This was a really interesting story. I love how it played with history and created it's own vampire mythos. I also enjoyed learning more about Malinalli's story; she was a fascinating character with a truly unique voice. Castro's writing style is just as unique as Malinalli herself, with a beautiful cadence that kept me turning pages and reminded me a bit of Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Alexander's backstory was also very interesting and a fun twist, especially in it being another example of how history can be twisted to fit a specific narrative, much like Malinalli's own story was. The villain of the story was well-crafted and wonderfully wrought, especially in that the author didn't try to really humanize or make the reader empathize with him; he was just a cruel, horrible person who the reader couldn't wait to see taken down. My only complaint is that the final fight felt a bit rushed and anti-climatic, especially given how much the villain was built up beforehand. Maybe I'm just a weirdo, but I definitely expected and wanted a little more violence to his end.
If you enjoy horror with a bit or romance or vice versa, definitely check this book out.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was fortunate to come across this book on NetGalley, the cover immediately grabbed my attention. I quickly scanned the blurb and knew I had to read it.
This was my first introduction to V. Castro and I can say it won't be my last time reading one of her books.
Immortal Pleasures had me from the first page to the last.
The descriptive writing, the sex scenes, the battle scenes are all written like poetry! I found myself rereading passages and getting lost in the mental images they created.
The story of Malinalli, a vampire of Nahua ethnicity, is written in present and past tense. I love that we get to learn about her life before becoming a vampire!
Immortal Pleasures also gives us a history lesson in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire from the point of view of a Nahua female.
V. Castro did an amazing job relaying the raw emotions that they must have felt and the torment their people endured.

This story has treasure hunting, revenge, gore, a strong female main character, a beautiful love story, an evil villain, a side of the Spanish conquest we don't always get to hear about, and it does not end with a cliff hanger.
🌶🌶🌶

Immortal pleasures by V Castro was an intriguing premise that missed in a few areas for me.

I was really excited for a in-depth look at some Mexican/Myan mythology mixed with my favorite trope ever of vampires. And while there was some mythology to be had, it wasn't well explained or very accessible. You kind of had to already know who the big players were in order to grasp the mythology aspect. The vampires were also extremely human like, and didn't have too many "vampire like" attributes. Other than the drinking of blood, I would never have known they weren't just regular people. The romances within the book were a little cringey and both just too much "Insta love" for me. Our FMC was immediately head over heels for both love interests within seconds of meeting them. She was instantly seeing long-term futures, talking about love, just having spotted them across the room. And many of the ways in which the sex was described, really took me out of the story, and actually were making me laugh. At one point, one of the love interests "members" was described as an eel. I literally laughed out loud for that one.

What I did like, was the intricate mystery surrounding the plot line. It turned from a very smutty story to more like a murder/mystery almost detective, like plotline, and I really enjoyed that plot line. Honestly, we could've removed the whole first love interest completely and just gotten right into the thriller type plot line and I would've been so much happier with the book.

It pains me to not have liked the story as much as I wanted to. V Castro is an amazing author, and this just wasn't a highlight book for me.

An interesting read! The story does a good job in holding your attention with plenty of suspense and action. The narration of the story in going back in time fills in the characters and makes the story even better, I found it hard to put down this book.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

First of all, thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for the ARC!
The concept of this book is really amazing. I love vampires, stories fighting against colonization, and spice so what could go wrong? Unfortunately, the writing style of this book just wasn't for me. I DNFed at 58%.
The first chapter contained a large info dump of information on the FMC, but a lot of that information is restated again throughout the book so it feels repetitive. I felt like there was a lot of telling and not showing when it came to the personalities of different characters. There wasn't a strong build-up to the spice and the analogies used in the spicy scenes were off-putting and took me out of the story.
I do think if there were some significant edits, this would be a 4-5 star read for me.

Immortal Pleasures expertly blends ancient history with the supernatural leading to a novel that explores the life of one Aztec vampire.

La Malinche was a slave to the Spanish Inquisitors — translating and as their middle woman. Due to this she’s ultimately seen as somebody who’d betrayed her own people, while others simply believe she was trying to simply survive.

Now reborn as Malinalli, she finds herself traveling seeking love and vengeance, while also seeking out and returning stolen artifacts. Even finding two drastically different men who she shares her time with.

The spice does not disappoint, and the rich amount of history infused within the pages is wonderful and kept my attention from the very beginning until the last bittersweet page. I wasn’t ready for the book to end.

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All reviews will be live 1-2 weeks prior on IG, Goodreads and Bookbub — and b&n if applicable.

Amazon review posted upon release.

I'm always drawn to read vampire books that feature strong female characters. The feminist perspective is evident as well as the history of her descent into vampirism. The characters are rich, well drawn out and there are hints of romance and deluges of history intertwined in this story. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks Netgalley.

Thabk you.for the oppprtunity to read this book...

Unfortunately, this book is not for me to the point where I do not even want to rate it. I will not post to any outlets to prevent an opportunity for improvememt prior to publishing.. I think the premise is wonderful and the idea behind the plot is good. However, the execution fails. The narrator doesn't seem wise after having lived such a long life. Instead she comes off as childish at times and narcissistic at others. The constant "I" statements really pull the story down. The obvious avoidance of cliched language makes for some weird description as well. I'm all for originality but calling a dick an eel and your butthole an anemone is weird..and I like Orc porn so?? Maybe just not suitable for me.

Additionally, there's massive repetition. I am unsure of the point of this. Is it to belabor a point or does the writer believe her readers aren't intelligent enough to recall details previously given? Again, it made the main character seem as if she was harping so much.

I wanted to see the relics returned, Cortes demolished, and her find love.. but all the extra weight of unnecessary and poorly crafted story made it impossible. In the end, I wanted it over just to be done. The writer has talent but needs a jeavy-handed editor who isn't against trimming this down a lot. This could be half as long, and that would make it twice as good.

A beautifully haunting, feminist masterpiece that speaks to the injustices faced by native people during colonialism and haunts the reader to their core. This is a different type of horror novel, one filled with terrifying nightmares faced by enslaved people throughout history. This work of fiction had me overcome with emotion by the events covered by a mysterious vengeance seeking vampire named Malinalli. She works to take her country back through centuries of antiquities dealings and vicious attacks while also seeking true love. This is one that will be talked about for a long time to come. Well done.

"Immortal Pleasures" by V. Castro is a dark fantasy novel that blends ancient history with the supernatural. The story centers around Malinalli, an ancient Aztec vampire who once served as a translator for the conquistador Cortés, known historically as La Malinche. In her new immortal existence, she seeks vengeance and love while traveling the world to reclaim stolen artifacts and return them to their rightful places.

Malinalli's quest brings her to Dublin, where she searches for a pair of Aztec skulls that hold a deep connection to her own dark past. Along the way, she encounters two men who fulfill different aspects of her desires. One is a mortal man, a horror novelist, who is intrigued rather than repelled by her condition. The other is an immortal, sharing the darkness within her.

The novel explores themes of vengeance, love, and the complexities of desire as Malinalli navigates her own immortal existence. With a unique blend of history, fantasy, and romance, "Immortal Pleasures" promises a seductive and captivating journey.

La Malinche is a historical figure shrouded in controversy - Malinalli was a Nahua woman who served as a translator and intermediary for Hernan Cortes during his conquest of the Aztec empire. After Hernan had used her both for her translation and advice and as a bedmate, he married her off to another Spaniard.

She is seen by many as someone who betrayed her people by working for the conquistadors - others claim she was doing whatever she could to keep herself alive. In V Castro's story, she is a vampire in modern day society, working to return Indigenous artifacts to their proper homelands instead of being in museums around the world. When someone from her past and someone else from the historical record appears, she must once again figure out her allegiances and plan to stay alive.

I am so THANKFUL to Del Rey Books, V. Castro, and Netgalley for sending me digital and physical access to Immortal Pleasures before this baby hits shelves on April 16, 2024. I devoured The Haunting of Alejandra, and while this one wasn't entirely my favorite, I still am rounding up my rating to 3.75 stars because the historical fiction aspect was so rich and profound that I wanted more historical significance and less smut. Still, I do believe all my spice-loving readers are going to EAT THIS ONE UP.

La Malinche was encaptured as a slave to the Spanish conquistadors, Hernan Cortés being one of them. After watching one indigenous group after another get pillaged and eradicated, she fights back to reclaim her body. She becomes a vampire, where she's reborn as Malinalli, seeking Immortal Pleasures (TITLE DROP, OOP!)

In her new immortal timeline, she seeks to reclaim and hunt down artifacts stolen from indigenous peoples centuries ago and restore them to their rightful owners. Along the way, she finds her pleasures in human men that she lusts and feeds upon, with their consent of course. While sleeping with a literary god of a man, Colin, women in Ireland are dropping dead left and right, and Malinalli grows suspicious of these likely supernatural killings.

Who other to be the oppressor in these cases than Hernan himself, also born again as a vampire, but with malicious intent, to harvest the venom and blood of vampires for capitalist and evil ventures. It's up to Malinalli to put a stop to his attempts and protect those she loves along the way.