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borborygm's review
5.0
A delightful book. Interesting background, interesting take on vampires, and absolutely great ending. Instead of a ridiculous love story ending Moreno-Garcia writes a genuine love story ending, the only thing that makes sense given Atl IS a vampire, one who genuinely loves a blood meal, aka a human.
One complaint - sometimes Cualli gets lost in the narrative making me wonder, is he there? Wouldn't he present a problem there? And a couple pages later he appears as if there could never be any question or issue with his presence.
One complaint - sometimes Cualli gets lost in the narrative making me wonder, is he there? Wouldn't he present a problem there? And a couple pages later he appears as if there could never be any question or issue with his presence.
tbrcourtney's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
princesspaige's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
whimsyandwitt's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
beckys_books's review
4.0
Yes, I’m back reviewing ANOTHER Moreno-Garcia book and I’m sure you will all be shocked when I say I loved it. Certain Dark Things is the perfect blend of fantasy, horror and noir, with vivid characters and set in a Mexico City that became a character in and of itself.
Domingo is a street kid looking for his next meal when he finds Atl, a beautiful and mysterious girl who invites him back to her place… only Domingo might in fact be her meal. Atl is a Vampire, a member of the ancient Aztec clan and she’s on the run. A feud between her clan and the Godoy’s, a rival Vampire gang, ended in the death of Atl’s mother and sister and led to her running for her life. But it’s not just the Vampires she has to be careful of, the gangs of Mexico City aren’t happy to hear blood suckers have returned to their streets and they’re out for blood. Atl will have to rely on humans and Vampires alike if she is to make it out of Mexico City alive.
Certain Dark Things is told from multiple perspectives: Atl, a Tlahuihpotchtli, a race of Vampires that goes back to before the Aztecs. Domingo, a lonely street kid trying to stay out of trouble and gather garbage to pay for his next meal. Nick Godoy, a Necro, a more traditional style of Vampire with sharp teeth and pale skin. Rodrigo, a Renfield, a companion to Nick’s father who has been sent to hunt down Atl. And Ana Aguirre, a cop and past Vampire killer who is investigating the death of a young woman. While all these characters play a pivotal part in the story and add to the atmosphere and tension, Certain Dark Things is Atl and Domingo’s story.
Atl is used to comfort, never wondering where her next meal will come from, but now that she’s on the run all that changes. She has to learn where to place her trust, and though the voice of her sister is telling her that a human is not someone she can trust, Atl see’s something in Domingo that she understands. He is naive and enamoured with her, but he also knows the city inside and out, something that Atl knows will come to use. They are both on their own, both looking for a way out of the holes they are in, they just need to learn to trust one another.
I loved the twist on the trope of male vampire/ innocent female lover. It was so interesting seeing the shift in power dynamic. Domingo’s life on the street made him the perfect person to become a Vampire’s assistant, his desperation for solidity, for something regular ensures his loyalty, and while Atl does take advantage of this, she also see’s the strength in it. They are both looking for something the other can’t provide; Domingo, a relationship that will last and Atl someone to take some of her pain away, someone she can lean on. Though the romance doesn’t play a large part in the plot, I did love how Moreno-Garcia progressed it throughout the story, and felt it was written extremely well.
With Certain Dark Things, Moreno-Garcia introduces us to her world of Vampires expertly. There are a multitude of different races from Atl’s Tlahuihpotchtli clan of matriarchal run shape shifters, to the Godoy’s Necro style who can control people’s minds by sharing their blood. Lovers of Vampire lore will notice the little nod’s to tales of old, but she manages to make Certain Dark Things and the Vampires that inherit it completely her own. Moreno-Garcia uses folklore/mythology reference to give us the understanding of why each vampire race is different than the rest, and has an epic glossary at the back with a more detailed description of each type of Vampire and the historical reference’s she drew from for them. As well as this she explains how different countries dealt with the realisation of Vampires, and how exactly they came to be expelled from Mexico City. As usual her world building is sublime and her use of Mexico City as almost a character of it’s own, the descriptive writing she uses to bring it to life, make for a unique read.
Certain Dark Things is perfect for those looking for something a little extra in their Vampire novels. While Moreno-Garcia brings certain tropes that we know and love into the story, the addition of gang style violence, her use of Vampire races and the colonialism references that come with it and her expertise in writing unique and complicated characters make sure that it will stand out in the genre. She manages to blend together multiple genres to make a dark and sometimes gruesome novel, that any horror fans will be sure to love. Another book by the author that just proves her writing prowess and her ability to jump between genres with ease.
Domingo is a street kid looking for his next meal when he finds Atl, a beautiful and mysterious girl who invites him back to her place… only Domingo might in fact be her meal. Atl is a Vampire, a member of the ancient Aztec clan and she’s on the run. A feud between her clan and the Godoy’s, a rival Vampire gang, ended in the death of Atl’s mother and sister and led to her running for her life. But it’s not just the Vampires she has to be careful of, the gangs of Mexico City aren’t happy to hear blood suckers have returned to their streets and they’re out for blood. Atl will have to rely on humans and Vampires alike if she is to make it out of Mexico City alive.
Certain Dark Things is told from multiple perspectives: Atl, a Tlahuihpotchtli, a race of Vampires that goes back to before the Aztecs. Domingo, a lonely street kid trying to stay out of trouble and gather garbage to pay for his next meal. Nick Godoy, a Necro, a more traditional style of Vampire with sharp teeth and pale skin. Rodrigo, a Renfield, a companion to Nick’s father who has been sent to hunt down Atl. And Ana Aguirre, a cop and past Vampire killer who is investigating the death of a young woman. While all these characters play a pivotal part in the story and add to the atmosphere and tension, Certain Dark Things is Atl and Domingo’s story.
Atl is used to comfort, never wondering where her next meal will come from, but now that she’s on the run all that changes. She has to learn where to place her trust, and though the voice of her sister is telling her that a human is not someone she can trust, Atl see’s something in Domingo that she understands. He is naive and enamoured with her, but he also knows the city inside and out, something that Atl knows will come to use. They are both on their own, both looking for a way out of the holes they are in, they just need to learn to trust one another.
I loved the twist on the trope of male vampire/ innocent female lover. It was so interesting seeing the shift in power dynamic. Domingo’s life on the street made him the perfect person to become a Vampire’s assistant, his desperation for solidity, for something regular ensures his loyalty, and while Atl does take advantage of this, she also see’s the strength in it. They are both looking for something the other can’t provide; Domingo, a relationship that will last and Atl someone to take some of her pain away, someone she can lean on. Though the romance doesn’t play a large part in the plot, I did love how Moreno-Garcia progressed it throughout the story, and felt it was written extremely well.
With Certain Dark Things, Moreno-Garcia introduces us to her world of Vampires expertly. There are a multitude of different races from Atl’s Tlahuihpotchtli clan of matriarchal run shape shifters, to the Godoy’s Necro style who can control people’s minds by sharing their blood. Lovers of Vampire lore will notice the little nod’s to tales of old, but she manages to make Certain Dark Things and the Vampires that inherit it completely her own. Moreno-Garcia uses folklore/mythology reference to give us the understanding of why each vampire race is different than the rest, and has an epic glossary at the back with a more detailed description of each type of Vampire and the historical reference’s she drew from for them. As well as this she explains how different countries dealt with the realisation of Vampires, and how exactly they came to be expelled from Mexico City. As usual her world building is sublime and her use of Mexico City as almost a character of it’s own, the descriptive writing she uses to bring it to life, make for a unique read.
Certain Dark Things is perfect for those looking for something a little extra in their Vampire novels. While Moreno-Garcia brings certain tropes that we know and love into the story, the addition of gang style violence, her use of Vampire races and the colonialism references that come with it and her expertise in writing unique and complicated characters make sure that it will stand out in the genre. She manages to blend together multiple genres to make a dark and sometimes gruesome novel, that any horror fans will be sure to love. Another book by the author that just proves her writing prowess and her ability to jump between genres with ease.
ferdireads's review against another edition
4.0
well that ending pissed me tf off
but besides the annoying ending, this was a really enjoyable read, and i loved this cyberpunk, noir world silvia moreno-garcia created and felt fully immersed. it felt like i was reading a crazy combination of "vampire in the garden" and "cyberpunk 2077/edgerunners" that worked
but besides the annoying ending, this was a really enjoyable read, and i loved this cyberpunk, noir world silvia moreno-garcia created and felt fully immersed. it felt like i was reading a crazy combination of "vampire in the garden" and "cyberpunk 2077/edgerunners" that worked
readwithhugo's review
5.0
I was obsessed with this author’s other book, Gods of Jade and Shadow (haven’t gotten to Mexican Gothic yet, whoops), so when I saw she had another book in the works, I knew I needed to get my filthy gremlin hands on it immediately. So I did and I fell in love with this action-packed, addictive book.
According to the author, Certain Dark Things is a neo-noir that takes place in an alternate Mexico City. It’s gritty, dark, super bloody, and full of morally-gray characters. The writing was packed full of rich Mexican and Aztec folklore and I loved the unique take on vampire mythology that was included as well. I’ve never seen vampires done like this before - this book features ten different ‘species’ of vampire that come from the lore of ten different cultures. Along with ALL THE VAMPIRES, there are mafia-style vampire turf wars, strong and interesting female leads, and a dog who is A Very Good Boy.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
According to the author, Certain Dark Things is a neo-noir that takes place in an alternate Mexico City. It’s gritty, dark, super bloody, and full of morally-gray characters. The writing was packed full of rich Mexican and Aztec folklore and I loved the unique take on vampire mythology that was included as well. I’ve never seen vampires done like this before - this book features ten different ‘species’ of vampire that come from the lore of ten different cultures. Along with ALL THE VAMPIRES, there are mafia-style vampire turf wars, strong and interesting female leads, and a dog who is A Very Good Boy.
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher.
bird_stork_amenophus's review
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
frogsinthesummer's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5