As with all anthologies, there are hits and misses, but overall the hits are good and the misses aren't that bad. I love anthologies like this as a way to broaden my knowledge of and find new authors I might want to read in the future. This is great for that. If you like anthologies and short stories, this is a good one!

The collection showcases a variety of genres, from fantasy to science fiction, reflecting the rich tapestry of cultures and experiences represented by the contributing authors. Córdova’s vision shines through as she emphasizes the importance of representation and the power of storytelling.

The stories vary in tone and style, but they all resonate with a sense of adventure and resilience. Standout tales delve into the complexities of love, loss, and the struggles faced by characters seeking their place in a universe that can often feel unwelcoming.

Overall, Reclaim the Stars is an inspiring and beautifully crafted anthology that not only entertains but also encourages readers to dream big and embrace their unique stories. It’s a must-read for anyone who appreciates diverse narratives and the magic of the stars.

There are so many incredible voices in this book. Zoraida did an amazing job gathering and editing them into a cohesive, moving collection.

Such a fun read! Loved this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC.

A thoughtful, moving anthology of speculative fiction with a variety of settings and themes. Enjoyed how it introduced me to new authors.

Fantasy short stories by Latinx authors! This was amazing and I wish I had this when I was growing up! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review!

A short-story anthology of sci-fi and fantasy written by Latinx authors. I appreciated the inclusion of legends and folklore in some of the stories.

As with any short story anthology, some stories were stronger than others. “Flecha” by Daniel José Older, “This is our Manifesto” by Mark Oshiro, and “Tame the Wicked Night” by Zoraida Cordova were standouts for me. Overall, the talent is plentiful and strong in this anthology.

Many thanks to Wednesday Books, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this book. I enjoyed some stories more than others but I was glad to be introduced to new authors telling interesting stories.

Another entertaining young adult anthology! I feel like this collection of short stories is a great way to introduce teen readers to the fantasy genre. The short stories are engaging and feature some great Latinx voices. While it's not my favourite young adult anthology ever, I enjoyed it for what it was and can definitely see myself recommending it to some of my students as well as some friends of mine!

Loved the presentation, not so much the product. I know it is an anthology and nothing but short stories, but I was hoping for more. I love that Cordova made a space for Latine/x writers to come together and weave stories based on their heritage and culture, but it wasn't giving me what I needed! I almost gave up on the book.

The book is broken up into three parts: Space, Fantasy, and Magical Realism. Out of 17 stories, only five and a half were my favorites.

#ReclaimTheStars:

This has been a hard one for me to review. First, let’s acknowledge that there are some problematic authors on here. However, there are also some amazing authors on here that don’t deserve to not have their story heard because they are unfortunate enough to be on the same anthology.

Here are some of my favorites:
Stories I would read again and would like a full story:
Color Codes by Maya Motayne. Amazing, phenomenal, would read an entire book on this storyline.
Killing El Chivo Claribel Ortega
Sumaiko Y La Sirena Vita Ayala
Take the Wicked Night Zoraida Cordova

Honorable Mentions:
Magical Offerings Nina Moreno
Leyenda Romina Garber
This is our Manifesto Mark Oshiro
White Water, Blue Ocean Linda Raquel Nieves Perez
Creatures of Kings Circe Moskowitz

I loved how it was divided between the three sections and made it flow well. It did help me find new (to me) authors to follow that also have a Latine experience like myself.

Overall, a 3.5/4 star read for those I did read. I did skip over 3-4 stories. Thank you @Wednesday for my gifted copy.

It was such a good collection of short stories that intertwine fantasy and coming-of-age stories, full of emotion and discovery. It's the perfect read for anyone getting into teen fantasy.

Reclaim the stars is a beautiful collection of Latinx voices that showcase the hardships and beauty of being Latinx. Each story was touching because I could relate to them, this is why own voices is so important to have. We all deserve to be heard and each of the Stories are beautiful to read.

Reclaim the Stars features sci-fi and fantasy from 17 Latinx YA authors. Representation in YA matters and this was a wonderful book of short stories. Lots of magic and fantasy in this novel and not a lot of science fiction. I enjoyed a bulk of the stories, but did struggle with others, which is to be expected in a anthology.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

It took me a while to finish this anthology. I enjoyed most stories okay, but for the most part I found them very forgettable. The anthology has a lot of authors I've read and enjoyed before, but I thought most stories fell kind of flat, or they just weren't really my thing. This is not really an anthology that will stay with me.

I did skip three stories, those of David Bowles, Isabel Ibañez, and Sara Faring, because these are not authors I want to support due to their anti-Indigenous histories. I've seen Latinx people addressing these issues and I really appreciate them for it, so who would I be to read those stories anyway and contribute a very unnecessary opinion of my own.

i was surprised by the wide range of stories in this anthology! Perfect for lovers of fantasy and sci-fi craving adventure without wanting to commit to a whole book! A must read!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read these stories.

I had high hopes for Reclaim the Stars by Zoraida Cordova, especially after reading the synopsis. However; this is a book that I read throughout a month's time as I kept losing interests. Those interested in cultural tales will enjoy this one alas, this was a miss for me.

I feel like we’ve been seeing more and more YA anthologies over the years, especially ones focused on uplifting the voices of one specific community or another. This may be my 5th or 6th anthology at this point, and there are still plenty more out there on my radar! There’s just something about these collections of stories that draw me in every time, even if I end up rating them 3 or 4 stars every time. I think it’s just generally tough for a reader to love every story in an anthology (especially when there are 17 of them!). This anthology ended up being the same in that regard as the others I’ve read: there were plenty of stories I loved and really enjoyed, but also plenty that I know I’ll forget a few weeks from now.

However, I do think that this style of anthology is still possibly my favorite, due to the connections it clearly draws across various genres. This anthology is specifically written by authors in the Latin American diaspora, and even though some stories take place on planets a thousand years in the future, and some take place in an urban fantasy setting, you can feel this common thread throughout all of them. There’s just this clear bond of shared culture and history, even though it’s far from homogeneous. If anything, I feel like getting to see the same concepts through all these varied lenses only added even more to this anthology. It made it clear how vast and varied Latin American culture, mythology, and history is, even if some stories revolve around the same core idea.

Of course, I did have my favorite stories that ended up really standing out to me. I loved Rogue Enchantments by Isabel Ibañez, there was just something so enchanting about the magical market, and I was invested in the MC’s journey so quickly, which is integral to short stories like this! I also loved Sumaiko y La Sirena, a queer romance that also focuses on some heavy topics, like slavery and power dynamics, but at its core is still about the joy these women find in each other. I think my absolute favorite had to be Tame the Wicked Night, though, the final story in the anthology. It hit such strong fairy-tale notes, which I always love, while still feeling so wholly unique. Overall, I think I enjoyed the fantasy section of stories the most, even though I had favorites from all three sections. I also just loved how queer this anthology was!

I’ll definitely be planning in another anthology soon, hopefully, it’ll be just as fantastic as this one was!


Review will go live on my blog on March 6.

I love the theme of this collection and many of the stories are well-written (though these tend to be from the authors you'd expect). However, this was not quite a standout collection for me and the quality of the stories felt a little uneven. I haven't read too many YA short story anthologies before, so this may have been a factor in my reading experience. I do really admire Córdova, though, and I will continue to seek out her work in the future.