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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
3.5 stars
Hmm
I think the world and characters were absolutely excellent. It was definitely a refreshing take on a vampire story. I also really liked all the interlinking POVs, especially Ana’s and how she got involved in the plot! Overall though, the execution dragged and even though the plot ramped up about halfway through, the ending, while poignant, was not entirely satisfying.
Somehow Domingo was peak annoying except also really endearing. But because of this I didn’t ship him with Atl in the slightest. They were just vastly different people. But I was still so it was lose-lose on that front.
The audiobook was absolutely amazing!!
Hmm
I think the world and characters were absolutely excellent. It was definitely a refreshing take on a vampire story. I also really liked all the interlinking POVs, especially Ana’s and how she got involved in the plot! Overall though, the execution dragged and even though the plot ramped up about halfway through, the ending, while poignant, was not entirely satisfying.
Somehow Domingo was peak annoying except also really endearing. But because of this I didn’t ship him with Atl in the slightest. They were just vastly different people. But I was still
Spoiler
rooting for them to get away togetherThe audiobook was absolutely amazing!!
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
A great concept, well executed, but I wanted more. More world building, more character development, more story! My greatest takeaway is that it's too short and would do better as a fully-fleshed out novel. Still, it's an interesting, fresh take on mainstream vampirism. It's gritty, dark, and feels only slightly fantastical. and I enjoyed the main characters Domingo and Atl--and the dog!
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
3.5/5 It’s a vampire story but definitely is unique and kept me hooked! It’s such an interesting universe with so many different types of characters. It’s dark, gritty and has some beautiful moments!
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
This one didn't have the lyrical prose that I have (perhaps wrongfully) come to expect from Moreno-García after reading Mexican Gothic. It also suffered from keeping the storytelling spread across too many characters: Domingo, Atl, Ana, Nick, and Rodrigo all get turns. Nick in particular infuriated me, and I think we could have gotten a total understanding of his character from Rodrigo's perspective without having to suffer his thoughts and petulance directly. And Ana turned out to be much less interesting than I expected when we first met her.
Domingo and Atl are the real center of the story, showing Domino's naivety and trust and goodness and Atl's trauma and doubt and inner turmoil. It feels like we barely scratched the surface of a much more interesting world (and the Encyclopedia Vampirica at the back of the ARC tells me that there's so much more room to explore).
We do also fall into some tropes that, while they're tropes for a reason, didn't really interest me.
TL;DR I hope this becomes a series or at least a world to revisit, because while this installment isn't great, the world has so much potential.
{Thank you Tor Nightfire for the advanced copy; all thoughts are my own}
Domingo and Atl are the real center of the story, showing Domino's naivety and trust and goodness and Atl's trauma and doubt and inner turmoil. It feels like we barely scratched the surface of a much more interesting world (and the Encyclopedia Vampirica at the back of the ARC tells me that there's so much more room to explore).
We do also fall into some tropes that, while they're tropes for a reason, didn't really interest me.
TL;DR I hope this becomes a series or at least a world to revisit, because while this installment isn't great, the world has so much potential.
{Thank you Tor Nightfire for the advanced copy; all thoughts are my own}