A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.
It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.
Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta’s caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?
As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts— ones she hoped would stay gone forever.
Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love—even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.
Genre: Horror
It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.
Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta’s caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?
As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts— ones she hoped would stay gone forever.
Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love—even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned.
Genre: Horror
Praise for this book
"A captivating, dark fairytale of a read wrapped in devastating magic and real life struggles. Tight and lovely, Cynthia Gomez does not disappoint." - Donyae Coles
"Under the pull of old charms, Muneca is a haunting, seductive gothic of curses, desire, and the slow decay of colonial wealth. Cynthia Gomez entwines a working-class bruja with dangerous love and inherited power, weaving a story that consumed me - and the doll held me fast in her spell." - Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro
"Filled with longing and desire, Muneca explores the true cost of freedom and the lengths we go to attain it. Cynthia Gomez's writing is utterly hypnotic; from the very beginning, she had me completely under her spell." - Monika Kim
"Cynthia Gomez weaves real history, terrible magic, and swooning romance into a story that will capture readers like a spell . . . or a spiderweb. Muneca is sure to satisfy Gomez's longtime fans and win her plenty of new ones." - Lindsay King-Miller
"A deliciously dark Gothic debut that goes deeper than the aesthetic, Muneca is a feat of sorcery in and of itself - a taut, dread-filled tale constantly skirting the edges of desire and doom, one that kept me spellbound until the bloody, satisfying end." - Victor Manibo
"What horrifying magnificence! Muneca feels like an iconic classic you somehow missed - like We Have Always Lived in the Castle (if it was horny and intersectional) or Rebecca (if Rebecca had an actual protagonist). I adored it." - Sam J Miller
"Muneca takes the 'one last job' motif and spins it on its head with spells so believable that I can't help but wonder what else Cynthia Gomez knows. A dizzying journey to finding love in spite of the systems that try to confine us. And the doll . . . the doll!" - Gus Moreno
"Muneca is a witchy exploration of love and found family that shows the fierce and rebellious reach of the female body and how profoundly important it is to love. Cynthia Gomez teaches us about gothic romance while taking sharp aim at its patriarchal constraints. I read it in one sitting." - Rachel Eve Moulton
"Muneca by Cynthia Gomez is box with shining dangers inside. With captivating and alluring prose, Gomez stuns as a powerful new voice in horror!" - Cynthia Pelayo
"Muneca is the best sort of story: sexy, witchy, sapphic. A class-conscious fairy tale with teeth that I shall carry within my heart for years to come." - Johanna van Veen
"Under the pull of old charms, Muneca is a haunting, seductive gothic of curses, desire, and the slow decay of colonial wealth. Cynthia Gomez entwines a working-class bruja with dangerous love and inherited power, weaving a story that consumed me - and the doll held me fast in her spell." - Carolina Flórez-Cerchiaro
"Filled with longing and desire, Muneca explores the true cost of freedom and the lengths we go to attain it. Cynthia Gomez's writing is utterly hypnotic; from the very beginning, she had me completely under her spell." - Monika Kim
"Cynthia Gomez weaves real history, terrible magic, and swooning romance into a story that will capture readers like a spell . . . or a spiderweb. Muneca is sure to satisfy Gomez's longtime fans and win her plenty of new ones." - Lindsay King-Miller
"A deliciously dark Gothic debut that goes deeper than the aesthetic, Muneca is a feat of sorcery in and of itself - a taut, dread-filled tale constantly skirting the edges of desire and doom, one that kept me spellbound until the bloody, satisfying end." - Victor Manibo
"What horrifying magnificence! Muneca feels like an iconic classic you somehow missed - like We Have Always Lived in the Castle (if it was horny and intersectional) or Rebecca (if Rebecca had an actual protagonist). I adored it." - Sam J Miller
"Muneca takes the 'one last job' motif and spins it on its head with spells so believable that I can't help but wonder what else Cynthia Gomez knows. A dizzying journey to finding love in spite of the systems that try to confine us. And the doll . . . the doll!" - Gus Moreno
"Muneca is a witchy exploration of love and found family that shows the fierce and rebellious reach of the female body and how profoundly important it is to love. Cynthia Gomez teaches us about gothic romance while taking sharp aim at its patriarchal constraints. I read it in one sitting." - Rachel Eve Moulton
"Muneca by Cynthia Gomez is box with shining dangers inside. With captivating and alluring prose, Gomez stuns as a powerful new voice in horror!" - Cynthia Pelayo
"Muneca is the best sort of story: sexy, witchy, sapphic. A class-conscious fairy tale with teeth that I shall carry within my heart for years to come." - Johanna van Veen
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