In Cazadora, Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be illegal in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.

Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.

Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore…

Following the events of Lobizona, Manu and her friends cross the mystical border into Kerana—a cursed realm in Argentina—searching for allies and a hiding place. As they chase down leads about the Coven—a mythical resistance manada that might not even exist—the Cazadores chase down leads about Manu, setting up traps to capture and arrest her.

Just as it seems the Cazadores have Manu and her friends cornered, the Coven answers their call for help. As Manu catches her breath among these non-conforming Septimus, she discovers they need a revolution as much as she does.

But is she the right one to lead them? After all, hybrids aren’t just outlawed. They’re feared and reviled. What happens when the Coven learns of Manu’s dual heritage? Will they still protect her? Or will they betray her?

And after running this far, for this long—how much farther can Manu go before her feet get tired, and she stops to take a stand?

The first book in this series, Lobizona, completely enchanted me with its Argentenian folklore and creative world-building. I was thrilled to receive an ARC of Cazadora.

In this world, males are lobizones (werewolves), females are brujas (witches), and that’s the way it’s always been. Until Manu. She’s a hybrid – her father is a lobizone and her mother a human. Mating with humans is outlawed, so Manu was hidden in the human world her whole life until discovering what she truly is. She’s the only one of her kind – a female werewolf, a lobizona. Her whole existence is outlawed and feared because the Septimus believe if one of their kind reproduces with a human, the child will carry a curse that will wipe out all life on the planet. Manu and her friends are on the run from the Cazadores (hunters) while searching for allies.

This book is set in the Septimus world, and what a vibrant, magical place it is with mushrooms used as a kind of internet, parasite bracelets that form a symbiotic attachment with its host, and tantalizing food that had me drooling. Manu is still learning about this world that’s new to her while also grappling with questions of identity and fearing that what people say about her is true. She’s trying to find her place and her pack, but faces strong racial, gender, and political prejudices. The author shines a bright light on so many important issues prevalent in our society today, and that’s one of the things I like most about this series.

With beautiful friendships and relationships, strong characterization, and thought-provoking questions along with plenty of action (werewolf soccer is totally cool), this is a series I can’t wait to continue. The cliffhanger ending hints at what’s to come, and I’m all in.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.  Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.