Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas

25 reviews

cheye13's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I think expectations are absolutely key to enjoying this story. It is a dramatic historical romance with some speculative horror atmosphere. I found this to be a beautiful and nearly perfect story. The setting is so skillfully portrayed that it's seemlessly immersive. The emotions of the leads are nearly tangible. Within a single chapter, my heart ached for these two as if I knew them. And while there is technically a typical romance third-act conflict, it was so well executed, I nearly didn't notice it. An absolutely beautiful story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Grief, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Racism and Sexism

Minor: Sexual content

crystalisreading's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

This was great.  As good as that GORGEOUS cover.  I'm a baby about horror, but I didn't find it really scary,  just very atmospheric. Excellent audio narration. Creative vampires.  Great treatment of violent colonizers and examination of unfair labor practices,  done so smoothly it was a part of the the story,  not a distraction. Has me thinking about the Mexican-American war now.  A book to enjoy but also digest later. Recommended.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content

kaneebli's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content

sydapel's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.75

It really pains me to say it, but this absolutely did not work for me. Based on other reviews I had seen, I was anticipating something much more fantasy based, rather than historical fiction with a touch of paranormal. The writing style also felt overly descriptive for what I think what meant to feel like a fast paced thrilling adventure, and personally I did not find either main character worth rooting for. If a spooky historical fiction and the childhood friends to long lost lovers trope works for you, then absolutely pick this up, but a miss from me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism

Moderate: Violence and War

Minor: Sexual content

beccaand's review

adventurous dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

emilywemily6's review

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This was more a historical romance than a horror novel. The descriptions of the vampires was really creepy though, so I wish there was a lot more horror! Nena and Nestor have an interesting relationship, though it takes an exceedingly long time for the tension to ease after their falling out. It was also frustrating to see Nena try to hard to be obstinate about both her feelings and her understanding of Nestor’s experience. And she spent way too much time stringing him along while planning on returning to her duties back home, only to have it blow up in her face on both fronts. These characters felt more immature than their age as far as their relationship went, like they regressed once they saw each other again. I really liked the historical aspect of this book and the horror elements, but the romance was such a large part of the plot and yet not my favorite because it was so dramatic. I could get behind the relationship though, I could definitely see the chemistry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content and Slavery

abby_can_read's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

🎧
This was amazing. I loved it. I totally get why this book is popular. I think Canada is an incredibly talented writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Death, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Sexual content

inky_blooms's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism

Minor: Sexual content

rachelunabridged's review

adventurous dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Classism

Moderate: Misogyny and Grief

Minor: Animal death and Sexual content

carbs666's review

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Ok before I get into I will say that I did genuinely enjoy this book! The way the vampires are positioned as tools of white colonizers is very effective, beasts of the land who have been enslaved for nefarious purposes. Loved that, along with Nena's character development throughout the book. The way she comes to understand that, despite her best efforts and intentions, she is still, to a great degree, spoiled and naive, and has to do a lot of work to understand why that is and how to change is excellent. The prose is also gorgeous, clearly written by someone in love with the land.

My chief complaint with this book was the love story (a shocker from me). There was SO much "will they or won't they" energy going on here it got a bit tired after a while. Additionally, the way that so much of the internal relied on these two just flatly refusing to talk and listen to each other became annoying. (Not to mention how hard it sometimes feels to root for Nena when she's, like, firmly in her 20s and still afraid to upset her parents - I know we've all felt that way but as a reader who wants to see the HEA happen it gets frustrating.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content