Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Book Review - Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs by Pam Muñoz Ryan + Giveaway

 

Solimar and her family are getting ready to celebrate her Quinceañera and her official coronation. She decides to visit the oyamel forest and sit among the monarch butterflies. As she witnesses the monarch's annual pilgrimage, she experiences an magical occurrence that causes her to receive a magical gift.  She realizes that she can predict the future and has become the protector of vulnerable butterflies.

As her father and brother leave to go on a journey, a mutiny occurs. A neighboring king decides to invade their castle and take the remaining villagers hostage. Solimar managed to escape the king's grasp but, she will need to warn her father and brother. Will Solimar be able to rescue her family while protecting the butterflies?

I found the book to be beautifully written but, I wish they included an appendix or dictionary. There were a lot of terms that are unique to the Mexican culture that other people might not be familiar with. The book is written for a younger audience but, I did I felt like the book could have been targeted to an older audience. I can see this book turning into a Disney movie and being loved by the audience.

**Disclosure - I received a free unedited copy in exchange for my honest opinion**


 

About The Book:

Title: SOLIMAR: THE SWORD OF THE MONARCHS

Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan

Pub. Date: February 15, 2022

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook

Pages: 272

Find it: GoodreadsAmazon, Kindle, Audible, B&NiBooks, KoboTBD, Bookshop.org

Middle-grade fans of Pam Muñoz Ryan’s Esperanza Rising, will find a new Mexican heroine to love in Solimar and a fresh, magical story!

On the brink of her Quinceañera, and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her.

After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift―and a burden: she can predict the near future! She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage―all except Solimar.

Can this princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?

Written for ages 8 to 12 by the Newbery Honor Medal winner of the highly acclaimed novel Echo.

 

About Pam Muñoz Ryan:

Pam Muñoz Ryan is a New York Times best-selling author and U.S. nominee for the international Hans Christian Andersen Award. She has written over forty books, including Esperanza RisingBecoming Naomi LeónRiding FreedomPaint the WindThe Dreamer, and Echo, a Newbery Honor book and the recipient of the Kirkus Prize. She is the author recipient of the National Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Award, the Virginia Hamilton Literary Award for Multicultural Literature, and is twice the recipient of the Pura Belpré Medal and the Willa Cather Award. Other honors include the PEN USA Award, the Américas Award, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor, and the Orbis Pictus Award. She was born and raised in Bakersfield, California, but now lives near San Diego with her family. Many of her stories reflect her half-Mexican heritage.

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Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of SOLIMAR: THE SWORD OF THE MONARCHS, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

2/1/2022

BookHounds YA

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2/2/2022

#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog

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2/3/2022

Mythical Books

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2/4/2022

Two Chicks on Books

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2/5/2022

YABooksCentral

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Week Two:

2/6/2022

@enjoyingbooksagain

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2/7/2022

Nerdophiles

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2/8/2022

For the Love of KidLit

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2/9/2022

Rajiv's Reviews

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2/10/2022

@emmreadsbooks

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2/11/2022

The Reading Wordsmith

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2/12/2022

TLC Book Nook

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Week Three:

2/13/2022

Lifestyle of Me

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2/14/2022

Books a Plenty Book Reviews

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2/15/2022

Karen Dee's Book Reviews

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2/16/2022

A Court of Coffee and Books

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2/17/2022

onemused

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2/18/2022

Two Points of Interest

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2/19/2022

The Bookwyrm's Den

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Week Four:

2/20/2022

@coffeesipsandreads

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2/21/2022

More Books Please blog

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2/22/2022

The Momma Spot

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2/23/2022

A Backwards Story

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2/24/2022

Kait Plus Books

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2/25/2022

@jypsylynn

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2/26/2022

brittreadsalattebooks

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Week Five:

2/27/2022

History from a Woman’s Perspective

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2/28/2022

@fictionologyst

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