Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this fantasy novella from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

This be seventh book I have read by the author and me seventh five star read.  Her writing floats me boat.  I have said before that what I find amazing about all of the author's books is that they feel so different from each other.  The first was a vampire story with stunning vampire culture and history.  The second was a Mayan fairy-tale set during the Jazz age in Mexico.  The third was a romance with a hint of fantasy set in the Belle Époque era.  The fourth was a coming-of-age thriller set in Baja California in 1979.  Then came a gothic horror set in 1950s Mexico.  Six was a heart-wrenching novella set in space.  Now we have a mesoamerican fantasy novella.  I did not read the blurb going into this so everything was a surprise to me. It was awesome.

This one follows Yalxi a blood magic sorceress who has been cast low from her former ruling position and is ready to claw her way back to the top with pure fury and grit.  The blood magic is nasty and takes it's toll on the wielder.  Yalxi's only hope for her success is her own willpower and a nahual.  I adored the nahual but started out not having much sympathy for Yalxi.  I needn't have worried because the novella was quick-paced, enthralling, and had a very unexpected ending.  The dark parts were lightened by Yalxi and the nahual's relationship.  The story was perfectly contained in novella form and was absolutely satisfying.

I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia and am excited for her new books later this year.  Arrr!