Such a fantastic read, it's perfect for this season.Another gothic read , it's not paranormal it's more of sci-fi. Similarly to Mexican Gothic it has the same pace slow and the beginning was hard o udersand some stuff but omg when I continue I couldn't put it down!

We have the POV of Carlota Moreau and Montgomery Laughton and we get a better idea of what is happening .Carlota was an interesting and strong heroine.Montgomery was interesting too and his back story was sad.

This was refreshing in many ways , also I find it atmospheric and I liked the characters.

Several months later I'm doing my review on this book. I've had some hard time finishing this one. It was just so boring right from the start to the end. This was my first read of Moreno-Garcia, I'll read her book mexican gothic because I've only heard good about that one. But this it was just disappointing. My fair rate for this is 2.5 star rounded up to 3.

You can read more of my review on Goodreads.

I read this one recently and with Silvia moreno-Garcia being one of my fav authors I was so excited to get to this one.

Really enjoyed the story, the characters were great and loved the setting.

I would say though it’s not my fav Garcia Novel buts it still a great read and maybe a good starting point with the author

A beautifully written retelling with deep and important themes, where all the characters are given a new layer of relatable humanity and the setting a new historical, geographical, and societal context.
The audiobook version of this book was also really well made.

To start with, this is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen this year. Stunning.

This is a loose retelling of The Island of Dr Moreau and the author has done a great job putting their own twist on it.
We have 2 different perspectives on this books, Carlotta (Dr Moreaus daughter) and Montgomery.
Through them you learn more about Dr Moreau and the creatures he’s making. I wouldn’t say there’s any horror elements like I’ve seen others say though regarding the monsters.
This book oozes atmosphere & tension, and also deals with the battles women faced in society in the 1800s.
If you’re looking for a book that sucks you in straight away, good pacing, keeps you hooked and you love Historical/Sci-fi - I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough.
The only thing I think this book was lacking was character development, as I didn’t feel massively connected to any of the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley & Querus books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one blind, with no knowledge of the original story of Dr. Moreau, on which this story is loosely based. Mexican Gothic was a five-star read for me, so I was excited for another Moreno-Garcia.

This is the story of Dr. Moreau, his daughter Carlota, the property caretaker and Englishman Montgomery, and a few dozen "hybrids" (part animal, part human) who live on a secluded ranch on the Yucatan peninsula. Dr. Moreau's claim to fame is the creation of these hybrids, although the success he's had with his animal/human experiment has been mixed, to say the least.

The writing was excellent, and the storyline was exciting and unique, but for some reason, I felt indifferent. I suppose it lacked the eerie intrigue and seduction of Mexican Gothic that I was hoping for. Also, as readers, we learn so little about Doctor Moreau or the hybrids, so I didn't feel invested in many of the characters. Maybe it would have helped if I did have some previous knowledge of 'The Island of Doctor Moreau." I'm not sure. I didn't love it, but I did like it, and I'll continue reading Moreno-Garcia's work.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was so promising...but sadly it fell flat for me. I have read and loved every single one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works so maybe I was due one which didn't really connect with me. I'll start with the things I did enjoy about the novel:

* I really liked the concept - the idea of Doctor Moreau and his beautiful, strange daughter Carlota living in this lush but secluded estate in the middle of the jungle with the hybrids that he has created through experimentation was so unique and interesting. I liked how the various hybrids had distinct personalities and the novel raises some compelling questions about scientific experimentation, rights and individuality.

* I loved the writing itself - as always Moreno=Garcia's writing shines, beautiful and descriptive in all the right moments, I couldn't fault it.

What I didn't enjoy was my lack of connection to the characters and the wider story - I felt myself not really caring about any of it which was disappointing considering all the right elements were present but I just felt myself not really invested in any of the events.

Thank you, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and NetGalley for this eArc.

If Silvia more-Garcia has a book, I'll read it! Wonderful mix of gothic and sci-fi, and I must say I didn't know those could mix so well. Like always characters are so well written, you can't but enjoy how masterful Moreno-Garcia is in weaving this world. While it may be a story about coming of age, it also deals with a lot of other issues like colonialism, moralism, science, relationships, and all that while giving an homage to the original Dr.Moreau!

And while I enjoyed the book as a whole I didn't really, at any point during the reading, start to care for these characters, didn't find them particularly likeable in any way. Little hard to explain, but there we are :D

I think there are a few things you can now expect from a book authored by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. First, she’ll have stellar characters and the story will be told from the perspective of several of them (even more unique to her, the “villain” of many of her stories will also have a perspective point). Second, the story may be a slow-burn as far as the overall tempo of the story, but if you have faith, things will very much get moving before long. And third, you can never expect what genre you will find yourself in with this author. She has an uncanny ability of weaving together a variety of seemingly completely different concepts and themes and somehow…magic happens! We’ve already seen a mixture of the classic Gothic horror story with a Mexican setting and themes of colonialism. And here, we have a reimaging of the “The Island of Doctor Moreau” set in the Yucatan peninsula during the 1800s. It’s horror, it’s science fiction, it’s historical fiction. All at once!

I only knew the most broad points of the original tale, so I can only confirm that this story was approachable as new-comer. I was able to get a pretty decent understanding of that story, but having not read it myself, I can’t say what details may or may not match up. What I can say is that Moreno-Garcia uses the platform offered up by this story (a grieving doctor and his “monstrous” creations) as a platform to explore themes of identity and otherness, and the combination works really well. Our main character, the titular daughter of the doctor, brings a unique perspective to the story, as a young woman coming into her own in a very isolated and strange environment.

As I said, one of the best things about this story is how it blends the science fiction and horror elements with the historical backdrop of this region during this time period. Like the original story itself, I didn’t have a ton of knowledge of the politics and parties involved during this time period, but the book does an excellent job introducing readers. The author also includes a great note at the end of the story that speaks to her research into this period of history. I definitely recommend this book to science fiction/horror readers, and to anyone who has enjoyed Moreno-Garcia’s books in the past!

Serena’s Rating 8: Another unique entry by one of the most reliable (but genre unreliable) authors of the day. Should be a hit with a wide range of readers!

I thought the author’s Mexican Gothic was a good read so picked this one up with high hopes. It’s harder to classify – probably less horror more fantasy and is a reimagining of Wells’ classic tale focussing, as the title suggests, on Carlotta the daughter of the infamous and immoral Dr Moreau. It featured some great characters with a few also-rans.
Unfortunately I found this novel a bit so-so, with a smattering of perilous adventure mixed with corny will-they-won’t-they cheese. Some great writing but sadly I was left disappointed.

Carlota Moreau is a young woman growing up on a secluded estate on the Yucantán Peninsula in deepest Mexico, protected from the conflict between the Mayan rebels and the Mexicans of European descent.

The overseer on the estate is the troubled Montgomery Laughton, who turns to drink whilst dealing with his difficult past. He’s also a hunter, which is why Moreau has hired him.

Carlota’s friends are brother and sister Lupe and Cachito who aren’t what they seem at first. There are also a few inhabitants lurking in the back garden. Into the mix arrives Eduardo Lizalde, son of Doctor Moreau’s patron. His arrival upsets the balance of the household and things will never be the same again.

I knew the name Dr Moreau was familiar, but it was only when I was finishing this book that the authors afterword revealed where I’d came across it - it was the title of a book by HG Wells, in which a shipwrecked man stumbles upon an island on which some strange experiments are taking place. It was then I realised where Silvia Moreno-Garcia had taken her inspiration.

I hate revealing spoilers and after nearly a year of blogging, I’m not going to start now. I’ve never read Moreno-Garcia before (I had heard of Mexican gothic) so not sure what genre this belongs to. I don’t think it’s science fiction - Gothic historical fiction. The ‘feel’ of the book made me think of classic literature from the 19th century.


Definitely one of my favourite aspects of the book was the atmosphere and the setting. It’s quite lush and humid, and you can easily imagine the estate and the courtyard. You really get the sense that it's secluded and self contained, as it needs to be.

There’s also a romance in the book, of which I won’t say too much. One of the relationships didn’t seem age appropriate but maybe that’s just me.


Each chapter switches POV between two characters - Carlota and Montgomery.

Montgomery is a troubled and damaged character nursing a broken heart that he soothes with an ever present bottle of aguamiel. He cares for his charges, especially Carlota, and has their best interests at heart. He’s a brooding presence in some of the scenes.

Carlota starts off as quite innocent but that changes as the story develops. She loves her family and to her the place she lives is a paradise, but of course nothing stays the same forever and it would be a pretty boring book if it did. I did like her character ‘coming of age’ arc as the story progressed. I also liked her relationship with the other inhabitants.

It definitely had more of a depth to it that I expected - the morality of the experiments, the role of religion and colonialism, although it doesn’t go too far into exploring these theme and it doesn’t get in the way of the story. I liked how the author weaved these complications into the book and I learnt something about this period of Mexican history, which was also expanded on in an afterword by the author.

I liked the prose in the book, such strong imagery at times.

I liked it but never loved it. It’s difficult to put my finger on why that is so. For some reason, I couldn’t quite feel enough for the characters. I certainly enjoyed the historical setting and despite a somewhat slowish start, which I didn’t really mind, it certainly picks up the pace. It brings up some interesting questions about identity and morality.

It has a cracking pace and is an intriguing, well written book so I will read more by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Such a striking cover as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Querus books for a copy to review

To my utter dismay, this will be a negative review of SMG's latest novel, a reimagining of Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Told from the POVs of Carlota Moreau and Montgomery, this novel places the events of the original work in Mexico after the Caste War between the native Maya people and the European-descended Mexicans. I've seen it described as "set against the backdrop of the lush Yucatán jungle", and a "creative, feminist retelling", and anything ranging from science fiction to thriller to horror. And I firmly disagree with all of those statements.

With Carlota being at the very least a milquetoast heroine, and at the worst a disappointingly anti-feminist damsel in distress, neither she nor Montgomery are well-developed or likeable characters. Even if we ignore Montgomery's Woody Allen-esque infatuation with Carlota, who he'd known since she was 14, it would be ridiculous to call this novel anything other than historical romance. The suspense is virtually non-existent, and the science fiction is minimal, with none of the sci fi elements actually being SMG's original ideas, but instead reiterated (and blander versions of) thoughts from Wells' original work. In the end, this novel is almost entirely romance, and not terribly exciting one either.

The book is certainly not helped by the presence of underwhelming villains, a negligible amount of descriptions of Yucatán, the Maya people or local culture and beliefs, and a political context which is fairly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. All in all, I'm sorry to say I found SMG's reimagining of the original work redundant.

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc.

This stunning book is a captivating and alluring re-imagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau originally by H.G Wells. It's a stand-alone with such a heady concoction of sci-fi, historical drama and passion, set on the backdrop of the lush Mexican rainforest in the nineteenth century. I truly ADORE atmospheric, genre-bending novels. They are gems to me. And this one was such a sensory delight and i was hanging off every tension-dripping word.

It is a BEAUTIFULLY written dual perspective of Carlotta- the dutiful daughter of erratic scientist Dr Moreau- and moody Montgomery, the Englishman who is living and working alongside them as the doctors assistant. Dr Moreau has been working tirelessly to produce 'hybrids', a creature somewhere between half man & half human (this would not get past the ethics board today for sure...those crazy Victorians). Everything here is perfect in Carlotta's eyes and she loves her little life in the jungle, looking after the hybrids, helping her father in the laboratory, and growing up alongside Montgomery... until everything starts to fall apart. Cue: SECRETS. LIES. HANDSOME EDUARDO WITH HIS TOO-CHARMING SMILE. PASSION. GUNS. JEALOUSY. RAGE. VIOLENCE.

The complexity of the characters in this was perfect. Carlotta's character development is spot-on, she is naive and sheltered but gains a whole heck of autonomy and fire throughout the book. She gracefully slides into womanhood with wonderment and curiosity. I love the way she is written. Montgomery (I love him) has a past of heartbreak, carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and a bottle in his hand. He is humble and protective and smart and thoughtful. And god i just love the gloomy/sunshine trope. And the rest of the characters... *chefs kiss*

I BEG you to read this if you love sophisticated writing, sexual tension, drama, sci-fi, and ultimately a story about kinship & family.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books are always a little bit hit or miss for me, and while the writing in this one was stunning as always, I found the plot a little lacking at times. The setting was rendered beautifully and you could feel the heat and humidity of the Mexican jungle in the prose, but the characters fell a little flat, or were simply unpleasant to read about. Consequently, while I enjoyed my time with the novel, it isn't one that I will return to again, unlike some of her others. I will continue to pick up everything she writes, however, because her prose is truly exquisite at times.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a gothic science-fiction slash historical novel set against the background of late nineteenth-century Mexico—a reimagining of H.G Wells’s novel “The Island of Doctor Moreau.” Silvia Moreno Garcia’s flowing prose is evocative, the setting is deeply atmospheric, and the text skillfully examines themes of colonisation. Yet, somehow, I feel like I’m walking away knowing I read something objectively very good and creative, but have not developed any particularly strong feelings about it.

To start, I was struggling getting through the ARC; it felt like I was clawing for every little bit of interest to keep myself engaged—something I believe I may attribute to fundamentally misunderstanding The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. The book has roots in sci-fi horror, but at its core, it is a historical fiction novel—a genre which can be a-hit-or-a-miss with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

I need to start by saying that it is very difficult to compare The Island of Dr Moreau with this latest novel. I love both of these authors but HG Wells’ original sci-fi epic was just that, it was a breakthrough novel of its time and his ability to create such a fantastical world with the most morbid and disturbing creatures was a masterpiece.

One of the first things I did notice is that thw Daughter of Dr Moreau has gone a slightly different route wirh regards as it feels less sci fi and more contemporary fiction style with some sci-fi/fantasy elements. The writing is still good but with the majority of the focus on the humans it loses some of its sci fi roots.

The first half of this book is pretty slow as the scene is set and you are introduced to all the characters such as Montgomery and of course the Dr himself. This is the section especially which feels much more contemporary than sci fi as we only get brief mentions of the Dr’s inventions.

As the story progresses we start to feel some tension building and some darker undertones creep out as new characters enter the picture and start to interfere with the island and Dr Moreau’s work.

One aspect I did especially enjoy was Carlotta’s character development as the story progressed. Seeing her develop from a child into a young woman and begin to become her own person with her own traits was fascinating.

However, one of the main plot twists was somewhat predictable but nonetheless a good one.

In my opinion this would be a better read for someone who has never read the original novel. Although I enjoyed it I struggled to not compare the two and I feel like I would have enjoyed it more as a standalone than as a continuation from the classic.

But, I especially enjoyed the second half when it picked up the pace and things started to progress. However, I feel the first half could have been edited down. However one thing I will say is that she doesn’t disrespect or destroy the Dr Moreau story. She kept with a similar arc for Dr Moreau and the following events in the book made sense as a continuation from the original books.

If you are looking for a slow burn, sci fi/contemporary fiction novel and you liked Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s other works I would definitely recommend it. But if you have read The Island of Dr Moreau and you want to read this I would say don’t compare the two and treat this one as more of fan fiction esque/ homage title than a sequel. Then you will be able to enjoy it more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 – a wonderful world and interesting character arc but with a slow burn

This is a very enjoyable and compelling reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau in Mexico in the 1870s. The two main characters are Carlota Moreau, The only daughter of the genius doctor, and Montgomery Laughton, overseer of the gated estate of Yaxaktun.
This is my second novel by Silvia Moreno Garcia and I really enjoy her writing. This one in particular is very atmospheric, with the setting feeling extremely vivid. Even though this has sci fi aspects I found it to read more like historical fiction. While it has a bit of a slow start I thought the character's development was done well and Montgomery was probably my preferred character, but Carlota also has a great development arc as she grows up and realises the truth of the situation. I really liked the side characters of the hybrids and their own personalities and the ethical questions this story explores.
Overall I would rate this as a 4/4.25 and look forward to reading more of Silvia's work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Quercus for the e-arc.

5/10 stars

My full review on my blog (link attached).

I’ll be brief, and frank. Yes, ouch.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is not a long book, and yet reading through it felt like eternity. I have been reading the first half of the book for over a week; every time I picked it up I felt that I was forcing myself to do it. Nothing was happening, and the reveals were totally unsurprising for a book that is to a large extent a retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau. The second half picked up the pace, and offered some entertainment, but never on par with my previous encounters with Moreno-Garcia’s books. In short, this is not a bad book, and yet it’s far from good, too. It’s mediocre, and I’m actually sad to say it, because all Moreno-Garcia’s novels that I have read before were pretty enjoyable – and quite remarkable, too.

[...]

But The Daughter of Doctor Moreau brings to mind not those mentioned above, but another of Moreno-Garcia’s novels – one that is heavy on romance, stilted convenance, and full of lengthy descriptions of various visual cues: The Beautiful Ones. Just as is the case with The Beautiful Ones, the central theme of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a feeling developing between an older, world-weary gent with a good heart but bad love experiences and a young, naive ingénue, beautiful and full of energy and unrealised potential. There’s a similar host of supporting characters, from dashing young aristocrats to blond and cold femme fatales, and a similar tale of female development and empowerment playing out in a lush historical setting – a fantastical France in the first case and an equally fantastical Yucatan in the second. There are differences, of course, albeit slighter ones that I would like. All in all, I felt as if I was reading just another iteration of the previous novel. The decorations change, the supporting cast might be a tad more inclusive, but the emotional and plot-related arc follow basically the same patterns.

Moreno-Garcia is a skillful writer; she knows how to depict internal emotional states, how to create evocative images, and how to build atmosphere. But The Daughter of Doctor Moreau also includes several important action scenes, and these, along with the dragging beginning, should have been the focus of a good – and ruthless – editor. As they are now, they are jumbled, chaotic, and bereft of tension. They serve the purpose of propelling the plot resolutions forward, but their cost is high: general bafflement and lack of engagement. I just didn’t care, I simply wanted the book to end.

Not much of an endorsement, really, and yet it’s not a bad book. If you’re in need of a nineteenth-century romance with a feminist twist, set in an exotic jungle full of fantastical creatures, you might enjoy The Daughter of Doctor Moreau much more than I did. The main themes are all depicted neatly if conventionally, the plot arcs are brought to predictable resolutions, and the entire book brings to mind the didactic romantic novels a la Gautier. Moreno-Garcia tried to bring the local flavor by locating the plot in the timeline of Maya uprisings, and it was interesting to read about this generally little-known facet of Mexican history – however, I couldn’t help but notice that in the end the Mayas were relegated to a vaguely formed background, far beyond not only the main characters but also the fantastical hybrids that formed a large part of the supporting cast. I appreciate the effort of “localization” – of researching the Mexican history and geography, and referencing the information in a fictional novel in a way that feels organic and smooth. It’s nice to read about something else than New York or Paris for a change ;).

[...]

I have received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one author that never lets me down and in this retelling of the H G Wells classic The Island of Dr Moreau she proves once again she is a gifted storyteller and has produced a worthy companion to a literature classic.
The action is moved in this reimagining to the Yucatán peninsula amidst a time of post colonial upheaval which acts as a backdrop to the madman vs genius events in the book. Everything you’d expect from a Moreno-Garcia novel is here, the lush world building that captures the sweltering heat and sultry dampness of the Yucatán jungle is masterful, the strong multi layered characterisation and an absolutely unputdownable story. Into this mix if you throw in a dose of romance, a touch of mystery and some sprinklings of science fiction, you have a recipe for a successful summer blockbuster. What I absolute love about the writing of Silvia Moreno-Garcia is that it balances the tightrope of being classic yet with very modern sensibilities. A perfect later summer read.
A masterful reimagining of a classic four out of five stars

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is very comfortable writing across an impressive range of genres and styles. The one common theme throughout all her books is that they either feature Mexican protagonists, or they are set in or around Mexico – and this one is no exception. While the original story by H.G. Wells is set on an island, this version is set on the Yucatán Peninsula on an isolated estate well off the beaten track. Moreno-Garcia is masterful at scene-setting and the world-building in this story is no exception. Through both protagonists, we get a vivid sense of the intense, humid heat, vegetation and creatures inhabiting the estate – particularly when in Carlota’s viewpoint as she loves the place with a deep-seated abiding sense of belonging. And as the story progresses, we begin understand just why she is so very comfortable living in the heart of the wilderness.

Those who have come to Moreno-Garcia’s writing after having read Mexican Gothic or Certain Dark Things might have found this a slightly frustrating read. While readers who have also read Velvet Was the Night or Prime Meridian will be aware that the author is equally capable of delivering a slow-burn story full of pent tension and an increasing sense of wrongness as she is of providing full-on action. That said, there is action – an explosion of violence that I found all the more shocking due to the slow build-up. I enjoyed the manner in which the climax also provides answers regarding Dr Moreau, which expose him for the real monster in this story.

The characterisation of both main protagonists is pitch perfect. Each of them is flawed and trapped. I was rooting for both of them to find a way out of the murky wrongness caused by Moreau’s poisonous influence – and was also relieved that Moreno-Garcia didn’t go down the predictable route that I feared she would. Their relationship is beautifully nuanced, complicated and utterly believable. As ever, the pages turned themselves in this lush, memorable read and is highly recommended for those who like their historical science fiction adventures finely written in a vivid setting shot through with tension. While I obtained an arc of The Daughter of Dr Moreau from the publishers via Netgalley, the opinions I have expressed are unbiased and my own.
9/10