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Malinalli
An epic, magical tale, set against the backdrop of the final days of the Aztec Empire and reimagining the life of Malinalxochitl-otherwise known as La Malinche-a Nahua warrior priestess-in-training caught between two vicious men, both of whom have wronged her and her people.
Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.
The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.
Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.
The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.
12 pages, Audiobook
First published March 11, 2025
178 people are currently reading
19508 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Chapa
1 book48 followersVeronica Chapa is an author, essayist, and award-winning copywriter with a master’s degree in advertising from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
March 14, 2025
I was so highly disappointed by this book which is so frustrating since I wanted to love it so badly. There’s very few books regarding the culture of the indigenous people of Mexico so I was excited for it. However, I was left with utter disappointment.
Malinalli was a completely flat and annoying character throughout the entire book. She was an unlikable character and her anger towards her brother’s death did nothing for me; it just made her insufferable.
It started off incredibly slow and the pacing was uneven. As someone whose family is indigenous to Mexico, and knowing the story of La Malinche, I was highly hoping for a redemption arc considering how everyone views her in Mexico. I was hoping to hear a new side to the story based on her POV but ended up being more angry towards her.
The ending also seemed rushed which was upsetting. There should’ve been a bit more historical accuracy regarding her story considering she did have a child with Hernán Cortés but I digress. Overall, this could’ve been a great book but it just wasn’t well done and was disappointing.
Malinalli was a completely flat and annoying character throughout the entire book. She was an unlikable character and her anger towards her brother’s death did nothing for me; it just made her insufferable.
It started off incredibly slow and the pacing was uneven. As someone whose family is indigenous to Mexico, and knowing the story of La Malinche, I was highly hoping for a redemption arc considering how everyone views her in Mexico. I was hoping to hear a new side to the story based on her POV but ended up being more angry towards her.
The ending also seemed rushed which was upsetting. There should’ve been a bit more historical accuracy regarding her story considering she did have a child with Hernán Cortés but I digress. Overall, this could’ve been a great book but it just wasn’t well done and was disappointing.
dnf-it-s-not-you-it-s-me
December 19, 202419th Dec 2024: Received an arc through netgalley, it did not affect my opinion, etc etc
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. Making it, as best I can tell, not a fantasy novel. (Relevant because it was listed on Netgalley as SFF, hence my confusion.)
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 do think an objective flaw with this is that the pacing is terrible. Chapa speeds through events that lack any impact because the reader gets no time to process them, sit with them; we’re just immediately rushed on to the next thing. I think this would have been a much better book if it had been allowed to be much longer, so the story could slow down. So many gut-punches just didn’t land because I didn’t have time to have feelings about the events, or didn’t know the characters well enough yet to care about what happened to them.
Can’t speak to the accuracy of any of the historical aspects, but it did strike me as strange that Mali is very anti human-sacrifice when it was so normal for her culture. Felt like the author was trying to compromise between the culture and the morals/views of the reader, and the result was a bit wonky.
3rd June 2024: So I am about 99% sure this is the book that was first announced as The Woman in the Obsidian Mirror, which had a much cooler synopsis I will record below;
Feel like that's a much better blurb but I don't care too much as long as it's the same book!
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. Making it, as best I can tell, not a fantasy novel. (Relevant because it was listed on Netgalley as SFF, hence my confusion.)
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 do think an objective flaw with this is that the pacing is terrible. Chapa speeds through events that lack any impact because the reader gets no time to process them, sit with them; we’re just immediately rushed on to the next thing. I think this would have been a much better book if it had been allowed to be much longer, so the story could slow down. So many gut-punches just didn’t land because I didn’t have time to have feelings about the events, or didn’t know the characters well enough yet to care about what happened to them.
Can’t speak to the accuracy of any of the historical aspects, but it did strike me as strange that Mali is very anti human-sacrifice when it was so normal for her culture. Felt like the author was trying to compromise between the culture and the morals/views of the reader, and the result was a bit wonky.
3rd June 2024: So I am about 99% sure this is the book that was first announced as The Woman in the Obsidian Mirror, which had a much cooler synopsis I will record below;
An epic, magical tale, set against the backdrop of the final days of the Aztec Empire and reimagining the life of Malinalxochitl-otherwise known as La Malinche-a Nahua warrior priestess-in-training caught between two vicious men, both of whom have wronged her and her people.
Five hundred years ago, Spanish conquistadors destroyed the wondrous Mexica (known as "Aztec") city of Tenochtitlan, thus beginning the history of modern-day Mexico. Hernando Cortés and Moctezuma were at the helms of power, but today many people blame a young Indigenous Nahua woman for the cataclysm. Known by many names-Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina and Malinalxochitl, she was only eighteen when she was awarded to Cortés as a war prize. Cortés saw the value in her command of Indigenous languages, and though her exact role has been lost to history, she has long been seen as a woman who betrayed her culture. Debut author Veronica Chapa reinterprets her epic story with great power and empathy.
The firstborn in a set of fraternal twins, Mali spends her early years eager to take her rightful place as a student in Tenochtitlan's House of Magical Studies. Then tragedy strikes and she leaves home to study elsewhere among powerful priestesses. All the while, she hungers for revenge against Moctezuma, whom she believes responsible for destroying her family. Turmoil lands her under Cortés's control, working as his interpreter. She takes pride in the role-until she discovers his quest to conquer both his "new world" and her spirit. Far from home and with nothing and no one to fall back on, she dedicates herself to brokering peace between Cortes and those he meets en route to Tenochtitlan, where her powers fully emerge and her loyalties will be tested, with fateful consequences.
Feel like that's a much better blurb but I don't care too much as long as it's the same book!
August 15, 2025
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, aggressive 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.
Edited to change "masculine" to "aggressive" based on valid criticism in comments. Sadly, I couldn't like this book, because I found it very similar to other mythology retellings out there. However, clearly I'm not the right audience for it
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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, aggressive 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.
Edited to change "masculine" to "aggressive" based on valid criticism in comments. Sadly, I couldn't like this book, because I found it very similar to other mythology retellings out there. However, clearly I'm not the right audience for it
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
2025
December 22, 2025Latine Heritage Month TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press
April 21, 2025
A story about female resilience and making the most of bad situations based on real life experiences of La Malinche (aka Malinalli). I appreciate its unique perspective on La Malinche and its vivid descriptions of indigenous Mexican culture.
However, I think the book suffered from pacing issues, sacrificing an understanding of the titular character and side characters in order to hit plot points in quick succession. As a consequence, I had little to keep me engaged and felt pretty numb to objectively grave scenes that deserved more impact.
Someone who is more spiritual and has a greater appreciation for nature imagery would probably enjoy this more than I did.
However, I think the book suffered from pacing issues, sacrificing an understanding of the titular character and side characters in order to hit plot points in quick succession. As a consequence, I had little to keep me engaged and felt pretty numb to objectively grave scenes that deserved more impact.
Someone who is more spiritual and has a greater appreciation for nature imagery would probably enjoy this more than I did.
April 10, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this novel. I love historical fiction and magical realism and the fact that this was a retelling of La Malinche and the role she played in the Spanish Conquest against the Aztec Empire had me extremely excited to read.
My favorite parts were the descriptions as they painted a very vivid visual for me of the places and things Malinali was experiencing. I also really enjoyed the parts with Pakal Balam. I wish we got more of them together. Mali was a strong young woman who endured a lot and made mistakes along her journey due to her anger and pain and for that I LOVED HER. Other than her I also loved the loyalty of her friend Hummingbird and the sisterhood she experienced with the Temple of the Eighteen Moons. Oh, and this COVER? Geesh This is a book I would have picked up from a bookstore just off the cover alone.
The story did start off slow and I wish some of the more important events were more detailed and had longer explanations specifically the ending.
Overall, this was a great book especially for being Veronica Chapa’s debut novel. I recommend this book to everyone especially to my fellow readers of Mexican decent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
My favorite parts were the descriptions as they painted a very vivid visual for me of the places and things Malinali was experiencing. I also really enjoyed the parts with Pakal Balam. I wish we got more of them together. Mali was a strong young woman who endured a lot and made mistakes along her journey due to her anger and pain and for that I LOVED HER. Other than her I also loved the loyalty of her friend Hummingbird and the sisterhood she experienced with the Temple of the Eighteen Moons. Oh, and this COVER? Geesh This is a book I would have picked up from a bookstore just off the cover alone.
The story did start off slow and I wish some of the more important events were more detailed and had longer explanations specifically the ending.
Overall, this was a great book especially for being Veronica Chapa’s debut novel. I recommend this book to everyone especially to my fellow readers of Mexican decent.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria/Primero Sueno Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
July 4, 2025
Ohhhhhhhhhh!!!! They said historical fantasy and I said YES, PLEASEEEEE! Known by many names, Malinalli is but a misunderstood young girl who was sold into slavery as a child and would go on to live in infamy as the woman who would sell Mexico to the Spanish invaders.
While this was compared to Silvia Moreno Garcia and Zoraida Cordova’s writing (and I can see the comps completely), this was in a category of its own. Based on an actual figure in Mexico’s history, this was more fantastical fictionalized reality. I enjoyed it immensely, because the author really laid it all out on the table for us: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I love how with every turn, Malinalli still found a way to make it through. “Nevertheless, she persisted.” And that’s what I love to read: strong women who may have had a bad wrap, but they weren’t given the same chance as men, so they make do.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a finished copy of the book.
While this was compared to Silvia Moreno Garcia and Zoraida Cordova’s writing (and I can see the comps completely), this was in a category of its own. Based on an actual figure in Mexico’s history, this was more fantastical fictionalized reality. I enjoyed it immensely, because the author really laid it all out on the table for us: the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I love how with every turn, Malinalli still found a way to make it through. “Nevertheless, she persisted.” And that’s what I love to read: strong women who may have had a bad wrap, but they weren’t given the same chance as men, so they make do.
Thank you to the publisher for sending me a finished copy of the book.
January 13, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC copy.
I really enjoyed this story about Malinalli and how she became the woman that she was. The beginning was pretty slow and felt like it dragged a little at times, but for the most part it kept my interest.
I would recommend to anyone that's interested in historical fantasy and isn't familiar with this story.
I really enjoyed this story about Malinalli and how she became the woman that she was. The beginning was pretty slow and felt like it dragged a little at times, but for the most part it kept my interest.
I would recommend to anyone that's interested in historical fantasy and isn't familiar with this story.
July 8, 2025
Audiobook (12 hours) narrated by Cynthia Farrell
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Cynthia Farrell is excellent in her narration. She is an award winning narrator who received the Earphone Award for her narration of Queen of Bones, as noted:
I think I might have to give that book a looksie!
The audio is flawless.
I was drawn into this novel from the jump. Veronica Chapa worked her magic on me and I enjoyed every second of the 12 hour journey. Would do it again!
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
Cynthia Farrell is excellent in her narration. She is an award winning narrator who received the Earphone Award for her narration of Queen of Bones, as noted:
Narrator Cynthia Farrell's mellifluous and confident rendering of Cuban speech patterns alternating with perfectly colloquial American ones gives the listener a delicious sense of having been transplanted to Havana, a treat you couldn't get from the page alone. In Dovalpage's atmospheric tale, Juan Chiong returns home 20 years after barely surviving his escape to Florida on a raft. He misses his old flame, Elsa, and has no idea that his best friend, Victor, is now Victoria, host of a prominent drag club. This is not the Cuba that Juan left behind. His prosperous American wife, Sharon, has at the last minute decided to come along precisely because she senses Juan doesn't want her to. Bad idea. Farrell's performance is atmospheric and assured, a delightful listen. B.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2020]
I think I might have to give that book a looksie!
The audio is flawless.
I was drawn into this novel from the jump. Veronica Chapa worked her magic on me and I enjoyed every second of the 12 hour journey. Would do it again!
May 27, 2025
4⭐️
Greatly enjoyed this mythology retelling with themes of female resilience, survival, and sisterhood!
Greatly enjoyed this mythology retelling with themes of female resilience, survival, and sisterhood!
April 23, 2025
Thanks to Atria Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
This is the story of a woman in ancient Mexico who was born a twin in a culture that feared them. Given a goddess's name, she had expectations of a life that were shattered when her twin takes her birthright and again when father and twin are killed. She is shuffled off so her mother can remarry and is sent off to learn magic under the guidance of priestesses. She survives slavery and being made a concubine before she meets the Spanish and the actions for which she is forever remembered come to place. She has an Arya Stark-like need for revenge against Moctezuma which impacts the future of the Americas forever.
I love historical fiction that wraps up with mythology and turns a legend into a living breathing person. Malinalli went from a girl who was party to what appeared to be a terrible betrayal to a woman who made choices, some based on her place as a woman and some based on her need for revenge. I liked those aspects and the mixing of cultures and religion.
What didn't work for me was some of the structure. The pacing was strange at times and felt super rushed at times where I wanted a more measured detailed pace. I also felt like it was supposed to be a feminist retelling, but by adding some magic that undermined the fact that this woman had made actual choices. It wasn’t enough magic to be sci-fi but too much to be historical fiction so you’re sort of left interpreting what the author was trying to say about that.
It is a debut novel, so I give it a little grace for that but with a few more revisions it could have been really great.
This is the story of a woman in ancient Mexico who was born a twin in a culture that feared them. Given a goddess's name, she had expectations of a life that were shattered when her twin takes her birthright and again when father and twin are killed. She is shuffled off so her mother can remarry and is sent off to learn magic under the guidance of priestesses. She survives slavery and being made a concubine before she meets the Spanish and the actions for which she is forever remembered come to place. She has an Arya Stark-like need for revenge against Moctezuma which impacts the future of the Americas forever.
I love historical fiction that wraps up with mythology and turns a legend into a living breathing person. Malinalli went from a girl who was party to what appeared to be a terrible betrayal to a woman who made choices, some based on her place as a woman and some based on her need for revenge. I liked those aspects and the mixing of cultures and religion.
What didn't work for me was some of the structure. The pacing was strange at times and felt super rushed at times where I wanted a more measured detailed pace. I also felt like it was supposed to be a feminist retelling, but by adding some magic that undermined the fact that this woman had made actual choices. It wasn’t enough magic to be sci-fi but too much to be historical fiction so you’re sort of left interpreting what the author was trying to say about that.
It is a debut novel, so I give it a little grace for that but with a few more revisions it could have been really great.
April 17, 2025
Overall: 2.5/5
Narration: 3/5
I’m gonna keep this short—I was just disappointed by this read. I found it really hard to get into the story, and every time there was a moment where I thought, “Wow, this is really great,” something else would happen that pulled me right back out of it.
One thing I can say is that the book is really descriptive and atmospheric. There are certain things about the storytelling that I appreciated when it came to scene-setting. But overall, this was a letdown for me. I usually love a good historical fiction novel—especially ones that aim to tell the stories of those who are forgotten, complicated, and layered. But this never felt like the author wanted to truly depict La Malinche as the complex woman she was.
Here we have a woman seen as a traitor to Tenochtitlan, but so often, her Indigenous perspective is ignored. I was hoping for a deeper, more nuanced exploration of a figure who worked alongside the very man that brought down her people—while being a prisoner and a victim herself. Instead, Malinalli is portrayed as narcissistic, selfish, prideful, and flat.
There are more complexities and emotions that should go into telling the story of La Malinche, and I feel like we were missing that here. And being that this is historical fantasy fiction, I also hoped there would be more magical realism and fantastical elements—which we just don’t get. Overall, I appreciate the effort put into this, and I hope it inspires more Mexican Indigenous literature in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Primero Sueño Press for this egalley.
Narration: 3/5
I’m gonna keep this short—I was just disappointed by this read. I found it really hard to get into the story, and every time there was a moment where I thought, “Wow, this is really great,” something else would happen that pulled me right back out of it.
One thing I can say is that the book is really descriptive and atmospheric. There are certain things about the storytelling that I appreciated when it came to scene-setting. But overall, this was a letdown for me. I usually love a good historical fiction novel—especially ones that aim to tell the stories of those who are forgotten, complicated, and layered. But this never felt like the author wanted to truly depict La Malinche as the complex woman she was.
Here we have a woman seen as a traitor to Tenochtitlan, but so often, her Indigenous perspective is ignored. I was hoping for a deeper, more nuanced exploration of a figure who worked alongside the very man that brought down her people—while being a prisoner and a victim herself. Instead, Malinalli is portrayed as narcissistic, selfish, prideful, and flat.
There are more complexities and emotions that should go into telling the story of La Malinche, and I feel like we were missing that here. And being that this is historical fantasy fiction, I also hoped there would be more magical realism and fantastical elements—which we just don’t get. Overall, I appreciate the effort put into this, and I hope it inspires more Mexican Indigenous literature in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Primero Sueño Press for this egalley.
February 24, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa is a first person-POV historical fantasy retelling of Malinche, one of the most famous women in the history of the Americas. Born the eldest twin, Malinalli always assumed she would attend the House of Magical Studies and is furious when her brother is sent instead due to her gender. Foretold to be forced away from her home and doomed to live a miserable life, Malinalli fights to take control of her own narrative every step of the way, but when the Conquistadors come, they will prove to be her most complex challenge.
Like many Americans, I grew up knowing who Malinche was and the view that she is a traitor to the Indigenous people of Mexico. Over the years, I’ve heard more and more viewpoints that she is far more complex and owed nothing to the people who kept her as a slave or the ones who sold her into slavery in the first place. Veronica Chapa shows the complex situation Malinche was in and reimagines some of her early life to include the murder of her twin brother, Eagle, and the tragic death of her father. The narrative definitely portrays Malinche the historical figure and Malinalli the character in a sympathetic light as a young woman who has had her choices taken from her and witnessed bloodshed she cannot make sense of.
Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs and still spoken by the Nahua people today, is used throughout the text. Veronica Chapa chose each word carefully to add a sense of authenticity and would be fairly seamless for most readers to know what the word is in reference to (such as ‘tomatl’ for ‘tomato’ and ‘chocolatl’ for ‘liquid chocolate’). I love it when authors include endangered languages in authentic ways and include pronunciation guides because it’s a way to preserve language which is so very important because language and culture are married. Malinche/Malinalli is a Nahua woman and her language is part of who she is, even more so given that she is such an infamous interpreter.
The pacing is on the slower end and is meant to put you deep in Malinalli’s head as she learns to hone her magic and meets the challenges life throws at her with dignity. Starting at her birth and not bringing Cortes in until after halfway through the book gives Malinalli’s story the room to breathe and be about more than the most famous and controversial part about her life. It definitely did make me think a bit more about how we talk about Malinche purely in relation to her status as Cortes interpreter instead of all the other things that make her a complex figure even if that doesn’t negate the lasting consequences.
Content warning for depictions of sexism and sexual assault
I would recommend this to fans of retellings looking historical retellings about controversial figures and readers looking for a slower-paced historical fantasy character study
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa is a first person-POV historical fantasy retelling of Malinche, one of the most famous women in the history of the Americas. Born the eldest twin, Malinalli always assumed she would attend the House of Magical Studies and is furious when her brother is sent instead due to her gender. Foretold to be forced away from her home and doomed to live a miserable life, Malinalli fights to take control of her own narrative every step of the way, but when the Conquistadors come, they will prove to be her most complex challenge.
Like many Americans, I grew up knowing who Malinche was and the view that she is a traitor to the Indigenous people of Mexico. Over the years, I’ve heard more and more viewpoints that she is far more complex and owed nothing to the people who kept her as a slave or the ones who sold her into slavery in the first place. Veronica Chapa shows the complex situation Malinche was in and reimagines some of her early life to include the murder of her twin brother, Eagle, and the tragic death of her father. The narrative definitely portrays Malinche the historical figure and Malinalli the character in a sympathetic light as a young woman who has had her choices taken from her and witnessed bloodshed she cannot make sense of.
Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs and still spoken by the Nahua people today, is used throughout the text. Veronica Chapa chose each word carefully to add a sense of authenticity and would be fairly seamless for most readers to know what the word is in reference to (such as ‘tomatl’ for ‘tomato’ and ‘chocolatl’ for ‘liquid chocolate’). I love it when authors include endangered languages in authentic ways and include pronunciation guides because it’s a way to preserve language which is so very important because language and culture are married. Malinche/Malinalli is a Nahua woman and her language is part of who she is, even more so given that she is such an infamous interpreter.
The pacing is on the slower end and is meant to put you deep in Malinalli’s head as she learns to hone her magic and meets the challenges life throws at her with dignity. Starting at her birth and not bringing Cortes in until after halfway through the book gives Malinalli’s story the room to breathe and be about more than the most famous and controversial part about her life. It definitely did make me think a bit more about how we talk about Malinche purely in relation to her status as Cortes interpreter instead of all the other things that make her a complex figure even if that doesn’t negate the lasting consequences.
Content warning for depictions of sexism and sexual assault
I would recommend this to fans of retellings looking historical retellings about controversial figures and readers looking for a slower-paced historical fantasy character study
February 3, 2025
[Copy provided by publisher]
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Indigenous Mexican history
• Female warriors and sorcerors
• Revering goddesses
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A feminist retelling I wish I loved more than I did. This novel is based on the real-life Nahua woman who was translator for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Named after and thought of as a goddess, we watch fierce and ambitious Malinalxochitl grapple with a personal desire for vengeance as she learns to weave powerful magic and marches toward that fateful meeting between Cortés and Moctezuma in Tenochtitlan.
I had high hopes for this. Nowhere in the history I was taught about Mexico's Indigenous peoples and the Spanish conquistadors did Malinalli make an appearance. In a crowded market of feminist retellings, I thought this was a worthy subject, exploring a time in history I wish I knew more of.
Unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy this because it suffers from one of my biggest pet peeves: uneven and sometimes confusing character development. One moment we see Malinalxochitl covet her namesake goddess' shield. A chapter later, she's content to let it be. Another chapter later, she wishes for it again, with no acknowledgement that she had mentally relinquished it. Later in the book, she recoils from war after seeing the devastation firsthand. But a few pages later, she relishes the idea of having her own army. The inconsistencies start adding up even when they involve small details.
There's also the matter of uneven pacing. Huge reveals and developments feel glossed over by their matter-of-fact delivery. Meanwhile, small scenes and moments are sometimes unnecessarily drawn out. The last part of the novel started as its strongest, but lost steam as it dragged on. I can't tell if editing decisions are to blame for the bumpy storytelling, but the bumpiness took away from what could have been a great novel.
READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Indigenous Mexican history
• Female warriors and sorcerors
• Revering goddesses
I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A feminist retelling I wish I loved more than I did. This novel is based on the real-life Nahua woman who was translator for Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés. Named after and thought of as a goddess, we watch fierce and ambitious Malinalxochitl grapple with a personal desire for vengeance as she learns to weave powerful magic and marches toward that fateful meeting between Cortés and Moctezuma in Tenochtitlan.
I had high hopes for this. Nowhere in the history I was taught about Mexico's Indigenous peoples and the Spanish conquistadors did Malinalli make an appearance. In a crowded market of feminist retellings, I thought this was a worthy subject, exploring a time in history I wish I knew more of.
Unfortunately, I couldn't fully enjoy this because it suffers from one of my biggest pet peeves: uneven and sometimes confusing character development. One moment we see Malinalxochitl covet her namesake goddess' shield. A chapter later, she's content to let it be. Another chapter later, she wishes for it again, with no acknowledgement that she had mentally relinquished it. Later in the book, she recoils from war after seeing the devastation firsthand. But a few pages later, she relishes the idea of having her own army. The inconsistencies start adding up even when they involve small details.
There's also the matter of uneven pacing. Huge reveals and developments feel glossed over by their matter-of-fact delivery. Meanwhile, small scenes and moments are sometimes unnecessarily drawn out. The last part of the novel started as its strongest, but lost steam as it dragged on. I can't tell if editing decisions are to blame for the bumpy storytelling, but the bumpiness took away from what could have been a great novel.
March 9, 2025
I’ve no idea how this went from rather good to just bad. Review to come 🐍
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This might contain spoilers for some people, so please proceed with caution for those who don’t like spoilers. ⚠️
I’m a bit confused with this book because while the start was slow, I was having a great time with this until the 70% mark. . . And then it took such a nosedive for me that I just feel jinxed. 🙁
The story is a fantasy historical retelling of Mexico’s infamous La Malinche who was the interpreter for Hernán Cortés. I was really liking the fresh take on this woman as she grows from a scorned girl into a warrior priestess and then falls to slave and concubine before becoming an interpreter. Her growth for the first 69% was slow, but gradually progressed as she tries to adjust to each new stage in her life. While she does regress here and there, I thought it rather natural since real life deals us with progress and step backs over time. ⏳
The last 30% of the book just left me baffled. Malinalli’s 180 from being a sorceress ready to rain fury down on her enemy to peacekeeper just felt so abrupt that I thought I was reading a completely different POV/book. That and her passive attempts to get Cortés to leave on his own terms just felt so off from a woman who was happy to use the Spaniard for her own gains. I just feel like I missed a huge moment in the plot where the tone switched. 🤯
The other thing that just really confused me endlessly was what Malinalli’s spirit animal was. Is it a snake or an eagle?? I’m just so lost with it all. 😫
A thank you goes out to Atria Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. I REALLY wanted to understand the ending, but it just left me so confused. 😢
Publication date: March 11
Overall: 2.5/5 ⭐️
(FINAL REVIEW:)
This might contain spoilers for some people, so please proceed with caution for those who don’t like spoilers. ⚠️
I’m a bit confused with this book because while the start was slow, I was having a great time with this until the 70% mark. . . And then it took such a nosedive for me that I just feel jinxed. 🙁
The story is a fantasy historical retelling of Mexico’s infamous La Malinche who was the interpreter for Hernán Cortés. I was really liking the fresh take on this woman as she grows from a scorned girl into a warrior priestess and then falls to slave and concubine before becoming an interpreter. Her growth for the first 69% was slow, but gradually progressed as she tries to adjust to each new stage in her life. While she does regress here and there, I thought it rather natural since real life deals us with progress and step backs over time. ⏳
The last 30% of the book just left me baffled. Malinalli’s 180 from being a sorceress ready to rain fury down on her enemy to peacekeeper just felt so abrupt that I thought I was reading a completely different POV/book. That and her passive attempts to get Cortés to leave on his own terms just felt so off from a woman who was happy to use the Spaniard for her own gains. I just feel like I missed a huge moment in the plot where the tone switched. 🤯
The other thing that just really confused me endlessly was what Malinalli’s spirit animal was. Is it a snake or an eagle?? I’m just so lost with it all. 😫
A thank you goes out to Atria Books and NetGalley for accepting my request to read this in exchange for an honest review. I REALLY wanted to understand the ending, but it just left me so confused. 😢
Publication date: March 11
Overall: 2.5/5 ⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2024
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.
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.
June 12, 2025
Not much to say other than this is sadly disappointing.
October 30, 2025
I respect when an author is willing to make their main character unlikable and basically keep them that way for the entire book.
I respect this author specifically because she decided to take on the story of a highly controversial historical figure and give them a voice that doesn’t necessarily redeem them but it does give a different perspective. If the author’s goal was to make more people root for Malinalli, I don’t think this book really accomplishes that, but I think it’ll encourage some people to do their own research.
This book is sad. You know going into it that it’s going to be sad. Read at your own risk.
I respect this author specifically because she decided to take on the story of a highly controversial historical figure and give them a voice that doesn’t necessarily redeem them but it does give a different perspective. If the author’s goal was to make more people root for Malinalli, I don’t think this book really accomplishes that, but I think it’ll encourage some people to do their own research.
This book is sad. You know going into it that it’s going to be sad. Read at your own risk.
October 20, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
July 18, 2025
Malinalli offers a vivid retelling of the life of La Malinche, the interpreter, advisor, and cultural bridge between the Spanish and Indigenous peoples during the conquest of Mexico. Told from her own imagined perspective, Veronica Chapa weaves together personal memory, cultural identity, and spiritual understanding in a way that brings depth to a figure too often reduced to stereotype. As I read, I found myself imagining this as the voice Malinalli might have used to tell her own story. History is often told by the victors, and as such, there are no records of her actual thoughts. But this novel felt like the version she would have wanted us to hear. The supernatural elements aren’t framed as fantasy, but as part of her worldview and how she made sense of the world around her. That made the inclusion of the spiritual feel authentic rather than fictional. Her strength and agency are central, and I appreciated how the novel portrayed her as much more than a passive figure in a larger narrative. After reading Traitor, Survivor, Icon: The Legacy of La Malinche by Victoria I. Lyall and Terezita Romo, I created a lesson focused on historical empathy and how her legacy has been shaped. Since then, I’ve had a special interest in how her story is told, and this novel added to that understanding in a meaningful way. Fantasy is not usually my genre, but here it felt like the right approach and it worked for me.
Recommended for: Readers interested in Indigenous perspectives, historical reinterpretation, and stories that blend myth, memory, and identity. A thoughtful addition to conversations around La Malinche.
Recommended for: Readers interested in Indigenous perspectives, historical reinterpretation, and stories that blend myth, memory, and identity. A thoughtful addition to conversations around La Malinche.
Want to read
July 19, 2025I won an ARC of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
October 24, 2024
ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
3.5 stars.
This story follows Malinalli from ill-fated birth until the sacking of Tenochtitlan by the hand of Cortes. Overall, I think it's an extremely interesting look into life during that time and a tale of a girl unknowingly pushing against a doomed fate, but at times, the writing style ended up as a miss for me.
It was definitely an experience reading a book where our protagonist is so hopeful and determined to save her people when you, the audience, know the ultimately tragic way history unfolds after her. It gives the whole story an eerie, desperate feeling. I liked Malinalli's drive, but it made me sad.
The writing, unfortunately, was not for me. The magical realism could be a bit frustrating because I never knew what was possible, and because of the way it was written, I kept trying to find practical explanations for the things it was describing. Time could also be confusingly written, which gave parts of the novel a dreamlike feel.
3.5 stars.
This story follows Malinalli from ill-fated birth until the sacking of Tenochtitlan by the hand of Cortes. Overall, I think it's an extremely interesting look into life during that time and a tale of a girl unknowingly pushing against a doomed fate, but at times, the writing style ended up as a miss for me.
It was definitely an experience reading a book where our protagonist is so hopeful and determined to save her people when you, the audience, know the ultimately tragic way history unfolds after her. It gives the whole story an eerie, desperate feeling. I liked Malinalli's drive, but it made me sad.
The writing, unfortunately, was not for me. The magical realism could be a bit frustrating because I never knew what was possible, and because of the way it was written, I kept trying to find practical explanations for the things it was describing. Time could also be confusingly written, which gave parts of the novel a dreamlike feel.
December 19, 2024
A feminist retelling from the point of view of an extremely controversial woman, Malinelli (aka many other names) who was an interpreter for the Spanish colonizer, Cortes. Things are always more complicated than what is in the history books, and this retelling gives Malinalli some agency and control. Sister, Priestess, Slave, Concubine, Interpreter, Avenger. These are only some of Malinalli's roles. Malinalli joins her sisters, Circe and Kaikeyi, in telling her story.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
Want to read
June 28, 2024"An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico’s history and mythology, perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow and Zoraida Córdova’s The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina."
oooh, this sounds good!
oooh, this sounds good!
March 14, 2025
Malinalli (thank you #gifted @primerosuenopress @simonaudio ) retells the story of Cortes's translator and consort during his conquering of Tenochtitlan.
I'll confess I knew very little about Malinalli beforehand, but I love how she's reimagined here as someone who's trying to protect her people as best she can, instead of the traitor many consider her to be. She gives voice to the women who have so little agency at the time and the goddesses who have been ignored.
Chapa brings this Aztec world to life, full of jaguar thrones, vengeful gods, and trading with people near and far.
Mainalli's life is full of tragedy, but the end when the Spanish take over Tenochtitlan is particularly chilling, with all the brutality Cortes brings. Though with human sacrifices and the murderous ways of Montezuma, nothing is peaceful. Malinalli recognizes this, and she's a strong character who hopes to create a better world.
There's magic in the book, but I was never really clear on the rules of it. What I thought at first was magical realism with visions of other places and times turned into shape shifting and the ability to stop time as the book progressed.
Unfortunately, I was left with a lot of questions. There are minor characters whose fate/motivation I never understood, like Rabbit in the underworld. But the biggest question of all is why, in this world where certain characters have so much power, Cortes cannot be stopped. Why does Montezuma agree to be his hostage? Why doesn't Malinalli use her power more directly to send the Spaniards back?
I combined the print and audio for this, as I love to do. Narrator Cynthia Farrell brings the story to life. I especially loved hearing the correct pronunciation of all the names in the books. But it was a story that required a lot of focus, which isn't always the best for me for audiobooks. I found myself rewinding parts, and then going back and reading in print to understand what was happening. (Like I mentioned before, though, I sometimes was still left confused.)
It's a story worth telling and I'm glad I know more about this time. I just wish the plot was clearer.
I'll confess I knew very little about Malinalli beforehand, but I love how she's reimagined here as someone who's trying to protect her people as best she can, instead of the traitor many consider her to be. She gives voice to the women who have so little agency at the time and the goddesses who have been ignored.
Chapa brings this Aztec world to life, full of jaguar thrones, vengeful gods, and trading with people near and far.
Mainalli's life is full of tragedy, but the end when the Spanish take over Tenochtitlan is particularly chilling, with all the brutality Cortes brings. Though with human sacrifices and the murderous ways of Montezuma, nothing is peaceful. Malinalli recognizes this, and she's a strong character who hopes to create a better world.
There's magic in the book, but I was never really clear on the rules of it. What I thought at first was magical realism with visions of other places and times turned into shape shifting and the ability to stop time as the book progressed.
Unfortunately, I was left with a lot of questions. There are minor characters whose fate/motivation I never understood, like Rabbit in the underworld. But the biggest question of all is why, in this world where certain characters have so much power, Cortes cannot be stopped. Why does Montezuma agree to be his hostage? Why doesn't Malinalli use her power more directly to send the Spaniards back?
I combined the print and audio for this, as I love to do. Narrator Cynthia Farrell brings the story to life. I especially loved hearing the correct pronunciation of all the names in the books. But it was a story that required a lot of focus, which isn't always the best for me for audiobooks. I found myself rewinding parts, and then going back and reading in print to understand what was happening. (Like I mentioned before, though, I sometimes was still left confused.)
It's a story worth telling and I'm glad I know more about this time. I just wish the plot was clearer.
March 20, 2025
I hate when pacing throws the book off by so much. When I first started reading this I felt it was confidently 4 stars but the last sections of the book just slogged on and on.
There are a lot of contradictions in this book between magicians, sorcerers/sorceresses and gods/goddess's. All of these words are tossed and switched up between paragraphs it gets lost in translation honestly.
Malinalli is definitely a walking contradiction herself. At a very young age swear to exact revenge on Moctezuma. She carries that bloodlust with her until the final years at the Temple of 18 Moons. Then she believes she is blessed by the goddess she was renamed for. But then fully embraces who she is herself as Malinalli. Then the last part of the book "tries" to bring peace between Cortes and Moctezuma but doesn't do anything other than try to convince the Spanish to leave.. Doesn't want any more blood shed but then is eager to learn she has an army.. At this point I have NO CLUE what Malinalli wants. Peace? War? Lies? Truths? Nothing is clear.
The one thing I admire is how absolutely stunning her atmospheric writing is. I was wholeheartedly immersed into the villages, the serene 18 Moon Temple, the emerald green jungles and could smell the food. My mouth was watering.
Knowing what your main character stands for is everything in a book. If a little more time was spent on Malinalli's character and journey this could have been a 5 star easily.
There are a lot of contradictions in this book between magicians, sorcerers/sorceresses and gods/goddess's. All of these words are tossed and switched up between paragraphs it gets lost in translation honestly.
Malinalli is definitely a walking contradiction herself. At a very young age swear to exact revenge on Moctezuma. She carries that bloodlust with her until the final years at the Temple of 18 Moons. Then she believes she is blessed by the goddess she was renamed for. But then fully embraces who she is herself as Malinalli. Then the last part of the book "tries" to bring peace between Cortes and Moctezuma but doesn't do anything other than try to convince the Spanish to leave.. Doesn't want any more blood shed but then is eager to learn she has an army.. At this point I have NO CLUE what Malinalli wants. Peace? War? Lies? Truths? Nothing is clear.
The one thing I admire is how absolutely stunning her atmospheric writing is. I was wholeheartedly immersed into the villages, the serene 18 Moon Temple, the emerald green jungles and could smell the food. My mouth was watering.
Knowing what your main character stands for is everything in a book. If a little more time was spent on Malinalli's character and journey this could have been a 5 star easily.
March 11, 2025
Audiobook/Book Review 📖✨🎧
thank you so much partner @primerosuenopress @atriabooks & Simon Audio for the gifted copy, audiobook, and GORGEOUS bookmark! #atriapartner
Malinalli
by Veronica Chapa
Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
About the book 👇🏽
A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess—blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards’ intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor—the “Indian” girl who helped sell Mexico’s future to an invader.
💫 My thoughts:
Irresistible and compelling! I split up the reading experience just about evenly between audiobook and physical book and both were great! I was not familiar with the story of La Malinche and went into this story completely blind and came out the other side completely fascinated. This felt heavy on historical fiction, and although it’s not typically a genre I reach for, I can get behind this! The narrator did an incredible job bringing this story to life and really transporting me into it. I found Chapa’s writing to be incredibly vivid and an experience I’d like to have again and again. I’m excited to see what he his author will write next, but in the meantime… the world is graced by Malinalli and it hit shelves TODAY, 3/11/25!
Happy reading 📖💫✨
thank you so much partner @primerosuenopress @atriabooks & Simon Audio for the gifted copy, audiobook, and GORGEOUS bookmark! #atriapartner
Malinalli
by Veronica Chapa
Narrated by Cynthia Farrell
About the book 👇🏽
A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess—blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards’ intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor—the “Indian” girl who helped sell Mexico’s future to an invader.
💫 My thoughts:
Irresistible and compelling! I split up the reading experience just about evenly between audiobook and physical book and both were great! I was not familiar with the story of La Malinche and went into this story completely blind and came out the other side completely fascinated. This felt heavy on historical fiction, and although it’s not typically a genre I reach for, I can get behind this! The narrator did an incredible job bringing this story to life and really transporting me into it. I found Chapa’s writing to be incredibly vivid and an experience I’d like to have again and again. I’m excited to see what he his author will write next, but in the meantime… the world is graced by Malinalli and it hit shelves TODAY, 3/11/25!
Happy reading 📖💫✨
May 16, 2025
Malinalli is a historical fantasy retelling of the story of La Malinche, a woman infamous in Latin America for being a “traitor” due to her work as interpreter for Hernan Cortes. As someone who studied Latin American history I was really interested to read this interpretation of her story, but unfortunately this novel fell flat for me. I found the first third of the book to be very slow with prose that felt overly flowery just for the sake of it. The middle of the book was more engaging, but the pacing was very inconsistent. By the end I was just reading for it to be done, not because I was particularly captivated by the story. While I appreciated the magical and fantasy elements, I don’t think they were laid out clearly enough in the beginning so it became confusing at times. I don’t think this was a bad book, but there were a lot of elements that could’ve been much stronger.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc, these are my own opinions.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc, these are my own opinions.
June 3, 2025
I'm catching up on reviews. I started/finished Malinalli back in April.
I really wanted to love this one but it ended up falling short for me.
Malinalli tells the story of a controversial indigenous woman in Mexican history. Some know her as La Malinche, Cortes's translator.
There were a couple of issues I had with the story. The pacing felt rushed to me. We quickly moved from one thing to the next. Without some breathing room I wasn't able to savour the small moments in the story or feel the weight of consequences during crucial parts of the narrative.
I was also disappointed by the lack of fantasy in here which is partly my fault. I knew going in that this retelling is a historical fiction novel but once a few magical elements were introduced my expectations changed. It felt like the author was trying to appeal to both historical fiction and fantasy readers without delivering on either.
I really wanted to love this one but it ended up falling short for me.
Malinalli tells the story of a controversial indigenous woman in Mexican history. Some know her as La Malinche, Cortes's translator.
There were a couple of issues I had with the story. The pacing felt rushed to me. We quickly moved from one thing to the next. Without some breathing room I wasn't able to savour the small moments in the story or feel the weight of consequences during crucial parts of the narrative.
I was also disappointed by the lack of fantasy in here which is partly my fault. I knew going in that this retelling is a historical fiction novel but once a few magical elements were introduced my expectations changed. It felt like the author was trying to appeal to both historical fiction and fantasy readers without delivering on either.
May 13, 2025
While I was very intrigued by the premise of this story and I think there was a lot of very interesting mythology and character building around Malinalli, there was no actual plot. It very much feels like, despite all of the magic development and character growth, history stepped in at the end and said there is no real story here around Malinalli. The use of the epilogue at the end is also mildly infuriating because it gives a lot of information that could have very easily been fleshed out into a sequel that would have made the ending to this book a little more forgivable in its abruptness. I suppose the story achieved its goal in making me want to learn more about the actual history of the time, but it failed to tell an interesting magical story woven around historical events as it initially promised.
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