Immortal Pleasures follows an ancient Aztec woman turned vampire. It's a mix of modern day and flashbacks to when she was enslaved and impregnated by Cortès and how she became a vampire. In the modern timeline, she buys and sells antiquities and is looking for love while also being hunted.

I love vampires, and while this wasn't exactly what I expected, it was decent enough. Kind of weird, but kind of good too? The synopsis gave this book a higher level of expectation that did not play off.

Castro is such a magnificent author and everything they put out is my jam. If you want an original vampire novel with good bipoc rep, this is it.

Unfortunately another instance that keeps happening to me where the cover is absolutely stunning but the story inside didn't match. The story was way too sexual with very little horror. Some of the descriptors of these sexual acts was very cringe and just couldnt get past them.

The description of this novel makes it out to be something it's not - it sounds more akin to a horror novel, but 50 pages in, I felt more like I was reading a jarring romance novel that bordered erotica. While there's nothing wrong with that, it's not what I wanted or expected, so I put this one down.

A vampire story with a Historical Mexican spin.

The story follows La Malinche, a Nahua woman used as a translator for the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés and how she transformed into the ancient vampire named Malinalli. In modern times, she searches for antiques (aka: stolen, culturally significant, artifacts) in order to return them to their homeland. She is also in search of her true love. This is no romance story though and the spicy scenes are just cringe. The flashbacks were great, but the modern times story line got weird and not in a good way. Think vampire skincare, and appearances from Judas (yep, THAT Judas), among other things. It was just disappointing, as I had really enjoyed her previous book The Haunting of Alejandra, and was very excited for this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for the eARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.

I don't have the words for what this novel did to my brain, but I know that I should be seeking compensation.

I’ve read almost everything Ms Castro has written, Immortal Pleasures is my least fav and really the weakest of hers that I’ve read. It’s not scary. The sex scenes are just….ewww. I’ll never look at a sea anemone the same way ever again. I liked Mali, her human story especially was engaging and interesting as was here vampire origins. But the romance part of the story was just not good. And the reveal about Alex made me roll my eyes.

Overall the story was ok but it’s my love and respect for what she does reimagine a historical person from her peoples ancestry that I’m giving this 3 stars. Sadly I’d never heard of Malinoche before so I did a little separate reading about her. The ending made me believe there will be more to her story forthcoming.

If this is your first book of hers you’ve read and you hated it, please please please go get The Queen of the Cicadas (my fav) or Goddess of Filth stat!

Thanks to the author and publisher for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Considering how many of my friends read this book and didn't like it, I was really suprised that I actually enjoyed it a lot? I've enjoyed the two other books that I've read from this author but I set my expectations really low for this one so I wouldn't get my hopes up. Weridly enough, I think that made me enjoy it a lot more! The story was kind of slow but I really love cultural horror, like when the horror ties back to a cultural phenomenon or experience so this book really gripped me in that sense. Everyone's biggest complaint has been how weird and gross the sex scenes are but being someone who feels uncomfortable reading most sex scenes, I think the author did a good job actually TRYING to make me feel the ick. That being said, the thing that brought down my rating the most was the romances. I don't really enjoy romance in my horror but that might just be a personal issue.

I typically love V. Castro's books, but this one missed the mark. The characters and plot felt very underdeveloped. Many of the explicit sexual descriptions were a bit bizarre, too. The flashbacks to Spain's colonization were interesting and added emotional depth and justice to the story. Even though the flashbacks were my favorite element, it still left me with wanting more as this felt very much like just a highlight reel.

"Immortal Pleasures" by V Castro is a captivating tale that reimagines the story of La Malinche, a Nahua woman known in history as a traitor for translating for the conquistador Cortés. In this novel, La Malinche is reborn as Malinalli, an immortal vampire who roams the world avenging conquered peoples by reclaiming their stolen artifacts and returning them to their homelands. Alongside her quest for justice, Malinalli also yearns for pleasure and love, desires that make her deeply human despite her vampiric nature.

The parts I found most compelling were the flashbacks to Malinalli's past, both before her transformation into a vampire and during the centuries leading up to the present day. These segments of the book were rich with historical detail and emotional depth, providing a strong foundation for her character and motivations. Castro's portrayal of Malinalli's journey through time as she evolves from a betrayed woman to a powerful avenger was enthralling.

However, the present-day storyline, which focuses on Malinalli's quest for love, felt less satisfying. The plot centers around her brief infatuation with a human named Colin, which occupies a significant portion of the narrative. This part of the story felt disproportionately long compared to the rushed and underdeveloped romance with Alexander, the vampire she eventually meets. Their instant love connection felt contrived and unconvincing, making it hard to invest in their relationship. Additionally, the sex scene with Alexander lacked the intensity and passion seen in her interactions with Colin, making it seem quite vanilla in comparison.

Overall, the imbalance between the time spent on Malinalli's fleeting human infatuation and her swift romance with Alexander detracted from the story's impact. The flashbacks to her past were undoubtedly the highlight of the book, showcasing Castro's strength in weaving historical and supernatural elements together. While the concept of an immortal vampire avenger is fascinating, the present-day narrative didn't live up to the intriguing premise established by the flashbacks.

Despite its flaws, the novel offers a unique perspective on La Malinche's legacy and Malinalli's eternal quest for love and justice.

⭐️: 3.25 / 5

Publication Date: April 16, 2024

I want to thank $Del Rey and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Some of the coolest aspects of this story, was the idea that our FMC is on a mission to reclaim ancient artifacts that have been taken by colonizers. The rich history of Mexico was woven beautifully into the characters and their backstories. The way it was presented was in my opinion one of a kind and a true addition to the novel.

As for my reservations, the overuse of similies and metaphors would take me out of a lot of scenes. I also found the placement for some of the plot to be quite jarring. Right when it feels like the main storyline is progressing we go back in time to journey through decades of the main character’s life prior to the current storyline.

Overall I thought the story premise was unique but I wish that there had been more focus. The split between romance and mystery took away from the full development of either storyline. While I enjoyed the FMC’s motivation I also found some of her choices and some of the reveals to be disappointing.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
- Vampires
- Sexually explicit/graphic stories
- Nonlinear timelines
- Multiple settings

⚠️ violence, gore

2/10. Liked the concept and I enjoy the author, but was not pulled into the story. Got really bored around the 2nd chapter. DNF

"No amount of outrage or anger from us seems to match the hate directed at us. Hate that we are supposed to readily accept as part of our existence."

IMMORTAL PLEASURES by V. Castro is a lot of different things: a historical revenge story, a dark meet cute, and a vampire erotica novel. Some of these elements really worked for me including the historical story surrounding an ancient Aztec vampire who was once a slave to Hernan Cortez. That part of the story definitely kept me interested and I honestly thought her erotica was much more on point than most that I have dabbled in.

Where the story kind of fell a bit short for me was the romantic "true love" aspect - just took away from the MCs motivations a bit for me and felt like too many storylines were being introduced. That being said, I absolutely loved Castro's writing in this one as usual. Her passion and heart for writing is captivating.

While this may not have been my absolute favorite Castro out there, it is still worth reading for the historical revenge aspect in itself. Also, I have a low tolerance for romance storylines so this might be RIGHT up your alley if you are drawn to that kind of storyline.

Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @delreybooks for the e-ARC.

✴️✴️✴️

If you were suddenly a vampire, what is the first thing you would do?

I think I would begin by finding out if any of the tropes are real - can I fly? Does my skin shimmer? Can I "influence" people with my glamour? And then I would probably try to figure out where to get synthetic blood because sucking someone else's neck on a regs sounds kinda awkward. 🤣

💚SMASHBOT💚

Too much, just too much! Yet not enough horror. *sad face* I've only ever liked one of her books, maybe her writing just isn't for me.

CW: Very very explicit sexual content

TW: Sexual assault, slavery, abuse, toxic relationships, child abandonment

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:
Hundreds of years ago, she was known as La Malinche: a Nahua woman who translated for the conquistador Cortés. In the centuries since, her name has gone down in infamy as a traitor. But no one ever found out what happened to La Malinche after Cortés destroyed her people.

In the ashes of the empire, she was reborn as Malinalli, an immortal vampire. And she has become an avenger of conquered peoples, traveling the world to reclaim their stolen artifacts and return them to their homelands.

But she has also been in search of something more, for this ancient vampire still has deeply human longings for pleasure and for love.

When she arrives in Dublin in search of a pair of Aztec skulls—artifacts intimately connected to her own dark history—she finds something else: two men who satisfy her cravings in very different ways.

For the first time she meets a mortal man—a horror novelist—who is not repelled by her strange condition but attracted by it. But there is also another man, an immortal like herself, who shares the darkness in her heart.

Now Malinalli is on the most perilous adventure of all: a journey into her own desires.
Release Date: April 16th, 2024
Genre: Horror
Pages: 304
Rating: ⭐

What I Liked:
1. The cover of the book
2. The plot sounded good

What I Didn't Like:
1. 32 references to 🐓
2. It's all sex and barely horror
3. Insta-love
4. The description of all the sex acts

Overall Thoughts:
{{Disclaimer: I write my review as I read}}

Honestly, who's in charge of the synopsis of this book? It starts with the longest paragraphs ever explaining this book.

First chapter we meet the author.

I'm not blushing - you are. *hides face*

"Beads of pre-cum call for me to lick it off, wear it like lip gloss."
Ewwwww.

I think I've stepped into the wrong book.

I don't know if I can make it through this book honestly. To people really enjoy reading this? I feel like I'm watching a porno but with my ears.

Then the guy finds out that she's a vampire and calmly lets her sit there and suck the blood out of his wrist. He doesn't freak out he's just like yeah dude you should have all of me. No! That's not how life works. People throw up red flags over having bad teeth. This guy he doesn't care.

Omg omg omg I can't. I just can't go any further with this book. This is the paragraph that broke me;
"While lying on my side , still drowsy, he greets me from behind with his erect cock, the wet tip sliding between my ass cheeks. As my pussy becomes wetter from his cock entering and exiting, he slides toward my anus. It’s stimulated until it pulses like a little sea anemone trying to catch prey. His one arm casts around my own, so that his wrist rests on my mouth. His other hand, coated with lube, continues to tease my little puckered hole, sending shockwaves of titillation to my toes."
No no no no!

Final Thoughts:
Dnfed on page 70.

I thought this was horror but it felt more like I was reading a porno erotica book. There is so much sex in this book. I really tried to pay attention to the story beyond, but it felt like the story was erotica with hints of horror.

All the descriptions of all the sex acts were just grossing me out. The way they're described is so extreme and just gross. I'm not a prude but I didn't sign up for this book to be so over the top sexual. I am not a reader of smut as it just gets so boring. Everytime I could learn about La Malinche it jumps right into a sex scene with the author. I'm not a fan of books that talk about how women are sexually assaulted and then the next chapter they have mind blowing sex. It's odd and I never know what to take from that.

This was my 3rd book from the author and I'm going to call it - it's my last book. Lots of people enjoy her writing and what a POC author has to say, those are the parts I enjoy getting to learn and read, but sadly this book pushes all that down to have a horny vampire.

IG | Blog

Thanks to Netgalley and Ballantine | Del Rey for the advanced ebook copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Out of the 388 books on my 'Read' shelf and 70 books I've gotten ARCS of through NetGalley, Immortal Pleasures has the lowest average rating from reviewers. Say it isn't so! I really loved The Haunting of Alejandra from V Castro last year and was really looking forward to reading this.

Unfortunately, I have to report that the average rating does reflect the book after all. There were a lot of things happening in this book, and none of them were done well. Underdeveloped characters, a truly batshit plot, and the most cringeworthy sex scenes I've ever read ( and SO MANY of them!). On the plus side, this book was so wack that I actually ended up kinda enjoying it?

I have no idea what happened here. Castro is capable of very good work, and I will still read more from her in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Sometimes I wish I was illiterate.

Immortal Pleasures was an experience. The premise is so good! The cover is good! I liked Castro’s The Haunting of Alejandra, and “an ancient vampire is on a quest for revenge, desire, pleasure, and love” sounded so fun. I was excited, but in the end I mostly felt bamboozled and a little unhinged and insane.

I’m not entirely sure I fully understood what was going on here besides the fact Malinalli is an immortal vampire, who is actually La Malinche reborn in the aftermath of Cortés’ colonization. She wants revenge and to repatriate artifacts from the Aztec Empire, and also she is so, so horny. So horny. Also, John Hawkins is here??? And he’s running an evil skincare brand with Cortés????? And Judas (like, from the Bible) makes an appearance. Because sure, why not.

This was a bizarre reading experience because honestly it was so bad that it was entertaining. Apart from the first couple of chapters, which were promising, each sentence made me feel like I had to be reading satire. And I mean, “seductive dark fantasy?” Okay! Sign me up!! I’m game!!! But this was baffling, and I’m still stuck on Malinalli using butter as lube before anal sex. I mean, there’s a lot of other sex happening but really, this is the one that is going to haunt me.

I cannot in good consciousness recommend this one unless you want to laugh-cry your way through 300 pages of whatever this is.

This was not for me. I struggled 3 times to get into this. I just couldn’t get through the few chapters. The writing felt clunky to me and forced.

This book was tough to get through. I put it down more than once, ambivalent about finishing it.

Our main character doesn't read like the independent, all-powerful, serenely confident immortal I think the author was trying to portray. Mostly, Malinalli gives horny, insecure, confused, angry, attention-starved human adolescent. And not a very smart one at that.

Our villain, Hernán Cortés, once the most legendary and fearsome of all the Spanish conquistadors, has inexplicably decided that his afterlife's calling is a business venture peddling beauty products.

There is also smut. It is pure comedy.

Explaining a certain song in order to portray the mood of a scene falls totally flat in the written word, dear. Please stop with the oddly-specific playlist. JUST DESCRIBE the mood.

Ultimately, neither the characters not the plot felt believable, relatable, or compelling in any way. A final stake in the heart (ha) -- several spots throughout the book where the author seemed to have missed a word or made a poor grammatical choice that an editor ought to have caught.

Malinalli is Le Malinche, the former Mexican interpreter for Hernán Cortés, who helped play a role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. This story is a twist on if these two characters had really become vampires instead of dying and how their past history together would influence a bitter rivalry and quest for vengeance against the wrongs committed.

V. Castro had a great concept to bring history and a vampire story about her Latina roots to the modern world. She was very descriptive in her world building, and each of her characters had their own personalities.

I wanted to like this story. It seemed like an interesting plot, and the characters had potential, but it was hard to get into the story. It kept jumping around, and the flashbacks didn't seem to correlate with what was going on in the present. The main character, Malinalli, constantly had a rambling inner dialogue and seemed very naive for being a centuries old vampire. There were more nautical sea references during the erotic scenes than a sailor's retelling of one of his voyages.

Overall, I felt like I had to push through this one to get to the end. It seems like it was left open to possibly have a follow-up adventure with Malinalli and Alex, so there may be redemption for these characters yet.