As a sequel, it holds well. It's better written than the first book which was a debut. And the story flows naturally throughout the book.

I learned something from this book. I saw the effect of ignorance. I've seen it before don't get me wrong. It was clearly showed in the royal guests and their ways. I loved how it was added into the story as small things from a chosen word to a small behaviour and how it was obvious that it was ignorance. Later on, you get a better feel for why but in the beginning, it was very well done as something subtle - if you know, you will see it.

I love the magic in this series. there are two types of magic in this world; one desk magic and two personal magic. The desk magic is something anyone can learn as long as they have access to teachers and libraries etc. Personal magic not everyone has but it's something personal to the person and the magic tends to lay in your shadow. It is very individual and depends on what you needed as a child and as you grow up. E.g. the main character Finn can copy other people faces and bodies. It's really cool and I loved it.

It was better than the first book and fairly well written. There were some repetitions in the text which I felt were unnecessary but maybe it's because it's YA. I don't know.

Enjoyable read and I liked this more than the first book.

I will watch out for the third book in the series next year.

Nocturna was one of my favorite reads from last year. Naturally, I went into Oculta with a little apprehension in my heart - how will this second book measure up to the incredible first one?
Well, after a few pages, I promptly forgot about all that: I could think of nothing but San Cristobal and Alfie, Finn, Luka, and the new characters we're introduced to in this book ! Oculta felt like coming home - a reunion with everything I loved about Nocturna: mesmerizing world building, a gripping plot, character arcs that keep getting better… And Maya Motayne added new elements to develop the book's take on colonization & oppression, a touching and honest dive into the characters' struggles with grief, trauma and regret.
This will definitely be on my 2021 favorite list as well — I can't wait to read the third book :)

Thank you Hodder&Stoughton and Net Galley for providing me with an e-ARC of Oculta in exchange for an honest review !

I finished this book in one day! As with the previous book in the series I loved the LatinX world, I loved the vibrancy of the descriptions, I loved the characters, the plotline and the magic system. I was not disappointed at all, the plot only got better with this latest installment.
Despite Finn and Alfie having been apart for a few months they are still thinking about each other and soon enough they are drawn back together. They need to work out who Los Toros are and how they were involved in the disappearance of Alfie's older brother, the crown Prince Dezmin. But the mysterious group are hard to find and even harder to get information from. Not only are they responsible for murders around the city, they are using magic that Alfie & Finn have never seen before and it's threatening to derail the peace talks between Castallan & Englass. Peace talks which Alfie hopes could result in the ending of Englass' caste system giving freedom and magic to the people of Englass.
The depth of plot and foreshadowing is much greater in this sequel and you can see where Maya Motayne set up details in the previous book too. Coverage of race, slavery and colonisation issues are so well written and they become integral to the story and the actions of all the characters. The history of Castellan has made it the country that it is. In my review of the Nocturna I had a couple of queries regarding what we know of the different types of magic, and I would say that that slight confusion remains. We find out about magic types when characters use it, which fits with what we know about propio to a certain extent, however there are times when the the other types of magic seem to be surprising to the main characters or forgotten about completely. I also thought there were a couple of examples where the book perpetuates some prejudices against redhead people, although this could be seen as a demonstration that those who have been oppressed are still susceptible to bias against other groups, particularly where that other group participated in the oppression.
Definitely will be one of the best YA fantasy books of the year. This is perfect for people who like Shadow & Bone, Throne of Glass and Children of Blood & Bone.

*4.5 Stars*

Oculta is the sequel to Nocturna which I read when it first came out.
We meet Alfie, Finn and Luka again as Finn is far away on her own journey, Alfie is feeling every kind of guilty and can't face what he did while Luka hates himself for surviving and puts himself in danger day after day.
So all is not well as we found the gang again and things keep getting worse as a new gang emerges and threatens the entire country's security...

Oculta is a great sequel. I got to remember the first book as I read this one and that was great. I fell a little more in love with these three characters the more the book went on and I legit saw none of the twists coming.
It's just such an intricate magic system and world. I love everything about it. I love the city too and how it's separated in two, with the castle on one side and the "real" world on the other. I also love how the author added her culture to the world and makes such a compelling and interesting and layered atmosphere. Also loved the criticism of colonialism.
Love the relationships between the characters too, whether it's the romantic ones or the friendships. I'm just really looking forward to the next book.

“A THIEF MADE A LORD. A PRINCE MADE A VILLAIN. A DEADLY GAME FOR POWER.”

Maya Motayne’s breathtakingly exhilarating sequel to Nocturna is positively magnificent. I fell in love with the multifaceted characters, uniquely original magic system and the irresistibly detailed setting of San Christobal.This Latinx YA Fantasy is Sure to be a must read of 2021!

After saving Castallan from an ancient evil,Alfie and Finn haven’t spoken in months.Prince Alfie, as future King is preparing to host an international peace summit-with the kingdom that enslaved his people. But a mysterious group responsible for his brother’s death are back- and have targeted the summit.

Finn spends her days travelling and revelling in her new found freedom,until she’s forced into leading one of San Cristobal’s crime families and made a thief Lord.

Finn and Alfie’s paths are entwined once more as their shared enemy seeks to destabilise the kingdom and plunge them into a devastating war.

A truly inspiring tale of love,loss,identity and the effects of systemic oppression. I find the pacing here flows much better than Nocturna which made the action all the more enjoyable.The plot was also more complex and I felt Motayne excelled in giving Alfie, Luka and Finn an emotional depth which I found made their motives very relatable.This was especially true with Finn and the PTSD she experiences from her childhood trauma. The chemistry between Alfie and Finn was incredibly written too and I liked how their friendship/ relationship developed rather organically.

I simply cannot believe how incredible the ending is and I NEED to know what happens next. If you enjoy YA Fantasy, books with unique magic systems and strong (diverse) characters then you should definitely check out this out (this is the second book in the A Forgery Of Magic series so definitely check out Nocturna too)

And also, I just wanted to say thank you to Hodder&Stoughton and Net Galley for the Digital ARC.