A refreshing and original take on vampires, filled with vivid characters in a rich setting.

The story is set in Mexico City, where Atl is a vampire on the run from a rival clan, and Domingo is a garbage picker who lives alone on the streets. Unlike other books where the urban setting can seem somewhat arbitrary and interchangeable, Certain Dark Things is imbued with cultural texture that comes to life so that the setting here is almost like another integral character. The sights, smells, and feel of Mexico City all feel important.

The characters are painted with the same kind of life to them. The villains are harsh and lack any redemptive qualities, and the heroes are people we want to see triumph. But even here the main characters are a study in contrasts. Atl is by nature dark and violent, while her companion Domingo lives lightly and is surprisingly unjaded by a life alone on the streets. Even knowing Atl can't help but be herself, Domingo also can't help but be who he is.

The tension in the characters works well and is cleverly done as we see both Domingo and Atl change, but also remain exactly the same.

Certain Dark Things is the story of Atl, a member of an ancient vampire clan born out of the Aztec empire and its ancient religious practices. The youngest of her mother's two daughters, she has just survived the brutal drug war centered slaying of the majority ( and possibly all) of her proud and storied clan. She lives in a modern world where vampires were outed in 1967 and cities like Mexico City have declared themselves vampire-free zones despite the very high population of vampires in Mexico and South America as a whole, many of these ten clans having handily centered themselves at the top of crime and drug syndicates who wield power over human and vampire lives alike.

Despite the ban, Atl finds herself hiding in a Mexico City occupied by so many differences- among them sanitation squads who hunt and destroy vampires, brutal poverty, and complex threats from police officers, a crime group called Deep Crimson, and other vampires. Atl is surviving by the skin of her teeth with no other company than her dog Cuilli until she meets Domingo by chance and things begin to happen which drag both Domingo and herself into a major conflict with the Necros clan which murdered her family, an old enemy of Domingo's named Jackal, Deep Crimson itself, and a police officer pulled into the fray by both her need to protect her daughter from this violent modern world and a past that included slaying vampires.

This is a richly detailed noir laced with urban fantasy elements, a strong clan-centered vampire crime world, new and interesting vampire lore and diversity, and so much of Mexico's own cultural heritage. If I could compare it to any other vampire fiction I would say think of Nancy A. Collins' Sonja Blue and Nancy Baker's Creed duo which began with The Night Inside, possibly also elements of Vampire: The Masquerade which was also heavily centered on the interplay between differing vampire clan and types (All three of these were also major standouts in the genre and well worth your time. ). Vampire fans and fans of the noir are very likely to enjoy this original take on the old tropes and find themselves a new favorite in Certain Dark Things. I certainly appreciated it's characters, complexities, and layers after many years of having been a reader and writer of vampire fiction.

Sylvia Moreno-Garcia is proving to be a saviour of sorts.
Bringing a fresh perspective and energy to the bloodless vampire subgenre, Certain Dark Things springs into the night, sinks its teeth deep in and drags you through a glittering night filled with unsavory characters and danger in every pocket of darkness.
Cheers to Tor for resurrecting this title for the Nightfire imprint.

This book took me so long to finish for whatever reason and I still really enjoyed it! Certain Dark Things is an interesting take of vampires. I really wasn't a fan of the romance in this book but did enjoy the wild ride of an adventure that we were taken on.

Thanks so much for providing me with an arc Tor!

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our library collection and will recommend it to students.

This book started a bit slow, but in a good way. It built the characters, set the plot, the conflict. It built a believable world where we all know of the existence, and eradication, of vampires. Silvia was remarkable in how easily she weaved a complex story around strong, defined characters. I loved the anecdotes, the history, the folklore. I especially loved how she uniquely defined several different vampire bloodlines and their respective strengths and weaknesses while weaving her story.

This was a brilliantly executed and fun story to read.

Thank you @netgalley and @tornightfire for the access to this great book. #CertainDarkThings #NetGalley
NetGalley

I love me a good vampire story and this re-imagined version of it is just fantastic. Only reason I put 4 stars out of 5 is that I wanted a little more of an arc with the characters. There wasn't a lot of growth. Wonderful story nonetheless.

This book was amazing! Garcia is a master weaver of stories!! I loved the fact that the vampires stemmed from all different cultures! And when this book releases I will absolutely purchase a copy.

I really enjoyed this book, and I was happy to have early access. I enjoy young adult and fantasy genres, and was pleased with the unique take on a vampire story. I enjoyed the setting of her novel, the characters (particularly All and Domingo), her descriptive language, and the overall plot. It is a story narrated from multiple perspectives and I thought that they blended well together as the book progressed. I definitely preferred chapters narrated from Domingo's and Atl's points of view, but the other characters' helped to create a well-rounded story.

I really enjoy Moreno-Garcia's writing and I can see why this one has developed a bit of a cult-ish following. That said, I'm glad to see it's being reprinted! Big thank you to Tor Nightfire for sending this one my way.

Action-packed, intensely readable, and way more fun than I imagined a neo-noir vampire tale could be. The characters are enjoyable, the world-building is well done, it's just a really good, fast paced read - definitely would recommend this to anyone interested in Moreno-Garcia's work (noting that this is not similar to her other works, but the writing is always fantastic) or to readers who enjoy a bit of fantasy/horror.

One of my favorite vampire novels, ever. I am so excited this is getting new life! If you like well written horror and vampires, this is the book for you. IF you enjoy sparkling vampires....maybe it is not.

I'm not a fan of vampires, but after I read Mexican Gothic I figured any book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia would be worn reading and entertaining.
This one was just that!
It's adventure, danger, forbidden love, and dark backstreets of alt- Mexico City.
There is lots of blood and death, sort of like a Tarantino film, except I like her characters way more than any of his movie characters!
I enjoyed the nod to Aztec history and myths in connection with Atl's character. I also enjoyed the nod to the effects of colonialism as well as the effects of US deportation policies (I saw parallels in the story with the expulsion of vampires from Europe and the US that led to them ending up in Mexico and creating gang wars with other vampire clans and drug cartels.)
Very entertaining!

Reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia is always fun ,you don't know what awaits you, but it will original.
Something that I love about the author is how she mixes different genres, in this case, is urban fantasy, with crime (in the style of Noir movies), action and morally grey characters.

This a new story about vampires and what characters. The author is inspired by the different versions around the world and of course she creates a Mexican kind, mixed with Aztec mythology; that was so fascinating.

Atl its a young vampire, she is a Tlahuipochi, the Mexican vampire, her ancestors served the gods before colonization and they have unique features that make them different from the pop culture vampires. When her family is killed for another vampire clan, she runs to Mexico City, the only place without vampires; the rest of the country is divided by bands (mafia) of vampires, all-powerful and some of them want to hurt her.
In the city she meets Domingo, he is human and young and a bit naive, they will make an alliance and also start a friendship.

The story is very cinematic, you really are in Mexico City and be careful, because you are in danger, both humans and vampires are hunting you.

I liked the characters, but my favorite part is all the mix between Aztec myths with the vampire folklore.
If you want something different, this is your story, its page turner and read fast.

The setting and aesthetic of this entire book was exactly everything I love and more. Set in a city I love, Mexico City, and with a topic I adore, vampiric mythos, Silvia Moreno-Garcia puts a neo-noir spin on some common vampire story tropes in a highly original way. I found the conflicts between the various factions compelling, I really liked the dog companion, and I really appreciated each of the characters and their depth, motivations, and relation to one another. A full review will be released closer to publication, but in the meantime a huge thank you to Macmillan- Tor/Forge and Netgalley for a free copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

While I definitely enjoyed this book, it felt a little rushed ... almost like the story wasn’t finished.

The characters were fine but I felt no real connection to any.

This book is badass, just read the synopsis and that is all you need. Legitimately, I have been starved for Latinx/Indigenous fantasy- but the Mexican goth in me was thrilled, nay, ecstatic to have a vampire story too. All the stars.

Oh how I love a good vampire novel and this one is just great! Previously published in 2017, a new cover will be released for this novel in September.
What a fun, interesting and NEW take on vampires. Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of the best authors I have ever read. It's amazing how none of her novels can be compared to the others.

I was really excited to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Certain Dark Things from Netgalley because I LOVED Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s book, Mexican Gothic. Certain Dark Things was originally released in 2016 and is being rereleased this year. Certain Dark Things is a vampire novel set in Mexico City. Vampire themes in novels are sometimes met with trepidation, preferring original treatment like Grady Hendrix’s A Southern Bookclub's Guide to Slaying Vampires. However, after how brilliant Mexican Gothic was, I knew the depiction of vampires by Moreno-Garcia would be acceptable. Having a crime novel plot line definitely made for an enticing read.
The cultural backdrop of having vampires dwelling in Mexico City uplifts the realities of the third world, uplifting the gritty reality of the poverty and oppression that can take place in Mexico City. In trying to expand to more diverse voices in literature, this definitely provides the point of view of the characters who are situated in Mexico. Then this is coupled with the brilliant world building of vampire life, incorporating things like scientific terminology for vampires (homo cruentas) and policies regarding the presence of vampires. Don’t worry if you can not remember all of the terminology that is utilized in the story-- there is a glossary in the back of the book. Moreno has a way of playing with words that really are hilarious at times and then at other times states things that are really thought provoking. On top of that, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is also a master of suspense. Certain Dark Things is a brilliant book that should not be missed! If it were not for the success of Mexican Gothic, this book would not be rereleased and would be a gem that lovers of crime and horror fiction would have overlooked completely.

I received a copy of this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After recently reading Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic, I was ECSTATIC to receive the notification that my request for an ARC of Certain Dark Things was approved. I hadn't realized when I made the request that it was a reprint of an earlier work, and while the book is fantastic it definitely doesn't have the more refined writing style you see in Moreno-Garcia's more recent work. The world building is the highlight of the novel - everything from the unique vampire mythos to the detailed description of a neo-noir Mexico City brings it to life. I was sad to put this book down in the end, because I wanted to dive further into its world.

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan-Tor/Forge Books, and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review of the book.

What an interesting writer! This is my second Moreno-Garcia book. This one, a re-print from a few years ago, offers an entry into an alternate world where vampires exist; this is a fantastic contribution to the genre. Moreno-Garcia has noted that when she wrote this, the world was more eager for another vampire story--and she's right. However, I also think that being released to a wider public now might garner more attention since we're between "vampire cycles" in lit (this happens--the desire for vampire tales ebbs and flows, but never disappears). This vampire tale includes mythology, vampire lore, history, and a hint of fairy tales that, together, create a rich and vibrant world.

At any rate, I'm loving this author's re-telling of Gothic tales and monstrosities. Like some other young(ish) women writers who are re-visioning fairy tales, ghost stories, and monster tales (Carmen Maria Machado, Helen Oyeyemi, Julia Elliott, Karen Russell, Ottessa Moshfeg), I'd put Moreno-Garcia up there as a "must-read." I would love to teach a class that focuses on the work of these women!