Ever since February, I've been hearing a ton about a very special book called LABYRINTH LOST by author Zoraida Cordova. While fantasy and magic and common themes in YA books, LABYRINTH LOST immediately stood out to me because of its Latina heroine, Alex, a bruja who doesn't want anything to do with her amazing powers. But when she tries to rid herself of them, something goes terribly long and her family disappears. Alex joins forces with a mysterious boy and her best friend to journey to Los Lagos a dangerous in-between world to save her family --- and learn about herself along the way. Since hearing about this book for the first time, I've run into Zoraida at several book events, so I was beyond excited to finally attend her own book launch at Books of Wonder. Read more about the event below!
In my role as editorial coordinator, I read tons of galleys and ARCs (advanced review copies), so it's rare for me to get my hands on a good hardcover. One of the first things I did upon arriving at Books of Wonder was purchase my own finished copy of LABYRINTH LOST --- mainly so I could see the map of Los Lagos, which was not included in the advanced copy. I'm a big fan of extras like maps and family trees, so this change made the book even better. I then ran over to the snack table, as I knew Zoraida would bring something amazing --- and boy, was I right. I loaded up my plate with several empanadas (a fried pastry filled with tasty ingredients, in this case, meat) and settled into a seat right in the front row.
Zoraida (who looked beautiful, by the way!) soon took to the stage with Dhonielle Clayton, author of TINY PRETTY THINGS, who acted as her moderator for the night. Given the supernatural setting of LABYRINTH LOST, the conversation began with worldbuilding. Zoraida explained that Los Lagos translates to "the lakes" in English, and that she wanted the magic of her world to be fluid, so that it would shift as the world evolved and changed. The "lake" metaphor seemd like a natural choice, as it presented a world she hadn't seen in fantasy before.
As an author herself, Dhonielle described her own writing process, explaining that she often makes collages to help work out her ideas. Zoraida revealed that she actually draws things out herself, as she really enjoys painting --- and not because she's an artist, but just because she likes doing it. In a hilarious twist, Zoraida actually dropped out of art class in college because she didn't enjoy the rigid schedules and lack of fluidity.
Delving further into her world building process, Zoraida explained that she recently found a very early draft of LABYRINTH LOST and Los Lagos wasn't even there --- it was all set in Brooklyn. The problem, she explained, was that there's only so much city to work with, so she had to invent her own world. There were, however, always three sisters, because she wanted to write a Latina version of the hit show, "Charmed."
After the audience enjoyed a good laugh and shared some memories of "Charmed," Dhonielle asked Zoraida why witches were so interesting to her. Zoraida explained that witches are (almost always) powerful women. She felt that it was important to encourage her readers to embrace their own powers as women and realize that there is much to lose when you are afraid of what you can accomplish.
Dhonielle then asked Zoraida to expound upon the magic she invented for LABYRINTH LOST --- its ins and outs and rules. Zoraida followed the mantra that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, a magical healer may be able to repair bones and close cuts, but only at the cost of her own life force. Although powers are gifts, there is an element of curse there, too. This balance is something that Zoraida's protagonist, Alex, is constantly dealing with and investigating.
Speaking of powers, Dhonielle asked Zoraida to discuss each of the sisters' powers and why she chose to assign them the way she did. In the case of Alex, Zoraida knew she wanted a sister who didn't want to be a bruja --- in terms of balancing, it only made sense, then, that this sister would be the most powerful of all. The eldest sister, meanwhile, is very nurturing, so she was gifted with healing powers. Similarly, the youngest sister is the quietest, so she received the gift of the veil --- a.k.a., she can talk to dead people. Zoraida joked that this would be more annoying than scary!
Like many YA books, LABYRINTH LOST includes a love triangle. Zoraida was refreshingly open about her love of love triangles and the angst that comes with them. She explained that she's a huge "Jane the Virgin" fan, so the romance of LABYRINTH LOST is similarly passionate and complicated.
Speaking about her other fandoms, Zoraida revealed that she was not a big reader until the age of 13, when she discovered Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' book, IN THE FOREST OF THE NIGHT. Her love of reading began fast, and soon she was writing her own fan fiction --- her favorite author was 13, so Zoraida knew she could do it, too. This is when the night took an amazing turn, as Dhonielle requested that Zoraida read from her book. Rather than reading from LABYRINTH LOST, however, Zoraida brought in her very first short story, a tale of an earthquake hitting New York, teens trying to celebrate the new year and plenty of delicious anguish. I can't say it was a great story, but watching Zoraida attempt to read through it without laughing was something I will never forget. It was so humbling to hear about Zoraida's start as a writer and be able to appreciate how far she's come --- this is why she is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I love how transparent the YA book world is with its fans, and Zoraida is one of its stars.
Zoraida ended the night by giving us a few hints as to what we can expect from the next book in the Brooklyn Brujas series, which will focus on Lula, Alex's older sister. I, for one, cannot wait!
