Thank you to the publisher for sending me a free digital galley of this book in exchange for feedback.

So, before she wrote "Mexican Gothic," Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote "Certain Dark Things." It's a vampire story set in Mexico City, and the vampire in question is a member of an ancient Aztec clan of vampire priestesses. The book went out of print due to a series of unfortunate events involving the publisher, so it was difficult and/or expensive to get a copy - but now it's being republished, and everyone will be able to read it. If you liked "Mexican Gothic" you will definitely like this book, too - it's good horror and good literature.

5 stars. This book was absolutely fantastic and I loved it! I need a whole 5 book series to delve into the vampire mythology brought to life in this book. It is so fascinating and I need MORE!

I must admit to being disappointed in this title from Moreno-Garcia. She acknowledges that this novel was written before her smash hit Mexican Gothic and I suspect she has just improved as a writer over time. Certain Dark Things is a vampire novel that takes place in an alternate future Mexico. Her vision is clear and unique but I found the level of craft lacking. Her characters feel singular but strangely flat and hard to root for despite dire circumstances and the plot, aside from the change in time and place, is Crime Novel 101, just with vampires. I missed so much the sinister atmosphere and sense of place she built in Mexican Gothic.

This book was originally published a few years ago and went out of print. With the success of "Mexican Gothic" and other titles, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has expanded her offerings, including this one, "Certain Dark Things."

Domingo, the protagonist, is a garbageman in Mexico City; he likes stories about vampires. Soon enough, he gets tangled with one, a beautiful woman named Atl. She has ties to Aztec mythology. The vampire worldbuilding in this book based on cultures and unique attributes of each group was an interesting element at play in this novel. Mexico City is supposed to be a vampire-free territory, but the novel soon demonstrates this is not quite the case. "Certain Dark Things" is a unique, #ownvoices take on vampires. It reminded me of "Let the Right One In" in some ways as well. The dynamic between human and vampire becomes very interesting in Domingo's relationship with Atl, especially considering who is predator and who is prey.
It's a fast-paced vampire crime thriller with romance elements. If you enjoyed "Mexican Gothic" and want more, definitely read "Certain Dark Things."

This book was utterly unique. A complex look at vampire mythology, a romance, a crime thriller—really there was something for every kind of reader to enjoy. Moreno-Garcia's prose is, as always, sparsely beautiful and tonally perfect.

One of the most thrilling and inventive vampire novels I have read in a long time (and trust me when I say I have read a lot), this new edition of CERTAIN DARK THINGS is a masterpiece. Atl flees to Mexico City after her family is slaughtered by a rival Vampire clan, teams up with a lonely garbage-collecting street kid. A classic noir with a twist, I couldn’t put this book down. The plot is fast-paced and thrilling, the characters seem to come to life off the page, and if Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote another 300 pages of just vampire lore for each individual vampire subspecies I would be sold in a second. Honestly, I could write a whole review just on Moreno-Garcia's index of vampire types and their histories.

Latinx vampires by the author who wrote Mexican Gothic. Heck yeah, I was intrigued! I mean, I will jump at any chance I have to read about vampires. But a horror novel about vampires? Dark vampires? Oh yeah, that sounded like it would be right up my alley. I'm ready for the new age of vampires to rise and this book sounded like it would be a great one. Trigger warnings: gore, violence, blood

I hate saying I didn't love a book; I really, really hate it. But, I didn't love this one. It's weird though. I don't think it's a bad book. I'd even say it's good! But I also didn't love it at the same time.

I'm gonna start off with the things I did like! The first one is the writing. WOW, is this book incredibly well written. Seriously, I cannot sing the praises of Moreno-Garcia enough, because dang, can she write. It's was lyrical and dark and just downright gorgeous.

Another thing I really liked was the vampire lore. This world is dripping in vampires. There are many different subspecies, and they all have different qualities. There's no info dumps about them, so it all seems to come naturally in the storytelling. Plus, they're just dang fascinating to learn more about.

The vampires in general were something that I really liked about this book. They added this air of darkness to it, and when they got violent, they got VIOLENT. The horror and darkness they added to the book when they got the chance was stunning.

The vampires in general were something that I really liked about this book. They added this air of darkness to it, and when they got violent, they got VIOLENT. The horror and darkness they added to the book when they got the chance was stunning.

In Mexican Gothic, I was so impressed with the atmosphere. I feel the same way here. It's not as easy to describe as a creepy house, but this book certainly has a unique feel to it, and it worked incredibly well with the overarching story.

Alright, I'm gonna try and articulate what I did not love about this book. I think a lot of it was just personal preference! First off, I didn't quite connect with the overarching plot. I think this author's books are just a bit too slow burn for me. I get antsy waiting for things to kick up a notch, when they're supposed to be a slow ache. I dunno, the pacing just isn't it for me.

I think that also gave me a hard time getting invested in the plot. There are many different POVs, and I liked some more than others, but I didn't feel myself fall head over heels for any of them really.

Also, there's a romance between a 23 year old and a 17 year old, and that just made me a bit uncomfortable. The 23 year old is a vampire, so maybe that's 17 in human years? I'm not sure, I just know the age gap between them wasn't something I loved.

Overall, I think this is a good book. It's a vampire book! Of course it has a lot going for it! But I just couldn't get invested in the plot and the pace just wasn't for me. I would definitely recommend giving it a shot if you like bloody vampires, even though this wasn't the book for me!

A vampire novel unlike any other from the author of Mexican Gothic. Atl, a descendent of Aztec vampire warrior priestesses, is a young vampire on the run from an enemy clan of Necros, European vampires in the midst of a bloody clash over territory in the drug trade. Moreno-Garcia depicts a host of vampire species living among--and being hunted by--humans who resent their presence in Mexico City. I love all the history and lore that was drawn upon to create this supernatural world and how masterfully the characters and the story were woven together. Truly unique (to me, at least) vampire mythos and excellent writing. Between this and Mexican Gothic, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has become one of my top authors this year and I'm on a mission to read her entire backlist of books. Fortunately there are plenty to keep me busy and in great reads.