Gorgeous photo by @paperimaginings!
Hi fairy friends!
Happy Monday and welcome to day 1 of our Adult readalong! We’ll be reading Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares. I’m excited to be reading this one with you, I hope you all love it!
Before we start, how are you all doing? I hope you had a wonderful weekend and got some reading and relaxing done.
Since today is day 1, we’ll be reading from the beginning to the end of chapter 9. Get comfy and let’s get started!
When you’ve finished today’s section, catch up with me in the comments down below so we can discuss the beginning of the book. Happy reading!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Sun of Blood and Ruin by Mariely Lares from the beginning to chapter 9. Please only read on if you have finished this section!
–!SPOILERS!-
We’re starting out interesting! Pantera is trying to make Señor Alonso leave… it’s not entirely clear why so far though. Either way, he won’t go.
Pantera is cool though. I’m cackling at her pretending to crush the commander in chief between her fingers! They seem to think Señor Alonso is a witch. I always find the hysteria of witch hunts horrific but interesting.
Who they really want, is Pantera. She seems like quite the tyrant doesn’t she? I love that! I love a hidden identity too. If she wasn’t wearing a mask the Captain would know who she is. Risky game to play though!
Before Pantera can do a thing Señor Alonso is murdered before her eyes. That’s horrible.
I’m not entirely sure how this tonalli magic works yet but I DO know I think I could do with some of my own.
She’s been hit. That’s not so good. In between the drama we catch glimpses of her training. She gets herself to safety… kiiiinda, and due to the myths surrounding her hiding place (they’re haunted apparently) her chasers won’t go in to find her. Pantera seems safe for now but she’s weak, she needs the sun god to give her strength.
Señor Alonso was the one to help her when she returned to the capital. No wonder she wanted to save him so badly.
She hobbles back to her ship and Inés, her handmaiden makes quick work of telling her off for her recklessness. Do we think she could reaaaally lose her leg or is Inés being dramatic to make a point?
Turns out her father, before his demise, was attempting to counter the harm his people wrought. Is that what Leonara’s goal with Pantera is? She lost her dad to the plague and all these years later, she’s still playing hide and seek like she did with him.
I like Leonara even though we don’t know much about her yet. Between the hidden identity, pretending to squish the commander and calling her husband to be His Hideous Highness she seems like a really good character!
Carlota, on the other hand, is giving MAJOR cruel step mother vibes. Leonara’s entering an arranged marriage and her husband to be is a Prince but honestly he’s nothing special. Quite charming when he speaks to her though! They’ve been very quick to announce the wedding, which makes me a little sus? Leonara’s little brother Jerónimo has my stamp of approval though, he can’t be coached into a response and seems to realise the importance of Leonara’s choice. I love that!
I don’t think I trust Prince Felipe. His smile is giving ‘I know something’ and he’s refused her dowry? Something is up.
Felipe wants a love match… Leonara can tell when he’s lying. Interesting. It’s almost like she’s trying to put him off by telling him about the curse. Can’t blame her!
Out of nowhere Leonara senses a male, powerful and commanding tonalli nearby. She says his tonalli is EXQUISITE! He’s easy on the eyes. What a difference in how she perceives him compared to the Prince!
Oh, maybe not anymore… he’s a pirate and steals the medallion her father left her. He thinks it’s a mirror and seems concerned as to whether Leonara ever looked into it? What’s that about?
Suddenly an explosion of sorts rocks the ships and Leonara was found on a beach in Acapulco. I’d be grossed out by leeches feasting on my leg too I don’t think she’s being too unreasonable. She nearly died and they think La Justicia is responsible for it.
Inés is right. She needs rest. Pantera’s gonna have to stay in for a little while.
Bombshell. As well as her curse, a priest foretold that she would die young in battle. Leonara believes it, she knows she’s not long for this world.
Leonara is finally up and about again and TYPICALLY, an earthquake hits. Is the prophecy starting to come true?
Either way, it’s time for Felipe and Leonara to meet again. There just doesn’t seem to be much chemistry here? Oop. It’s cut short by the mysterious tonalli again. Do we think there’s a reason he appears when she’s with Felipe or just coincidence?
He’s a Lieutenant, not a pirate. Okkkk…
She seems drawn to him. He asks of Pantera and she plays coy about how scared she is that the witch is still out there. I wonder if anyone will put two and two together that she disappeared the same time Leonara struck injured? He seems to like women with bite and he’s quite brutal himself, insinuating Leonara’s more boring this time. He’s not a pirate after all, but Leonara does think him to be a problem!
She’s trying to tell the council of the prophecy to warn them after the earthquake but no one is taking her seriously. They’re treating her like a silly child and it’s so frustrating! I bet they’d listen to Pantera. 👀
We end todays section with Leonara recalling that her father “was the sun, always bringing the people hope.” Maybe the people need that again, I wonder if Leonara will deliver…
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
I hope you’re enjoying Sun of Blood and Ruin so far! I can’t wait to read all of your thoughts and I’ll catch up with you tomorrow for day two!
Love,
Shannon
Hii🥰
So I already know I am going to be fangirling over this book by the time this readalong is over.
I think I would remain dubious of the curse and just wait it out?😅
I definitely anticipate Andrès to be back.
I do not like Carlota and the Prince! They are sus, both of them.🙄
I am hoping the prince isn’t the real prince!
(First off, can I just say how stunning this book is? The prettiest of 2023 so far for sure!)
I think whether I believed I was cursed would depend on who was telling me I was cursed. Neither Leonora’s stepmother, who she hates, not her father, who she loved, seem to have believed in the curse.
I think we’ll absolutely see more of Andrés. He’s got “love interest” written all over him, from his strong tonalli, his good looks, and how he verbally spars with Leonora.
And I’m enjoying the book so far! I love the premise of a gender-swapped Zorro retelling, and you add in magic and an own-voices author?? What’s not to love!
I don’t trust the prince for sure, or any of the other obvious people (the stepmom and captain). I do trust Inès and Andrés, though — despite his irreverent manner, he clearly cares about Leonora’s wellbeing after saving her from the exploded ship.
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means you’re cursed, would you believe it?
– No – I think if you believe you are cursed then you would blame every bad little thing that happened on the curse when all it comes down to is chance / luck.
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
Oh definitely- sending he is going to be the love interest. I’m also curious about the medallion.
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
Enjoying it so far – I like lady Lenora and her maid only so far. Definitely do not trust the stepmother and the prince seems too eager to marry especially declining the dowry.
Hi!
Too early to say, but I am deff sus of everyone bar Ines at the moment. I like how she puts Leonora in her place 😂
(I would also fling a leech across the room if it was on my leg)
Excited to see what happens next!
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
I guess it would depend on the environment. Being told I was cursed my whole life would definitely impact me significantly. But, I’m not sure if I would believe it to be true.
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
We’ll definitely see more of Andrés. He’s probably going to be a love interest of sorts.
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? The book is okay. It’s a slow start, and there’s a lot going on. I’m getting a little lost here and there. But I’m all for a Zorro retelling. I definitely don’t like Carlotta. And the prince is definitely hiding something. He’ll probably turn out to be a “this is for your own good” type of person and will try to protect Leonora.
Sooo… this book is so far very interesting. Also it looks stunning!
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
It really depends what other things you know or have learned. If this is something that everybody has always told you and you known of nothing else then I’d say it is very easy to believe it, especially if you have no knowledge to contradict it. So probably yes, I would believe it. But I’d try to find other sources to try to contradict it still. Nobody really wants to believe they are cursed and will die young, right?
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
For sure, he seems like he will become an important character in the book. Possibly even a love interest for Leonara?
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t?
The book is intriguing to say the least. It is definitely different and something like I’ve never read before so I am interested where the story takes us. I don’t trust Andrés at all right now, but I think he will become Leonara’s ally soon.
I don’t trust the prince at all, he is very sketchy and has some kind of an agenda for sure…
I’m running behind since I didn’t have my copy yesterday, so I might be consistently stuck back a day but regardless I am loving it! This might be one of my favourite fairyloot books in a while. I was a bit worried for a second there that it was going for a coloniser romance angle with the Prince, but now Andre’s is on the scene in all his swashbuckling glory I am confident we will be spared 😌
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
Probably! It would really get to you, right?
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
I hope so. He’s a ton of fun!
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
I think most the people who are jerks are pretty on the nose about it, but I am intrigued by the Prince. Which is to say… I don’t trust him an inch, but I’m really excited to see the reveal about what he’s hiding!
I’m enjoying this but it’s a bit all over the place for me. Maybe because I’m not very familiar with the setting and the history.
I might believe I was cursed, I think it would depend… It’s hard to go against something you’ve been told forever.
I am not big on trusting anyone just yet…
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
I guess I’d try and live my life as if I weren’t, but it would definitely always be in the back of my mind.
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
Definitely.
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
I like it so far. I’m really interested in seeing how the prince and the marriage plot line plays out, plus I gotta find out what that medallion does. Will she be able to recover it from the sea?
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
I’m not sure! I’m not overly superstitious, but I’m also not religious, nor do I have any sort of cultural background or ancestry, so perhaps I’d feel differently if I was in Leonora’s position!
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
Yes! I can smell a love triangle! Or a forbidden romance! (I’m not sure if the prince counts as a love interest if it’s an arranged marriage?)
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t?
Love the book so far! I thought I’d struggle to get to grips with all the terminology and names, and it can be confusing at times, but it’s pretty straightforward in terms of plot! I love Ines! I don’t trust Leonora’s stepmother and the captain, I’m unsure about her brother, the prince and the pirate right now though.
I did struggle a bit of getting into the flow. Just the mix of languages is at times hard to follow. However I feel I finally get used to it towards the end of day one(even though I am totally behind again as everyone else seems to be day 3 already).
I hope Andres will become a main player. He has all the cheek and smirk I want from this book.
I don’t trust that princeling at all…. he has an agenda and I can’t wait to get confirmation of that and find out his dark secrets!!!…. so I better hurry on to day 2 and catchup with you all
1. If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
I think so, if I’ve been told my whole life I probably wouldn’t know any better and thus believe it.
2. Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
Oh, we most definitely will!! Or at least I hope so hahahah, he seems like a really interesting character!
3. How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
I’m really enjoying it! I’m also a massive Zorro fan since I was little (always watched that with my dad haha) so I love the whole idea of Pantera and add magic with that!! I want to keep on reading and find out more haha. The many names can be a bit confusing though, since I’ve never heard of them before and there are many in the book.
I don’t trust her “stepmother”, she seems like a woman who’ll only act so it’ll benefit her. But she is obviously not to trust in my eyes. I’m also not trusting prince Philipe’s motives for wanting to marry Leonora.
If you’d been told all your life that the time you were born means your cursed, would you believe it?
I think it would certainly be a reputation to either live up to or beat. I would choose to not believe it.
Do you think we’ll see more of Andrés?
I am thinking we will see more of them. They seem to be mysterious and like a good foil.
How are you finding the book so far? Anyone you really trust… anyone you don’t? 👀
I am looking forward to discovering more of the magic. Not yet feeling much for either character but that may change.