Sigh. Add this to the list of books I wanted to love so bad, but felt so bored and let down by. At first, I thought it was the tone of the novel: that it wanted to sound mythical, like some storied lore passed down in some magical way. But as the book went on, all I felt was super detached from the characters, and borderline hated them and the choices they made. I know they were modeled on the real-life figures, but it felt like Malinalli had no agency, did not care about anything but the man we were supposed to HATE, and I was waiting for a pivot that never really came. By the end, I was just skimming to be done more than because I cared what happened. 2 very underwhelming ⭐s

*Thank you again to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

The premise of this book was more interesting than the book itself. As someone who generally enjoys beautiful complex prose, this Malinalli had me confused at times.

The book suffered from pacing issues, in areas it was quick and in others it dragged. Then there were the repetitions, the reader is repeatedly told how skilled Malinalli is with the needle and how she wasn’t good at cooking.

I did kind of liked the revenge plot and how her choices as an interpreter played into that. The lore was great I just couldn’t get past the inconsistent pacing.

Ancient magic, gods, and goddesses come to life in this richly imagined tale of Malinalli, the woman, priestess, and interpreter most often blamed for helping Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés rule the native people Mexico.

💙 Book Review: MALINALLI by Veronica Chapa

This fantastical fictional account of the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina, and Malinalxochitl, breathed fascinating life to legend, myths, and history. The lyrical writing was engaging and fast paced while the audiobook narration by Cynthia Farrell gave life to the words across languages. While the multiple characters were at times hard to keep track of, making me embrace reading across formats to ensure I didn’t miss important details, I ultimately loved the storytelling of this book and so appreciate learning about a new-to-me historical figure. Malinalli was a goddess or a girl, a warrior priestess or a slave, a dutiful translator or wronged woman out for revenge, all depending on her audience and circumstances.

Read MALINALLI for
🐍 Native Mexican history and legends prior to European contact
🗡️ Fighting priestesses
💕 Female friendship and survival
🪡 Magical embroidery
💭 Twin telepathy
🗣️ Sooo many examples of the power of language and diplomacy

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5 / 5 stars)

3.5 Stars

Thank you to Aria Books for allowing me to read and enjoy this read.

I love this cover, it is absolutely gorgeous and one of the reasons I requested this book. I think what made this book a bit easier to consume was that I was an audiobook, and I feel like I got through it fairly fast, I think if I was eye ball reading it I’m not sure I would have finished. I did enjoyed the story overall, I did feel like there were some pacing issues and that in some of the “books” (there were different sections), what was happening sometimes came out of nowhere, or it was way farther from where the last chapter ended. I did like Malinalli’s story and that there was some history in the book, I had no idea so I did learn some things. I like that our main character did take charge and avenged her family and friends. I didn’t really connect to any of the characters on a deeper level but I didn’t enjoy reading their stories.
I really enjoyed that narrators voice and gain I think that’s what made the story easy to get through. Her voice was powerful yet soothing and easy to listen to. The only thing that sounded weird to me was the word “heron” she was pronouncing it not how I do and it brought me out of the story every time. I’m not sure how audiobooks are made if the author listens to it in its entirety before it gets published, I just don’t know how that one got through. Anyways, enough about that.
I do think lots of people would enjoy reading this one and I do have some specific people in mind to actually recommend it to.

Every time I picked up Malinalli, I did not want to put it down. I felt immersed in the story. It is a reimagining of the story of "La Malinche." In Mexican history and culture, she is remembered as the indigenous woman who betrayed indigenous people and helped Cortez conquer Mexico. Her real story is more complex and made difficult to piece together because everything we know about her comes through the eyes of Spanish men or, from time to time, indigenous men. We don't have anything in her own words. As a result, she is judged a traitor. However, we can imagine that she had very valid reasons for her actions, and that is what Veronica Chapa does in Malinalli. She imagines a girl from a privileged family who slowly loses it all and embarks on a journey of revenge against Montezuma, the man who took everything from her.

I don't think this book is necessarily for everyone, but it was so for me. If you like history and long stories that move at a slow, introspective pace, you will love this story. At the heart is the story of a girl coming of age and discovering who she is and coming into her power during a time in which that is starting to mean less and less. It is all too relatable.

Haunting and expressive prose brought part of Mexico’s history and mythology to life in the story of Malinalli, a young girl with magical powers kidnapped and forced into slavery. I did trip up a lot on some of the individual words and languages. Overall though, this was an interesting historical fiction story of sisterhood, survival, resilience, authority and power with magical elements mixed in.

Malinalli is a powerful and lyrical novel that reclaims the voice of one of history’s most misunderstood figures. Veronica Chapa dives deep into the emotional, political, and cultural landscape of pre- and post-conquest Mexico, giving life to Malinalli (also known as La Malinche) in a way that is both compassionate and unapologetically honest.

Chapa’s prose is evocative and rich in historical detail, blending indigenous spirituality with the brutality of colonization. What truly stands out is the intimate portrait of Malinalli—not just as a translator or traitor, but as a survivor, a mother, and a woman caught between worlds. Her inner conflict, her moments of strength and vulnerability, and the complex relationships she navigates are painted with nuance and care.

The pacing occasionally slows, especially in sections heavy with exposition, and at times the emotional tone can feel distant. But the overall impact of the narrative remains strong.

This is a compelling read for anyone interested in feminist retellings, Latinx history, or stories that explore identity through the lens of power, language, and survival. Veronica Chapa offers a necessary reclamation—and in doing so, gives Malinalli the agency she was so often denied.

In this fascinating historical fiction novel about the Nahua interpreter called Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Dona Marina, and Malinalxochitl, readers discover how she became the voice of the Spaniards, a goddess blessed with the power to interpret their agenda, before being labeled a traitor to her people. Following her childhood, cut short by a kidnapping and sale into slavery, and the support of a circle of priestesses before she joins the Spanish conquistadors on their mission, Veronica Chapa gives Mali’s voice (all that truly remains of her) even more power in this fascinating story about language, sisterhood, and empire. Fascinating, complex, and magical, this story weaves in some fascinating magical elements into the historical stories and speculation of Mali’s largely unknown life that really adds to the dramatic tension and her character growth throughout this fascinating novel. She is a complex and multifaceted narrator, as shown by her many names and identities, and this introduces further questions and discussions of the malleability of identity and her ability to control her destiny amidst the constraints of her life as an enslaved woman and translator. Immersive and unique, this historical fiction novel is a fascinating journey into Aztec Mexico and Malinalli’s place in this history.

This was a difficult read. I really tried to love it but I unfortunately did not. The storyline was difficult to follow along with as I started to mix up the characters. There was a lot of potential, I just think it wasn't a good match for me.

MALINALLI by @veronicachapa.author is a new perspective on a notoriously misunderstood woman in history. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publisher, @bookstack_buddies triabooks for the e-ARC.

☀️☀️☀️

This is a historical fiction/fantasy story mixed with biography about the woman who is known as Malintzin, La Malinche or Doña Marina, the female Nahuatl interpreter for Spanish Conquistador Hernan Cortez during his reign of colonial terror throughout the land now known as Mexico. At the age of 12 she was kidnapped and sold into slavery and spent the rest of her life being forced to provide translation and other services for male leaders as they vied for power in the region of her birth.

Navigating the colonial violence of Cortez and the more home-grown tyranny of the notorious Aztec leader Moctezuma, Malinalli survived her captivity only to be known in history as a traitor to her people. This retelling seeks to subvert that narrative by showing the lack of decisions and free will the young woman was afforded. I found this story fascinating and heartbreaking alike. It seems we always reduce women to their worst attributes in history in an attempt to downplay their accomplishments and it is clear this woman was a fighter and survivor even if history does not see her that way. As we watch even more of our history being whitewashed and erased today, it is more important than ever to tell the full truth about our history.

I would highly recommend this book to those who love historical retellings of women that show them in all their multitudes and not just the monikers the patriarchal lens of history has branded them with.

Malinalli is a historical fiction narrative that reimagines the love of Malinaxochilt. The author gives her power, perspective, and agency. She is not a victim but an active participant. She made the best out of the cards she was dealt with. She is strong, magical, and unapologetic in her determination to lead her people.

Malinalli by Veronica Chapa is a powerful, lyrical reimagining that blends history, myth, and identity. Rich in cultural depth and emotional resonance, this novel offers a compelling voice to a misunderstood figure—bold, poetic, and unforgettable.

This book didn't live up to how amazing it could have been, in my opinion.

The pacing was all over the place. It took a very long time for anything to happen. Then, whenever something that should be emotional or impactful happened, it's like the narrative pulled back from the MC and sped up.

The MC's goals, motivation, and logic were constantly swinging back and forth.

The magic system didn't make sense. Sometimes people couldn't use magic at all and sometimes they had brand new or vast powers pop up at random.

The ending felt rushed and like the story just kind of...stopped.

The culture and setting were described beautifully, but description alone can't hold a book together, unfortunately.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

Interesting historical fiction with a fantasy undercurrent. Malinalli is a retelling of the life story of Malinche, who was a translator for Hernan Cortez when he came to pillage South America. she has been cast as a traitor to her people by history. this book is an attempt to redeem her.
I enjoyed the character of Malinalli and all of the folklore and magic of the story.
Towards the end of the story it became a little repetitive though so this is a rounded up 3.5 star rating.

Malinalli was marketed fantastical retelling of a historical figure, however I thought that the fantastical element felt like an afterthought that had no bearing on the actual story/outcomes. I enjoyed the initial lush descriptions and imagery, but they were unfortunately overshadowed by the flat characterization and confusing time jumps. I also felt that the only distinct character was Malinalli, but she was absolutely insufferable, which I felt further demonized her. The end of the book also featured a significant and disappointing tone shift without an accompanying character arc.

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to read an ARC provided by Atria Books, however this wound up being a DNF for me about 40% of the way through. I really wanted to enjoy this book, the gorgeous cover hooked me from the jump and the plot description sounded fascinating. I'd not heard of Malinalli prior to picking up this book so the thought of learning more about a period of history I don't know as much about as I'd like was promising. However, the pacing and writing style made for an odd combo and I was unfortunately never able to get into the story as did the more magical aspects of the story as the summary made this sound more like a historical fiction. I may wind up giving this another shot in the future and adjust my review accordingly because the plot is still intriguing but I may need to be in the mood for this specific type of writing.

If you enjoyed Cerces or Babylonia, this may be a great book for you to pick up.

Malinalli by Veronica Chapa - eBook ARC provied by #NetGalley

This is not your average historical fiction. Malinalli takes on the nearly mythic (and historically messy) figure known by many names—Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Doña Marina—and gives her a voice of her own. Once the Nahua interpreter for Hernán Cortés, she’s long been painted as either traitor or victim. Veronica Chapa’s retelling doesn’t try to simplify her—it leans into the nuance.

Malinalli’s story is a layered one: kidnapped as a child, sold into slavery, and later forced into the role of translator and cultural bridge for the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Yes, she made choices that harmed her people. But she was also surviving a world that constantly tried to strip her of power. This book doesn’t try to tell you how to feel—it lets you sit in the tension and wrestle with the uncomfortable truth that two things can be true at once.

Themes of sisterhood, survival, and just a whisper of magic thread through the narrative like a spell. The prose and structure are a bit unconventional—think more lyrical than linear—but once you settle into the rhythm, it begins to hum.

Malinalli is a thoughtful, empathetic reimagining of a woman who has been called everything from traitor to heroine. It’s not always an easy read, but it’s definitely a worthwhile one. I’m glad I picked it up—and even more glad to have seen her story from this new angle.

Thank you for the advanced copy. I really enjoyed this book. It makes me happy to have more stories around Mexican culture and people. Being able to relate to the characters and really envision the scenes that take place is a breath fresh air.

I loved how the author honored the ancestral practices, cultural traditions, and known truths about Malinalli. Those real-life elements were so thoughtfully woven in, and they grounded the story in a way that felt meaningful and rich. Where it lost me a bit was the fantasy aspect which felt like it only appeared when needed to move the plot along. Personally, I think her real story is powerful enough without the added magic. I think it would’ve been even more impactful if the story stayed rooted in historical fiction.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 Veronica Chapa and NetGalley 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Malinalli is the debut novel from Veronica Chapa - a historical, magic realism retelling of La Malinche.

Like other reviewers, I was quite excited for this book as I was intrigued by the plot description and the story of La Malinche. Unfortunately, the book didn’t fully meet my expectations. The pacing had inconsistencies, and the magic in the world felt awkward, perhaps confusing, at times. As with the plot, the character development and path of Malinalli also felt inconsistent. Of course, characters don’t have to, nor likely should, follow a clear linear path in their development and growth. However, I want to understand why regressions or quick changes happen in a character’s personality and motivations. I didn’t fully understand every change in Malinalli’s personality and her opinions on war, peace, and her relationship with the sorceress goddess throughout the book.

This was a fairly good debut novel, but it would have benefited from another round of editing to adjust the pacing.

3 stars. Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books, for the ARC. Good luck to Veronia Chapa with her future writing projects.