In sixteenth-century New Spain, witchcraft is punishable by death, indigenous temples have been destroyed, and tales of mythical creatures that once roamed the land have become whispers in the night. Hidden behind a mask, Pantera uses her magic and legendary swordplay skills to fight the tyranny of Spanish rule.

To all who know her, Leonora de Las Casas Tlazohtzin never leaves the palace and is promised to the heir of the Spanish throne. The respectable, law-abiding Lady Leonora faints at the sight of blood and would rather be caught dead than meddle in court affairs.

No one suspects that Leonora and Pantera are the same person. Leonora's charade is tragically good, and with magic running through her veins, she is nearly invincible. Nearly. Despite her mastery, she is destined to die young in battle, as predicted by a seer.

When an ancient prophecy of destruction threatens to come true, Leonora--and therefore Pantera--is forced to decide: surrender the mask or fight to the end. Knowing she is doomed to a short life, she is tempted to take the former option. But the legendary Pantera is destined for more than an early grave, and once she discovers the truth of her origins, not even death will stop her.

Originally posted on Just Geeking by.

Content warnings:
This book contains scenes of blood, violence, death, public execution, natural disasters (earthquakes), massacres, captivity and drugging.

The topics of conquest, colonisation and xenophobia continue throughout the book. Bigoted language and slurs are used throughout the book; Indian, indio and savages. There is also religious zealotry throughout.

Misogyny and sexism are ongoing themes throughout this book. There is a scene that discusses an illness known as “green sickness” also called the disease of virgins and is cured by a man’s seed. Please note there are historical documents mentioning green sickness; it is a real historical element that the author has included.

The first few pages of the Sun of Blood and Ruin were slow-going, and for a handful of pages I wondered if this was going to end up being a DNF. Thankfully the story quickly picked up, and I was swept up in the adventure and magic that Mariely Lares has woven together with Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology.

In this reimagining of Zorro, Leonora de Las Casas Tlazohtzin is the daughter of a white noble man and Mexica woman. Leonora is the sister of the young teenage Viceroy of New Spain and her stepmother the Vicereine is determined to see her married to a profitable match. What her family do not know is that Leonora has a secret; she’s the legendary Pantera, a masked fighter that has been rebelling against the Viceroy and the rule of Spain that he upholds.

Lares has set herself a huge task in writing a novel that takes on history, and the politics of the time while throwing mythology into the mix as well. Other than the first few pages, I didn’t feel that there were large amounts of information dumping with Lares blending knowledge in with character reflections and dialogue. That being said, Sun of Blood and Ruin is a book with complex world-building which may not be for everyone. Personally, I enjoyed every aspect of it, and found Lares’ magic system especially compelling.

Leonora is a fascinating character, tenacious and independent, her strength balanced well with her vulnerabilities and flaws. Lares has not set out to create a heroine that is likeable all the time. She’s stubborn as hell, especially when someone tells her what to do. I found myself liking her more with every page, flaws and all. Sun of Blood and Ruin has a whole cast of interesting characters, many of them leaving me with complicated feelings. Lares has created realistic characters that aren’t good or bad; they’re just people trying to survive.

While there is a lot of politics and history in Sun of Blood and Ruin, this is very much a fantasy novel with adventure, magic and mythology at its core. Readers who have an interest in history, mythology and fantasy will enjoy the fusion of all three as they come together in this brilliant novel.

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