In the past few years, we have seen a big increase in the number gothic historical horror stories based in Mexico. Mexican American author Isabel Cañas is one of the preeminent scribes of this genre. Her two previous novels, The Hacienda, and Vampires of El Norte, were both bestsellers that relied heavily on the Hispanic folklore and mythology that Cañas learned from her storytelling grandparents. Having lived in Mexico myself and studied its history and culture, I was fascinated by these books and was totally enthralled by both. I have been looking forward to reading the latest of her literary creations.

In ‘The Possession of Alba Díaz’, Cañas delivers the same sense of time and place that she did in her two previous novels, ably describing the Mexican mining capitol of Zacatecas of 1765 as an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever bears down on the city, causing many of its residents to flee in panic. Such is the case with Alba Díaz, who joins the family of Carlos, her fiancé, at their hacienda by the family silver mine. Also joining them are the priest Bartolomé, Carlos’s boyhood friend, and Elías, the family black sheep and Carlos’s cousin. Here, strange events begin to occur, some expected, like a growing attraction between Alba and Elías, and some unexpected, like the arrival of the Spanish Inquisition.

As much as I wanted to love this book, I often found that I struggled to pick it up and continue to read it. The first half seemed to drag, with much of the focus on the budding romance. I also felt that the introduction of the paranormal elements was somewhat vague. For much of the book I struggled to remain engaged.

Fortunately, the pace picked up towards the end and the conclusion was as sanguine as it was sanguinary. Bottom line: I enjoyed the book but it was not the author’s best effort to date. I have faith that she will continue to create more thrilling works in the future.

The review was based on an advanced reading copy obtained at no cost from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. While this does take any ‘not worth what I paid for it’ statements out of my review, it otherwise has no impact on the content of my review.

FYI: On a 5-point scale I assign stars based on my assessment of what the book needs in the way of improvements:
*5 Stars – Nothing at all. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
*4 Stars – It could stand for a few tweaks here and there but it’s pretty good as it is.
*3 Stars – A solid C grade. Some serious rewriting would be needed in order for this book to be considered great or memorable.
*2 Stars – This book needs a lot of work. A good start would be to change the plot, the character development, the writing style and the ending.
*1 Star – The only thing that would improve this book is a good bonfire.

A visceral and chilling yet romantic historical tale. This book was so atmospheric and absorbing, and the writing exquisite. I loved it.

The Possession of Alba Diaz has to have one of the most atmospheric settings of any horror novel I’ve read: a silver mine high in the Mexican mountains, where something ancient stirs deep under the earth, just waiting for an opportunity to rise to the surface.

The year is 1756, and our titular heroine Alba Diaz is newly-engaged and living a comfortable life in Zacatecas, Mexico, when plague arrives, forcing Alba’s family to seek refuge at the isolated silver mine owned by her fiancé Carlos’s family. But while Alba may have escaped the plague, she finds herself powerless against startling new symptoms: hallucinations, sleepwalking, a feeling of wrongness lurking in the shadows of her brain. Desperate for help, she seeks out Carlos’s cousin, Elías, who is newly-arrived from Europe, hoping to make his way and his fortune in the New World. Elías knows he should stay away from his cousin’s betrothed, but he feels drawn to Alba – and feels powerless as he watches her deteriorate under the influence of malevolent, unseen forces.

The Possession of Alba Diaz is such an immersive, evocative reading experience – and also an incredibly chilling one. Isabel Cañas is a master at historical horror; this book is impeccably researched and feels firmly placed in the time period in which it’s set, which somehow makes it even scarier than it would’ve been if it was set in modern day. Religion is obviously a major theme in the book, and I loved the way Cañas explored the clash between modern Christianity and the “old ways” of the indigenous population. It’s well-balanced and well-executed, a Gothic slow burn that builds into something truly menacing, with visceral and grotesque imagery offset by some moments that are actually quite romantic. It’s such a unique, genre-bending blend, and it really made for a thoroughly satisfying reading experience. Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for the complimentary reading opportunity.

Not so scary, but sooo romantic.

The theme of control echoes through this story. Both perspectives are solid on their own, especially once the stakes are raised, and while the whole thing perhaps run a little too long, it creates a beautiful and vicious story by the end. Really well done.

The audio performances were excellent and rich; they really embody the atmosphere of the story. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, even to those who prefer strictly historical stories.

The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas is intense and emotional. I loved how the book is written from both Alba’s point of view and Elias. Each brings a different perspective to the narrative and that approach makes the story more tense and the horror of Alba’s situation even more dramatic. From the very beginning, Alba’s strives for taking charge of her fate only to have that control removed entirely. To me, that loss of control is the true horror of the story, the fate of women in the culture of Zacatecas.
I found the story fascinating, how greed, deceit, and desire for power drive the characters. Even Elias is not immune whereas Alba’s driving force is to find out more about her past and to take control of her life. I found her fall into possession horrifying, the build up intense and the story savage. The ending was entirely unexpected.
If you like supernatural horror based in Hispanic culture, I really recommend The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas. The book is intense and emotional, the cultural aspects really well depicted and I love the religious aspects. The characters are charismatic and engaging. I really couldn’t put the book down.

So fierce. So wicked. A must-read for gothic horror fans.

Isabel Canas does it again with her latest genre-defying novel, The Possession of Alba Díaz. She is the only author who can add romance to horror without turning me off from the book. In fact, I love the romance in her novels. They face demons, possessions, persecution, colonization, and you root for them through it all.

The Possession of Alba Díaz might be my new favorite from Canas, and I’m already craving another book from her

Full review coming to Cemetery Dance

I wrong read the heck out of this one. Go read the other reviews that liked it.

Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

4.5/5. Only Isabel Canas can get me to read a horror book, let alone a historical one. Neither of these are my typical genres that I go for, but I loved Vampires of El Norte and I'm happy to say that I loved this too!

The horror elements of this were eery and spooky in just the right ways, but not too much to scare a huge wuss like me. This felt so atmospheric and as glad as I am that I read it, I almost wish I would have saved it for October because this is such a perfect book for that time of year.

The setting and vibes of this were immaculate, but it really was the romance that did it for me. I loved this forbidden romance and how these two felt so connected. The chemistry was top tier. I love how Isabel Canas has carved out this niche for herself, but I almost wish she would write a contemporary romance too?? I would be very into that given how she writes chemistry between her characters.

There were some moments where this dragged a bit for me, but not too much! Overall I jus thought this was excellent and I can't wait to see what she does next.

This story of a young woman’s fight for her autonomy both literally and supernaturally was unputdownable! Author Isabel Cañas reminds readers in this paranormal historical fiction horror that it is an infuriating tragedy that women’s bodies are rarely something to be honored and often something to be “possessed”.

I'm pretty sure Isabel Cañas has become one of those authors that I will automatically read whenever she comes out with something new. Although I'm not a fan of romance, her stuff just hits all the right buttons when I need some gothic spookiness and atmosphere. The Possesion of Alba Díaz is a great example of how to build up suspense throughout an entire story. The pacing is excellent, and the setting of 18th century Mexico is perfect for this kind of story. It's interesting how it plays on classic stories of rich people leaving cities when a plague hits, but then takes the story in a different, original direction. While there is some gore, it doesn't give a buckets-of-blood cartoonish feeling. The main characters have enough depth to be believable and make you sympathize with them. (The supporting characters, on the other hand, seem fairly one-dimensional and flat.) Ultimately, I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to what Cañas writes next.

Isabel Cañas seems to be so 50/50 for me

Positives:
- The character dynamics were the most interesting parts tbh. The engagement of convenience between 2 friends and then yearning for his cousin? Fire ✊

Negatives:
- halfway in and….. where is the possession??? In this book & Isabel’s defence, her books do tend to be slower burning in their reveals, but I feel like it was a lot of talking in circles with nothing really happening, and I was just bored. Really took a while for stuff to get going, and by that point I didn't really care.

Thank you Berkley for my free ARC of The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas — available now!

» REVIEW «
Apologies for the brevity and delay of this review, but summer has got me backed up on reviews and ARCs 😅

The Possession of Alba Díaz is a GORGEOUS historical horror story, and easily one of my favorites for the year. It's a taut exploration of what it means to be possessed, in multiple senses of the word, and the reclamation of one's own destiny. I was enraptured the entire time—my hopes were high for this since The Hacienda is one of my favorite books, and I was not disappointed. Beautifully written and packed with themes of identity, independence, romance, and tension—you simply cannot miss this one if you're a horror fan.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a beautifully written story of love and possession. While the plot was engaging and kept my attention the entire time, I felt the “horror” aspect was either minimal or missing altogether. To me, it read more like a romance. That said, I would still 100% recommend it!

If you like Isabel Cañas's books, you'll enjoy this one too. You get a similar mix of horror, romance, and Mexican history; but instead of a haunted hacienda or vampires, this one gives us demons.

I ended up enjoying the horror element more than the romance. I don't know if the relationship had enough depth or basis for the quick attraction that developed, so I didn't necessarily feel strong about the couple, though I enjoyed how their passion slowly simmered as the horrors heated up.

Did I care/understand all the exposition about mining and alchemy? Not particularly. I do appreciate Cañas's research even if I struggle with the historical elements.

What I did love about this book is the lush, descriptive writing that completely transported me into the place and time. I loved the possession scenes —they were truly blood-curdling. I found the characters interesting in that I didn't know who Alba could really trust.

Oh, and that ending? Totally epic. My favourite part of the book.

Read if you like:
⛏️ Historical fiction
🧡 Beautiful, immersive writing
😱 Possession stories
⛪️ Religious horror
❤️‍🔥 A little slow burn romance

THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ – Isabel Cañas

In her third novel, The Possession of Alba Díaz, Isabel Cañas once again proves herself one of the most vital voices in gothic literature today. The Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, and Shirley Jackson would all be proud. Cañas captures both the lush romanticism and haunting atmosphere of the genre with unmatched precision.

Alba, engaged in a “mutually beneficial” marriage of convenience, is taken back to the land where she was born—and abandoned by her parents. On a tour of the mine her husband oversees, she wanders too far, and when she emerges, she is not the same. She wakes with her feet filthy, her clothes torn, and speaks in tongues she never knew.

It is during one of these eerie episodes that Elías, a man she feels an immediate, magnetic connection to, who happens to understand sorcery, pulls her out of her trance and promises to help her.

What follows is a slow-burn descent into terror. Cañas blends horror and tenderness with masterful control, delivering a story that is shocking, gory, and devastatingly beautiful. At its core, the novel explores a familiar but ever-resonant theme: a woman suffocating under societal expectations who dares to carve her own path. With vivid imagery, unrelenting tension, and prose as gorgeous as ever, this book will pull you under and not let go.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for allowing me access to this eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

During a time where women had less autonomy and independence than they do now, Alba Diaz worried that her parents would wed her to a man twice her age and a virtual stranger against her wishes. To combat this fear she enlists the help of her childhood friend Carlos who agreed to her proposal. All was going well until she meets his estranged cousin Elias.
To get away from a sickness sweeping through their city, Alba's family accompanies Carlos and his family to their property high in the mountains where their silver mine sits.
During a tour of the Mine, Alba wanders off into the dark and discovers something that will change her life and other peoples lives forever.

At first, I was bored. I haven't read many horror novels before.. more like one other lol, and that one was great. This one however took a turn in the best way. I was surprised and my heart quickened in tempo during the first horrific scene which I was unfortunate to have been reading at night lol (thankfully, I didn't have nightmares.)
This book had all the feelings, happiness, annoyance, and sadness. I was scared for Alba and Elias but was rooting for them every step of the way.

I haven't read anything else from this author even though I own her other books, but I am pleasantly surprised by this story. It was horrific and fantastic, the visual setting was both beautiful and terrifying. Although I did have some trouble with the Spanish parts, I found the rest of the writing to be quite easy to read and I flew through this book within 3 days. I never wanted to stop reading and now I'm sad that it ended. 😔

I totally recommend this if you like horror and stories revolving around Possession.
Maybe not if you are squeamish about body horror and gore, there's a significant amount of it in here but nicely spaced out.

At first you’d think that this story is a simple story about demonic possession with a forbidden love subplot, but it is so much more than that; It’s very intelligently written. This is an atmospheric, slow burn, gothic historical horror that uses possession to explore bodily autonomy, ambition, and corruption.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Possession of Alba Diaz.

I absolutely loved and devoured Isabel Cañas' previous two books and I'm so sad that I didn't love this one. I just found it . . . boring. I really struggled to make myself finish. I liked the characters of Alba and Elías, the setting was interesting, but the writing just didn't work for me. I will say, I loved the ending but maybe demon possession just isn't for me?

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I am officially obsessed with Isabel Cañas. I did not think she could top Vampires of El Norte but then she gave us The Possession of Alba Díaz.

I really loved the Mexican colonial silver mining setting in Zacatecas during the 1700’s and thought it was done perfectly. The differences that were shown between the Catholic Church and the religious beliefs of Indigenous people was portrayed accurately and really made me think about what we have lost as a culture due to colonization. Also, the subtle love story weaved in between this historical horror novel was just enough to keep this romance reader’s heart happy. It kept me rooting for both Alba and Elías. Oh, and the rollercoaster of emotions I experienced throughout my read shows just how impressive Cañas writing really is. She truly had me hating some characters and changing my mind and “forgiving” others as the story progressed.

The ending had me whooping loudly at 3 am. This was a perfect start to spooky season. NO NOTES.

Isabel Canas knows how to set a vibe with her setting and I enjoyed it quite a bit. She (and the patriarchy) got me rooting for a demon. Fun times, yo.