The Wicked Bargain

Starred review from December 12, 2022
Debut author Novoa explores the often-underrepresented history of various marginalized populations in the early-19th-century Caribbean, using cinematic action scenes to conjure a swashbuckling tale brimming with sorcery. In 1820, nonbinary 16-year-old Mar León de la Rosa sails the sea aboard La Catalina, one of the Caribbean’s last pirate ships, captained by their father, the legendary pirate Embrujado. When El Diablo arrives to claim Embrujado’s soul in exchange for a deal he made long ago, El Diablo turns his sights to the crew and Mar, planning to steal their spirits as well. After narrowly escaping, Mar is rescued by the son of another pirate captain. Mar’s ensuing quest to save their father is further complicated by their desperate attempts to hone their magia, abilities they’ve been ignoring their whole life. Learning that giving up their soul to El Diablo would set Embrujado free, Mar looks for a way out of El Diablo’s deal, which threatens the entire Caribbean. Novoa imbues this moving exploration of historical transmasculinity and riveting examination of Spanish colonization with riotously good fun, making this an ideal read for audiences seeking a mix of knowledge and thrilling adventure. Characters are of Latinx descent. Ages 12–up. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency.

December 1, 2022
There's nothing more treacherous or binding than a deal with the devil. El Diablo sent the storm that sank La Catalina, one of the last pirate ships in the Caribbean. Mar Le�n de la Rosa grew up hearing how their father traded his soul to save Mar's life and gain 16 years of prosperity, but they never believed it. Not even Mar's magia, their secret, dangerous powers of fire and ice, could save their family and shipboard home. Fished out of the sea by Bas, the son of a pirate captain, 16-year-old Mar flounders to hide and control their magia so they can make a new life aboard La Ana, a ship that aids revolutionaries fighting Spanish colonization. Then el Diablo returns with a new bargain: Mar can hand over their own soul to free Pap�'s. Set in the summer of 1820 but written in language that feels contemporary, this romantic coming-of-age fantasy offers endearing, flawed heroes, an enticing villain, and high emotional stakes. Bas, Mar's romantic interest, swaggers with characteristic piratical charm that's all the more appealing for his earnest eagerness for friendship, gentle kindness, and moments of sweet dorkiness. Novoa heightens the suspense by introducing key details that both foreshadow the danger ahead and reveal more about the world. The characters are primarily Latinx; Cuban and Mexican Mar's magia is connected to their Mayan heritage. The crew of La Ana includes formerly enslaved Black sailors. An alluring high-seas adventure. (author's note) (Fantasy. 13-18)

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February 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-For 16 years, Mar's life on the ocean has been pretty much perfect, as long as they keep their fire and ice magia under control. Mar's beloved Pap�, Captain de la Rosa, leads the extremely successful crew of La Catalina until the night of Mar's 16th birthday, when el Diablo shows up to collect on an old bargain, resulting in the destruction of La Catalina and the disappearance of Mar's father. Pulled from the ocean by the annoyingly attractive Bas onto Captain de la Rosa's greatest rival's ship La Ana, Mar learns that el Diablo will accept only one thing in exchange for Mar's father-Mar's own soul. With the help of Bas (son of la Pirata Vega, captain of La Ana) and a genderfluid demonio named Dami, Mar rejects this binary decision but can only save Pap� and themself if they can find the bravery to unleash the full strength of their magia. No stranger to rejecting binaries, Mar is transmasculine and uses they/them pronouns; Mar's struggles with body dysmorphia despite the acceptance and acknowledgment of their gender identity will be resonant or illuminative, depending on readers' perspectives. Set against a backdrop of early 19th-century Spanish control in the Caribbean, Spanish phrases are woven throughout. VERDICT This novel sets the standard for inclusive, swashbuckling romance; it's adventurous, fun, and highly recommended.-Allie Stevens

Copyright 2023 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* In the summer of 1820, 16-year-old Mar Le�n de la Rosa is aboard La Catalina, one of the last pirate ships in the Caribbean, when el Diablo comes to collect on the deal Mar's pap� struck many years before. Though Mar expends their secret magic ability--controlling fire and ice--the ship still sinks, and the entire crew with it. Miraculously spared, Mar is spotted and rescued by Bas, the charming pirate son of another passing ship. While Mar, aching for freedom and a chance at a normal life, quarrels with the magia inside them, el Diablo returns with another deal: Mar's soul in exchange for their pap�'s. Transmasculine nonbinary Mar, who uses they/them pronouns, is the magical piratical teen of readers' dreams. Written in Mar's first person with Spanish interspersed, Novoa's story celebrates identities often othered in our world by representing them as ordinary here. A lineup of Latinx characters, gender-fluid demonio, and slow-burning romance beautifully round off this fantasy. The pacing of the novel can't always keep up with the high stakes of the plot, but that's a minor quibble; readers will be hard-pressed to find much fault here as they grapple with Mar's dilemma.

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