
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Michelle
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review

El Santo is a sinful poignant compulsive read that masterfully and cunningly highlights M. Robison’s ability to play with our hearts, emotions and conscience. Good vs. Bad. Right vs. Wrong. Saint vs. Sinner. And through it all, Robinson allows her readers to be immersed in all the feels. Feel the visceral connections of her characters. Feel their burden, pain, struggles, despair and most importantly the yearning.

In the field of human behavior, the topic of nature versus nurture has always come into play and for Damien, his childhood and nationality has been something ingrained in him that has caused him to be one of those characters living in his own purgatory. As a young Cuban boy who grew up in a Communist environment, he knew three things. Power, Fear, and Death. And for Damien to witness and be part of a Communist lifestyle, it has shaped him for the better and for the worse. Regardless of whether you define him as a sinner or saint, Damien is who he is. A man living in his own sins and demons. And most importantly, a man accepting his own fate that is until Amira comes into his life.
Amira is one of the characters that takes you by surprise. It is her strength, devotion and trust in Damien that makes you see the light in Damien. As much light she brings in him, she too also shines some darkness as she is a constant reminder of the sins he has committed. And so in this book, readers are immersed and taken onto a journey where right, wrong, love, hate, passion, lust, and lies are interwoven into a story that is a pendulum of emotions and angst.
El Santo is a story that depicts raw human emotions at the core. A battle of conscience. A battle of nature. A battle of nurture. A battle of love. A battle of lies. A battle of surviving. And so if you are ready to discover why Damien and Amira loving each other’s is each other’s heaven and hell then this book is for you.
