Solimar: The Sword of Monarchs
“‘I crossed the creek to get a better look at the butterflies.’”
Solimar has visited the oyamel forest that bordered her kingdom to
watch the migrating butterflies every year- from a safe distance. Now,
with her quinceañera and official coronation drawing closer, she crosses
the creek to sit among the butterflies. A mysterious event leaves her with a
new gift, and responsibility; to protect young and weak monarchs with her
now magical rebozo. She is committed to fulfilling her role but an enemy
thwarts her plan.When her father and brother, who are the king and prince,
leave on an expedition, another king overthrows their kingdom and holds
left hostage. Using all of her courage, Solimar escapes and embarks on a
dangerous journey to save her kingdom. Luckily, she isn’t alone.
Accompanied by her pet bird, Lázaro, a magical rag doll, Zarita, and a
river boy who knows the rapids, Solimar must save her family, her kingdom,
and the future of the monarchs from a greedy king.
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Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs
Pam Muñoz Ryan
Disney · Hyperion
190 Pages
The theme of this book is protecting the environment and its creatures.
This book is set in a magical world, with several elements of Mexican culture and language. This is set during a time period where there were still kingdoms ruled by kings and queens. The world mainly includes a dangerous river, which eventually goes underground, a castle, village, a port and marketplace, mountains, and a forest that is considered sacred. This world does have magic, though it is not commonly accessible.
The main character in this story is a girl named Solimar, who, despite being a princess, dreams of one day becoming the king and making changes for the better. She’s adventurous and independent, and she does her best to protect others. When Solimar began her journey, she was afraid of making mistakes. She was something of a reluctant hero, which made it seem more real to me. I appreciate that the author showed a good brother and sister relationship. They worked well together, and helped each other out. Most of all, I appreciated the normal, nice dialogue between the siblings.
This book does not have any violence.
I enjoyed the way Mexican culture and beliefs were included in this fast-paced adventure, and the rules that came with the magic. It is common for magic to be almost unlimited, though that was not the case in this book. Solimar is granted the ability to see the future when a question is asked about it. However, every time this ability is used, the monarchs within her rebozo weaken. The only negative I found with this book is its title’s relationship with the story. The ‘sword’ mentioned is a rock that happens to look like a sword and appears once in the entire book.
People who enjoyed reading Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs may also like Wishtree or Willowdeen.
