A review by griffinaria
Reclaim the Stars: 17 Tales Across Realms & Space by Zoraida Córdova

summary of each story.  

To the Stars

• Reign of the Diamonds by Anna-Marie McLemore
  • Fight to the death over space resources between two families with daughters (who have been in love forever) representing each side.  One fakes death and both take a spaceship and run away until families can come to terms.
• Flecha by Daniel Jose Older
  • Boy who was sent to space by mother finds out Earth (and his mother) was killed by evil corporation and joins a group of children to get revenge.  Co-pilot is a female Chewbacca. 
• The First Day of Us by David Bowles
  • A They/Them tells the story of how their polyamory relationship started (They, He, & She) 
• The Tin Man by Lilliam Rivera
  • Child who is the last survivor in their area (Brooklyn, NYC) only has two stuffed animals with voices recordings left of their family.  A robot visits to warn of soon occurring earthquakes and offer place on spaceship of other survivors.  Stuffed animals are lost when child is saved.
• This Is Our Manifesto by Mark Oshiro
  • Prison break and manifesto against -ist captialist prison-industrial complex.

The Magical Now

• Creatures of Kings by Circe Moskowitz
  • Child of Death and human and her mother are finally summoned back to 'Hell' (by sudden occurrances of death, birds falling from trees, journalist) but must face off against half-brother who fears powers of child.  Child triumphs but mother is killed and can finally completely join with Death.
• Eterno by J.C. Cervantes
  • Person with power to pull evil from dying people (pulling protects humans?) falls in love with a human girl and is punished by brother
• White Water, Blue Ocean by Linda Requel Nieves Perez
  • Family that is 'cursed' to emit smell when lie is faced with dying Grandmother.  Grandchild (they/them) escapes family home to go to the sea and meets the entity that gifted their family and learns the turn meaning.  Grandmother and grandchild reconcile.
• Leyenda by Romina Garber
  • Female witch that tries to changes existing patriarchal systems, at end is asked to join underground feminist group/gorilla group
• Color-Coded by Maya Motayne
  • World where women are given magical talent/'unnatural' hair colour when reach puberty.  Girl is given ability to change colour/pattern of thing, including her own skin.  Is frightening because starts outside of own control and women in mothers family go 'insane' (mother could fly and one day floated away) after gift arrives.
• Magical Offerings by Nina Moreno
  • Girl is sent to live with Grandpa on abandoned amusement park after misbehaving.  Builds a statue using a tree (becomes inhabited by 'Green Man' figure) and she and figure leave to magical realm in swamps

Other Times, Other Realms

• Rogue Enchantments by Isabel Ibanez
  • Girl takes over grandmother's stall in market after her death.  Many sellers are not pleased and wanted the stall to go to someone else so they hassle girl and make life difficult.  Girl is selling magical paint/brushes and does demonstrations of abilities.  This backfires as someone tampered with her materials so the paintings creates magical changes in subjects and guard/police give her 24 hours to fix.  After consulting with spirits she discovers the culprit is the one friend she has made but proves it is him and is given permeant status in market.
• Sumaiko y La Sirena by Vita Ayala
  • Selkie/Mermaid story.  Girl is given as 'gift' from sea to a widower, who destroys her scales/coat to keep her with him.  After father dies girl is receiving too much attention from one of the plantation owners who wants to marry her.  She escape to the beach at night and meets and falls in love with a mermaid/selkie but the plantation owners sees this and captures the mermaid to be his bride.  The two women escape and the mermaid splits her scales/coat with the girl so they can be together.
• River People by Yamile Saied Mendez
  • Girl (Irish Immigrant who lives in Argentina) who can hear the voices of spirits must save her brother from a deal with the devil
• Moonglow by Sara Faring
  • Nope
• Killing El Chivo by Claribel A. Ortega
  • Three sisters, each with powers, train to take down dictator that killed their parents.  They take him down but die in the process.
• Tame the Wicked Night by Zoraida Cordova
  • Boy is given power to make anything grow and grow excellently.  When he refuses a betrothal he is challenged to 'tame the wicked night' taken to be a evil woman/female spirit.  Finds woman, who is the last remaining indigenous god who had been imprisoned in a mountain until she can make something grow.  Also there is a goat that eats all things.

Bolded = not read