Bruja Born

Bruja Born by Zoraida Cordova, 2018 Sourcebooks Fire

     After the drama with her sister's powers, Bruja Lula Mortiz is not feeling he powers. In fact, Lula isn't feeling like herself at all. She holds back from her normal life, and even her magic-less boyfriend Maks notices.
     On the way to their last soccer game of the season, Maksim ends their relationship. Lula is devastated and wishes her magic could heal their relationship and bring back his love - not something bruja magic can or should do. The two busses of teen soccer players and cheerleaders are involved in a horrific accident which very few of Lula's classmates survive.
     Lula uses her powers to save Maks despite Death's protests. She convinces her sisters to help. The Mortiz daughters manage to bind Maks to Lula and to heal his wounds, but the spell is unsuccessful and turns Maks into a casimuerto - quasi-dead. Lula and her sisters, Alex and Rose, delve into Bruja lore but the casimuerto isn't well known. The mythology describes a creature like a zombie and when Maks begins to rampage across the city that's what it looks like: the zombie apocalypse.
     Now Lula, Alex, Rose and the rest of their coven are held responsible for the imbalance caused by the girls' spell. Lula must reset the balance because La Muerta is bound from completing her work and the casimuerto infection is spreading across New York City.
     How does one free Death to complete her work? Lula must figure it out or the witch-hunters will solve the problem in a much more permanent way. After the dramatic ordeal involving Alex's magic Lula is afraid to deal with the physical and emotional results of her sister's actions but learns she's the same bruja as before, just with an all-powerful sister at her side.
     This second story of the Brooklyn Brujas follows the eldest Mortiz sister as the girls learn to manage their magic and their lives in the aftermath of tragedy. Lula learns that just because they have the power doesn't mean they should and the consequences nearly destroy her entire world. Bruja Born is aimed at older teen and young adult readers who enjoy their magic with a touch of gruesome reality.

The Noble Servant

The Noble Servant by Melanie Dickerson, 2017 Thomas Nelson Publishing

     Magdalen of Mallin travels with her maid her Agnes's father to meet her intended grom: Duke Steffan of Wolfberg. On the way to Wolfberg Castle, Magdalen is forced to exchange places with her servant. 

     Unbeknownst to Magdalen, Steffan is having his own issues. His scheming uncle and cousin have kicked the rightful Duke out of his home and taken Steffan's place. After being left for dead on his journey home the rightful duke finds a position as a shepherd on his own estate. 

     Magdalen and the shepherd boy, Steffan find a common purpose in figuring out how to expose their usurpers. The one saving grace is that no one has seen Steffan in two years to recognize him and his uncle and cousin don't know to seek him out. 

     When her maid is kidnapped, Magdalen questions whether or not she should enlist aid to save the girl. Her position in the household is humiliating for a lady of her stature, but Agnes's intended is not the duke Magdalen met at the ball and compassion wins out. The double deception spells trouble for Mallin and Wolfberg.  Alongside Steffan, the more-than-he-seems shepherd, Magdalen uncovers the plotters and finds her place in her new home. 

     Dickerson's retelling of the Little Goose Girlfleshes out the fairytale in historical medieval Germany. Readers will enjoy the clean romance between Magdalen and Steffan as they get to know each other without the expectations and limitations of their status and the just desserts of villainous Agnes and Steffan's uncle. The Noble Servant is aimed at teens and young adults.