This magical realist novel was phenomenal. After taking a class on magical realism a few semesters back, I was delighted to pick up another story within the mode. Since I still have a close working relationship with that professor, I'm certainly going to recommend he read this one; he likes to cap off the class by studying a newly published magical realist book, and The Jaguar Mask feels like one very deserving of study, should he teach the class again in an upcoming semester.

The worldbuilding was lovely on all levels, from the unflinching portrayal of Guatemala City to the charming depiction of Felipe and Christina's supernatural identities. The world felt lived in, and the speculative elements slotted in nicely as a way to make the story feel even more grounded despite its magic.

The prose was also captivating. DeLuca's vocabulary is immaculate, and the way he captures action and emotion and immersive and beautiful. His grasp of the culture and attitudes of those in the story is very evident on the page, and I will certainly be looking to read more of his writing in the future!

If I were to bring in any piece of criticism, it would be that I felt Christina's storyline dragged a bit in the middle of the book. I suspect that my feelings here are more a matter of connecting more personally with Felipe's character and other readers' mileage may vary--so I wouldn't dock the story too harshly over it. Overall, I still deeply enjoyed this read.

I offer massive thanks to Stelliform Press for gifting me a free ebook (an Advanced Reader Copy) in exchange for this honest review!