This is a great selection of SFF short stories from Latinx authors - I really loved the range of worlds and styles within. I found it a bit jarring to jump from world to world, but that was a "me as a reader" problem, not a problem of this book. I love Cordova's work and this book is no exception. What an excellent collection!

“For many people in Latin America, and those living in the diaspora, science fiction and fantasy is the now. Communities ravaged by climate change. Myths that live in our islands and rivers and seas. Violence that leaves the imprint of ghosts through generations and into the future. And yet, when it comes to our literature, there are a million stories that have yet to be told. Let’s start with these seventeen.” — Zoraida Córdova

Split into three sections (To the Stars, The Magical Now, and Other Times, Other Realms), Reclaim the Stars is full of young adult speculative fiction from the Latin American diaspora.

I allowed myself to DNF the one story I really didn’t vibe with, and otherwise had an average rating of 3.45. My absolute favorite story was This Is Our Manifesto by Mark Oshiro (despite my deep dislike of his 2021 Each of Us a Desert).

Rounding up to 4 stars because I enjoyed many of the stories.

An absolutely wonderful collection of short stories! I think I have figured myself out here — I need a collection of stories, centered around a theme or idea, but by different authors. I like the variety this type of collection offers — not just with the authors, but also with the styles and approaches varying from story to story.

Córdova has gathered together an offering that spans a variety of ways to tell a space-fantasy story, a magical realism story, and a fairytale. The diverse representation was refreshing — from authors and characters. I wish I could have made Reclaim the Stars last — at least I have already purchased the hardcover for myself. These were almost all absolute winners and it's hard to choose a favorite.

This is a fascinating collection of science-fiction stories, the likes of which I've never read before. Each one is filled with culture and language that I'm unfamiliar with, yet none of it was too difficult to sift through.

The trouble I had was with the language used, which I believe was Spanish. Most of the time, it wasn't a problem because the author gave context to the language. But a couple of the stories didn't and I ended up spending time trying to figure out what the characters were saying to one another. It isn't a bad thing that Spanish was included in these stories: it's actually amazing and awesome that it is. It prompts more readers to become interested in the language and cultures associated with it. As an English speaker with knowledge of German, it took me out of the story at times and I struggled to get back in. However, I highly recommend that people read this book no matter what their language or background. I would also recommend using a translator for some moments, though.

The plots of the stories themselves are all phenomenal. I love the massive amounts of creativity that went into them and I wish that they were all longer. As with many short stories, I find myself wanting more character, more development, and bigger plots. I'll be checking out some of the other works by these authors in the future, hoping for longer adventures.

I'm a fan of short stories and am always thrilled to see what will tie the theme of the collection together. This one has some of my favorite authors and I was not disappointed to read any of them.

Nothing lagged or felt out of place. If you're looking for soft things or exciting things you'll find what you're looking for here.

RECLAIM THE STARS is a wonderful anthology with a line up of consistently good quality stories that are both delightfully entertaining and culturally significant. The genre blend of science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction do more than just entertain, they give the reader something to reflect on long after the reading is over. "Creatures of Kings" by Circe Moskowitz was the standout story for me and I would love to read a full novel based on it. Overall it's a great collection that I highly recommend.

A very excellent collection of stories that draws the reader into each new world and keeps them there, engaged as the snippet of that story plays out. I love and hate anthology and short story collections for how short of a window we have to get to know the characters and worlds that we are introduced to. I almost always find myself wanting to learn more, to see more of that setting, to hear what happens next—but then we have to move on to the next story where I am drawn in again. But even though the time allotted is small, it is still so incredibly fun to see these parts of a larger design, as though catching a glimpse of someone through a coffee shop window. You won’t see them again, but you know they exist, and they are in your world.

It was really great to see stories from familiar and new authors (I’m especially excited I finally got to read something from Circe Moskowitz, whose debut I’ve been anticipating for years!) and see familiar writing styles bring forth new and exciting things (thinking especially of Nina Moreno, whose voice is so recognizable and lovely and I *loved* her story in Reclaim the Stars).

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

A nice collection of stories. Some I enjoyed more than others and wished they were longer!

Overall, this was a solid anthology with mostly positive stories that I would definitely recommend. I liked the variety of sci-fi and fantasy, the different settings, and the different cultures. Several of these stories had good diversity as well. I would definitely look up several authors who were new to me! I’ve included some notes about each story below, as well as some general rankings for how I felt about them..

To the Stars: this section was mostly sci-fi

Reign of Diamonds - Anna-Marie McLemore
This was very short, but I liked this a lot. We have two rival princesses set to duel to the death, but they love each other. It ended how I hoped, which I liked! I was intrigued by the worlds and powers and thought that this blended sci-fi and fantasy elements in a fun way. I would read a full book about this. Enjoyment: high

Flecha - Daniel Jose Older
This was pretty well written, and I liked the general premise. This has some found family vibes with the main character and her partner/friend. There were definitely some high stakes and deals with finding out rough things. I liked the tie in with some folklore elements of the hunter god. I would read more to see the aftermath of this and what comes next. Enjoyment: middle-high

The First Day of Us - David Bowles
This was basically a high school but in space with some sci-fi tech research that seemed interesting. There was representation for polyamory and non-binary characters. This was somewhat interesting and cute, though I didn’t love the second person tense. This was mostly a story of a relationship forming. Enjoyment: middle

The Tin Man - Lilliam Rivera
This was really weird and kinda sad. It’s a post-apocalyptic setting after some sort of disease, and the main character is the only survivor nearby until something appears. I felt like this was just rather melancholy and didn’t like it much. Enjoyment: mid-low

This Is Our Manifesto - Mark Oshiro
This can be summarized mostly as “Oh damn.” I felt satisfied with this as a story. It deals with wrongful incarceration of teens and is all about trying to right wrongs, protest against racism, etc. This felt powerful and had some good diversity here with LGBTQ and Latinx characters. I would also read a full story of this. Enjoyment: high

The Magical Now: this section was more of an urban fantasy type of vibe

Creatures of Kings - Circe Moskowitz
This was an interesting idea but kinda sad in some ways. It’s almost like not truly living until death. There’s a somewhat neglectful mom not telling her daughter about her heritage, and another character makes some rather terrible choices, but this story was alright. Enjoyment: mid - low

Eterno - JC Cervantes
This was a second story about death, but I definitely liked this more. It’s about a sort of reaper who takes the dark in people but falls in love. It’s rather tragic but sweet, and I felt like the idea of these Eternos was interesting. Enjoyment: high

White Water, Blue Ocean - Linda Raquel Nieves Perez
Interesting idea of family curse where they can’t lie without a visual/olfactory tell. This deals with families not understanding or accepting those who are different. Content warnings for deadnames and family members using them repeatedly. This didn’t quite click for me though I can appreciate what it was going for. Enjoyment: mid-low

Leyenda - Romina Garber (set in Wolves of No World series)
I was really excited to return to this world. It’s very gender based with women being witches and men being werewolves, but Zaybet is trying to make a difference. She wants to enact change for women in society to have a bigger role and more of a say/the same rights as the men. I loved that she has water powers! Really liked her as a character too. This reminds me that I definitely need to read book 2. Enjoyment: highest

Color-Coded - Maya Motayne
Liked this idea! Here, there’s the “change” where teenage girls’ hair color changes indicating that they will develop powers. I liked the idea of the magic colors, especially because that seems fun to play around with. The story ends on a pretty abrupt note though, and I would have liked more to it. Enjoyment: high

Magical Offerings - Nina Moreno
A bit strange - I’m not entirely sure what happened but it was kinda interesting? I liked the gator and the putt putt course renovation. I guess this is generally about finding a home for yourself? Enjoyment: mid or mid-low

Other Times, Other Realms: this section is mostly high fantasy with some urban fantasy

Rogue Enchantments - Isabel Ibañez
Graciela inherits her grandmother’s stall in the market and wants to sell her enchanted art supplies, but other people aren’t happy that it was given to her instead of someone else and want her out. I actually really enjoyed this story and was a fan of the types of magic at the market. There’s magic art (I wish I had this) and things like enchantments to keep your plants alive forever, wooden figures that come to life, and more. I liked Graciela overall too - she seems good natured and tenacious. I also liked that the dead attend the market at night. Enjoyment: highest

Sumaiko y La Sirena- Vita Ayala
Definitely a darker tone here with men trying to take advantage of women who work for them, but I really liked how this turned out. I enjoyed the connection with the sea and La Sirena - it reminds me of selkies with not being able to return without the skin/scales. I enjoyed the romance here and wanted them to be together. Suma just wants to be free, and I can definitely sympathize with her. Enjoyment: high

River People - Yamile Saied Mendez
This involves immigrants from Ireland to Argentina (I think?). Malena can hear ghosts and the river god and is warned that something bad will happen to her family. I enjoyed her trying to stop this, even when her own brother tells her she’s just a woman, what can she do? She is willing to do what it takes to keep her family safe. I really liked her overall and her connection with the river. She and her family are just trying to make a life for themselves and have to overcome hardships, but some family members have adapted to their new lives while others haven’t. Enjoyment: high

Moonglow - Sara Faring
This was weird and confusing, and I’m not entirely sure what happened. I would describe this as more magical realism (which generally doesn’t work as well for me). We have a family where the father has kicked them out to live with his mistress instead. I liked some of the resolution, but it’s very odd. Content warnings for abortion. Enjoyment: low

Killing El Chivo- Claribel A. Ortega
A story of rebellion and vengeance. There are three sisters with powers who try to overthrow a dictator creature. This was also a little confusing, and I’m not sure I really felt much for this. Enjoyment: mid-low or low

Tame the Wicked Night - Zoraida Cordova
This had a somewhat abrupt ending, but I guess you can fill in the gaps/use your imagination (though I would have liked to see where this went). I enjoyed the story and romance, and I liked the idea of having magic for growing plants and how the darkness wasn’t what it initially seemed. This was predictable in terms of where the romance went, but I really enjoyed it. I liked that our main character is a male and that he does not want to marry someone he doesn’t love and ends up setting off on a quest since that feels like a bit of a gender flip here of this type of story. Enjoyment: mid-high

My video review can be seen on my booktube channel (around minutes 25:31-34:26 of this video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMXeOmpPEpc

I tend to avoid short story anthologies because I feel like once you get a feel for the characters and stories it’s over. 17 fade to black endings where I am still wondering what happened next. Despite that, I really enjoyed most of these stories. This anthology introduced me to authors I would not have looked at otherwise

Favorites Included
The Tin Man by Lilliam Rivera - She was already on my TBR but this bumped her up. I loved this story
This is Our Manifesto by Mark Oshiro - I would have never read him probably but I loved this short.
Creatures of Kings by Circe Moskowitz - this put this author on my radar I loved this story and she has a Graphic Novel out that i’m interested in checking out
White Water, Blue Ocean by Linda Raquel Nieves Perez - Fellow Plus Size Afro Boricua Non Binary! I loved their story and look forward to reading more by them
Leyenda by Romina Garber - This story felt more complete to me although I was curious about what happened after it ended when the true Leyenda found her brujas
Color-Coded by Maya Motayne - This was a fun story about how when girls turn of age their hair turns colorful colors and they then have some sort of magic power, the ending felt like a more complete story but I was also reading Girl On Fire and a similar thing happened w her mom in that GN that also goes unexplained so i'm a little tired of the mom who went missing dropping in suddenly trope.
Magical Offerings by Nina Moreno - was a complete story and I enjoyed it though it was a little - too perfect too happy at the end.
Sumaiko Y La Sirena by Vita Ayala - Loved this story and also felt like a complete story.

Overall I really enjoyed these short stories.

I don’t usually go for short stories but when I saw that they were all written by Latinx authors I knew I had to read this book!

The stories were all so different but at the same time diverse and with loads LGBTQ+ representation, which made the experience even better. From space princesses to sirens, I was just really impressed with how unique and entertaining they all were, and found myself wanting to read more about these characters and wishing they were more than just short stories!

A very well done collection of stories!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review.

Reclaim the Stars is a spectacular collection of short stories written by Latine authors, mostly from the diaspora. From sci-fi to fantasy, you will be able to find varied stories that will probably stick with you for a while.
For this review, I will be reviewing each story individually. As always, these ratings are mainly based on my enjoyment:

- Reign of Diamonds by Anna Marie McLemore (4 stars): A wonderful, tension-filled story featuring two princesses who face each other on the intergalactic battlefield to fight for their lives, and their love.

- Flecha by Daniel José Older (3.5 stars): A story of remembrance and longing for something that was lost forever.

- The First Day of Us by David Bowles (N/A)

- The Tin Man by Lilliam Rivera (3 stars): Being the only human left on Earth, a girl comes face to face with a bot that carried a message that would change her life forever.

- This is Our Manifesto by Mark Oshiro (4 stars): A story of revolution, we see how a group of prisoners revolts against the oppressive prison system in space.

- Creatures of Kings by Circe Moskowitz (5 stars): A wonderful fantasy debut, a girl who has always felt in between worlds and cannot die discovers a dark family secret. It was so atmospheric and I kinda need a full novel now because this world sounds so interesting!!!

- Eterno by J.C. Cervantes (3.75 stars): Urban fantasy is back with this story featuring an angel and a tale of forbidden love.

- White Water, Blue Ocean by Linda Raquel Nieves Pérez (5 stars): Another amazing debut featuring a story of intergenerational trauma and family curses with a dash of magic. It’s set in Puerto Rico and that filled me with joy, and it lowkey made me cry various times.

- Leyenda by Romina Garber (4 stars): Set in the same world as Lobizona, this is a tale of strength, feminism and not being afraid to go against the rules. Loved this character and her resilience to not give up, even if she had to go down a route that others wouldn’t consider.

- Color-coded by Maya Motayne (4 stars): Amazing world-building and a beautiful story of what we do with those things we inherit. The cliffhanger almost ended me. I need a full novel ASAP.

- Magical Offerings by Nina Moreno (4 stars): Swamp tree boyfriends and a lovely relationship between a grandpa and his granddaughter, this is a wonderful fantasy debut for contemporary author Nina Moreno!

- Rogue Enchantments by Isabel Ibañez: (N/A)

- Sumaiko y la Sirena by Vita Ayala: (5 stars): CULTURAL RESET this story was one of my favorites because it has mermaids on the eastern side of Puerto Rico, very close to the town I call home. Sumaiko and la Sirena won my heart and I will forever love them. I NEED A WHOLE SERIES!!!

- River People by Yamile Saied Mendez: (4 stars): Another one of my favorites, it talks about immigration, about what families leave behind when they move to another country, and how it affects them. It also talks about the importance of keeping ecosystems alive, as well as the magic that lives in the nature of our countries. I wanted to slap some sense into one of the characters, but thankfully I didn’t have to.

- Moonglow by Sara Faring: (N/A)

- Killing el Chivo by Claribel A. Ortega: (5 stars): An iconic story in which three sisters plan to take down a goat dictator who is destroying their island, inspired by the real-life events of the Trujillato in the Dominican Republic with Rafael Trujillo. Very sad but satisfactory ending, I would have punched that mf in the face if given the opportunity.

- Tame the Wicked Night by Zoraida Córdova: (5 stars): What a marvelous story to end this anthology. Zoraida always creates mythologies and magic systems that fascinate me, and this story with a gender-bent Hades and Persephone dynamic was not the exception. I need a full trilogy with a movie adaptation thanks.

4.75/5 stars

OH my goodness. This collection of short stories is utterly breathtaking.

Goodreads synopsis:
Reclaim the Stars is a collection of bestselling and acclaimed YA authors that take the Latin American diaspora to places fantastical and out of this world. From princesses warring in space, to the all too-near devastation of climate change, to haunting ghost stories in Argentina, and mermaids off the coast of the Caribbean. This is science fiction and fantasy that breaks borders and realms, and proves that stories are truly universal.

Authors include Daniel José Older, Yamile Saied Méndez, Anna-Marie McLemore, Mark Oshiro, Romina Garber, David Bowles, Lilliam Rivera, Claribel Ortega, Isabel Ibañez, Sara Faring, Maya Motayne, Nina Moreno, Vita Ayala, J.C. Cervantes, Circe Moskowitz, Linda Nieves Pérez, and Zoraida Córdova.

As I said, I am astounded by how incredible these stories are. I’m currently taking a creative writing class and writing short stories myself, so I found myself reading critically on accident - and yet, I still fell head-over-heels for these stories, enveloped over and over again into tales of magic, empowerment, magical creatures, sacrifice, mythology, love and loss. I found every story surprising, engaging, and unique; I’ve never read anything like these stories, which I imagine can be at least partially credited to their purpose: to show the world a whole new side of magical tales in ways they’ve never been told before. And that’s beautiful. I’m so honored to have been able to experience these stories and to have learned more about what magic lies in other places on the globe.

*I received an e-arc of Reclaim the Stars from Wednesday Books and Netgalley; all opinions are my own. It was published February 15th, 2022.*






If you enjoyed this review, you can friend/follow me here on Goodreads or on Instagram and Pinterest @ashton_reads for more bookish content (@ashton.reads on Tiktok)!! If you want, you can give this review a like or comment with your thoughts so I know you've read my review; your support means a lot to me! Happy reading!

It’s absolutely zero secret that I love anthologies and collections. The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, My True Love Gave to Me by Stephanie Perkins, and Meet Cute by Jennifer L. Armentrout are some of my long-time favorites, and Reclaim the Stars has moved right up there into the ranks.

I sat down a few weeks ago with this RECLAIM THE STARS, and despite my busy work schedule and the hectic rush to get caught up on my TBR, it has taken up so much headspace between then and now. It’s hard to put my finger on what exactly made this a hit for me, but it’s safe to day there’s a lot going for this book. Not only were each of the stories beautifully written and compiled, but they were brought by well-loved authors who each brought something brilliant to the table. Each story had a vibrant and distinct voice, and together they worked so well in this collection. There was so much love poured into this work, and it was evident in every page and story in this book. I’m beyond excited to see a collection like this published, with stories that take Latin American diaspora and turn them into something magical.

I’m absolutely not done with reading collections of stories like these, so here’s hoping to many, many more like this in the future!

This is a strong collection with diverse view points and experiences within the Latinx sci-fi/fantasy/magical realism genres. The writing is good, the variety of worlds and situations is interesting.with magical, star-crossed space princesses from rival houses, curses, post-apocalyptic timelines, giant stuffed bunnies, spaceships, and a very loyal goat there is sure to be a story to suit whatever you may be in the mood for.

The anthology as a whole was just okay. There was a few standout stories, but overall I was kind of bored. I think it may have been better if there was a couple less stories, giving a bit more space for some others to expand just a little.

I think the majority of readers will enjoy this and anthologies are always a good way to get a sample of an author’s writing before diving into a full length book. I recommend for YA SFF fans

*Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Wednesday Books for providing me with this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!*

Sum It Up:
Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms and Space is a curated collection of sci-fi and fantasy short stories that explore the Latinx diaspora in this world and the next. This book is divided into categories including “To the Stars,” “The Magical Now” and “Other Times, Other Realms” creating an immersive and tonal atmosphere for the reader to slip into as they enjoy the unique contributions of various POC voices.

Who Should Read This:
I would recommend this book for anyone in a reading slump that’s looking to get back into fantasy without committing to an entire book or series. This anthology allows for readers to sample and enjoy different authors and story styles while only occupying your attention for 5-10 pages. It was very easy to pick this up, read a few stories, and feel comfortable putting it down knowing I could return at a later time without feeling lost.

My Favorite Stories:
Most of the stories were just okay, but there were a few stand-out moments that really made me say “wow.” I really enjoyed “Creatures of Kings,” a story about a young girl’s relationship with Death, which reminded me a lot of Pan’s Labyrinth and did an excellent job of exploring complex worlds within worlds. Another story, “This is Our Manifesto” gave me big 1984 vibes with an excellent opening line and some really insightful commentary on the prison industrial complex. Would highly recommend this story if you're looking for something dystopian on a smaller, more digestible scale.

Overall, I rated Reclaim the Stars 4 stars for the variety in the stories and the formatting and style of the collection as a whole. While some of the stories failed to catch my attention or lacked detail, the stories that stood out really carried the experience for me.

Reclaim the Starts is a whimsical and diverse anthology filled with adventure, magic, love, and family.

It’s composed of seventeen short stories written by Latinx YA authors, who transcend the realm of time and space. Every story is wildly different, and the genres span between fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian. It’s a great book for when you need a quick read! I particularly loved the diversity and different lore; it felt as though I was reading a dark fairytale. Not to mention the cover is beautiful!!

I highly recommend it if you love magical realism and folklore! Here are just some of my favorite short stories from the book:

•Reign of Diamonds by Anna-Marie Mclemore is about two princesses who must fight to the death to satisfy a peace treaty between their worlds.

•Creatures of Kings by Circe Moskowitz. What happens when a God of death and a girl of flesh fall in love?

•Eterno by J.C. Cervantes explores destiny and who we’re supposed to be, rather than who our family wants us to be.

•Tame the Wicked Night by Zoraida Cordova is a story about curses and love.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had really high hopes for this one. I love so many authors that were featured in this anthology. However, this one fell a little flat for me. It started out great and I loved the first few stories that were more sci-fi and dystopian like "Reign of Diamonds" by Anna-Marie McLemore about two princesas (who secretly love each other) having to fight to the death for control of the galaxy. Then there was "Flecha" by Daniel Jose Older about going back to a planet you once loved only to find it destroyed by climate change and 'The First Day of Us" by David Bowles about the start of polyamorous relationship on a space station. And of course "The Tin Man' by Lilliam Rivera about a dystopian world ravaged by sickness and how to survive alone.

Ok, so it's very clear that I liked the stories in the first section "To the Stars" the best. After that the stories were just ok, and I wanted more from them. More of the adventure in the first section and less of what was happening in the next two. This is of course just my opinion, and like I said I had really high expectations for this collection, so that could be part of why I feel like the rest of the stories fell flat. I also feel like the stories in the first section were a little shorter so maybe that's why I enjoyed them more. The ones in the other sections just felt a little long for short stories and they seemed to drag. Overall, this is still a decent book and explores themes in the Latinx diaspora very well.