Immortal Pleasures is a fantastical take on what might have happened to one of history’s most divisive and mysterious figures: La Malinche, the Nahua Immortal Pleasures is a fantastical take on what might have happened to one of history’s most divisive and mysterious figures: La Malinche, the Nahua woman who rode and stood at Hernan Cortez’ side as he conquered Mexico. She grew up a trafficked girl in the Tabasco region but had an aptitude for languages, so she ended up with Cortez to serve as an interpreter. To this day opinions are mixed as to whether or not she was a traitor to her own people, but her ability to speak multiple languages and a penchant for diplomacy helped save lives on both sides of the conquest. Mysteriously, no one knows what happened to La Malinche when all was said and done. Immortal Pleasures offers a visceral, titillating, dark, romantic, and angry scenario in which La Malinche (now known as Malinalli) is turned into a vampire a few years later after Cortez has sent her away to live in Spain.
I have to say I’m feeling absolutely spoiled with the horromance lately! Isabel Canas (Vampires of El Norte) has been going on and on about how Horror Romance absolutely needs to be its own genre, just like Fantasy Romance, and I couldn’t agree more. Immortal Pleasures is a prime example of horror romance: Heck, it even has a HEA. The blurb for this book seems to be trying to sell us a love triangle, but that’s really wishy-washy. There’s no triangle to speak of.
What this book does so well–what Castro does so well–is world building. Her research is extensive and her knowledge is vast and she puts it to work so exquisitely to craft these impeccable horror novels based in Mesoamerican mythology. I loved the repatriation of ancient artifacts aspect of the story and I loved how the villains just found new and more miserable ways to exploit people (proving that slavers and colonizers truly have no conscience whatsoever).
It was absolutely wonderful. This lush, decadent, and immersive novel is going to stick with me.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Dark Fantasy/Historical Fantasy/Horror Romance/Horromance/Urban Fantasy/Vampire Fiction ...more
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