The Encanto's Daughter
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Average rating4
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.
Series
Featured Series
2 primary books#1 in The Encanto's Daughter
The Encanto's Daughter is a 2-book series with 2 released primary works first released in 2024 with contributions by Melissa De La Cruz.
Reviews
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This was, very unfortunately, a DNF for me. This may be a book I come back to in the future but, as of right now, it just really wasn't holding my attention. I didn't feel any sort of investment in the storyline or the characters and found myself only picking up the book to read 5-10 pages and then stopping. It wasn't catching my interest at all.
I've enjoyed other books by the author so it may be a wrong timing situation and I'm just not in the mood for it. I can't really pick out anything that I genuinely found wrong with the book at all. It was just a case of my attention isn't being held at all.
I really enjoyed this book! I loved how it highlighted Filipino culture—from the food to the superstitions and especially the mythological creatures we grew up hearing about. And the setting, Biringan, was perfect! It's a legendary place in the Philippines where another world is said to exist, and the way it was described made it feel so real.
The worldbuilding pulled me right in, and the plot twists were timed just right, keeping me hooked.
My only issue was with MJ's character. At 18, she's about to become queen, but her dialogue felt more like that of a 14-year-old at times. She seemed a bit immature, and it felt like Lucas was doing a lot of the saving. However, I did see some good character development, so I'm hopeful for more growth in the next book.
And that cliffhanger... UGH! Why must we wait until March?!
