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Reviewed by Mamta Madhavan for Readers' Favorite
In Blood of Toma, author Lauren Lee Merewether gives readers a glimpse of the life that existed in ancient Mexico when slavery and human sacrifice dominated society. Human sacrifice is slowly coming to an end with the arrival of the conquistadors. The nation is going to be defeated by the conquistadors and Toma escapes into the jungle with the help of a slave after the murder of her father. She ends up being captured by the conquistadors where she becomes attracted to Arrio, one of the conquistadors. Toma is caught between wanting to go back to avenge her father's death and save her people from civil war and being with the man she is forbidden to fall in love with.
I found it a compelling read with many dimensions in the plot. The author does a wonderful job weaving together the story with an in-depth look into the power struggle and a lust for gold that dominated ancient Mexico at that particular time period. Amid the brutality, action and human sacrifice, the love story of Toma and Arrio gives the plot a gentle touch. The story has a lot of twists and turns, suspense and mystery that make the story fast paced and keep readers guessing what is going to happen next. The unpredictable plot makes it an exciting story. The glossary at the end of the book is very useful to readers in case they get confused by unfamiliar words.