Hii Guys!! Welcome to my stop for the Enlightenment Blog Tour which is organized by the lovely Kate at Your Tita Kate. Thank you Kate for letting me be a part of this fun tour!
Synopsis: “Enlightenment” is the first book in The Bathala Series, inspired by the beautiful folklore of the Philippines. This is the coming of age journey of Filipina-American Dorothy Dizon and transfer student Adrian Rosario, who teeter between friendship and intimacy throughout the novel.
“Enlightenment” introduces Dorothy as an 18 year old high school student in the United States, learning through Adrian about the mysterious folklore that binds them to the obscure history of the Philippines. She realizes that supernatural forces are no defense for a consuming love, a love that has her lean on her best friend for support, the beautiful Stella De Guzman. Adrian is a blood-eating Danag warrior sent to protect Dorothy from unseen enemies of his secret society in the Philippines, a society that changed the course of history prior to Spanish colonization. Adrian’s doubts about Dorothy are put to the test until the final moment when he feels a connection he could never predict. Together, Dorothy and Adrian experience a metamorphosis of historic proportions, a metamorphosis that changes their souls.
About the Bathala series
The Bathala Series will take readers through Dorothy and Adrian’s transformational journey in understanding their ancestral past and the roles they play in the world’s uncertain future, debunking the bias about vampires and folkloric creatures prevalent in traditional European and American literature. “Atonement: Book Two of the Bathala Series” is currently being edited with the hope of being released sometime in 2021. The prequel to “Enlightenment” will be released after “Atonement.”
“Enlightenment” is available anywhere books are sold starting on March 14, 2019!
Amazon| Book Depository | IndieBound | Wordery|| Goodreads
Release Date: 14 March, 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Cultural Philippines, Young Adult
Ratings: 3.5/5
TW: violence, descriptions of blood and other serious injuries
Review: Enlightenment is a book about Dorothy, Stella and Adrian and has the beautiful Filipino culture and history as its background. I loved how Filipino history and culture was showcased in this book because it was so interesting and we do not read many books talking about this culture which I learned has such a rich history.
The story is an interesting one and Adrian’s love for his country and its history was really heartwarming to read. You could just feel the pride in his story. Dorothy and Stella were both such strong and individualistic characters and I loved reading about their friendship and how their stories intertwined. Dorothy’s curiosity to know more about her culture was really nice to read and Adrian and she bonded over this. Stella becomes an important part of the plot in the second half and I loved reading about her. The story gained momentum only after the second half and the ending was super good which made me hope the book was just a bit longer.
Overall, if you want to read a really great book about Filipino mythology and folklore and fun characters with a solid story, you should definitely pick up Enlightenment.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Reno Ursal is a Filipino American author who received an English B.A. from The University of Michigan and resides in Northern California. He is the epitome of a familiar U.S. immigrant story when his parents moved to the States from the Philippines (by way of Guyana) in 1974 in search of a better life. He grew up in a small Northern Michigan town as his parents established themselves in their new life. His summer trips to Cebu kept him connected to his Filipino family. The hikes up the mountain from his ancestral home in Catmon had his imagination swirling with ideas, especially with the legends of duwendes and other creatures of Filipino folklore.
Reno was an active reader growing up and started writing during his participation in the Huron Shores Writing Institute in high school. When he took an Asian Pacific American Literature course taught by Dr. Stephen Sumida at University of Michigan, the idea of writing a Filipino American story stuck at the back of his mind. Life moved fast after college. He met a girl named Lynette in California. They married in 2000 and became proud parents of three 2nd generation Filipino American children. He had a full-time job and less time to write, but found time burning the midnight oil. His first novel “The Three Promises” was written when his kids were babies. This novel is currently an unpublished novel, but spawned the hunger to write another novel entitled “The Last Remaining.” Many drafts later, the title changed to “Enlightenment.”
You can check out other stops on the tour as well:
| Name | Blog Name | Date |
| Kate | Your Tita Kate | March 14 |
| Patricia Camille | Camillea Reads | March 15 |
| Alexia | The Bookworm Daydreamer | March 16 |
| Zia | Accio! Blog | March 17 |
| Justine | Bookish Wisps | March 18 |
| Nox | Nox Reads | March 19 |
| Krisha | Bookathon | March 20 |
| Luxe | Mind of Luxe | March 21 |
| Bianca | The Ultimate Fangirl | March 22 |
| Shari | Colour Me Read | March 23 |
| Erica | Living a Hundred Lives | March 23 |
| Ynnah | The Youngvamp’s Haven | March 24 |
| Cara | The Little Miss Bookworm | March 25 |
| Gel | Whimsy Wanders | March 26 |
| Twitter chat – #EnlightenmentBlogTour | March 28 | |
You are invited to join us for the Twitter Chat on March 28, 2019!!
Until Next Time, HAPPY READING FOLKS!!
BOOKATHON 
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