This is very likely going to be one of, if not my favorite, book of the year. Isbael Cañas is one of my all time favorite authors, and I feel like I'm just so grateful to be reading and writing at the same time as her. This book was simply everything I was looking for in one of her stories. It's like she took the Hacienda and dialed it up to 15. If you liked that story but just wanted a little *more* from it, then this is it. I also feel it shares some DNA with the excellent recent Nosferatu movie, but it was like...the Nicholas Hoult character was just as freaky and could fight. I'm really not sure what else you could want. Thank you to the publisher for letting me read an early copy of an astounding book by my favorite author. I was able to pick up Vampires of El Norte early too last summer, hope we can make this a tradition.

This is one of those books I was sad to finish. It was beautifully written and kept such good pacing I never wanted it to end. The prose are lush and vibrant, pulling you into the story and lives of the characters. I swear I could smell the mine! The story is full of chilling fear and suspense, but I’ll never forget one specific part where Elias sees Alba walking unnaturally in the moonlight. The description chilled me to the bone!
Needless to say, I highly recommend reading this gorgeous piece of fiction. You won’t regret it.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed The Possession of Alba Díaz. Isabel Cañas weaves an atmospheric and gripping story that blends historical fiction with gothic horror. The characters are compelling, the suspense is steady, and the supernatural elements are haunting without overpowering the emotional depth of the story. I couldn’t put it down.

3.5! I enjoyed this more than I anticipated, even though the beginning was fairly slow until the 30% mark. But once Alba and Elías started to grow closer, the plot also became more entertaining and I stayed hooked through the end! There’s some really beautiful writing in this, and I loved the romance.

I absolutely loved this book! As a longtime fan of this author, I felt completely drawn into the haunting atmosphere and gripping tension that built throughout the story. The historical setting was rich and immersive, making every scene feel alive with detail, and the slow unraveling of Alba’s terror kept me hooked from start to finish. I found the dynamic between Alba and Elías incredibly compelling—their tension, their forbidden connection, and the way their fates intertwined had me fully invested. The supernatural elements were chilling, and I appreciated how the horror crept in gradually, making every moment of dread feel earned. By the end, I felt both satisfied and utterly captivated.

This book delivered everything I hoped for—gorgeous writing, intense emotions, and a beautifully eerie story that lingered long after I finished. I can’t recommend it enough!

After thoroughly enjoying Isabel Cañas’s first two novels, I was eager to dive into this one. As a longtime horror fan, it takes a lot to truly unsettle me—but possession is one of the few themes that genuinely frightens me. In fact, I usually avoid books and films that feature it. That said, I’m thrilled I gave this one a chance. Cañas once again delivers her signature blend of horror and romance, and she does it masterfully. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Books for the opportunity to review the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The second I saw this book listed I had to put in a request. I love Isabel Canas’s writing. The creepy atmospheres, the way she sucks you in with the story, and the satisfying endings. This one was no different.

Alba, newly engaged, finds herself not only lost in her fiancée’s mines, but possessed by a very powerful force. The only person she can turn to is his convict cousin Elias. He’s the only one that noticed something was wrong with Alba. 4.5 stars rounded up.

This novel a gothic atmospheric tale set against the backdrop of an 18th century Mexican silver mine. Canas has the ability to blend together horror, historical fiction, and forbidden love into a novel you will stay up all night reading. Just like in her previous stories she has the skill to combine the supernatural and romantic longing is brilliant. Seriously, we need to see these books made into movies or TV series because they're that good.

This is everything I want in a book. A lush, gothic romance with forbidden love and demons? Yes please! Isabel Cañas has done it again.

I love how the title for this book is doubly apt. It’s a representation of Alba becoming “possessed” by something, but also, she as a “possession” of someone else, and how her safety is tethered to being kept by others, in a way… I really found that intriguing.

Cañas writes such phenomenal historical fiction where her female characters are oppressed due to the time and antiquated ways, but they are always strong and SO capable. They rise up and overcome, but the path is always full of such obstacles. It’s powerful every time.

The supernatural elements really shine in this book, as does the forbidden romance. I highly recommend this one!

This is a fantastic novel set against the backdrop of an 18th century Mexican silver mine. Atmospheric and creepy, this story is a blend of horror, historical fiction, and forbidden love. Isabel has outdone herself with this book. Her ability to blend history, the supernatural and romantic longing is top notch. The Possession of Alba Diaz is about just that, possession. And where there is a possession, there is exorcism. Some of the scenes in this book rival the best I've seen on a screen or read in another book. Top notch, no notes, Isabel ate and left no crumbs. Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC. You definitely need to pick this up when it publishes August 19, 2025!

isabel canas i love you!! the plot, the horror, the romance, the characters, the inner voices/demons, all of it was top tier thank you.

An incredible new novel by Canas with gorgeous atmosphere and excellent suspense. The new queen of horror and suspense!

Isabel Cañas's best novel yet. Dark and atmospheric, it's set in spooky mines in colonized Mexico during a plague. The book is about, well, Alba Díaz and her experience being possessed and later exorcised. But it's also about so much more! Following characters you'll (mostly) root for, Cañas condemns colonization and religious missionaries while championing bodily autonomy, particularly for women - all while spinning one of the best possession horror stories I've ever read.

And the ending! Perfection. Like 100%, could not have been any better level perfection.

“What a fun read”—not exactly the words I expected to say after reading a book about an 18th century exorcism. But Isabel Cañas has managed to blend historical fiction, romance, and demonic horror in a way that made the book hard to put down.

Her ability to speed up and slow down at the appropriate time is impressive. Moments with Spanish high society in the 1700s drip by languorously, while action scenes hit an exciting staccato pace. The romance is drawn out gracefully in a way that makes the horror that comes next that much more effective.

My only major gripe comes from the final tenth of the book. Something shifts in the tone dramatically to wedge in a neat happy ending with a bow on top. Cañas lists her partner in the acknowledgements as the person who influences her need to write happy endings. It’s a beautiful sentiment, but I thought this one felt a little forced. Not that the ending needed to be sad. Just that what we got was a big shift in tone.

All that being said, The Possession of Alba Diaz is something quite special. It’s a meditation on the past and female autonomy, a frightening horror show, and a tender romance.

It’s a fun read.

I received an ebook from the publishers of this book for review purposes. And while this in no way affected my opinion, I mention that here for transparency.

This book is a riveting, atmospheric blend of Mexican gothic, horror, and historical fiction. Alba Diaz wants to have control of her body and person during the mid 18th Century, a time period when women didn’t have much control over anything in their lives. Instead she finds herself fleeing an outbreak of the plague, lost in a silver mine, possessed by a demon and subjected to an exorcism courtesy of the Catholic Inquisition. This book is filled with tension, dread and even a bit of gothic romance thrown in for good measure. It’s also a lesson in the use of mercury for the amalgamation of silver and the deleterious effects of mercury on the human body. This book was my first introduction to the writings of Isabel Canas. I will be sure to read her other novels. The Possession of Alba Diaz will keep you on the edge of your chair reading long past your bedtime. It’s a unique gem.

I wasn't really crazy about this. It started off great—I really liked Alba's character and how she didn't want to be forced to live her life on someone else's terms. But then it just got long, drawn-out, and boring. I do feel that some of it could have been cut to make a tighter story.

I also would have been extremely frustrated without knowing some Spanish. Seriously, sometimes it's frustrating when authors use a foreign language and the meaning isn't clear from context.

Thank you to NetGalley for the review copy.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

The world that Cañas crafted was so vivid. I could picture the world/each moment so well and that made my experience even better.

This is my first Cañas book and I am so happy that I have her other books on my TBR!

We follow Alba who has been adopted by her very white parents(this plays a major role in her upbringing/self image) as they are escaping to another town. It is supposed to be a quick trip, but Alba starts dealing with hallucinations and sleep walking.

We are also following Elías who I adore as he also ends up in the same mining town as Alba. He has been an outcast from his family and his story line was so interesting to me.

We are watching these two unravel so many different things and while I wish I could tell you… alas… I cannot 😉

The romance is more of a subplot IMO which made it that more fun when our love birds had moments together.

LOVED THE ENDING.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the eArc!

5/5

With the state of things, now more than ever I want to read about blood soaked women, the women who fight tooth and claw (wink wink) for their futures in a world set to dually possess and demonize them. With that resounding desire in mind, The Possession of Alba Díaz found its way into my hands. Isabel Cañas’ latest novel is an atmospheric gothic bloodbath involving the Inquisition, patriarchy, and autonomy, furthering plots far more violent than a mere possession. Alba Díaz, a young woman facing down a loveless marriage, flees various monsters real and mythic in a desperate attempt to seize control of a future that was never hers to own. From the moment I read the lines, “Alba plotted to sin again,” I knew I was in the hands of a master and Cañas spends this entire novel proving that to be true. Where the greatest fear is standing strong in the face of those who seek to demean and control, The Possession of Alba Díaz leads its protagonist down a path where she aligns with the demon within. It's a haunting tale retold that begs the question if we can ever achieve control of our own narratives or if autonomy can only be gained through giving into our own demonization.

My full review is published now on my blog!

The Possession of Alba Diaz is a horror story about the possession of a young women in Mexico.
We are following Alba as she leaves a small village to escape an illness that’s in the city. As Alba begins to show signs of posession she also becomes romantically involved with the mysterious cousin of her fiancé.

If you like reading amazing details about the settings this book is exactly that. This book was really immersive as you were able to really feel like you were in the 18th Century with Alba.
This book also had body horror due to the possession and did creep me out quite a bit.

If you enjoyed Mexican gothic for the vibes this book gives the same vibes.