Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again! I always love her work and this novella is no exception. The Return of the Sorceress is a dark tale of blood magic, following a woman who gained and lost great power and is on a quest to recover that power yet again. As with all of her work, this takes a genre often dominated by white narratives (in this case sword & sorcery) and grounds it in the culture and mythology of her own Mexican heritage. This novella is drawing on Aztec history and mythology, with a darkly magical twist and a badass, morally grey heroine. And can we appreciate the fact that this book is about a world-weary woman in her 30's who has been through a lot? It swept me away and was in my opinion a perfectly paced novella. I received an advance copy of this book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

More of a 3.5.

CW: blood magic, self harm

I have only read Gods of Jade and Shadow by the author before and thought her writing was very beautiful. I never did get to Mexican Gothic despite all my friends loving it because I’m not really into horror. So I was pretty excited to get back to her writing, within the fantasy genre again.

I’m usually a huge fan of novellas and authors who can say a lot in few pages. And this seemed like the perfect choice especially I’m in the middle of a bad reading slump. And I loved how this was such a quick read. The author gets right in the middle of the proceedings when the main character has just escaped from her captor/former lover and is seeking ways to get her revenge. It was interesting to see someone once powerful grapple with her current vulnerable predicament, and think about all the choices that she made which led to the present. The dialogue between Yalxi and her nahual is also very sarcastic and fun, adding some mirth to an otherwise dark situation. But the author definitely is best at writing gorgeous descriptions that captivate us, bring the world to life and make us feel the depth of emotions.

However, this time I felt the book was too short. There was a good amount of build up towards the final confrontation, and the climax fight was spectacularly written. But it still felt too simple and easy, and didn’t evoke the awe I was expecting. Maybe I just had too high expectations. Or maybe it would have been better if the story was more fleshed out, with deeper look into the characters’ backstories.

Overall, it was a fun and quick read with gorgeous writing, and fascinating characters. I just think it could have been wonderful with a longer page count. But I’m very much looking forward to the author’s other upcoming releases.

A magical novella, filled with revenge, redemption, and new beginnings. The story follows recently betrayed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers. After her love and fellow co-conspirator betrayed her and left her bleeding and imprisoned, she has escaped and is now on a mission of revenge, and maybe, redemption for her sins. The story was fast-paced, thrilling, and all around a great read! I loved how quick the story flowed and how thrilling it was. I would definitely recommend it!

*Thanks Netgalley and Subterranean Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I was very intrigued to read this novella because even though I have read several books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia at this point, I had yet to read a true fantasy story by her. In this story, we follow Yalxi, a sorcerer who once ruled over the guild of sorcerers and had great power because of a precious diamond heart jewel. When we first meet Yalxi, she has lost the jewel to her former lover and partner who has also taken over the guild. She is on a quest now to get the jewel back and stop her former lover from his power hungry journey. Although the way, she comes face to face with people who she has disappointed, betrayed, or hurt in her past and since she needs their help now, she needs to do right by these old friends.

I wish this was a full book and not a novella because i absolutely loved the world that Moreno-Garcia created along with her beautiful writing. I love how her characters are always grey and the worlds are dark. This was a quick and fun read. If you like novella, fantasy stories, or a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, go check out The Return of the Sorceress.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free ARC e-book in exchange for my review.

I read this author's "Mexican Gothic" last year and was blown away. Her writing and description, the setting, it was just really amazing. After reading so many bestsellers that year, and not really enjoying them, that one gave me hope for the future of books.

I was excited to see she had a new title coming out this year, and very happy to be given a chance to read and review this book. I did worry at the length - not many authors can really do a short story or novella well. But I enjoyed this one, even though it's more sci-fi/fantasy than I usually read. And maybe that's why I enjoyed this one more than some other reviewers - I'm not a regular fantasy reader, so I'm not constantly judging one against another (I do that with mysteries!).

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to others - fantasy lovers or not. I thought the length was just right and didn't feel cheated by the length in any way. I'm going to round it up to 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Return of the Sorceress is a novella which follows former Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, Yalxi, on her quest to retrieve a powerful diamond from her lover-turned-rival.

This was a fun little novella! Despite its brevity, Silvia Moreno-Garcia does a spectacular job of crafting a rich, intriguing fantasy world and magic system. I'd happily read a dozen more books in this world.

In slight contrast to the richness and complexity of the world, the plot of this novella was rather simple. Even so, I loved Yalxi's growth as a character from the beginning to the end. I also thought the fight scenes were well-coordinated without being overbearing.

Overall, I enjoyed this little book quite a bit, and I'd definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a quick and satisfying fantasy read.

I feel this had some potential but fell short. It was rather dull all the way up until the end fight scene and that was too short. Maybe if it was longer it could’ve been better fleshed out, but I just didn’t really care much about the characters and what was happening

Moreno-Garcia’s novella is really good. Fast paced writing, sorcery, vivid imagery and a wicked battle sequence.

I was entranced by the atmosphere. I would love to read more novellas or a novel based off this setting.

My only cons were that the beginning was a bit confusing for me. I think a bit more world building or description of the main character would have helped.

Overall, I recommend this to others interested for a quick afternoon reading with a magical twist. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an ARC.

The Return of the Sorceress is the third book I’ve read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and wow, this was an excellent story. It was sword and sorcery fantasy at its finest. And despite its short length, the world was rich with detail and accompanied by a magic system with an interesting set of rules.

The story starts right in the thick of the action. As the summary states, Yalxi has been deposed from her position and was betrayed, hurt, and on the run. Yalxi’s character was written vividly with her anger and bitterness on full display. It fueled her. It sounds like a revenge story in the making, but it was far more complicated than that. The Return of the Sorceress was about Yalxi and the decision she would ultimately make. She had to face the hard truths about herself and the past that shaped who she was in the present: a person who had grasped power and left behind friend, lover, and old companions alike. As was shown, remembering might have been a burden but forgetting left sorrow and many other emotions only without the proper context.

I also liked some of the secondary characters, particularly the nahual. There were many great conversations happening on that end of the story.

The Return of the Sorceress was a gorgeously rendered tale about revenge and broken promises. My only gripe was that I want more stories with these characters or within this world. However, on the other hand, the ending was a satisfying conclusion for this group of characters. And I can’t recommend it enough.

Disclaimer: this copy of the book was provided by the publisher (Subterranean Press) via Netgalley for this review, thank you!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I love opening a new story. This tale shows how the sorceress is returning, and it's not an easy road when she wasn't exactly benevolent when she was in her position. Who's going to trust her word over the new sorcerer?

The magic involved jewels, a morphing nahual (something like a familiar that might become a cat, a chameleon, or seemingly about any animal), and blood. There was a cost to the magic, making it feel like a burden as much as a gift.

I felt like the world was rich and deep, even though I was only given a thimble-sized view into it. There's a brief moment within a religious order, through a Venice-inspired city, a meeting with the underbelly of society, and in the wilds. (It's a novella, not a novel, so she crammed in great scenes in a short space.) This is the kind of story I wished to keep reading even after the story finished. Moreno-Garcia has plenty of room to expand this world, and I hope she does.

The main character, Yalxi, was deposed from her position, but as the story progresses, we gain glimpses into the circumstances. It's complicated is an understatement. But when is betrayal, misuse of power, plotting, and love ever simple? Yalxi is complex in her responses as she navigates her goals, social morals, and her desire for power. I loved seeing her internal struggle and how things worked out. And I have to admit, I was surprised at the ending.

I highly recommend this story - you can finish it in one sitting. It's a great commuter story, meaning you can read it during your commute and be fully satisfied. I'm excited to read more by Moreno-Garcia.

I received an early copy in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to NetGalley and Subterranean Press.

Though just over 100 pages, return of the sorceress is a fast-paced tale that will leave you wanting more. It is a tale of blood magic, rivalries, and old grudges. While it takes some time to get your bearings in this world, once things take off you won't be able to stop. I hope Garcia returns to this character for a longer adventure because there is a lot to enjoy. I would be interested to see more of the magic from this world.

This was a perfect novella -- it drops you into the story, gives you a mysterious protagonist (Yalxi!), a few flashbacks, quick adventure, and then wraps it up nicely. I like that it was a very contained story, like you're dropping in on just one adventure of many, and you could have a whole book about what came before, and what's to come after.

As always, I must mention that SMG is a master of genres, and The Return of the Sorceress is a fantasy, and it does an excellent job of world building just enough to feel magical, without overwhelming you with too much new information in the short time it has. My favorite component was the nahual, a creature that is stored instead of gems (such as a pearl or a diamond) and can help heal and increase the power of a sorcerer(ess). It reminded me a bit of Dara from The Daevabad Trilogy or maybe Mogget from the Abhorsen Trilogy -- a sentient, almost genie like creature -- but it's own!

I would love to see this world built out in a full novel, or even get some other SMG fantasy world, because it will pull me in instantly! Read this if you want a quick burst of magical power battles in your day. Thanks to NetGalley for an early review copy, all opinions are my own.

This is a very fast-paced fantasy novella. It took me a minute to get into the story and understand some of the context, but once I did, I really ended up enjoying it! I love Yalxi's tenacity and her snark. I really liked the relationship between her and her nahual (which seems to be like a magical assistant that manifests mainly as an animal and can shift shapes). The book is so short I don't want to spoil anything. I do wish the story was a wee bit longer, but I did really enjoy it! I'm very interested to see if there are illustrations in the final copy. If you like short, one-shot, fantasy novellas, this is the book for you! I'm giving this book a 4.5 stars, but rounding up to 5 for this review :)

Yalxi in on the run after being betrayed and cast from her throne as Mistress of her guild. In order to restore order, she may end up destroying her love and power.

A magical and fantastical adventure with a quick pace and strong leading female.

3 stars.

I think my biggest flaw with this story was that it did very little in a lot of words. While it is a short story, it feels more so like you're dropped into the 3rd act of the book at the hero's tumble rather then the actual beginning. The world itself, while perfectly large, seems to be rather lackluster and not fully fleshed out. I think this book would be much better suited to a graphic novel format. While I love Silvia and most of their works dearly, this wasn't a hit for me.

This book is too short! I couldn't find myself very invested in the characters or what was going until the last 20%.. I don't read many novellas or novelettes or other short works, so take this review with a grain of salt. As such, I'm giving it an extra star. I am a huge fan of the author and her writing, and normally her books are great for me. But I just couldn't get into this one as much.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. This isn't my favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia book, but I do love the aspects of her stylized writing and unique and loveable characters. The plot of this novella is relatively simple, and so the story is a fairly quick read. There isn't much worldbuilding, which makes sense, but I'd be interested in even a graphic novel adaptation to more clearly see the aesthetics and appearances of the setting and characters. Overall, this is a good tale and perfect for anyone who wants a quick dive into a magical adventure. A huge thank you to Subterranean Press and Netgalley for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

This was quite short, but it's a very interesting world! I would absolutely read a longer novel (or even just more novellas) in this setting. It took a bit for me to get oriented and involved in the story, but as it progressed, I found myself more and more invested. The story ended up going in a direction I didn't expect, and I really liked it!

There are some very cool elements here! Gems can store nahuales, which are somewhat like animal spirits, that bond with the sorcerers. The sorcerers can then use them to increase their magical abilities. There were some entertaining discussions and banter between Yalxi and her nahual that I really liked!

Yalxi has certainly made some mistakes in her quest for power. At the time we pick up this story, she has already been ousted. Is she out to regain power or is there something else going on? I thought this storyline was really motivating. I really enjoyed the balance and discussion of power versus redemption and the curse of ambition.

This was a quick and easy read! Most of this was probably more of a 3 star book, but the ending bumped it up to a 3.5 star book for me. I'd definitely recommend this if you're looking for a diverse, quick read.

I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.

My video review can be seen on my channel (around minutes 7:17-9:11 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpg4xPzfEN4

This is a nice quick read. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is beautiful as I expected and the magic system is dark and intriguing. I had previously read and loved "Gods of Jade and Shadow", finding it essentially flawless. I did not expect this to be similar at all but had high expectations. The description had me believing there would be so much more packed into the pages and therefore the actual story was comparatively underwhelming for me. I believe this would be outstanding as a full length novel. As a novella it is simply lacking too much information for my taste.

For me, reading this felt similar to walking into a movie half way through. It was still enjoyable, but I wanted to know more about the characters and their journeys than the bits and pieces of background information provided. It was not until about the last 20% that I finally had a solid enough hold on the plot to feel drawn into the story. For the same reason I could not feel the urgency that I knew was supposed to be present throughout. I did enjoy that the ending showed a different side of the characters after having been only told how they used to be up until then. But even the ending is unfortunately rather underwhelming in its own way, as if such a major triumph were just all in a day's work.

Additionally, I need to point out that at the time of my review this is completely riddled with typos and grammatical and formatting errors. I am not sure if the formatting is just because it is not ready for Kindle yet, but the other errors are quite numerous - even for an ARC - and distracting to the point that it did affect my opinion of the story itself and made me view it as more of a rough draft as opposed to something two months from being published. I still look forward to the published novella and more works by this author. I would like to give this another try once the errors are corrected. I thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is another great story from the magical realism kingdom of Silvia Moreno-García!
Yalxi, has been betrayed by her lover Xellah, who has stolen her diamond heart, source of her power and with the gem, has also deposed her as Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorceress, forcing her to seek revenge.
The Return of the Sorceress tells how Yalxi manages to carry out that revenge.