because it is something truly special.

Set in a lush, Puerto Rico-inspired world that blends Caribbean carnaval culture and Taíno mythology, this historical fantasy pulled me in slowly at first, but once I was in, I was in. There’s a beautiful, surreal quality to the way Rodrigo writes—like falling into a storybook that starts as a dazzling celebration and slowly transforms into a haunting meditation on memory, power, and reclamation. It’s one of those books that wraps around you like a spell and holds tight.

The story follows Sofía, a freedwoman from the colonized island of Etérea, who travels to the mythical Isla Bestia to search for her twin brother, Sol, who disappeared five years ago. The island is home to el Carnaval de Bestias—an endless festival of music, performances, feasts, and magic that ensnares visitors so deeply, few ever want to leave. Sofía, however, isn’t there to revel. She’s there for answers.

I adored Sofía from the start. She’s not your typical fantasy heroine—there’s no swordplay or chosen one prophecy here. Instead, we meet a woman who is guarded, intelligent, and observant. She’s skeptical, pragmatic, and leads with her mind rather than her heart. And yet, her emotional depth slowly reveals itself as she’s pulled deeper into the island’s strange rhythms. Her love for her brother, her pain from a life of enslavement, and her cautious trust in her childhood friend Adelina make her an incredibly compelling protagonist.

Adelina, too, is fascinating—perhaps even more so because of how complicated she is. She’s the daughter of Sofía’s former enslaver, and they were raised almost like sisters. To Adelina, they’re best friends; to Sofía, the history is much murkier. This dynamic is where Rodrigo really shines—she doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable truths of power, legacy, and affection forged under unjust systems. Their relationship is full of tension, affection, and reckoning, and I found it one of the most emotionally rich parts of the book.

Much of the first half of Beasts of Carnaval reads like an extended fever dream. Sofía is slowly drawn into the magic of the island, and so are we. The descriptions are lush and hypnotic—dancers in elaborate costumes, endless banquets, and strange, impossible performances that defy logic. Rodrigo creates a setting that feels like it could exist just beyond the veil of our own world. And yet, you can sense that something is off. People disappear. Time doesn’t move normally. Whispers of Sofía’s ancestral language echo in the music. The deeper she ventures, the more urgent the question becomes—not just where her brother is, but what this place really is.

Then comes the shift. About halfway through, the veil is lifted, and the real heart of the story emerges. I won’t spoil the details, but I will say that what follows is both devastating and healing. Rodrigo uses magical realism to explore themes of cultural erasure, colonial trauma, and the quiet power of reclaiming what was lost. The island holds secrets—resistance movements, hidden traditions, and voices that refused to be silenced. It’s no accident that Carnaval becomes the battleground for memory and identity. What initially seems like a spectacle of indulgence is revealed to be much more—a celebration born out of survival, a coded language of resistance.

There’s a beautiful thread of cultural revival woven throughout the book. As Sofía begins to uncover the island’s true history, she also begins to rediscover parts of herself. She learns fragments of Taike’ri—the language of her ancestors—and begins to see how the stories and symbols she was told in childhood have roots deeper than she ever knew. It’s not a tidy journey. There’s anger, confusion, and grief. But there’s also an undeniable sense of hope. That healing doesn’t mean forgetting. That resistance can take the form of joy, storytelling, and community.

What I really appreciated is that Beasts of Carnaval doesn’t try to solve everything. It doesn’t wrap up colonial trauma in a neat bow. Instead, it gives us a path forward—a vision of survival and cultural continuity, even in the face of overwhelming violence and loss. The ending was both satisfying and open-ended in the best way. It leaves room for the reader to reflect, and for the characters to continue growing, even after the final chapter.

Rodrigo’s prose is lovely without being overly ornate. There’s a natural musicality to her writing that mirrors the rhythms of Carnaval itself. At times, it feels like she’s dancing between languages and emotions, allowing the story to breathe and swell like a living thing. It’s one of the few books I’ve read recently where I was happy to slow down and just feel the world, even if not much was happening in a traditional plot sense.

I will admit, the pacing in the middle dragged a little for me—not because the writing faltered, but because the dreamlike quality of Carnaval can get a bit disorienting. It’s hard to tell how much time is passing, or what’s real. But once I understood that this confusion was intentional, it made perfect sense. Rodrigo is mirroring Sofía’s own disorientation. The fogginess is part of the experience, and when it lifts, the clarity is that much sharper.

There is no romance in this story, and I found that incredibly refreshing. The central relationships are rooted in sibling love, complicated friendship, and chosen family. It’s about healing old wounds, not falling in love. It’s about identity, community, and honoring your ancestors. The emotional stakes are just as high—if not higher—without a romantic subplot.

In the end, Beasts of Carnaval is a story about reclamation. Reclaiming language. Reclaiming stories. Reclaiming self. It’s about how joy can be a form of rebellion, and how even amidst immense loss, we can still dance, sing, and survive. I didn’t just read this book—I felt it. It’s rare that a novel manages to be both beautiful and deeply uncomfortable, dreamlike yet grounded in real historical pain. Rodrigo walks that tightrope with grace and power.

This book will absolutely stay with me. It reminded me that even the most dazzling illusions can hide dark truths, but also that the act of remembering—and honoring where you come from—is itself a kind of magic. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel that’s rich in culture, heavy with emotion, and unafraid to face history head-on, then I truly can’t recommend Beasts of Carnaval enough. It’s a book I’ll be thinking about for a long time.
4.5 stars rounded up to 5stars

Drawing on elements of the dark history of the Spanish Caribbean, this fantastical examination of colonialism, abolition and culture is as heavy hitting as they come. I can’t say I enjoyed everything about this book, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best debut novels of the year. Let’s get into it.

Five years ago, Sofia’s brother left in the company of their master to visit Isla Bestia, the carnaval island. They never returned. Now that emancipation has been granted, Sofia is determined to go to the island and find her brother. But the eternal carnaval of Isla Bestia is a strange place, and as Sofia dives deeper into the revelry trying to locate her brother, it’s becoming easier and easier to lose herself without even realizing . . .

There’s so much to talk about with this one I barely know where to begin. I guess we’ll go with the characters as always. The MC we follow is Sofia, a recently freed slave of mixed heritage who is a character I find a bit odd, to be honest. She’s a very closed off person, often choosing to bury and sidestep messy emotions. She’s very academic and approaches the mystery of the carnaval island with a scientific twist. Like, even when we learn of how important her missing brother is to her, there doesn’t feel like there’s any major emotion to it. Like, the one big moment in the story when she exhibits uninhibited emotion is when she’s forced into a reckoning with her closest friend over their shared past. Her best friend Adelina, who she grew up with. To be more precise, her former owner, who she was given to as a child, but where for Adelina they grew up as besties, for Sofia there was very much the master servant dynamic to it. Together, the two become embroiled in the mysteries of carnaval while searching for their loved ones.

So the book is written almost like two separate novellas stitched together. In the first half we get this crazy atmospheric, phantasmagoric fever dream insane trip as Sofia becomes subsumed by the carnaval, the strange imagery and set pieces, while slowly realizing things don’t add up or make sense. The people behave strangely, time isn’t moving the way it should, she witnesses the impossible in a way that defies the possibility of hallucinations, the whole nine yards. It’s a pretty great trip with a deep sense of mystery to it, as the more she delves into it the more you can’t help but wonder what in the nine hells is going on on this island. And then we get the second half, when the curtain gets peeled back, and it’s a very jarring experience. It works thematically, as this is where we really get into the meat of what Rosalia wants to explore, but as a story it leaves a lot to be desired. The mystery of her brother takes a strange twist, and the mystery of the carnaval doesn’t quite work for me - I can’t quite equate what we see behind the curtain to what we see in the carnaval section as Sofia examines the situation she’s in.

But lets get into the ideas I picked up on explored in here, because there’s some interesting stuff. With Sofia and Adelina she dives into the complicated dynamic that slavery leaves when there’s genuine affection between master and servant - while acknowledging the reality of their emotions she goes straight into the complexity of it, not sugarcoating it or painting it as something better than what it is.

Through Sofia’s terrible childhood the trauma of destroyed families and community is touched on, the evisceration of her cultural identity as she has fragments of stories and tales that allow her to identify and start to unravel some of the imagery she’s exposed to but which are just that - stories. They’re not a part of her belief system or moral fabric the way they would be for someone raised into that culture, a very key difference.

And then of course, there’s the big one nearly all stories incorporating slavery have to confront - the response. How do you channel all that rage and grief, what do you do with it? I don’t think I’m being cynical by saying humans will only ever react one way to that kind of emotion, so that makes the way its addressed in this book feel strange, but that’s the point she’s going for; the preservation and proliferation of that identity and culture so desperately attacked by the colonizers is very much a form of retribution in itself. Not that there isn’t a violent component to the response we see in this story; I’ll leave that for you to find out about when you read it.

All in all, a great book that delves into some interesting stuff. I didn’t know about the way carnaval was used as a means of resistance to slavery before this, despite experiencing it every year growing up. I’m not sure I enjoyed the basic story that all this thematic work is wrapped around, but that’s could just be because it’s so unlike what I’d typically read as a genre reader. But all in all a book I’m happy I’ve read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what else Rosalia has in store for us in the future.

Note: Youtube link goes public on June 27th, 2025 @ 3PM EST.

I absolutely LOVED this book, it was a perfect mix of magic/fantasy and reality. The prose was incredible, and I almost want to read it again just to review some of the descriptors Rodrigo uses. It almost felt like two books in one because the story shifts, but I loved the peeling back of the curtain and discovering the truth behind Carnaval. Rodrigo handled the darker themes beautifully, while still making this book a celebration, and it was just incredible.

**Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and the author for providing me with an ARC!!**

Beasts of Carnaval is a lush tale brimming with magical intrigue, historical weight, and a touch of mystery. The story follows two young women with a complicated shared history as they journey aboard a ship and immerse themselves into the Carnaval while each searching for lost family members - their father and brother.

Much of the narrative unfolds through vivid, carnivalesque spectacles, immersing the reader in a world of dazzling performances and eerie allure. As the story progresses, it takes a darker, almost hallucinatory turn, evoking a trippy, wonderland-like atmosphere that deepens the mystery of what could have happened to their loved ones.

I deeply appreciated the novel’s thoughtful engagement with cultural and historical themes, including slavery, colonialism, and systemic bigotry, all woven seamlessly into the plot. The rich mythology of the Mother added another layer of depth, grounding the magic in a legacy that felt both ancient and relevant.

The ending was bittersweet, beautiful, and fit perfectly with the tale.

Beasts of Carnaval is a dazzling debut, perfect for readers who love magical realism with historical context (colonialism themed) with a dreamlike edge.

Rosália Rodrigo’s Beasts of Carnaval is a mesmerizing blend of myth, magic, and cultural spectacle that pulses with the rhythm of Brazil’s most iconic celebration. From the very first page, Rodrigo immerses readers in a world where ancient spirits and modern revelers collide beneath a sky glittering with fireworks and feathers.

The novel’s strength lies in its vivid prose, deeply atmospheric setting, and complex, beautifully drawn characters who grapple with identity, history, and power. Rodrigo weaves Afro-Brazilian folklore seamlessly into the plot, offering a celebration of cultural heritage while also confronting themes of colonialism and resistance. The supernatural elements are both haunting and exhilarating, adding layers of suspense and wonder without overpowering the emotional core of the story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Rosália Rodrigo for providing me with an ARC of this absolutely unforgettable novel. Beasts of Carnaval beautifully blends the imaginative with real cultural traditions in a way that is both powerful and moving.