Blog — Latinx in Publishing

Castle of the Cursed by Romina Garber is a young adult contemporary fantasy that surprised me on many levels. The story follows Estela, an 18-year-old girl who’s left in a state of depression and survivor’s guilt after the death of her parents in a New York subway incident. No one believes her when she argues that she saw a strange smoke right after everyone fell dead—everyone but her. When Estela receives a letter from who might be her latest relative alive, an aunt from the fictional town of Oscuro, Spain, she knows this is her chance to uncover the truth behind her parents’ death and unveil the secrets from their past.

Garber took great care of the mental health aspect this story. Throughout the book, Estela is haunted by the death of her parents, the only loved ones she ever knew. The incident broke her until she stopped speaking, and when she arrives at the mysterious La Sombra castle, she starts questioning her sanity when supernatural events chase her every night. In that respect, this is a book of grief and mental health, but ultimately, it’s also a journey of hope and love.

The fantasy lore is where the book shines the most, and the more I read, the more intrigued I was. This title is dark and gothic and extremely atmospheric, which is sometimes hard to translate into a contemporary setting. However, the deeper you dive into the lore, the more you realize that this book is more than a castle and a sad vampire (which all the girls love, of course). Where most fantasy books dump a lot of information on the reader from the beginning, Castle of the Cursed drops breadcrumbs of lore that you will eagerly devour because like the castle, you’re always hungry for more. Weaved in with the murder mystery and the strange town of Oscuro, everything is executed cleanly. Although I had my theories, that were more or less accurate, Garber kept me guessing until the very end and the whole truth behind the castle was beyond my expectations.

“Romantic, unexpected, and deliciously unsettling, ‘Castle of the Curse’ is a page turner from start to finish. ”

One part that I found particularly interesting was the way Garber incorporated Spanish into the book. Estela was never taught Spanish by her parents, and when she arrives to Spain, she must affront that communication barrier. What’s interesting is that Garber did not translate the Spanish dialogue, and I love that. It puts the non-Spanish speaker reader in Estela’s shoes. Throughout the book, though, Estela starts learning Spanish, which is subtly paired with La Sombra’s past, and the reader embarks in a journey that starts with simple translations from Estela’s part and grows until she has a good grasp of the language.

The romance between Estela and Sebastián is another major plot in this book. At first dark and unnerving, their relationship grows sweet and caring. Theirs is the love story of two broken souls who find comfort in each other. Not a romance in the traditional sense, where you giggle and kick your legs when they kiss, but yes, also that. Despite their circumstances, Estela and Sebastián create a connection that goes beyond attraction. Readers of enemies-to-lovers might enjoy their dynamic, although it doesn’t completely adjust to the trope, instead evolving into a pleasant new direction.

Romantic, unexpected, and deliciously unsettling, Castle of the Curse is a page turner from start to finish. The delicate mental health representation, the dark, eerie secrets behind La Sombra, the soft romance amidst all things vicious—it all blends into the perfect book for those looking for a stimulating read.

Dianna Vega is a Dominican assistant editor, fiction writer, and poet based in Florida. She holds a bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Central Florida. She is a 2024 Periplus Fellow. Her poetry has appeared in Outrageous Fortune and South Dakota Review.

Enter Pantera, a mixed warrior sorceress risking her life to defend the native people of New Spain from the cruelty of the Spanish government. Pantera might be a vigilante, but she’s also Leonora, the sister of the current viceroy. While both roles are equally useful to her cause, being the daughter of a Spaniard father and a Nahual mother, Leonora feels like she doesn’t quite belong in either of her two worlds.

Mariely Lares’ historical fantasy, Sun of Blood and Ruin, is an immersive gender-bender reimagining of Zorro. This brilliant debut is heavily rooted in Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology. The fantasy genre was dominated almost exclusively by Eurocentric folklore until very recently, when speculative fiction inspired by people of color’s stories started to emerge. It is invigorating to read an epic fantasy inspired by Latine folklore and see pieces of you looking back from those pages. Lares brazenly sends the reader to a world where gods clash yet it’s not far from reality. She masterfully entwines the mythology with history, resulting in a story of uprising and empowerment.

I was especially surprised by the incorporation of Spanish and Nahuatl in the story—it flowed naturally and added another layer of complexity to the book. Lares weaved different myths and legends, especially Nahua lore, which influences Leonora’s character arc and her personal convictions. She also hints at complicated themes such as belonging, self-acceptance and community. I adored the dynamic between Leonora and her only friend, Inés. It is a ride for the heart with a bittersweet aftertaste.

In the romance aspect, Lares blessed us with the slowest of love burns. Leonora’s relationship with Andrés/Tezca progresses slowly but steadily. It was lovely to see them grow closer to each other at their own pace, which felt true to the story and to their circumstances. I can’t wait to see their connection deepen in the following book.

Captivating and inventive, Sun of Blood and Ruin is the Latinx epic fantasy we were waiting for. It has it all: beautiful prose, alluring mythology, political unrest and a provocative romance sub-plot.

Lares briefly spoke with Latinx in Publishing about the inspiration behind Sun of Blood and Ruin.

Dianna Vega (DV): Hi Mariely! Thank you for discussing your historical fantasy novel, Sun of Blood and Ruin, with LxP. Where did the spark for this story came from?

Mariely Lares (ML): Thanks for reading! I often refer to this spark as the big bang, because it happened all at once at the same time. It was a confluence of ideas. The main motivation was that I wanted to write a fantasy novel set in Mexico, a setting which is rarely explored in this genre, especially during this time in history. Sun of Blood and Ruin is a lover letter to Mexico and its original inhabitants.

Zorro played a huge role too. He’s such a cool character who embodies adventure, justice, and the fight against oppression, and the narrative captures those themes. My main character Leonora grew into something much more complex as I was writing. She was born out of my love for Zorro but evolved into an exploration of identity, power, and resistance. There’s a lot of dualities in Leonora, and not just because she’s both Spanish and Indigenous, but because she’s also both human and animal, and those are two very different natures. Being Mexican-American myself and growing up in a border town, it was so easy to see myself in her, struggling with the clash of identities, and feeling like you don’t truly belong in one place. Trying to navigate and reconcile two worlds—that’s definitely a feeling I can relate to.

DV: The novel’s backdrop, inspired by Mexican history and Mesoamerican mythology, is particularly exciting. Can you tell us about your research process?

ML: In a nutshell? A mix of pain, suffering, and fascination. It was a journey spanning five hundred years of history just to scratch the surface. Coming into this, I knew the basics—just what is more commonly known in Mexico. But most accounts of Aztec history were written by conquerors, and so finding sources that weren’t heavily biased was an early challenge. A few other culprits: multiple contradicting Nahua creation myths, a sprawling pantheon of gods, conflicting historical narratives, etc.

“Captivating and inventive, Sun of Blood and Ruin is the Latinx epic fantasy we were waiting for. It has it all: beautiful prose, alluring mythology, political unrest and a provocative romance sub-plot. ”

I didn’t just want to rely on the facts, though; I wanted to understand the culture, the beliefs, the daily lives. That was when I started reading Aztec philosophy, how the Nahua people saw the world, even learning a bit of Nahuatl. There’s this movie, “The Arrival”, where Amy Adams portrays a linguistics professor tasked with deciphering the language of newly arrived aliens. It’s a great movie because it really highlights how powerful language can be. When Amy’s character deciphers the aliens’ communication, she unlocks not just words but a different way of thinking—a concept in linguistics that suggests language shapes our thoughts. Learning some Nahuatl opened up a whole new world of understanding for me.

Overall, it’s the closest I’ve gotten to experiencing time traveling.

DV: As a native Spanish speaker, I loved the casual incorporation of Spanish throughout the book. Was this an intentional decision from the outset, or did it kind of happen as you worked in the book?

ML: Most of it was intentional, but sometimes it just flowed better—some things just sound better in Spanish, you know? That said, I actually did scale back on the Spanish a bit. I was a bit worried that non-Spanish speakers might find it too jarring or get pulled out of the story. But even then, I knew I had to incorporate Nahuatl. And for those who don’t speak Spanish or Nahuatl, I hope it sparks curiosity and a desire to learn more about these beautiful languages.

DV: Do you have any advice for Latine writers wanting to weave their folklore into speculative stories but worried about how it'll land with foreign readers?

ML: Great question. We’re so used to seeing Euro-centric stories dominate the market, and it can be really intimidating to put our own stories out there. The fear never goes away. Write anyway. Write for your ancestors. Write for you. Not everyone will connect with our stories, and that’s fine. The right audience, the people who need to hear your voice, will find you.

Mariely Lares is a Mexican-American writer of fiction. Born in the only hospital of a small town in Southern California—which, fun fact, is also Cher’s birthplace—she grew up straddling two worlds, crossing the border almost every day. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, she holds a degree in Computer Science Engineering and lives in San Diego, where she can be found doing all the outdoorsy things, rescuing dogs, and writing her next book.

Book Review: ‘Castle of the Cursed’ by Romina Garber

Review and Author Q&A: 'Sun of Blood and Ruin' by Mariely Lares

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