Scan barcode
kirstenw13's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
An absolute 5 star read for me. Both story and language were beautifully written. The characters were lovable, their conflicts felt real and raw. The mystical element of vampires set against the love story set against the mexican american war. Wow. 10/10 would read again. I want to have it on my bookshelf.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Blood, and War
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Finished reading: June 28th 2024
“Don't you always. He did. Porque así fue la suerte. Nothing worth wanting came easy; nothing worth wanting was ever given to men of dust and sweat.”
I'm honestly still speechless. It's no secret that I'm usually allergic to vampire stories, but after being blown away by The Hacienda I decided to take a gamble and add Vampires Of El Norte to my TBR anyway. I absolutely loved Isabel Cañas' writing style in her debut, and I had high hopes that this alone would be enough to help me forget about my aversion towards fanged creatures. Not only did this happen, but this might actually be the first time I end up giving a vampire story the full five stars. What an absolutely stunning and simply glorious read! Vampires Of El Norte is part historical fiction, part romance and part supernatural horror, with a war and family drama thrown in to add even more dept. The historical Mexican setting is sublimely done, and it truly transports you to the 1840s and a turbulent time in Mexico. The writing itself is vivid and stunning, and I basically knew this book was going to get the highest rating after just a couple chapters. This also has a lot to do with both main characters Nena and Néstor, who were able to win over my heart almost immediately. Vampires Of El Norte uses a dual POV structure, switching between Nena and Néstor to give us a better idea what happens both when they are apart and together. The supernatural horror element is also extremely well done, and I loved how the curandera healing was incorporated into the plot. I'm honestly a bit lost for words as it is SO hard to write a review that does this story justice... If you enjoy well written historical fiction with a supernatural twist as well as a dose of romance and don't mind things getting dark and twisted, I cannot recommend Vampires Of El Norte enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jayla_hh's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
For the title, I was expecting a lot more vampires than were actually present.
Plot is a bit slow to start and lulls at a certain point but picks itself back up. The romance between Nena and Nestor took more precedent than expected, this was not unwelcome. It's really the only issue that's fully resolved by the books end in truth.
Plot is a bit slow to start and lulls at a certain point but picks itself back up. The romance between Nena and Nestor took more precedent than expected, this was not unwelcome. It's really the only issue that's fully resolved by the books end in truth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
thiaroberts's review
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? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
julesfrigault's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Gore, Blood, and War
carlyoc's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
Another fresh take on vampires. Adding to the ranks of recen Mexican vampire stories like Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Certain Dark Things, this book has some notable differences. The vampires are semi-sentient beasts rather than humanistic love interests and the story has a historical setting during the Mexican-American war.
Nena is thr daughter of a ranchero in Northern Mexico. She and her childhood friend Nestor are in love, but he is the son of a vaquero, a ranch worker and of a lower social class. But before that issue can come to a head, they encounter a creature that attacks Nena and leaves Nestor thinking she is dead. In his grief, he runs away to become an independent vaquero. He returns nine years later to help defend the ranch from the invading Yankees and only then discovers that Nena is alive. Together, they learn that the Yankees are using the vampires as weapons and how to defeat them. But will anyone at the ranch listen to them given their forbidden relationship?
Nena is thr daughter of a ranchero in Northern Mexico. She and her childhood friend Nestor are in love, but he is the son of a vaquero, a ranch worker and of a lower social class. But before that issue can come to a head, they encounter a creature that attacks Nena and leaves Nestor thinking she is dead. In his grief, he runs away to become an independent vaquero. He returns nine years later to help defend the ranch from the invading Yankees and only then discovers that Nena is alive. Together, they learn that the Yankees are using the vampires as weapons and how to defeat them. But will anyone at the ranch listen to them given their forbidden relationship?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Blood, Grief, and War
janey_bones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Isabel Cañas' 'Vampires of El Norte' pleasantly surprised me with its captivating blend of romance, historical fiction, and socio-political commentary. While initially expecting a horror narrative akin to 'The Hacienda,' I found myself immersed in a richly detailed world where the metaphorical 'blood-sucking colonizers' take center stage. Cañas' exquisite prose effortlessly transports readers to a vividly depicted time and place, evoking a sense of nostalgia and intrigue. While not a conventional horror tale, 'Vampires of El Norte' excels in its unique exploration of themes and its ability to keep readers engaged until the very end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Animal death, Death, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
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
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.
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
shubka's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War