Back of Book: 

A young woman claims the throne of a realm inspired by Filipino mythology in this YA romantic fantasy, the first in an enchanting new duet by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz.

MJ Rodriguez has spent her life hiding in the human world, keeping a heavy secret. She’s half-encanto. As the only child of King Vivencio of the Sirena Court, she’s also next in line for the throne. And now, upon her estranged father’s sudden death, MJ must claim her place as rightful heir.

In wondrous Biringan, the road to the throne is paved with thorns. Without a reigning monarch, the realm has spiraled into disarray. MJ has to win over a backstabbing council that objects to a half-human ruler. And when it looks like her father’s passing wasn’t natural but possibly inflicted by a curse, she must hunt down the sorceress behind this merciless magic.

In a bind, MJ forges an unlikely alliance with the striking Sir Lucas of the feared Sigbin Court, and soon, she loses her heart to the mysterious knight. But with peril looming over Biringan, the princess must decide if she can both open herself to love and carry the weight of the crown.

Book Number: One 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

A stunning beginning to "The Encanto's Daughter" duology that features a fantastical world inspired by Filipino mythology. 

I absolutely adore "The Encanto's Daughter." In many ways, it reminds me of "The Scarlet Alchemist" by Kylie Lee Baker, which is one of my favorite books. The story follows MJ Rodriguez who has lived the first seventeen years of her life as a "normal" girl despite the fact that she is half-encanto. Her father, King Vivencio of Biringan, had her hidden away as a young girl to protect her from the dangers present to a half-human princess in a magical world. But when he dies under mysterious circumstances, it is up to MJ to take the throne. Upon her arrival she begins to uncover strange events leading up to her father's death. It is up to MJ and her two best friends to find out what is going on before it is too late to save the kingdom. 

De la Cruz really enraptured me with this one from the very first page. I was interested to learn about the mythical creatures and the magic system featured in her world. I love the parallel fairy realms that exist in tandem. It was fun to see MJ come into her role as princess due to the fact that she is often treated like an outsider. It made it easy to follow because we are learning things as MJ learns things, which also makes her more relatable as a protagonist. 

I ate up the romance in this one. From the first moment I encountered Lucas, I loved his character. Yes, he does have to deal with the jerk, Amador, but it's not his fault that they are both part of the Sigbin Court. The initial events that sparked their romance was so comical, yet super hot, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. I could see some people thinking that their relationship came on rather quickly, but I dig it. 

The intrigue and mystery in this one is spot on. The tense court affairs and political turmoil mixed in with secret assassins and creeping deadlines makes "The Encanto's Daughter" a perfectly suspenseful read. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough; I always wanted to know what happened next! The mystery elements were successfully resolved and I found the ending satisfying. 

Speaking of the ending, it has me shaking! I honestly felt that this was coming after Amador's cryptic message, but it has me so frustrated and distraught! This ending was such a good cliffhanger and now I'm dying to read the next one (which is rough, because this book doesn't even come out for months!). I love when an author can mess with your heartstrings like this, but still. 

Overall, I found "The Encanto's Daughter" to be a wonderful book that pulled me right out of my reading slump. I love the world, the characters, the complex politics, the magic system. . . everything! This was my first book by de la Cruz, but I will most definitely be checking out more of her stuff as a wait for the sequel for this one. I'd totally recommend this one to those who love high fantasy with a heavy romance subplot. I'd double recommend this one if you are in love with Asian fantasy like me! 

Back of Book: 

A curse has befallen Biringan. Stalking the night sky and sinking sharp teeth in its prey, a vampire-like creature—a manananggal—is terrorizing the kingdom. Now MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must fulfill her duties as the newly crowned queen and restore peace. Except... when MJ wakes up in tattered clothes stained with blood, she quickly realizes the monster lives within her.

To prevent more destruction, MJ flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, all while keeping her curse secret. By her side is Lucas, the talented knight who broke her heart by giving his own to another. And there’s Prince Qian, the devilishly handsome monster hunter from the Jade Empire who's visiting on a diplomatic mission.

In the mountains, MJ is charmed by Qian's valiant spirit. Could he be the one to finally mend her broken heart, which still beats for Lucas? But as the manananggal fills MJ with bloodthirst, she must set love aside and break the curse before it consumes her forever.

When a neighboring kingdom threatens to wage war on Biringan, can the young queen regain control of herself before she loses control of the crown?

Book Number: Two (Last Book)

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance 

Review: Releases March 4th, 2025!