A delightfully dark and twisted novella that feels like a fairy tale in reverse.

Moreno-Garcia is one of the stylistically strongest writers active today, and the writing throughout was just fabulous. It did take a while for the main character to grow on me as she’s not written in order to endear her to anyone. A bold choice for a novella, but there’s power in that, too. The unfolding of her story was also paced really well for the short amount of time there was for it.

The world building was also a masterful mix of information and intuition.

This last paragraph may count as a spoiler so be warned:

For such a dark and perilous tale, the ending was an unexpected grace of comfort and friendship, which contributed a lot to my overall enjoyment.

They say that power corrupts, and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. Is it even possible for someone who is handed massive power to not succumb to that power? In The Return of the Sorceress, Silvia Moreno-Garcia weaves a story that questions everything we believe about power, loyalty, friendship, and the subtle and obvious influence of mentors.

We meet Yalxi “in media res,” already on the run from those who betrayed her and usurped her position as the head of the Sorcerer’s Guild. Moreno-Garcia beautifully sets the tone on the first pages: our main character injured, stumbling through buildings devoid of color on a dark night, remembering how this part of the city looked so different when she’d first arrived as a girl of seventeen. The mix of current peril and past carefreeness in this scene permeates the entire book, reminding us that it is highly likely we can never go back to who we were once a taste of power changes us. As the book progresses, we get to see how Yalxi changed from that “callow girl from the provinces” into the feared Mistress Yalxi. We get to see how she dethroned her predecessor, intent on being a better head of the House of Sorcery, and how she wielded the power she took on. And of course, we get to see how she was dethroned in turn, and how she plans to get her power back.

I don’t want to give away the twists and turns of that journey. There were several wonderful “Oh, wow, THAT happened” moments that I think readers should experience without knowing what’s coming. I will say that the loyalty of childhood friends, both human and supernatural, plays heavily into the proceedings. People change as they get older even when great power isn’t at stake – so how much more will they change if power is the prize? Loyalties shift, intentions change, people get hurt. Sometimes, the most reliable ally ends up being the person you thought would leave you in a heartbeat if a better offer came along. And sometimes, we hurt someone proactively to avoid being hurt in turn later. Regret also plays its part, and fear of losing what one most loved.

This is a fantasy, so the power at stake, and the source of it, is magical. The chase and fight scenes are thrilling, fueled as they are by the blood-based and jewel-based magics being wielded, but the blood-based magic also infuses the scenes of introspection and intimacy that give Yalxi and the reader a momentary respite as the story barrels towards its surprising, but totally appropriate, ending.

This story could have been told in much longer fashion, either charting Yalxi’s rise to power, betrayal, and quest to regain her power chronologically or by interspersing detailed flashbacks between the present-day scenes. Anyone who has read any of Moreno-Garcia’s novels knows she can fill several hundred pages with exciting story beats and deep characterization that keep you reading even if you know you should have long since gone to sleep or taken the dog for a walk or prepared dinner. I’m happy to report that the author is as adept at the novella form as she is the novel. She keeps the story moving forward, giving us just enough of the characters’ background to understand where things stand and why the current situation is untenable when it’s appropriate that Yalxi’s thoughts turn to her own past.

The Return of the Sorceress is a complete and deeply satisfying tale of one woman’s quest to regain what was stolen from her and correct a mistake she made long in her past. Even though this tale is done, I do hope Moreno-Garcia will give us more adventures in this world. I don’t think Yalxi’s story is completely done.

I received an electronic Advance Reading Copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The book was released in hardcover in June 2021.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. The Return of The Sorceress was the first work I have read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and even from this short.story I can understand the hype around this author. I very much enjoyed her style of writing, and I was invested in the characters right away. This was a key factor to enjoying the story for me since the length of the novella doesn't grant you the time a novel would to grow fond of the characters. The pacing was also spot on. I wouldn't say the story is action packed, but you could feel the tension growing with every page, and I felt stakes were high for Yalxi(our main character) from the beginning. The only reason this gets four stars instead of five was because I wanted more of the story. I would have loved this as a full length novel. I highly recommend it though.

To me, the most talented authors are ones who can tell a whole story with beautiful prose and characters in less than 100 pages and that's what Silvia Moreno-Garcia did in The Return of the Sorceress. Yaxli was a complex and deeply flawed character who grew so much once she stopped pushing away the past and let herself reflect and feel. The relationship between her and the nahual is scarred from her past actions but she mends it and then it mends her. I'm not left needing more, but I would not mind a continuation of this story that focuses more on Itzyul.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

The Return of the Sorceress is a novella that follows the deposed Yalxi as she quests for revenge against her traitorous lover. Despite the short nature of the novella, this story manages to have wonderful world-building and fantastic atmosphere. I could picture myself in the environment and that is something I love in stories. The only flaw with short form fiction is that I am always left wanting more, and that is still the case with this story. The plot was wonderfully paced and resolved, but I would have loved more time spent on the backstory of the characters as that seemed the most interesting bit.

I'm a huge Moreno-Garcia fan, I try to read everything she puts out. I didn't love this. Some really cool concepts, and has the feel of a fable, but didn't have the deep character building that I'm used to in her work. Still worth reading, but this probably would've benefited from being a bit longer.

While I didn't enjoy this novella as much as I'd hoped, it still has its merits. The world is interesting, the character's quest clearly outlined and filled with intriguing exploits—but somehow I found my attention bouncing around while reading. I'm not sure if it was the prose, or the lack of intimate characterisation, or simply my pandemic-addled brain, but something prevented me from enjoying this to the fullest and connecting with the main character.

I did really like the ending, though! I felt it was the best possible ending for this quest, and I loved the prose of the very last section. I also loved the relationship between the main character and the nahual—a magical spirit companion who feasts on her blood in exchange for favours.

I was given a free copy of Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (author), Subterranean Press
(publisher) and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

This review will be spoiler free.

I would characterize Return of the Sorceress as high fantasy featuring mages, references to guilds, and has a familiar as a significant minor character in the story.

Since this story is a novella, there is not opportunity to learn about the world building and the magic system.
A significant part of the story features the main character, who is a mage, on the run but she needs to take care of her rival. The main character is developed, intriguing, engaging, and has depth. I also liked the familiar who was her companion while she was on the run. The familiar added some light moments and levity to the story.

The other characters were not developed or had any depth because the story is novella-length.

I would have preferred a novel-length story, but I did find Return of the Sorceress to be an enjoyable read.
I rate Return of the Sorceress 4 stars.

I would like to thank Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Subterranean Press, and Netgalley for the free ARC.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy novella from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

This be seventh book I have read by the author and me seventh five star read.  Her writing floats me boat.  I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other.  The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history.  The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era.  The fourth was a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979.  Then came a gothic horror set in 1950s Mexico.  Six was a heart-wrenching novella set in space.  Now we have a mesoamerican fantasy novella.  I did not read the blurb going into this so everything was a surprise to me. It was awesome.

This one follows Yalxi a blood magic sorceress who has been cast low from her former ruling position and is ready to claw her way back to the top with pure fury and grit.  The blood magic is nasty and takes it's toll on the wielder.  Yalxi's only hope for her success is her own willpower and a nahual.  I adored the nahual but started out not having much sympathy for Yalxi.  I needn't have worried because the novella was quick-paced, enthralling, and had a very unexpected ending.  The dark parts were lightened by Yalxi and the nahual's relationship.  The story was perfectly contained in novella form and was absolutely satisfying.

I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia and am excited for her new books later this year.  Arrr!

Moreno-Garcia astounds again but this time with a tale of magic, revenge, grief, and love. Each new story reveals that there is nothing Moreno-Garcia cannot do and do the best.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

Yalxi, the deposed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, is on a desperate mission. Her lover and confidant seized her throne and stole the precious diamond heart, the jewel that is the engine of her power. Yalxi sets out to regain her magic and find a weapon capable of destroying the usurper.

This was an interesting little novella. The story started strong and I really have grown to love Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing over the last little bit. That being said, there weren't enough pages to be really satisfactory for me. I would have liked at least a few more, since it felt like it wrapped up too quickly. I still found it worth the read and can't wait to experience more of her stories.

The Return of the Sorceress is a fantasy novella that takes on themes of ambition and power. The story follows Yalxi, who once held the diamond heart, giving her the power and position of Master of the Sorcerers’ Guild. The story starts at her downfall. Xellah, once Yalxi’s lover and closest friend, has taken the diamond heart and has become the new Master of the Guild. Yalxi is on a journey to get revenge, but as she gets there, she must also face her past actions and how they have led her to her current plight.

Like all good novellas, I wish this was a full length novel. Silvia Moreno-Garcia does such an excellent job of setting up this world, it’s magic, and it’s characters in such a short page count, but I could have read so much more! Yalxi’s past is thoroughly explored as she’s on her path to revenge. One of my favorite aspects of this novella was Moreno-Garcia’s inclusion of nahuales, or magical shape-shifters. Yalxi is accompanied by a nahual on her journey and I loved how Moreno-Garcia used them as a way of offering wisdom and truth about Yalxi and her past.

I’d recommend The Return of the Sorceress to:
- anyone who has liked one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s novels in the past (especially Gods of Jade and Shadow)
-readers who like their fantasy short & sweet
-fantasy readers who love an interesting & unique magic system

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the ARC copy of this novella, given in exchange for an honest review.

A magical and wondrous tale. I love the inspirations taken from Spanish/Mexican mythology, especially with witch stories always being so whitewashed. The only thing that felt off to me was this being a short story. The mystical world needed more flushing out and developed. I would've loved the story to be just a little longer with more details on how the magic worked across a wide variety of characters.

The Return of the Sorceress is a novella, following sorceress seeking revenge after being betrayed by her lover.

Yalxi is a morally grey main character, that was interesting to read. I appreciated that the main character was in her thirties. That was nice change!

Overall, I enjoyed this novella though I struggled to feel attached to any of the characters. 3.5 stars

Thank you you Net Galley and the publisher for providing this arc for an honest review.

For a fairly short story, this was one that kept surprising me. At first, I thought I knew exactly what it was about. But it wasn’t nearly that simple.

Then I thought I had it figured out – and it changed again. And again. Until in the end, I was nowhere near the place I thought I’d be.

At first, this seems like a combination of two very old sayings, the Biblical phrase that proclaims “how the mighty have fallen” and the oft-repeated paraphrase from Lord Acton about power corrupting and absolute power corrupting absolutely. (I’m always surprised to learn that the actual quote is “The corrupting influence of power is total when one’s power is total.” but it does make me understand why it got rephrased into something a bit pithier, or at least catchier.)

This story, at first, seems to be all about the Sorceress Yalxi, who was once the Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, and plans to be again. As soon as she overthrows the ex-colleague and former lover who betrayed her.

Without the great Diamond that served as both her badge of office and the source of much of her power, Yalxi needs to find herself a source of power that can not just equal, but actually best it. She’s not worried about beating her betrayer, she knows she’s stronger than he is on his own.

But he isn’t on his own, that’s the point. As long as she is, however, he has all the magical power he needs, as well as all the temporal power required to capture her so he can gloat over her defeat and drain her blood to power his own spells.

When Yalxi reaches back into their mutual past for a way to get her revenge, she hunts out two artifacts. One is a ring invested with a spirit that was her first teacher, her first source of power – and the first friend she betrayed.

The second, however, is the malevolent spirit of her mentor and predecessor as Supreme Sorcerer, someone she and her ex-lover first followed, and then betrayed. His spirit is hungry, it desires revenge of its own and has had plenty of time to chill that revenge to an icy temperature that will burn more than any hellfire.

The stage is set, but what is it set for? A tale of the mighty falling, power corrupting, ice-cold revenge and the pride that goes before a fall? Or something older, sadder, and perhaps just a bit wiser?

Escape Rating A-: At first, very much at first, this story reminded me a lot of The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo, to the point that if you liked that you’ll like this and vice versa – although this story is told in a bit more of a straightforward fashion than that lovely bit of historical fantasy myth-making.

But the likeness turned out to be more about style and setting, and less about the actual plot of the story than I expected.

The story in Empress is about a comeback. It’s also an explicitly feminist story in that the Empress and her unsung handmaiden stand in for all of the women who have been cast aside and forgotten throughout history.

I thought that the Sorceress’ return would be similar, and was surprised in the end that it wasn’t, and that it was a better story for it. But the circumstances are different, in that the Sorceress has already held power in her own right, and lost that power through her own actions. She’s not simply cast aside as inconvenient – she’s deposed from the seat of power that she took in the exact same fashion.

But still, that’s the story I initially expected. Then, as Yalxi furthered her plans, I was expecting her to be betrayed again. And again. Only differently.

The ending was better than that – also unexpected and more uplifting than the beginning led me to believe. Because in the end, this is a story about love and justice, friendship and redemption. And the way it got there – that’s the best part of this unexpected journey.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to prove how great of a writer she is and that she is able to write across different genres and do it well. Considering how short of a story it is, it's told so well that it feels like it's an entire novel. This will definitely be getting re-read by me in the years to come.

I always start my reviews about her books by saying that Moreno-Garcia is one of my favorite writers. I have yet to follow them by “but” since every single piece of her writing I’ve read is just wonderful. This is a short fantasy novella about a priestess named Yalxi, looking for revenge against her former love, who betrayed and deposed her. There is a very rich backstory and it’s wonderful how it’s told without exposition or repetition. The reader learns everything as the plot unfolds, with no unnecessary words. Even if it’s a novella, it creates a world so real and characters so complex that it would shame trilogies ten times it’s length. What makes it unique is the native Mexican elements in the story. Based on the little I know I don’t believe it’s based on any specific Mesoamerican culture, but it does include a nice mix of them. The book is short enough to read in one sitting and it is simply a joy to get immerse in this world.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/ Subterranean Press!

A short but sweet novel of revenge and redemption. I can see why her publisher would want to make this one official. It was beautifully crafted and although it is short, it's so vivid.

Yalxi has been defeated by her childhood friend who now sits upon the throne of the Guild of Sorcerers. She is now being hunted and must flee for her life with help from the Guild of Thieves. She carved her way through blood to become Supreme Mistress and broke every promise she made to do it. Now on the run, she must first get away and heal. Then make her way back to do what she was supposed to do from the beginning. Destroy the diamond that corrupts the weak-minded and put an end to the ruthlessness that has plagued the Guild for decades and put lover against lover.

Read it! I hope Silvia Moreno-Garcia dips back into this fantastic world again.

4/5

A deposed sorceress seeks revenge and redemption after being betrayed by her lover and long-time friend in this fantasy novella from author Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Ousted and deprived of the source of her power, housed in the diamond heart, sorceress Yalxi undertakes a dangerous road to try to restore her magic and overthrow the very person who betrayed her. Doing so means returning to her rather unpleasant past and turning to unlikely allies who understand just what she sacrificed in order to become an all-powerful sorceress.

Even before I began reading The Return of the Sorceress there was not a doubt in my mind that I would enjoy it, or that it would become yet another Silvia Moreno-Garcia book to surpass all of my wildest expectations. Though this is is the first novella I've read by its author, Moreno-Garcia attacks this with as much fervor as she did her previous books. The Return of the Sorceress sings, with magic that cuts deep to the core and brings with it the promise of revenge. Despite the constraint brought on by the page count, this novella manages to bring in such complexity and nuance to the character of Yalxi, a fallen sorceress on a quest for vengeance. Set in a collision of the past and present, there is an emotional depth that lingers behind every part of the story. Considering that is the general problem I have had with novellas in the past, I am so happy that was not lacking in this one. Though there is a slow build-up and a quick resolution to the issue at hand, like many of her past novels, Moreno-Garcia leaves the door open for the possibility of more to come in the future. The enveloping world and blood magic system are certainly enough for me to crave another story in this setting, yet I am not left feeling as if the novella itself isn't complete. With a deep look into the corruptive nature of power tied up in an epic journey to reclaim the lost parts of oneself, it's hard to feel like this was lacking in any respect. Infused with Mesoamerican folklore aspects, there is even more to enjoy about this hundred-page novelette than just the setup to the story. Besides just keeping me entertained, all this novel did was further solidify Silvia Moreno-Garcia as one of my favorite authors of all time. The adventures only continue, and they honestly keep getting better and better. I'll sure be picking up whatever she's writing next.

Trigger warnings: blood, murder

You'd think Return of the Sorceress was 500 pages for all the heart & story it packs into 100 pages. Sub Press novellas are always a treat and a delight to hold in your hand. The cover is lush and gorgeous as always. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an auto-buy for a reason.