Kirkus Style Review for Asiri and the Amaru

Asiri, who can speak with animals, meets Dario, an animal healer, the one person who could figure out her secret.

After undergoing a dive into all three spirit realms with the three sacred animal guides, Asiri finds out an earthquake will bring destruction to the land. She believes people need to be warned, while her father, an Incan shaman, believes the information should only be given to the highest paying patrons of the Casa de Murmuros (House of Secrets), a compound for people with special abilities. This is the final straw for Asiri, who feels her abilities are not being used for the greater good. She leaves the mountains for the oceanside city of Pisqu where she hopes no one will discover her powers and abuse them. While rescuing a drowning hummingbird, she comes across Dario, the local animal healer. For both of them it is love at first sight, but Asiri pushes him away as the handsome and kind animal healer is the person most likely to guess her secret. Through a twist of fate, they come across an injured mythical creature, the amaru, and must work together to heal him. They grow closer and closer through their shared love of animals, and Asiri questions if she needs to keep her ability a secret from Dario at all. Despite the secrets and an impending disaster, Asiri and Dario find themselves unable to stay away from one another. This is Hernandez’s first adult romance novel, and the book leans heavily on the falling in love at first sight trope, but the additions of Peruvian and Quechuan folklore bring a unique depth to the story that will keep readers turning the page.

A cozy, Latin fantasy romance steeped in Peruvian folklore.