Labyrinth Lost

If Alex could make one wish, it would be to get rid of her bruja magic. So when it comes time for her Death Day, she plans to twist the blessing meant to strengthen her magic into a curse that will banish it. But when the curse backfires and banishes her family instead, Alex must seek help from Nova, a brujo with ambitions of his own, to rescue her family from the dangerous land of Los Lagos...

Review by Sarah McDuling

This book is drenched in the most deliciously creepy atmosphere. Full of eerie mystery and dazzling horror, it thrums with a unique brand of strange magic. I just love it!

Alex comes from a long line of brujas but has always denied her own magical gift. In a misguided effort to rid herself of magic, she accidentally casts her family into a dangerous Limbo realm called Los Lagos. (Try to image a version of Wonderland crossed with Pan’s Labyrinth, with a dash of The Upside Down from Stranger Things, and you will have a pretty good idea of the phantasmagorically creepy nightmare that is Los Lagos.)

Determined to save her family, Alex embarks on a rescue mission accompanied by a mysterious (possibly evil?) boy called Nova. A glorious boatload of magical adventure ensues!

The world building in Labyrinth Lost is absolutely fantastic. For those who skipped Spanish class, the word “bruja” means witch/sorceress and author Zoraida Córdova has drawn inspiration from Latin American culture and mythology in creating this darkly enchanting tale of magic.

This book has everything. Magic, suspense, adventure, action, intrigue and horror. There are strong themes of family, sisterhood and identity. There is also an intriguing bisexual love triangle that does not really get off the ground in this first book - but I look forward to seeing it play out in future instalments.

Perfect for fans of The Raven Cycle series by Maggie Stiefvater, and the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor.

About the Author

Zoraida Córdova was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, where she learned to speak English by watching Disney's The Little Mermaid and Michael Jackson's Moonwalker on repeat. Her favorite things are sparkly like merdudes, Christmas, and New York City at night.