Recent Reads: The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova

The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova 

Publisher: Atria Books
Publication Date:  September 7, 2021

 

Format: Hardback
Source: Book of the Month - August 2021

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

The Montoyas are used to a life without explanations. They know better than to ask why the pantry never seems to run low or empty, or why their matriarch won’t ever leave their home in Four Rivers—even for graduations, weddings, or baptisms. But when Orquídea Divina invites them to her funeral and to collect their inheritance, they hope to learn the secrets that she has held onto so tightly their whole lives. Instead, Orquídea is transformed, leaving them with more questions than answers.

Seven years later, her gifts have manifested in different ways for Marimar, Rey, and Tatinelly’s daughter, Rhiannon, granting them unexpected blessings. But soon, a hidden figure begins to tear through their family tree, picking them off one by one as it seeks to destroy Orquídea’s line. Determined to save what’s left of their family and uncover the truth behind their inheritance, the four descendants travel to Ecuador—to the place where Orquídea buried her secrets and broken promises and never looked back. 

Review: 

The internet has been blowing up over this book for a few months now, and so I chose it as my BOTM pick in August and finally picked it up in December. The premise was a very interesting one - grandmother summons her kin to collect inheritance upon her...pending death. 

The book is told in alternative point of view as well as chapters that jump back and forth in time. We hear Orquidea's story as it is happening and as her family is piecing together the mystery of her life with their new magical inheritances. I enjoyed this read, but it was a little slow going. 

I found myself flying through the past-focus chapters and not really in tune with the modern day ones. I wanted more of Orquidea's story, I wanted more details about her life, the magic, her struggles and successes and so this book gets 4-stars for her. Her character was so interesting and her story was so fantastical. Her family was interesting and the magic that she passed on to them was cool but I felt like I didn't need that part of the story to understand it -- and I really didn't need multiple POVs in the modern timeline.

I understand why this book had so much hype - it was imaginative and the story was captivating. I would love to read more in this world and about the magic.