V. Castro is a Chicana from San Antonio, Texas, who now lives in London, England, and is a two-time Bram Stoker award nominee. Being fascinated by Mexican folklore and Texas urban legends, it’s no surprise her writing reflects these inspirations while also putting her own edgy twist on such legends.
Immortal Pleasures follows Malinalli, otherwise known as La Malinche, the Nahua translator for Hernan Cortés. History has her name and actions written down in infamy, but this novel tells her side of the story. She’s reborn as an immortal vampire and travels the world as an avenger for her people by reclaiming stolen artifacts to return them to their rightful home. However, she’s also in search of satisfying her desire for pleasure and love through two captivating men. In her travels to Dublin, Ireland for Aztec skulls that hold a personal history to her, enemies from her past begin to emerge.
“History has her name and actions written down in infamy, but this novel tells her side of the story. ”
When two people, or even items, whose side of history are overlooked by the majority, a bond between them becomes inevitable. It’s no wonder why Mali is in the line of work to find and return stolen artifacts to their home county, as she and these items have something in common: they are both misunderstood. How can the history and significance of a stolen artifact be appreciated and understood in foreign hands? How can anyone understand the hardships that she’s endured when she’s seen as a traitor first and a human second? Or understand her vampire self and all of its difficulties when she meets so few like her? Since Malinalli and these items are so misunderstood, a yearning for something familiar grows within them. If anything, it’s natural that they gravitate toward each other. Just as the artifacts receive what they’ve been looking for, so does Mali. When she meets a mysterious vampire and learns that his name is also written in infamy, she finds solace, and love, in another misunderstood person.
Despite the many evils and atrocities of the world around her, Malinalli never loses her capacity for love, kindness, and desire. These affections can be seen as an act of resilience and rebellion but it’s simply that she never lost her humanity. Her romantic relationships, fleeting and not, show how she has evolved in her opinions on giving and receiving love and desire. Her human self was always under the order of the Spanish, “My only duty at this point in my life was to serve and never receive.” Now that she doesn’t have to fear the hands of her oppressors, she takes charge of her sexuality and allows herself to feel affection at its purest and in multiple ways. Being romantically involved with humans and vampires in various forms of commitment, she gets to explore the feelings that were once not an option for her. Mali gives and receives love and sex with whoever and however she pleases.
V. Castro illustrates a wonderful twist and perspective on Doña Marina. When so many voices screamed La Malinche and traitor, Castro shines light on her name: Malinalli. Mali, who has endured many tragedies of history, who never fails to honor those who were kind to her, and who continues to retain her humanity in a world that tries to strip her of it.
Melissa Gonzalez (she/her) is a UCLA graduate with a major in American Literature & Culture and a minor in Chicana/o & Central American Studies. She loves boba, horror movies, and reading. You can spot her in the fiction, horror/mystery/thriller, and young adult sections of bookstores. Though she is short, she feels as tall as her TBR pile. You can find Melissa on her book Instagram: @floralchapters
