Dawn of Fate and Fire

Returning to 16th-century Mexico, Lares’s stunning conclusion to the duology that began with Sun of Blood and Ruin delivers all the complex historical and political drama fans expect. It picks up shortly after the first book left off: shape-shifter Leonora has been living in hiding in her panther form, called Pantera, for some time. However, duty to her people, who are dying from the pox brought by the Spaniards, forces her return to the capital and to the fight for justice. After so long as Pantera, however, her tonalli, the “vital force” that enables her to shape-shift, is severely depleted, rendering her powers much reduced. This makes the danger more intense than ever before. In immersive prose, Lares conjures a Mexico caught up in conflict between the greed of invading Europeans and Indigenous resistance, where gods are omnipresent, and where a return of the land to its native people seems, however difficult, almost within reach. Lares expertly reveals the inner workings of her lead characters and integrates the fantasy elements seamlessly into the political plot. This stuns. (Aug.)