Since the 1970s, a worldwide crackdown on the creatures known collectively as vampires had forced many to relocate. Mexico and a few other countries proved attractive destinations, entry easily bought at the border. Soon, tight-knit clans of as many as ten vampire species were vying for territory and power throughout the country, forming and breaking alliances more or less according to traditional codes of honor.
In the north, Atl is Tlahuihpochtli. Native to Mexico, these ezzohqueh (an Aztec term for the “bloodthirsty ones”) are descended from a high caste of priests and priestesses. She is the youngest member of a powerful and wealthy clan and enjoys the leisurely lifestyle of a rich party girl. The Godoys are a family of Necros, the east European variety most often portrayed in the media, and equally wealthy. When rivalry with the Godoy family turns disastrous, Atl is forced to run, seeking help from an old family “friend” in Mexico City. Bernardino is a Revenant whose method of rejuvenation is to suck the life-force from their victims. For centuries, he has hidden away in an ancient corner of the city and, though he has no knowledge of Atl, he is her best chance for survival.
Technically, there are no vampires in Mexico City. The local gangs “ . . . usually unwilling to cooperate, had come together against the single enemy that mattered to them: the bloodsuckers.” So, when Nick Godoy feeds on and kills a young woman outside a nightclub, it captures the attention of both Police and the gangs. Nick had accompanied Rodrigo when his father sent his “renfield” to track down and kill Atl. Like Atl, Nick is used to a comfortable lifestyle, and the tasteless bags of blood his father’s human servant provides merely stoke his hunger, and his anger at being forced to hide while in the city. The killing and the attention it receives puts added pressure on Rodrigo, whose preference would have been to leave Nick at home in the first place.
On the run from the Godoys and in hiding from local Police, Atl befriends Domingo, a street kid with a lifelong
fascination with vampires. Through his connections and knowledge of the city, she begins to see a way through. Together, they navigate the city and as plans form, fail, and form again, Atl begins to accept that the very nature of their friendship is at odds with her very nature and that hers is not the only life at stake.
This is a welcome and multilayered addition to vampire lore. Elements of crime, horror, family drama and a touch of historical epic and romance are skillfully blended in a highly satisfying read.
#CertainDarkThings #NetGalley

Certain Dark Things takes different vampire mythologies from many different culture to create a fascinating world in this neo-noir horror novel. Atl comes from a line of bird-women blood drinkers with origins in the Aztec Empire. When another vampire clan kills her family, she runs to Mexico City, a place where vampires are not welcome. Atl allies herself with Domingo, a garbage collector whose loyalty makes Atl think twice about killing him. With the enemy vampire clan, cops, and an anti-vampire group all after her, Atl and Domingo race to get out of the city alive. Silvia-Moreno’s story delivers complicated characters, a refreshing mythology, cinematic writing, and a setting that comes alive on the page.

Truly what can Moreno-Garcia not write? Because I despise the vampire stuff with a burning passion but this was WONDERFUL. It was thrilling and dark and totally out of my comfort zone but I loved it.

The historical aspects that were incorporated were fascinating to learn about and is encouragement to learn more about Indigenous culture from Mexico and Central America.

The writing itself does start off a little bit slow but it picks up very fast and is incredibly engrossing. I just could not put it down after about 15% of the way in.

This was such an interesting concept and premise, and a great execution.

I had very high hopes for this one, given I am a Silvia Moreno-Garcia fan, but this blew me away!

Set in Mexico City, this follows Domingo as he is introduced to a goddess-like being who enters his life and changes it forever. It is full of mystery, intrigue, and dynamic character relationships.

Silvia has such a way of creating such a rich and realized setting with her books, and Certain Dark Things was no exception. Mexico City felt real and fleshed out, full of dark corners things that go bump when the lights go out.

If you like the idea of vampires but are tired of the white-washing, pick this up. You won't be disappointed.

Moreno-Garcia continues to prove herself as a versatile author! If “Mexican Gothic” is haunting and eerie, “Certain Dark Things” is gritty and fast-paced. Moreno-Garcia uses the word “Neon-Noir” and that really does encapsulate the feel of this book.

Certain Dark Things is set in an alternate timeline wherein the existence of vampires becomes common knowledge in the 1970s. Now we have a walled-off Mexico City, one of the last “vampire free zones” in Mexico. This alternate Mexico has vampire narcos pitted against each other, the Mexico City police force, and the original human narcos. The reader follows Domingo, a street kid, and Atl, an Aztec version of the vampire, as they dodge the Mexico City police and evade a rival vampire syndicate.

There’s something quick going on in every chapter with blood and murder throughout. In addition to the noir aspect, there is mild exploration of socioeconomic class and colonialism. Moreno-Garcia also incorporates Aztec folklore and vampire mythology from other countries in an interesting and engaging way.

I love a morally grey character and our protagonist Atl is, in my opinion, a well done one. While I do think that Domingo could have been fleshed out more as a character it does not detract from my overall enjoyment of the book.

This is a fun ride and I would absolutely recommend to those who think they could enjoy a well done vampire story but with a new twist. I absolutely get why Tor Nightfire is reissuing this book and I’m looking forward to it’s new life!

CW: blood and gore

Instagram review to be posted by April 30, 2021 and can be found at www.instagram.com/unofficialbookstagram

This noir novel with vampires was quite the unique read. On the run in Mexico City after a vampire clan feud, Atl meets street kid Domingo and the two strike up a tense and cautious companionship. Atl's goal is to make it out to Guatemala, but Nick, the reckless son of the rival clan, the authorities, and Deep Crimson, a human organized crime group are all standing in her way. Although Atl is a young vampire, she is the hard-boiled, focused loner that gets distracted by the young, "pretty" and relatively innocent young man who by all rights should be just a servant ir a food source for her kind.

Moreno-Garcia's world-building is fantastic, and the back matter that further discusses the vampire types was fascinating. I could definitely see this book as a film--think Bladerunner style.

A stunning cover with a one-of-a-kind vampire story. It was thrilling, and I expected nothing less from the author I first discovered through Mexican Gothic.

It starts off slow and kind of dense, but once the action begins, it's hard to resist the story as it drives forward. It reads as a true epic, one that makes you feel the world really has been reshaped as you read it. Would recommend.

I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia! This book was such a unique vampire story. I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan- Tor/Forge for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Domingo is a homeless young adult in Mexico city who makes a living picking through garbage for scraps to sell. He survives by blending in with his surroundings and not drawing attention to himself in order to avoid the attention of the police and the health officials looking for people who have contracted a dangerous disease. However, that all changes for him when he follows a beautiful woman with a modified dog onto the subway, and she not only notices him, but asks him to follow her back to her apartment for a potential job.

Domingo accepts her offer, wondering if she does indeed mean to pay him for a job or something more nefarious. When they arrive at her apartment, she reveals that her name is Atl, and that she is actually a vampire. Vampires have been banned from Mexico City, so she needs someone to help her navigate the city and its ways, and to feed on. Domingo is obsessed with vampires, so rather than be afraid, he accepts her offer.

What Atl is not telling Domingo is that she is on the run from a rival vampire clan who slaughtered her entire people and are now coming for her. The head of the clan’s son, Nick, is interested in capturing Atl because she snubbed his advances prior to his clan’s violent attack and then escaped capture and killed one of his guards. He wants to make her suffer. Rodrigo, the clan’s number one human servant, is there to make sure the job gets done and keep Nick in line. But Nick is reckless, arrogant, and violent, which brings Atl’s attention to their presence in the city and the public’s attention to the illegal presence of the vampires.

Ana is a cop known for her string of vampire killings, but she is faced with police corruption and bureaucracy in Mexico City; all she wants is for her and her daughter to get out. She is lead on one of Nick’s murder victims but gets nowhere due to lack of help from her department. When the gang Deep Crimson asks her for help to get rid of the vampires in exchange for a large financial compensation, she reluctantly accepts.

What ensues is a chaotic clash of clans, gangs, and cops in Silvia Moreno-Garcia's rejuvenation of an old monster. Filled with action and questions of loyalty over instinct, this book will grab the reader by the throat.

While it is an action packed story, it is dark in a lot of ways. A lot of the time things feel hopeless, most of the characters such as Ana and Atl feel trapped, and the story takes place in a lot of run down locations as night, which all add up to the setup of the story being dark in literal and emotional ways. Moreno-Garcia is a powerful writer who sucks you into a story, and because of the setting of this story, I would sometimes end my reading with a feeling of despondency. I believe this is the mark of an excellent writer who doesn’t just make the reader enjoy the story; they make them feel it.

I understand there was vampire fatigue when this novel was initially published and that’s a shame because Certain Dark Things resuscitates a very dead genre into something exciting and innovative. I love vampires, but I am highly selective when it comes to watching or reading about them.

First of all, I simply loved the fact that there were subspecies of vampires stemming from various cultures and mythologies in this novel.

The protagonist Atl is a vampire that’s descendent of the Aztec goddesses, meaning she’s a vampire that laso has bird-like wings and feeds with a stinger rather than fangs. What I loved about the novel is that although the vampire and human friend, Domingo have feelings for one another, the author never forgets what would truly happen between a vampire and human.

My fave character was a revenant called Bernardino that gives Domingo the best advice ever when it comes to dealing with vampires, “We are our hunger.” Meaning that vampires will kill you even if they love you because their hunger is stronger than their love.

This isn’t your typical vampire story, this book is packed with violence, loyalty, and what it means to truly love someone.

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS TO ANYONE WHO LOVES THE UNDEAD AND WHO WANTS A VAMPIRE STORY THAT ISN’T THE SAME OLD REHASHED A THOUSAND TIMES.

**Thanks to the publisher for providing my eARC through NetGalley**

I really enjoyed this take on Vampires. Moreno-Garcia's vampiric universe is diverse and rich in culture. In this world, there are different subspecies of vampire, all originating in different parts of the world and all having unique vampire powers.

The specific story that we follow is both brutal and beautiful. You end up caring about the characters; none of them feel flat or one-dimensional. Set in Mexico City, the city itself becomes a character as you learn its places and people.

If you're looking for a great story that opens up the vampire genre to endless possibilities, I suggest giving this one a try.

A crime noir steeped in cultural history and vampire folklore, Certain Dark Things has unequivocally become one of my all-time favorite vampire novels. The vampires in this novel are drastically different from the ones we’re used to seeing in popular culture, drawing inspiration instead from the myths and legends of cultures around the world. These wildly different mythological figures come together and clash, creating a canonical universe where all exist.

Nothing about the plot or characters feels like it isn’t grounded in reality, the history of upheaval and the colonization of Mexico of centuries past is woven so naturally into the narrative. I loved the way that the novel subverts humanity’s increasing romanticization of vampires as sympathetic misanthropes that aren’t too different from people. This naivete is encapsulated so perfectly by Domingo, a poor street kid dazzled by the vampires of film and comic books. We forget that vampires are the embodiment of death.

Intensely readable and perfectly placed, from the steady beginning to the pure adrenaline rush denouement; I am so thankful that this book is being republished, and because of that it landed on my radar and I took a chance to read something different. I immediately wanted to reread it as soon as I finished, it is truly a hidden gem among the vast sea of vampire media.

I was nervous when I read the blurb for this one, because it’s been a long long time since I’ve enjoyed a vampire story. They’re cliche and overdone. Well, at least I thought so. Moreno-Garcia made me eat my words and enjoy it. This was a phenomenal read and I highly recommend it for people who are looking for a fresh take on bloodsuckers. Moreno-Garcia is bringing vampires back.

Interesting modern take on vampires and how they might adapt to a corrupt, violent human society. Easy to read, fast paced, Well drawn characters, strong world building.

I have read previous works by this author and enjoy her “genre jumping.” This story is very different from her popular novels, but the character development is good and she creates a “parallel” Mexico City that feel different, but not dystopian or futuristic. The story moves fast and the human and vampire characters are interesting and relatable. Solid plot and storyline!

Did not finish, as I just couldn’t get into it. Lots and lots and lots of exposition from one character, remembering her history; I just couldn't get into the setting and the initial setup of the vampire picking up the character was just not a great springboard.

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did as I’m not a vampire aficionado. But it’s so much more than a vampire tale. It’s a love story between a human innocent and a vampire with a kind heart; between a mom and her daughter, among friends across millenia. And even as I struggled to understand the many ‘types’ of vampires, I came to the magnificent “Encylopaedia Vampirica” at the end of the book and found that the author had truly constructed a world different yet similar to ours—ethnographic vampire civilizations. And it includes diseases, descriptions of vampire relationships, religions, and stories of the history of these mighty groups. A whole history of vampire civilization—amazing imagination (I hope)!

This is the tale of a relatively naïve human, Domingo who is a “rag-and-bone” picker in Mexico City and how he meets and loves a young, and of course beautiful, vampire Atl. Atl is part bird of prey. She travels with , Cualli, her only companion, a dog who guards her. In need of a “friend” willing to feed her she meets Domingo as she evades the vampire clan responsible for the deaths of her mother and sister.

Vampires of any type are not allowed in Mexico City and so the chase begins . . . a police detective and multiple “clans” of vampires—most of whom are territorial, ritualistic and all of chase Atl and Domingo. And although all vampires live long lives with none immortal, Each “clan” originates from a different country and has a unique approach to vampire-ness with cultural prohibitions and rules. For me this reflects the world today—different countries, values and sins.

Mother/daughter relationships are also explored from a vampire and policewoman perspective. How we define success in the maternal role varies by culture. Similarly, how humans define love is frequently compared in the book to how vampires of different “clans” define it. And the implications of cross-cultural relationships (e.g. human and vampire) also are recorded with striking similarity to cross-cultural issues we see today.

In a poignant and unexpected ending, Atl leaves Domingo in the last scene giving him a backpack of supplies and money. His expression of love is to no avail. As he leaves the station, he finds Cualli, Atl’s dog, and puts him in a grocery cart and goes on. Perhaps Cualli represents a continued connection in (I hope) a sequel.

After reading and loving “Mexican Gothic” and “The Beautiful Ones” I anticipated another page-turner from Moreno-Garcia. Sadly that was not the case; I found the characters uninteresting and the writing a tad clunky. Despite numerous attempts I could not make it past page 20. I do appreciate the new edition’s interview with the author, discussion guide, and cocktail recipes. This novel will not dissuade me from seeking out more of her work, or recommending the author.

oh... i’m super conflicted about this one. i read mexican gothic and absolutely adored it, and so i was really excited to see if this invoked the same feeling.

unfortunately, i found myself a little disappointed. the first almost-half felt unbearably dry; i was never quite captured by it, by the characters or the story. i was very-nearly driven to hopelessness before i decided i’d so loved the author’s previous work, i had to keep giving it a chance. eventually i realized that it was worth it, although i’m not totally convinced that the engrossing second part excused how boring the first was. i liked atl immediately, liked being in her head, but i felt very neutral about the others (of course, nick is disgusting).

what really shines with this story is the lore, the world. i haven’t personally read any iteration of vampires like this. the mythology of it all blew me away. and i really appreciated that i never felt like i was being info-dumped upon. i clicked quickly with the straightforward, almost brisk writing. solid 3.5 stars!

*arc received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!