3 stars to Malinalli, an exciting retelling of the life of Cortez's famed interpreter, La Malinche. In this story, Malinalli is born to a noble family and raised alongside her twin brother, Eagle. As the firstborn of the twins, it is Malinalli's destiny to one day enter the school of magic, alongside the firstborns of other noble families. But tragedy strikes and Malinalli's fate rises before her, to be a reed ever blown in the wind.

What I liked:
- an entertaining story capturing the character of a greatly misunderstood historical figure.
-the Temple of the Eighteen Moons was a brilliant addition to Malinalli's life. So little is known of her life before Cortes. It was nice for her to be given a family and an education before she was misplaced and set adrift. The more magical, mythical twist to her tale is an equally brilliant addition by Chapa.

What I didn't like:
- The beginning was slow and hard to get into. It read like a journal or diary: "I woke up and had breakfast." That sort of thing. It finally picked up about 1/3 of the way through.
- Malinalli is given a "love interest" in the form of a Maya Warrior (presumably a grown-butt man) when she is about 13-14. This romance may have been intended to be joyful or innocent, compared to the abuse as an enslaved concubine and by the hand of Cortes later in her life. Though this would have been acceptable at the time and within the culture, her age and the circumstances around the romance made it feel forced and unnecessary.

Overall, an entertaining historical fiction that beautifully ties in the history of La Malinche with the history, mythology, and culture of the indigenous people of Mexico.

I think I have become disenchanted with the microtrope of feminist retellings of mythology from history centering women as fierce, power-hungry girlbosses. This book was okay but I just wasn't the right audience for it.

I was intrigued by this book because I see very few books about indigenous Mexican history. I was expecting more fantasy from this book but it was very much historical fiction without many fantastical elements; the "magic" in it was cultural legends come to life. Malinalli, or Malinalxochitl, uses her goddess namesake to cement her power but isn't really a goddess herself. She is a Nahua woman who works as a translator for Cortes and claws her way to power.

While these books are historically accurate in the sense that the only avenues women had to claiming power was through marriage or serving as enslaved concubines, and this book did show that, they make these women such unlikable people and universally give them, as much as I hate to say this, masculine traits to secure power and fortune. The women in these mythology retellings all seem to have the same personality. Narcissistic, self-absorbed, never in love but uses sex for personal gain, greedy, experts in battle, brash and outspoken, brushing aside friendships and love interests in pursuit of power at all costs. It's hard to care about the story when you hate the protagonist. I kind of skimmed the last half.

I found it worked best in its descriptions of indigenous culture except a lot of the worldbuilding became very info-dumpey. So in short: Another person may love this who likes books like Babylonia, Circe and Medusa but that person isn't me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Veronica Chapa’s debut does an amazing job bringing Malinalli—aka La Malinche—back to life in a way that feels both powerful and relatable. This is the story of a girl caught in the chaos of history, trying to survive and make sense of her place in a world torn apart by colonization.

What makes this book stand out is the way Chapa adds magic and sisterhood to the mix. It turns Malinalli’s story into something more than just a historical retelling—it’s a story about resilience, hope, and finding strength even when the odds are stacked against you.

The writing is vivid and emotional, and it’s the kind of book that’ll stick with you long after you’ve finished it. If you’re into stories that blend history with fantasy this is a must read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria / Primero Sueno Press, who provided me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Malinalli is jam-packed with stunning imagery, rich mythology, and compelling characters, making it a refreshing twist on the Greek-mythology-dominated retelling genre. Though I’m unfamiliar with the historical figure that inspired this story, the novel feels deep in culture and folklore and the vivid depictions and deep connection to the natural world hooked me from the very first page. Malinalli’s well-intentioned yet deeply flawed character and motivations make her an authentic and engaging protagonist, and her growth is palpable as she navigates one challenge after another.

The writing style blends magic and reality, though at times it was difficult to tell the boundaries of what magic was truly possible (for example, the sorceresses mention the ability to perform many powerful spells that could solve problems directly, but they rarely seem to perform them). In some ways, this ambiguity adds to the overall dreamy, fantastical tone.

All in all, this is a great read! While the comparisons to Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina are warranted, Malinalli stands apart with a unique voice, vivid natural imagery, and complex character arc.

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with a copy of Malinalli by Veronica Chapa.

This stunning reimagining brings humanity and depth to one of Mexico’s most controversial historical figures, blending history, magic, and mythology into a vivid, emotional tale.

Veronica Chapa portrays Malinalli as a deeply complex character—both a survivor and a fighter—navigating the devastation of conquest and the heavy burden of her role as interpreter and protector. The infusion of magical realism, with Mali blessed by divine power and supported by priestesses, adds richness to her journey without detracting from the historical weight of her story.

Beautifully written and emotionally powerful, Malinalli reclaims the voice of a woman often misunderstood by history. Fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Zoraida Córdova will find much to love in this heartfelt, imaginative, and compelling retelling.

This book is one of the most beautifully written books I have read in a long time. I was unfamiliar with the story of "La Malinche" and her role in the history of Mexico. I spent a lot of time reading this book with my laptop open to Wikipedia or Google to look up the many historical characters, places, and myths. I did this not because I had to - the book was easily enjoyed without it - but because I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to fully immerse myself in a history and culture that I knew little about. The narrator, Malinalli herself, was a flawed and complex character, with highs and lows that - while fantastical - were relatable and deeply human at their hearts. The blending of historical fact, historical fiction, and mythical fantasy was hypnotizing and fascinating to read. It was not a fast-paced book, but a well-paced one. I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys stories of strong, complex women, the celebration of lost or little-known cultures, and the intertwining of myth and history to create a story that is both human and magical at its core.

It took me time to settle into Books I and II, but then again they were from the point of view of a child. In Book III the novel found its voice and started showing instead of telling. While we know Malinalli’s story is not a happy one, the author did a good job of incorporating feelings of grief, numbness, fear, and doubt. Overall an interesting read and a reminder that while we can be in charge of our choices, we might not always be able to tell our story.

Coming in March! Revenge and redemption fill the pages of this exquisite reimagining of the story of Malinalli - better known as La Malinche or Doña Maria- the “traitorous” interpreter to Hernan Cortes.
I was absolutely enthralled with this debut novel by Veronica Chapa and read it in less than a day! My favorite thing was the focus on the goddesses, sorcery, and female warriors.
Most discussions portray her as either a traitor or victim. This 3rd option presented in the book gives her agency over her actions. We understand her need to bring Moctezuma and Tenochtitlan down and bring peace upon the lands.
I do wish it had some cultural/historical notes in the back, but maybe that is coming in the finished copy.
Side note: I also really liked the portrayal of Malinalli in You Dreamed of Empires, but I was not a fan of the La Malinche vampire story published earlier this year.
Thanks to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for access to the e-arc!

I unfortunately had trouble getting into and staying in this story. The pacing, the focus, the writing, all of it contributed to my enjoyment or lack thereof; and I REALLY wanted to like this story.

The story is of a real historical woman, someone who deserves her voice to be heard, but so the others within her story that helped her along the way or impacted her story and I felt that they fell flat here to the point that I really didn’t great a feel for what the importance of her story was. Also, she talks about herself and her opinions, needs, wants and we are inside her head so much that not only does very little happen, but I stopped caring about her because she just became too “whiny” for me. I really dislike saying that and I really hope that I am just misinterpreting this, and I am in the wrong here, but I just didn’t enjoy this re-telling.
The magic system as well was very shallow and not really striking so I couldn’t really tell if was supposed to be there or not. Unfortunately, this was just not the story for me.

Thank you to and Net Galley for the Atria Books ARC and I am leaving an honest review.

4 🌟

Steeped in mythology and legend, I found this captivating right from the outset.

Malinalli is a flawed protagonist - proud and quick to anger, often to her own detriment. I found her interesting to read, even if I didn't like her very much.

The setting was truly beautiful, and a character unto itself. This is a time period/culture I was not initially very familiar with, but this book has sparked my curiosity and desire to learn more.

My big issue with this book is that it takes a ‘feminist’ retelling approach to an incredibly complicated story of a real life woman that was filled with violence and colonialism. By introducing magic to the story, Chapa manages to undermine the tragedy of Malinalli’s real life in favor of a fantastical girlboos story. And frankly I could care less for that.

This book has taken me what feels like an age to finish. The pacing was really slow for so much of the book. I am not familiar with this figure in history, it wasn't something covered when I was in school (so little was), so I have no historical context of who they are.

That aside, I never felt like I understood the world, and it's supposed to be a historical fantasy version of ours so there was always this disconnect. The magic felt glossed over at best. I also was never sure of how old she was during any part of the story. At one point she mentions "when I was young" but then a sentence later she mentions that she's barely 12 and that left me thing 'that's still young, what do you mean?'

The story is primarily told from Malinalli's perspective, as it is her story, but it was so focused on her all the side-characters fell a little flat, which for me left Malinalli as a bit of a hollow character. Her personality was the arch-type 'loud and angry', not that she didn't have reason to be either of those, but with no other emotions, it made her a tough character to empathize or sympathize with when I probably was expected to. I don't like the trend of a good female character is one that angry or "acts like a man". Men and women are allowed to be sad and vulnerable, and I didn't see any point where she displayed one of those emotions even when it would've made sense for her to.

I don't typically read historical fantasy that follows person who actually existed, so these issues might not bother people who read this sub-genre more than I do. But for me, this book was a little lackluster.

Two reasons this didn’t work for me: number one, it’s written in the same sort of style as Circe, The Witch and the Tsar, Nikki Marmery’s Lilith, and so on – the trend of ‘feminist’ myth retellings that I really wish would stop already. (I say ‘feminist’ in quote marks because it’s the laziest, most superficial type of GirlBossTM nonsense we were supposed to be done with in the 90s, not anything thoughtful or gods forbid intersectional.)

The second reason this isn’t for me is that it’s… How do I put this? You know how sometimes lit fic authors put magic in their books, but they won’t call it SFF? When you get an author who wants to play with SFF’s shiny toys but doesn’t want to engage with the genre? That’s what Malinalli reminds me of. It’s as if it’s not actually a fantasy novel because if it was, the magic would be more than an aesthetic, than set dressing. We wouldn’t gloss over it, handwave it. Out of nowhere Mali and her twin start being able to send each other visions? Don’t worry about it. Mali goes from barely being able to sew to embroidering masterpieces overnight? Shrug. One day she starts being able to bring her embroideries to life? Eh, whatever. I mean, Mali barely reacts, and the narrative just tells us about these magical happenings, summarises them for us, instead of showing them to us and letting us experience them!

Because the magic doesn’t actually matter???

So fans of historical fiction should enjoy this fine; I just wouldn’t give it to any SFF readers. But what that means is that the main reason I didn’t get on with this one is that it’s not for me: I’m not the intended audience, and that’s absolutely fine.

I did think the pacing was too fast, that we were rushed through things that would have had the impact they were meant to if the writing hadn't been on fast-forward. But in terms of what it's trying to be, Malinalli's not terrible.

Great book! I was unfamiliar with the story/legends of Malinalli but loved this retelling of her story!

Thank you Atria Books & Primero Sueno Press for granting me an ARC!

Veronica! Malinalli has found a spot on my top 2024 reads! Gosh this was so good. I absolutely love reimagined tales especially with female rage. This was right up the alley of genres and themes I enjoy. I’m definitely going to get myself a physical copy of this book and will be recommending to everyone. Thank you for graciously sharing this advanced copy to me.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books | Atria/Primero Sueño Press Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This retelling of La Malinche's story guides readers through her life, starting in youth. Filled with magical realism, the epic story is recounted from Malinalli's perspective. I was already familiar with the story and Nahuatl, so I was rooting for the story and perhaps it made me a bit more critical.

The pacing took me quite some time to get used to, probably about 100 pages. The descriptions were beautiful, but I would have preferred more balance with dialogue in the beginning. The beginning was slow for me. The middle had a lot more energy in pacing, but I wanted more depth for the other characters. Towards the end, I expected much more zest for this epic story. Unfortunately, it feels like it petered out in a rushed way.

With that said, I think it's worth reading and exploring for the historical value and conversation.

I loved the concept of this book but did not love the execution. It seemed at times to move far too fast for my liking and supporting characters felt barebones.

A good premise for this era of reclaiming story threads of major mythological and/or historical women —and it seems to be the first of its type in English for a Mesoamerican character— "Malinalli" is a quick-ish read that interweaves coming-of-age, elements of fantasy, falling short of good intentions due to pride/youth, interesting imaginary settings (like a temple of sorceresses) and a fair bit of research for the factual ones (say, now archeological sites like Cozumel show up with the names that their then inhabitants gave them, like Ah-Cuzamil-Peten).

The first chapter is very exposition heavy, so it wasn't the easiest to get into, but plot wise the story from there does tend to move quite fast. Albeit not always clearly for me — sometimes the telling of a day's events kinda randomly included the narrator's mentions or recollections of conversations from days prior that the reader hadn't been introduced or privy to, so following some parts or how time passes can get a bit muddled, and honestly I found the writing for several magical moments downright confusing. Other times the events were almost plowed through (the beginning of part 3 was a bit of a whirlwind, for example, and I similarly found the first half of part 6 and the very end/epilogue pretty befuddling).

Overall it is a great concept, but not my favourite execution. Having said that, it was an interesting enough attempt and I like the idea that it may introduce some people to a figure likely not well known outside of Mexican cultures. Especially as it was written first in English unlike other novelizations of La Malinche.

PS. Some may find the amount of names perhaps overwhelming; but if they can deal with this in the Greco-Roman or other mythological reimaginings that abound, they'll be able to do so here as well.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of this book, but the execution left a lot to be desired. There are many plot points that are brought up and dropped and some characters just disappear. I also know this is based on real history, but I am not sure that the integration of magic into the real story made sense for the real ending. It all just felt a bit anticlimactic and the magic ability varied wildly depending on the situation.

I love the concept of taking a real person, especially a misunderstood woman, and giving her more agency so I hope books like this continue, but this one fell flat for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for this ARC.

When I found out that Malinalli by Veronica Chapa was a retelling about the story of Malinche I was excited but hesitant. I am not the greatest fan of retellings, as the previous few I've read were not only dry in their telling but also poorly developed.

Unfortunately I fear that the same problem I have with the niche genre, was also present in Malinalli.

The story opens to the story of Malinalli's birth, which was a promise of a prophecy foretold--in my mind at least-- and how her first day on Earth marked her for a long and twisted path that would take her far from home. Its premise gave me hope of what was to come, however I was sorely mistaken.

Bit by bit we explored every moment of Malinalli's life, which was primarily focused on her as it is about her life and her story. However, it hit me when I was about 90% of the way done with the story that Malinalli rarely focused on anyone who wasn't herself. Support characters barely existed in her life, as Malinalli herself rarely gave thought to the fact that they had their own lives that persisted outside her own. Even men that held a pivotal moment in her life were reduced to caricatures that really only painted them in two lights: a terrible man or a man who existed for a time. The lack of dimension in this world brought me entirely out of the story.

Following the flat supporting characters, Malinalli herself persisted as an insufferable protagonist whose mind we were trapped in. Everything she did was perfect, and if it wasn't she was better than those around her. She came off as a narcissistic know it all who really only had to think about it and she could do anything. On top of that, her personality seemed to follow that of the modern perspective: that a good female character is a loud, angry one. This trope annoys me to no end, as it erases the efforts other strong women both in fiction and reality made to gain an equal footing. Loud, angry women are not fun to read nor watch. They just come off as annoying.

For others, this may not be a problem and this may be right up your alley. Malinalli, however, encompassed everything I hated in fiction which made this more of a slog than an enlightening read about Malinche and her presence in the history of Latin America.