I’m honestly not a fan of Daughter of Fire. It was alright, but only alright. I did not connect with Catalina at all, which is just not great for the main POV character. I think part of the reason for this is the lack of inner monologue. Catalina just doesn’t have one for most of the book and when she does, it’s centered on her feelings for Juan… which I personally didn’t care about. The whole thing reads like a someone is telling a story they aren’t emotionally invested in.
I did enjoy the parts where the Popol Vuh was being rewritten. Those bits were much more vibrant and full of feeling than the rest of the book. It’s always fun for me to get a look into the mythologies of other cultures, especially those that have been and continue to be overlooked by western society.
I think that’s something that also bugged me, to be honest. Catalina just didn’t feel like she was struggling at all being half Maya and half Spanish. Yes, the stuff surround the Popol Vuh had to be done in secret and she was very sheltered otherwise, but… I just feel like she didn’t have any thoughts about this dichotomy within herself. Just suppression of what happened to her mother and a need to not be seen favoring Juan in public. That’s it.
There’s also a distinct lack of place descriptions. The most described places are a tunnel and a cave, I’m pretty sure. I don’t feel like I could accurately describe 1500s Guatemala or any particular place Catalina went, based on the lack of description here. Even Catalina’s clothes are a mystery. I just didn’t feel immersed in Catalina’s world at all.
Daughter of Fire just didn’t tick enough of my boxes. I’m pretty sure I skimmed the last couple chapters trying to get it done.
Favorite Line
"People are always arguing about which stories are true and which are not. It’s a pointless argument, for all contain a speck of truth about our world and ourselves." - Catalina's Mother
In Other News
I finished the first project of my Mystique Color Series on Ovipets. Took me about 8 months.
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