Beasts of Carnaval

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2025 BY LIBRARY JOURNAL

“From the lush setting to the evocative prose to the can't-look-away characters, this is one of my most anticipated novels of the year.” —NPR

"Come for the fantasy; stay for the vengeance, and enjoy the beauty of both.” —Laini Taylor, New York Times bestselling author of Strange the Dreamer and Daughter of Smoke & Bone

For fans of The Night Circus, this sweeping historical fantasy set in a lush, Puerto Rico-inspired world, uses magical realism to combine Caribbean carnaval culture and the mythology of the Taíno—the Indigenous people of the region—in a gripping exploration of community, reclamation, and healing in defiance of a violent past.

When night descends, el Carnaval de Bestias rises. 

Within the shores of Isla Bestia, guests from around the world discover a utopia of ever-changing performances, sumptuous feasts and beautiful monsters. Many enter, but few ever leave—the wine is simply too sweet, the music too fine and the revelry endless.

Sofía, a freedwoman from a nearby colonized island, cares little for this revelry. Born an enslaved mestiza on a tobacco plantation, she has neither wealth nor title, only a scholarly pragmatism and a hunger for answers. She travels to el Carnaval de Bestias in search of her twin brother, who disappeared five years ago. 

There’s a world of wonder waiting for her on the shores of this legendary island, one wherein conquerors profit from Sofia’s ancestral lands and her people’s labor. But surrounded by her former enslavers, she finds something familiar in the performances—whispers of the island’s native tongue, music and stories from her Taike’ri ancestors…a culture long hidden in the shadows, thrust into the light.

As the nights pass, her mind begins unraveling, drowning in the unnatural, almost sentient thrall of Carnaval. And the sense that someone is watching her grows. To find her brother and break free, Sofia must peel back the glamorous curtain and face those behind Carnaval, before she too loses herself to the island…

What you can expect in BEASTS OF CARNVAL:

• Indigenous Taíno Mythology
• Themes of Decolonization + Reclamation
•  Atmospheric Island Setting
• Carnival Culture & Vejigantes
• Caribbean + Latine Adult Fantasy
• Historical Fantasy with Magical Realism
• The Revelry Never Ends

Rosália (she/her) has been in the “immersive story” space for over a decade, producing visitor experiences for museums and theme parks internationally. She now champions diversity, inclusion, equity and accessibility in this space as a DEIA consultant and educator, with the goal of creating work environments and visitor experiences that are inclusive to all―a passion she also extends to her writing. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Rosália now lives in Central Florida with her partner and mischievous cat, Moonbeam.