Reviews with content warning for Sexual content - Certain Dark Things

I thought this book was okay. It was well written but I didn’t feel a very strong connection to any of the characters. The action felt a little forced and I was honestly bored at times. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but it’s not something I would read again nor that I would recommend to anyone who isn’t a hardcore vampire fan. I found the details about the different kinds of vampires to be fascinating and wish I’d been able to learn more about that specifically. I liked Domingo a lot even though he felt kinda flat to me, very typical “I’m obsessed with vampires” human. I wish we knew a little bit more about him as a person. The same with Atl, whose background I feel we only got the lightest of sketches of to explain why she was on the run and in Mexico City. I would’ve liked a longer book or for this to be the first in a duology about these characters, Atl specifically but also other important characters & the different clans.

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This month's pick for Maven's Vampire Book Club is a recent reprint following the author's wildly successful Mexican Gothic, which I admittedly haven't read yet. So, other than knowing that this author has gotten a lot of praise for her suspenseful and beautiful writing, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. I'm not one who usually enjoys gritty stories (I'm a bit put off by the mention of "narco-vampires"), but a kick-ass vampire on the run with a charming human sounds like it could be fun, right? Right?

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, it took a while, but like the puppy that is Domingo, this story grew on me. It's definitely not for everyone, with dark and adult themes very much overwhelming the 'vampire romance' vibes, but so long as you're prepared for a somewhat gritty vampire noir, I think you'll enjoy it as much as I did. The fast-paced writing and unique world made it easy to fly through, though you may, like me, need more time added to the end to fully digest everything, but luckily the newer version offers just that with its Encyclopaedia Vampirica, author interview, discussion questions, and more. So if you're in the mood for a stand-alone vampire book with unique lore, strong female characters, a bit of sci-fi punk, and a lot lurking beneath the surface, then try sinking your teeth into this one.

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amandaquotidianbooks's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

Excellent world building of this alternative history. Loved the vampire species and lore. The character development of Domingo and Atl were especially impressive. Such a rich setting with the right amount of bleakness to make this dark and moody. Fabulous audiobook performance, too!!

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