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Solimar : the sword of the monarchs
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2022
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Publishers Weekly Review
Muñoz Ryan (Mañanaland) nimbly wields fairy tale charm in this rousing fantasy about a young Mexican royal who must protect her home and its rich natural resources from invading forces just before her quinceañera and official coronation. In the kingdom of San Gregorio, soon-to-be 15-year-old Solimar Guadalupe ("more like a rough-and-tumble forest elf than a princess") sneaks out of her palace to greet the first wave of migrating monarch butterflies in a nearby forest. After the encounter leaves her rebozo, a long linen shawl, with a curious iridescence she can't seem to remove, Solimar discovers that she has gained the ability to predict future events and been given a critical task: protecting young straggling monarchs until they can fly. But when a neighboring kingdom uses her father and brother's absence to invade San Gregorio in a play for land, Solimar must use everything in her arsenal to save her kingdom and its beautiful oyamel fir forests from destruction. Though Muñoz Ryan incorporates an ill-considered connection to the colonial powers of Spain to explain Solimar's "distinguished" royal heritage, the otherwise thoughtfully crafted protagonist and band of heroes display charisma and cleverness aplenty, and the narrative's action sequences create an enthralling, well-paced narrative. Ages 8--12. Agent: Kendra Marcus, BookStop Literary. (Feb.)
Booklist Review
Solimar Guadalupe is excited to see the arrival of the monarch butterflies in the kingdom of San Gregorio this year, just a few days before her coronation and quinceañera. After sitting by the creek and admiring the butterflies from a distance, she decides to cross to the other side, which has been strictly forbidden in the past. After becoming engulfed by monarchs spiraling around her, she is marked as the monarchs' protector and bestowed with the magical ability to tell the near future, which is both a blessing and a curse. One day when the kingdom is left vulnerable, a villainous king seizes the region. With everyone else captured, Solimar is faced with the duty of saving her kingdom and the monarch butterflies. Award-winning author Ryan has skillfully crafted a story using cultural elements from Mexico with a generous sprinkling of magic. In this story of courage, determination, and ingenuity, readers will cheer on Solimar in her arduous journey to save what is near and dear to her heart.
Kirkus Review
A girl's determination, combined with a little bit of magic, has the power to save kingdoms and the ecosystem. Solimar is the daughter of Mexican royalty--though she won't become a princess until she celebrates her quinceañera in a few weeks. While her family seems to excel at fulfilling the royal duties, Solimar pushes back against expectations--especially gender roles--and yearns for adventure. An encounter with the beautiful monarch butterflies that migrate annually through Solimar's kingdom leaves her with a gift--her rebozo, or shawl, which now appears to be covered in butterfly wings, grants her intuition about the future. The newfound ability may also be draining the butterflies' energy, so Solimar must keep it a secret to preserve them. A rival king discovers her power and plans to exploit it along with the butterfly territory through underhanded deals and hostage taking. Solimar manages to escape and must make a treacherous journey to foil the plot. The story moves briskly from problem to resolution. The text gives a nod to the colonialism that has impacted Mexico, mentioning the original borders of the country as well as Solimar's Spanish and Indigenous heritage. Solimar's mother is European and Indigenous and has dark brown skin; Solimar is described as having dark brown eyes and short black curls. Though the story is written about a teen, the engaging plotline and whimsical elements will appeal to a younger audience. An energetic romp with a conservation motif. (information about monarch butterflies) (Fiction. 7-10) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary
Ever since Solimar was a little girl, she has gone to the ouamel forest bordering her kingdom to observe the monarch butterflies during their migration, but always from a safe distance. Now, on the brink of her quinceanera and her official coronation, Solimar crosses the dangerous creek to sit among the butterflies. There, a mysterious event gives her a gift and a burden--the responsibility to protect the young and weak butterflies with her magical rebozo, or silk shawl.

Solimar is committed to fulfilling her role, and has a plan that might have worked. But when her father, the king, and her brother, the prince, leave on an expedition, a neighboring king overthrows the kingdom and holds everyone left in the village hostage. It takes all of Solimar's courage to escape and then embark on a dangerous journey to save her kingdom, but she's not alone. Her pet bird, Lazaro, the butterflies she protects, and a magical rag doll, Zarita, are with her. Then, at a precarious moment, she meets a river boy who knows the rapids.

Even with help, can Solimar save her family, the kingdom, and the future of the monarchs from a greedy king?
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