Can a princess-to-be save her family, the kingdom and the future of the kingdom’s treasured monarch butterflies from a greedy and dangerous king?
Pam Muñoz Ryan's Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs will excite and uplift readers as they join the young Solimar in this tale of a magical, fictional kingdom in Mexico where longing, adventure, transformation and discovery are at the fore.
On the brink of her Quinceañera – the celebration of a young girl’s 15th birthday – and her official coronation, Solimar visits the oyamel forest to sit among the monarch butterflies. There, the sun pierces through a sword-shaped crevice in a boulder, which shines on her and sends the butterflies humming and swirling around her. After the magical frenzy, she realizes she's been given a gift—and a burden: she can predict the near future. She has also become a protector of the young and weak butterflies. This alone would be a huge responsibility, but tragedy strikes when a neighboring king invades while her father and brother and many others are away. The remaining villagers are taken hostage—all except Solimar. Solimar, being the brave princess-to-be that she is, sets out to warn her father and brother of the dangers that await.
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs is written for ages 8 to 12 but may be enjoyed by readers of all ages. It is simply a beautiful story. On its face, the tale is fast paced and contains all the exciting elements of a traditional adventure story: a princess, a kingdom, a villain, witches, magic and a quest.
However, one of the best parts about Solimar is that it features a Mexican heroine, picturesque imagery of the fictional kingdom of San Gregorio (much of which I am sure is inspired by a very real and very beautiful Mexico), and many cultural and linguistic references. The author does a thoughtful and impressive job of weaving in Spanish language and cultural events and celebrations into the English-language version of this book. I am not Mexican and do not speak Spanish, but I was able to follow along easily and was excited to learn many new things along the way. These sorts of lessons and this type of sharing is valuable to all readers.
Another equally inspiring aspect of this story is that Solimar is a princess who wants to be king. She struggles against tradition and “how things have always been.” She has an endearing heart-to-heart with both her Abuela (grandmother) and her brother about this desire (similarly against tradition, her brother, Campeon, has no desire to be king) and what it would mean to truly have a voice. Her Quinceañera and the princess title do little to inspire Solimar in the beginning, but she quickly discovers that it is personality, persistence, bravery and character that make a leader great.
Together with two loveable sidekicks – a quetzal name Lazaro and a charmed doll named Zarita – as well as a resourceful young friend named Berto, Solimar charts her own course. The transformation aspect of the story, blissfully depicted by the Monarchs, their significance to the kingdom, and Solimar’s relationship with them, is both moving and magical. Ultimately, there is something for everyone in Pam Muñoz Ryan's latest work.
Exciting and uplifting, inspired and inspiring, Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs is a book not just for young readers, but for all of us.
Solimar: The Sword of the Monarchs will be released on February 15th, 2022.