Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Starred Review This stellar anthology of 17 science fiction and fantasy tales of magic, outer space, and other worlds features contributors from the Latinx diaspora who write about love, friendship, adventure, and everything beyond and in between. From Anna-Marie McLemore's spaceship princess nemeses to Daniel José Older's characters learning how to approach grief in space to Lilliam Rivera's robot tale, the tones and writing styles vary greatly, providing something fresh and exciting for every reader. The collection also features the voices of storytellers familiar to anthologies, including Mark Oshiro, Claribel A. Ortega, and J. C. Cervantes. The book's three sections o the Stars," "The Magical Now," and "Other Times, Other Realms" ganize the broad spectrum of original science fiction and fantasy stories for readers. Intertwining Spanish and English and weaving cultural elements and traditions of Latinx culture throughout, these stories offer a much-needed reflection of representation to the Latinx diaspora community in genres that have not traditionally welcomed these writers. And those reading outside this perspective will be overjoyed to venture to distant lands and times with these distinct, imaginative tales.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

An anthology that collects 17 speculative fiction tales written by both new and well-established authors representing the Latin American diaspora.Editor Córdova presents a hearty collection-including a story of her own that closes the book-that celebrates different perspectives and voices from a diverse, wide-ranging community. The anthology follows a recipe for resounding success: The stories feature Latinx characters and include fantasy and science fiction peppered with plenty of romance, a dash of horror, and a pinch of magical realism-but, above all, a copious amount of warmth. This volume hits the ground running with the beautiful prose and even more beautiful queer love story of Anna-Marie McLemore's "Reign of Diamonds," set in space with magic added. Readers' hearts will be broken by Daniel José Older's "Flecha," a futuristic tale of family and diaspora, and "Eterno," J.C. Cervantes' story of an impossible love between a human girl and a not-so-human boy-only to be put back together by David Bowles' "The First Day of Us," a fun and heartwarming take on polyamory set on a space station. There is a lot more here about finding oneself in tales of empowerment and growth, of letting go, punching up, and celebrating love in all its incarnations and colors of the rainbow.There is a little something for everyone in this powerful, essential anthology. (contributor bios) (Speculative fiction. 13-adult)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

An anthology that collects 17 speculative fiction tales written by both new and well-established authors representing the Latin American diaspora.Editor Córdova presents a hearty collection-including a story of her own that closes the book-that celebrates different perspectives and voices from a diverse, wide-ranging community. The anthology follows a recipe for resounding success: The stories feature Latinx characters and include fantasy and science fiction peppered with plenty of romance, a dash of horror, and a pinch of magical realism-but, above all, a copious amount of warmth. This volume hits the ground running with the beautiful prose and even more beautiful queer love story of Anna-Marie McLemore's "Reign of Diamonds," set in space with magic added. Readers' hearts will be broken by Daniel José Older's "Flecha," a futuristic tale of family and diaspora, and "Eterno," J.C. Cervantes' story of an impossible love between a human girl and a not-so-human boy-only to be put back together by David Bowles' "The First Day of Us," a fun and heartwarming take on polyamory set on a space station. There is a lot more here about finding oneself in tales of empowerment and growth, of letting go, punching up, and celebrating love in all its incarnations and colors of the rainbow.There is a little something for everyone in this powerful, essential anthology. (contributor bios) (Speculative fiction. 13-adult)

School Library Journal (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

Gr 10 Up Justice, prison reform, polyamorous love, feminism, toppling dictators, and other timely topics populate the pages of this collection of short stories set in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Argentina, magical realms, and distant planets. While the characters in each of these stories are children coming of age, the apocalyptic and magical settings force them to become wise before their time. "The Tin Man" puts Alida in the desperate position of either remaining on Earth where she has memories of her family or getting into an ark destined for unknown parts and beginning again. In "Killing El Chivo," Yesenia, Zaria, and Milagros are left to fend for themselves under a dictatorship that kidnapped and killed their parents. The teens becoming adults in this short story have to grapple with the difference between justice and revenge, and how both still twist the survivors into something they don't want to be. Yesenia learns that to destroy a monster, one must become a monster as well. "Leyenda" by Romina Garber revisits the domain of werewolves and witches, and in it, the main character, Zaybet, tackles patriarchal systems of oppression. In each of these entries a sacrifice is negotiated in order for the protagonist to evolve into a hero and a survivor. VERDICT This collection is recommended for older teens due to the intimate nature of the various characters within the stories. A solid choice for YA shelves. Stephanie Creamer