V. Castro’s newest novel, Immortal Pleasures, follows Malinalli—better known as La Malinche. This historical figure has a controversial reputation and Castro does not shy from that. Liberties are taken with her story, though. Namely (as far as I know) the real life La Malinche was not a vampire. Malinalli has lived a long time, and she’s ready to tell her story. You can hear it yourself starting April 16, 2024 when it arrives from Del Ray.

Okay, I’m going to start with the good. I think the heart of this novel is really strong. Malinalli is striving to reclaim the artifacts of her people. It has been her mission for centuries by the time this novel begins. In this, Immortal Pleasures is deeply anti-colonialist. The pride she has in her culture and her people is a strong thread through the story. And it is made more poignant by the woman Castro chose to reimagine for this tale.

La Malinche’s history is explored throughout the novel, so if you don’t remember (or never learned) this particular lesson, you won’t be missing context. For better or worse, Castro makes sure her point is driven home. And that point is largely that the things you are forced to do to survive are not who you are. Yes, La Malinche is famous for being a traitor to her people due to her forced role as translator. But Malinalli—the woman behind the infamy—was a woman in bondage. Another special touch: Castro did not use the name the Spanish gave her.

So yes, at its core, Immortal Pleasures is a powerful story. My problems with it reside in what is around that center. This book is a romance. A very explicit one. And some of those descriptions… I really could not take them seriously. The vulgarity, I am sure, will feel empowering to other readers. I am simply not that reader. And the more.. aquatic imagery was a choice. A choice that took me by such surprise I won’t forget those particular sentences for some time. So in that way, it was pretty effective.

Outside of that, though, the romance arc was not one I particularly vibed with. This is not really a spoiler, as it is in the description, but there are two love interests. I wouldn’t classify this as a love triangle, though. I believe I see the personal growth arc that I assume was the intent. But the execution of it felt rushed and made it seem a little cheap. They just don’t play off each other well. I think an arc like this could work in romance, but only if the first relationship was already in the past. That would create less of a repetitive feeling, and at least to me, not cause the value to be lost based on the direct comparison to what comes after.

The last thing I want to address circles back to the historical aspect of this novel. Malinalli is not the only real life figure re-imagined for this tale. Unsurprisingly, Hernán Cortés is present in these pages. He is pivotal in our heroine’s story, after all. And as established earlier, so is her culture. Certain heroes and deities from the Aztec Empire also make an appearance. And so do a few other recognizable names. One in particular really caught me off guard. Again, I do see why. I just was not a fan of the execution or the inclusion. It was an interesting turn of events, to say the least.

This book may not have been for me, but it might be for you! If you have enjoyed V. Castro’s work before, I definitely recommend you check it out. This book does have a lot to say, and Malinalli’s history is not one to forget.

I had mixed feelings about Immortal Pleasures by V Castro. On one hand, I enjoyed the unique premise of a vampire world ruled by powerful matriarchs. The world-building was well-crafted and the diverse characters added depth to the story.

However, I found the pacing to be a bit slow at times and struggled to fully connect with the characters. Additionally, I felt that the plot could have been more engaging and there were moments where the story felt predictable.

Overall, Immortal Pleasures was an interesting read, but it didn't quite meet my expectations. I would recommend it to fans of vampire fiction looking for a new twist on the genre.

The best thing about Immortal Pleasures is the themes. It is ultimately a story about a vampire trying to right the wrongs of colonialism and finally getting vengeance on a perpetrator of great violence against her and her people. It's a powerful message and even includes a sub-plot of her working to return stolen artifacts from museums to their original homelands. When the book focuses on these themes, it shines. Unfortunately, the rest of the aspects of the story don't measure up. There's a heavy focus on the main character looking for love throughout the book and, while I find the idea of loneliness in eternal life compelling, neither romance ever felt interesting or had any depth. Both romances felt like "instalove" and derailed the (far more interesting) plot.

There are aspects of this novel that I really liked. For instance, I thought it was great the the vampire, Malinalli, collects artifacts with the motivation of returning them to the rightful cultures they belonged to. It was unique to see historical fiction woven into the story.

The inclusion of the trauma that colonization caused her was interesting to read about through the POV of someone immortal who has had so long to process and think about what she's been through. I don't think I've ever read a vampire story quite like this one and was hooked.

However, parts of the book were also very horny and cheesy and not quite my reading preference and removed me from the plot. I don't mind spicy books, but this was pretty interesting at times, and I felt like giggling at some of the descriptions which didn't do well for the horror aspect. For instance, there is a scene where she is hooking up with someone and she mentions wanting to use his precum as lipgloss...and I was like "Ew!" *Jimmy Fallon voice* This vampire has some kinky things you going on, so just be warned of that element if it's not something you like to read.

Overall, I think the writing has some really well done prose and was creative with the writing. I ended up DNFing it around 43% because I personally couldn't take anymore of those type of sex scenes.

As someone who eagerly anticipated diving into “Immortal Pleasures,” I must admit my disappointment with the overall experience. While the premise promised an engaging new take on the vampire love story, the execution fell short of my expectations. Despite its potential, the novel struggled to rise above clichés and relied heavily on predictable genre tropes. Although the backdrop and cast offered a semblance of freshness, the heavy-handed historical references felt forced and inorganic, detracting from the immersion in the narrative. While there were moments of enjoyment scattered throughout, they were overshadowed by the pervasive sense of absurdism. In the end, “Immortal Pleasures” left me wishing for a more memorable and compelling read.

Please note, I do not publish negative reviews of ARCs on Romance & Co. Thank you for providing an early copy, and I hope to read more works in the future.

I'm sorry to say that I'm giving up at 40%. I may try again later, but right now this is just feeling very slow. The writing is beautiful, but it's so difficult to get into the story. The time jumps have been irritating. The very descriptive sex scenes are distracting me. I feel like I've been wading through too much description to try and find the story somewhere.

Thank You, NetGalley, for my early copy of Immortal Pleasure by V. Castro. I am excited to read this book. I like vampire stories, and this book is right up my alley. I enjoy V. Castro's other books, so I know I will enjoy this one.

I love this the vampire vibe were great. It felt raw and exciting. It was thrilling and sexy! The characters were easy to follow and had depth. There was the right amount of fantasy without going into a full fantasy more true horror and I loved the fun vibes

The writing style was dry and wordy. The story felt like it moved slowly. It's hard to know if I didn't enoy this book because of the writing style, or if the story was just not as engaging as I had hoped. It was an interesting premise and the writing was good, it just wasn't a style I enjoy,

Ughhhhh I wanted to love this so much. It had everything but sadly it did not work for me. I enjoyed the first bit and then it just fizzled out. It seemed like the story was all over the place. I will be checking out the authors other works to see if they work better for me.

A lustful book that pulls you into the life of relic collector Malinalli, treking across the globe returning artifacts that historically were taken by colonizing nations and individuals… did I mention she is also a vampire?

If you are looking for a spicy book, this is it. In fact, that’s all it is for the first 1/3 of the book. Maybe a little too much as for the first relationship. As a creature that has been alive for around 500 years, I would hope by then she would be smart enough to read through a man’s games

The author is a stunning writer, writing to senses. And there is at least a little bit of a plot and an informative dual timeline, that engages the reader in how it all began for the main character in the time of Cortes. Though the story falls off the rails quite a bit and focuses a little too much for me on the lustiness and the ending is a little lackluster, V Castro’s writing is inspiring to check out some of their other pieces of work.

This book had me at first, Malilani is a badass, sexy, interesting character with incredible lines that had me highlighting entire pages. Her resilience was as palpable as her loneliness, but there was a detachment to the narrating style that had me realizing I was 35% in and feeling like everything and nothing was happening. I felt like I had read so much more and became weary about how much I had left. I also felt a little jarring when Hernan Cortes himself was introduced as a character. I understand the purpose of it, but something about it gave me enough pause that maybe that was why I lost my momentum and stopped reading.

I love vampires and historical fiction, but this story jumped all over the place. I ended up DNF at 45%. I loved this authors other book The Haunting of Alejandra and will continue to read works by this author but this just did not do it for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an copy of this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Horror and Erotic writing both tread similar ground in dealing with unrestrained emotion and feeling, each seeking to elicit primal and visceral reactions from the minds of the reader. Mixing Erotica and Horror seems a natural conclusion, which is precisely the goal of V. Castro’s “Immortal Pleasures.”

Castro has always written with nothing less than deserved pride in her heritage and with a love for free and powerful women who also own their sexuality. Malinalli, the heroine, is the historical La Malinche, an immortal Nahua vampire who survived the colonization of her home by the Conquistadors, specifically the brutal Hernan Cortes. Malinalli now travels the night as an avenger of the conquered and indigenous while battling her own loneliness and desire for companionship. Unfortunately, Malinalli’s past refuses to leave her and old enemies still stalk her through the night with grudges that are centuries old.

Castro’s writing has evolved and the themes she touches on are important as ever. Colonization, conquest and freedom not only on an individual level, but freedom and preservation of culture in the face of oppression and annihilation. The best parts of the novel focus on Malinalli’s history and inner struggle, coupled with her old struggle with her now-immortal oppressor.

Castro is absolutely having a lot of fun with the erotica, though the descriptors don’t always land. The book is sexually charged, particularly Malinalli’s scenes with her mortal lover Colin, but some of the writing during the sex scenes don’t particularly hit the notes that Castro aims for. Castro makes up for this with the interpersonal drama, and her skill is absolutely evident here.

Some of the plot and history is the subject of exposition, though the history is intriguing enough to keep the reader invested. Ultimately, this is Malinalli’s story, and Castro’s rich and lush telling of it is more than enough to keep the story fresh and invigorating. Pleasure may be immortal, but Castro ensures that finding eternal love can be the most exciting thing of all.

I am very sorry, but I can’t give this book more than 1* I would have dnf before 20% if I hadn’t have to write this review.
Light spoilers:

This book has absolutely no atmosphere, structure or form, it meanders through so many topics (Gods, vampires, colonialism (Spanish in South America), Mexican-American war, 60/70ies music scene (woodstock+NYC),sci-fi biotech, treasure/antiques hunt, lot of explicit scenes spicy book, biblical stories, multiple romances…) that non of them gets any depth and the whole thing feels shallow and underdeveloped.
They say “show, not tell”, but this was only tell, the characters felt very one dimensional and I especially couldn’t understand the behavior of the FMC. The story itself didn’t make sense a lot of times. Also I never saw such an over excessive use of animal metaphors in spicy scenes: bats, bees, squid, eel, spiders… you name it, it is in there and I don’t know if I should laugh or feel cringe about them. My “favorite” three:

“Being this close to him makes my p* feel like it’s full of bees, their buzzing causing sticky sweet honey to leak from the honeycomb.”

“His c* is an electric eel bringing me to Bride of Frankenstein life.”

“The butter leaves little resistance as I move my hips so that my a* is like a monstrous squid pulling its prey deeper into its mouth.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with the earc!

Diving into "Immortal Pleasures" by V. Castro, I was captivated by its blend of horror and hedonism, giving it a spirited 3.5 stars. The concept is a thrilling dive into a world where terror and desire intertwine in an intricate dance. Yet, despite the allure, I found myself longing for a deeper connection with the characters, who remained as elusive as shadows in the night.

While the narrative's steamy encounters initially sizzled with excitement, they soon felt like one too many, dimming the novel's initial spark. In essence, "Immortal Pleasures" is a daring escapade into the unknown, a book that tantalizes and teases but left me craving a touch more substance beneath its seductive surface. A bewitching read, it's perfect for those who seek a journey where the lines between pleasure and fear blur into an intoxicating blend.

OOOOOO I liked this. I was initially drawn in because of the historical fiction aspect of it and stayed for the fantasy/vampire of it all. It was so spicy and I liked her getting her autonomy back, especially since the author directly compared it to her past. I thought it was rushed/not explained/not developed to her loving Alex. I wish she stayed with Colin personally but I completely understand and agree with that not working out. I also wish we could tie up what happened with her kids.

This book has really sparked interest in stories and history, but also had vampires. Both I can enjoy and love to read about
Following her story from beginning to end would’ve read perfect for me but I can understand the lead up and keeping the mystery of the story going

Can’t wait to pick this up for the physical shelf

I love vampires, I love history, I love the spice. This book unfortunately didn't really hit on any of those areas for me though? I felt like I sometimes enjoyed the pacing of the book, but other times it detracted from the story and characters. The smut scenes had me laughing more often than not, which like, isn't particularly what I want from those scenes. The fact that THE Judas was in the book was a huge eye roll for me.

I just feel like the book could have been so much better and I'm disappointed that it wasn't.

Thoughts

I want to preface this with I love V. Castro. I have read everything she has written and try to get everyone else to read it as well. Furthermore, I will continue to do so.

However, this one unfortunately didn't work for me. I love women characters who can be naive and vulnerable, I loved that in The Haunting of Alexandra because it fit so well. And I believe all women stories should be shared.

In this book it just felt like it was there to make the book longer, to buy time. And that's what I didn’t like. I need it to make sense to the story. It didn't seem to fit the character she was describing. It makes sense that she would want all the things she talks about but she wouldn't be naive about it. If that makes sense?

I think there will be people who enjoy this book, especially the dark romance lovers. And I loved the historical aspects of it. I think if it is on your radar you should give it a shot.