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A review by annemaries_shelves
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
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
3.5
3.5 stars
I had a very fun time with this story. It's an earlier novel of Moren0-Garcia's so some of her character and pacing work is less strong, but that creativity and sense of place is still there.
The vampire lore she's created for this world, with the various sub-species of vampire and their clan clashes and clashes with humans, is fascinating and I want to learn more. It's absolutely the best part of the novel.
The overall plot is fairly predictable and it's slower to start, but the chapters are short and the story is engaging enough that you just keep turning the page. I'd recommend especially for the Halloween/spooky vibes.
I think some of the themes hinted at in the novel become much more prevalent in her later works.
Finally as it's a noir, the novel does get bloody and violent towards the end and I think some may be unsatisfied with the ending (true to genre).
I had a very fun time with this story. It's an earlier novel of Moren0-Garcia's so some of her character and pacing work is less strong, but that creativity and sense of place is still there.
The vampire lore she's created for this world, with the various sub-species of vampire and their clan clashes and clashes with humans, is fascinating and I want to learn more. It's absolutely the best part of the novel.
The overall plot is fairly predictable and it's slower to start, but the chapters are short and the story is engaging enough that you just keep turning the page. I'd recommend especially for the Halloween/spooky vibes.
I think some of the themes hinted at in the novel become much more prevalent in her later works.
Finally as it's a noir, the novel does get bloody and violent towards the end and I think some may be unsatisfied with the ending (true to genre).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Murder, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Violence
Minor: Child abuse