Salvación

This tells of the female coming Zorro based in northern Mexico after the Treaty of Guadelupe Hidalgo when the area where the heroine lives is taken over by a renegade army of thugs. She along with her brother and parents feel they must help fight off the threat. She develops a relationship with a young man who is with the invaders. Things are complicated by two mysterious substances - a black salt that heals and a red salt that kills people. Young adults will enjoy this novel.

So this wasn't the book I was expecting. When I heard that it took some inspiration from the legend of Zoro I thought there would be more physical action, but it ended up being a lot of inner monologue instead. Lola's struggle is more internal and philosophical than physically combative; more focus on what is morally right vs wrong. And I appreciated that even if it made the book's plot feel slower at times.Instead of a fast, action packed story, Lola's story is more a coming of age story as she finds herself in a war-time scenario that challenges everything she has ever known. She's losing her naivety about the world as she comes face to face with true evil in the world. I also appreciated how she is at that time in her life when you start to see that your parents aren't perfect and you start to understand their reasoning for imposing limitations in your life. It grounded the story for sure.The romance was sweet, perhaps a little under developed, but it worked for the purpose of the story. And the magical elements are a good metaphor for the exploitation of the land and the power that comes for controlling it. You can draw a lot of parallels to the various conflicts throughout the world right now.I think if you are looking for a human story set in a world of magic and metaphors, this is a great book for you. But if you want more action and a more developed romance, look elsewhere.**I received an ARC/review copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.**

Salvacion by Sandra Proudman takes a whole new spin on the tale of Zorro by casting a young Mexican teenage girl and her older brother trying to protect their small town in historical California, right after Mexico loses California to the United States.Can Lola stop Hernandez from getting some more sal roja?Lola de La PenaLola de la Pena and her family came to Coloma, a town her grandfather had bought, to obtain sal negra and discover why her mother was drawn to it. She tries to do what her parents tell her to do, but like any teenager, that honestly doesn’t always happen. Lola acts like what they want her to be like during the day, but by night, she is Coloma’s angel by the name of Salvacion to protect the townsfolk from those who want to take what the others have. She is a great character, and I loved how protective Lola is of her family, her town, and of justice.Sal Negra and Sal RojaIn this fantasy time setting that takes place in a historical moment, there are two kinds of salt in the forefront. Sal Negra is a black salt that heals people, and the duration of the healing process depends on the severity of the ailment, the length of time it takes, and the dosage required. Lola’s family has figured out that if you mix the sal negra with some water, it helps even more. The other kind of salt is sal roja. Sal Roja is a red salt that kills people. The sal roja to activate needs only a single grain, and then it's all over, even if you have some sal negra with you, since it takes a lot of sal negra to attack and stop the sal roja.The magic system that Ms. Proudman introduces with this type of magic is so interesting. I loved every minute of it since it’s different, and it's awesome how it all works.Five StarsMy rating for Salvacion by Sandra Proudman is five stars. I recommend it to anyone who wants a different take on the Zorro tale with a fantasy twist. Ms. Proudman had me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen next throughout the whole book. I loved every minute of being in this book. Ms. Proudman took me out of Texas and back to California just in the past. It was honestly a thrill to picture how different California was back then.I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Salvacion by Sandra Proudman.Until the next time,Karen the Baroness

Lola must fight against those who are trying to steal from her community. Is everything as it seems, or will she discover new secrets? I loved how sure of herself Lola became as the story progressed, and even though many didn't believe in her, she never gave up and fought against evil. Not only is there a lot of history, but there were also two different salts that served two distinct purposes, which was quite interesting.

Set in Coloma a town in California and narrated by Lola de la Pena, Proudman’s fantasy is more about magic salt than sword play.Johnston McCully’s original 1920 Zorro was known as a swordsman.