A review by marie_thereadingotter
Malinalli by Veronica Chapa

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I received this book from NetGalley for review
 

This book has taken me what feels like an age to finish. The pacing was really slow for so much of the book. I am not familiar with this figure in history, it wasn't something covered when I was in school (so little was), so I have no historical context of who they are. 

That aside, I never felt like I understood the world, and it's supposed to be a historical fantasy version of ours so there was always this disconnect. The magic felt glossed over at best. I also was never sure of how old she was during any part of the story. At one point she mentions "when I was young" but then a sentence later she mentions that she's barely 12 and that left me thing 'that's still young, what do you mean?'

 

The story is primarily told from Malinalli's perspective, as it is her story, but it was so focused on her all the side-characters fell a little flat, which for me left Malinalli as a bit of a hollow character. Her personality was the arch-type 'loud and angry', not that she didn't have reason to be either of those, but with no other emotions, it made her a tough character to empathize or sympathize with when I probably was expected to. I don't like the trend of a good female character is one that angry or "acts like a man". Men and women are allowed to be sad and vulnerable, and I didn't see any point where she displayed one of those emotions even when it would've made sense for her to.

 

I don't typically read historical fantasy that follows person who actually existed, so these issues might not bother people who read this sub-genre more than I do. But for me, this book was a little lackluster.