First published 2025
Sofía arrives at Isla Bestia with one purpose: finding her twin brother who vanished five years ago. The island hosts el Carnaval de Bestias, where wealthy guests from across the world indulge in endless performances, feasts, and wine. Most visitors never want to leave. Sofía feels no such temptation. Born into slavery on a tobacco plantation, she brings only her sharp mind and determination to uncover the truth. The carnival's spectacles hold darker meanings for her. She recognizes fragments of her Taike'ri heritage woven into the performances, ancestral music and stories that colonizers have stolen and repackaged for entertainment. Her former enslavers profit from this cultural theft while her people remain oppressed. As nights blur together, the carnival's supernatural influence begins affecting her mind. Someone watches her movements. The island itself seems alive with malevolent intent. To rescue her brother and escape, Sofía must expose the powers controlling the carnival before she loses herself completely to its seductive trap.
Genres: literary-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy, supernatural, dark-fantasy, mystery-thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, haunting, immersive, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-reclamation, found-family, mind-games, mystery-to-solve, supernatural-trap
Setting: Isla Bestia, tobacco plantation
Period: colonial-era
400 pages · Hardcover · MIRA
Content warnings: colonialism, racism, slavery