Beasts of Carnaval - by Rosália Rodrigo (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises. Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave--the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless. Sofia, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago. There's a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia's ancestral lands and her people's labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances--whispers of the island's native tongue, music and stories from her Taike'ri ancestors...a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light. As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island..."--

Book Synopsis

"From the lush setting to the evocative prose to the can't-look-away characters, this is one of my most anticipated novels of the year." --NPR

"Come for the fantasy; stay for the vengeance, and enjoy the beauty of both." --Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone

For fans of The Night Circus, this sweeping historical fantasy set in a lush, Puerto Rico-inspired world, uses magical realism to combine Caribbean carnaval culture and the mythology of the Taíno--the Indigenous people of the region--in a gripping exploration of community, reclamation, and healing in defiance of a violent past.

When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises.

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave--the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago.

There's a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia's ancestral lands and her people's labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances--whispers of the island's native tongue, music and stories from her Taike'ri ancestors...a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island...

What you can expect in BEASTS OF CARNVAL:

• Indigenous Taíno Mythology
• Themes of Decolonization + Reclamation
• Atmospheric Island Setting
• Carnival Culture & Vejigantes
• Caribbean + Latine Adult Fantasy
• Historical Fantasy with Magical Realism
• The Revelry Never Ends

Review Quotes

"Rodrigo's distinctive debut is an atmospheric historical fantasy with a strong heroine in a transporting Caribbean setting." --Library Journal, starred review

"From the lush setting to the evocative prose to the can't-look-away characters, this is one of my most anticipated novels of the year." --NPR

"Rodrigo creates a lush and vibrant setting that is easy to get sucked into." --Publishers Weekly

"This luscious, ferocious debut is a war cry, a eulogy, and a song of hope, all bound up in the feathers and light of an island paradise that is not what it seems. Come for the fantasy; stay for the vengeance, and enjoy the beauty of both." --Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone

"With expert lyricism, intricately-woven mythologies, and heart-pounding twists, Rodrigo has written a captivating tale of freedom and reclamation. An absolutely mesmerizing debut." -- O.O. Sangoyomi, author of Masquerade.

"Utterly dazzling, Beasts of Carnaval's mysterious island of midnight wonders and luxurious spectacle will sweep you away. Yet not all is as it seems on this isle, and beneath the glamour lies a transfixing story of heartbreak, hope, and a hard reckoning with the ghosts of its colonial past--and present." --Georgia Summers, author of The City of Stardust

"Rodrigo steeps enchanting prose in cultural and historical detail to brew this intoxicating debut." -- Ivelisse Housman, author of Unseelie

"Beasts of Carnaval is, quite simply, a marvel. Rodrigo's skillful storytelling unmasks the rot behind the seductive gilt façade of empire while simultaneously rendering resilient, multifaceted characters with such nuance and compassion that I was left aglow with hope." --Shveta Thakrar, author of the Andre Norton Nebula Award finalist Star Daughter

"Rodrigo crafts a stunning, unputdownable tale of illusion and truth, weaving Caribbean mythology and colonial reckoning into a story that is both breathtaking and brutal. A novel that seduces, startles, and refuses to let go." --Crystal King, author of In the Garden of Monsters