The Other Moctezuma Girls

This week, Sofia Robleda released her second novel, The Other Moctezuma Girls, and I’ve so been looking forward to it. Set in Mexico in 1551, this is part family drama and part unexpected adventure.

Isabel Moctezuma, the last Aztec princess, has just passed away, leaving behind several adult children, a shocking will, and an even more surprising gift for her daughter, Isabel. The unusual art Isabel receives after her mother’s death leads her and two siblings on a treasure hunt around Mexico, searching for chapters of their mother’s true story. Will they uncover the whole truth before their other brothers catch up and potentially harm them?

What I Liked:

Getting to know 16th-century Mexico. I don’t know enough about Mexico’s history, and I enjoyed getting to see such a transitional time here, with a focus on Indigenous peoples and their complicated relationship with Spanish conquistadors. The family matriarch—known by many names, including Tecuichpoch and Nantzin—was a real historical figure. She was an Aztec princess and was married numerous times, including to various Spanish men, the last of whom is Isabel’s dad. She describes both the horrors of her experiences and the better times.
Treasure hunt for their mother’s secret history. Isabel, her sister Catina, and her brother Nano follow the clues left in a strange painting, searching for the secret chapters of Nantzin’s life story. These clues take them all over Mexico, allowing readers to explore so much of the country. Each chapter is more securely hidden than the last, making the search increasingly exciting as they near the end of the story.
Dual timeline. The main story is set in early 1551, shortly after Nantzin’s death as the three siblings search for the missing chapters. Upon finding each chapter, we get to hear Nantzin’s personal account of being married three times by the age of 12 (!!), losing most of her family members, and being pushed into the hands of the Spanish. These are some harrowing experiences, and it’s no wonder she was affected by these events later on.
Complicated sibling relationships. Isabel, Catina, and Nano are close, even if they don’t always agree on things. Their other siblings range from distant to outright cruel, especially after hearing Nantzin’s final will. I enjoyed getting to see the myriad forms of sibling relationships, as well as the relationships with their parents.
Use of language. This book uses a lot of Nahuatl, the Indigenous language spoken in their region of Mexico. And since Catina went deaf after an illness, she and her siblings use sign language to communicate. I loved seeing the range of languages used here and how it centered Indigenous peoples.

Audiobook:

The Other Moctezuma Girls is brilliantly narrated by Victoria Villarreal as Isabel and Diana Bustelo as Tecuichpoch (Nantzin). Both perfectly captured their characters’ voices. Isabel was young and brash; Nantzin was knowing yet slightly playful. This dual narration made for an engrossing read through the very last chapter.

Final Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Moctezuma Girls. This is book is for anyone who enjoys historical fiction about real past figures, learning about 1500s Mexico, and the complex relationship between a mother and her children. This brings a bit of mystery, adventure, and a lot of heart. I look forward to reading more from Sofia Robleda, including her debut novel, Daughter of Fire, which is already waiting on my shelf.

Special thanks to Amazon Crossing, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy The Other Moctezuma Girls here – it’s available as a paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

The Other Moctezuma Girls by Sofia Robleda
Audiobook Narrator	Victoria Villarreal; Diana Bustelo; Elena Rey
Audience	Adult
Genre	Historical Fiction
Setting	Mexico
Number of Pages	349
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	February 24, 2026
Publisher	Amazon Crossing

Official Summary

In sixteenth-century Mexico, a fearless young woman strives to uncover the secrets her mother kept as the last Aztec empress in a sweeping historical epic by the author of Daughter of Fire.

Tenochtitlan, 1551. Thirty years after the Spanish Conquest destroyed everything she loved, the last Aztec empress has passed and left behind a pristine yet tenuous legacy for her children. As her last will and testament is read out, her daughter Isabel suspects that another account of her mother’s life may exist, hidden away, chapter by chapter, in the Valley of Mexico. Following each clue, Isabel is determined to find out who her mother really was and to discover the secrets she buried in order to survive.

Joined by her siblings and a handsome young cook named Juan, Isabel embarks on a perilous journey to piece together the past―a journey that will force the party to brave the brutal viceroyal court, face fearsome legends in mystical chinampas, and trek through desert, fire, and snow. As Isabel’s feelings for Juan grow, she confronts everything she thought she knew about her Spanish father, her empress mother, and herself. Facing everything from the tunnels of ancient pyramids to the summit of an active volcano, Isabel will meet every challenge to fulfill an epic quest for the truth.

About the Author

Sofia is a Mexican writer. She spent her childhood and adolescence in Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore. She completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in psychology at the University of Queensland, in Australia.

She currently lives in the UK with her husband and son, and splits her time writing, raising her son, and working as a psychologist, supporting people with brain injuries and neurological conditions.