Reviews with content warning for Death - Vampires of El Norte

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.

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beccaand's review against another edition

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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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emilywemily6's review against another edition

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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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abby_can_read's review

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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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theycallmebookish's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

For me, this really didn’t feel like a horror story. It felt more like a spooky historical novel. You’re able to learn a lot about what was going on during the Mexican-American War from the perspective of those living in Mexico. Nena is an amazing main character and gave such bad bit*h energy during a time period where women went expected to be quiet and obey. I love the inclusion of vampires and how the author pulled from Mexican mythology instead of the American/European version of vampires. All the details made you feel like you were right next to Nena.

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ktv's review

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adventurous dark tense fast-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? No

5.0

Loved it!!!! Expected nothing less from Isabel Cañas. Really liked getting both Nena and Nestor’s perspectives. So action packed.

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dandydoodle's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Honestly wish some parts had been more fleshed out, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. The writing was good, the story pulls you forward easily. I wish some of the “horror” elements were more fleshed out and the comparison between the vampires and the Yanquis could’ve been pushed further, but the point was communicated. It’s all somewhat of a backdrop to the romance between Nena and Néstor anyways.

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carbs666's review against another edition

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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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