Salvación

By: Sandra Proudman

Narrated by: Victoria Villarreal

In this Latinx YA fantasy inspired by El Zorro, Lola de La Peña becomes the masked heroine Salvación in order to save her family and town from a man who would destroy it for the magic it contains...if she doesn't fall in love with a boy in his company first.

Lola de La Peña yearns to be free from the societal expectations of a young Mexican lady of her station. She spends her days pretending to be delicate and proper while watching her mamá cure the sick and injured with sal negra (black salt), a recently discovered magic that heals even the most mortal of sicknesses and wounds. But by night, she is Salvación, the free-spirit lady vigilante protecting the town of Coloma from those who threaten its peace and safety among the rising tension in Alta California after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.

But one night, a woman races into Coloma, barely alive, to tell the horrifying tale of how her town was obliterated by sal roja (red salt), a potent, deadly magic capable of obliterating anything it comes into contact with, and about the man who wields it: Damien Hernández. So when Hernández arrives the next day with a party of fifty strong and promises of returning Alta California to México, Lola knows it’s only a matter of time before he brings the region under his rule—all Hernández needs is the next full moon and the stolen, ancient amulet he carries to mine enough sal roja to conquer the land. Determined to protect everything she loves, Lola races against time as Salvación to stop his plans. What she didn’t count on was the distracting and infuriating Alejandro, who travels with Hernández but doesn't seem to share his ambitions. With the stakes higher than ever and Hernández getting closer to his goals, Lola will do anything to foil his plans, even teaming up with Alejandro—who she doesn’t fully trust but can’t help but fall in love with.

©2025 Sandra Proudman (P)2025 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"From the gorgeous world-building to Lola’s absolutely compelling voice, everything about Salvación makes it difficult to put down. As you root for Lola and her devoted family, their world, so thick with salt magic, feels as though it seeps into your bones as you read." - Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, USA Today bestselling and Pura Belpré Award-winning author

"Growing up, Zorro was my favorite hero. I watched every episode of the show and yearned to have the book. I was delighted to read Sandra’s novel. It’s an addictively fast read, full of action, magic, and heart. I love the family dynamic and the love story between Lola and Alejandro. But my favorite is Lola. She embodies the best attributes of my favorite child hero, and more. She’s brave, strong, and determined, and she loves with her whole heart. Like me, readers will be clamoring for more." - Yamile Saied Méndez, author of Furia, a Pura Belpré award winner

"Sandra Proudman's Salvación will heal your heart as quickly as sal negra. This beautiful debut highlights Lola's journey into vigilante life with a love for family, homeland, and justice...no matter the cost." -Amparo Ortiz, author of Last Sunrise in Eterna

"A dynamic tale filled with longing, action, high-stakes, and dangerous magic. Salvación swept me away with spirited characters that felt like family and a vivid world that felt like home." -Angela Montoya, author of Sinner's Isle and A Cruel Thirst