i love a good horror/thriller romance. really had me beefing for a little while, butt his book did NOT let me down. alba diaz to the front!

It started off a bit slow and I was definitely confused at first, but once things started clicking, I was all in. The atmosphere gets more intense with every chapter, and the writing pulls you deeper into the setting. It’s a slow burn for sure, but the payoff is worth it. A haunting, immersive read with just the right amount of tension.

"Darkness can only be undone by its like."

A young woman, defined by her status of family and financial standing. Rather than be bartered off to a duke or some other man looking for financial status of gain, she chooses to tie herself to a close childhood friend and force her parents to accept her choice. But a plague sickness hits her town and they must flee to the mountains to try to avoid the death its passing around.

There our main character, Alba, meets Elias. What follows is a haunting Alba knew nothing about, a possession all must face and fight, and a reckoning on what it means to be a woman with few choices in this time. Trading one cage for another - if they are all a cage, does it matter whether you chose it?

While I did find the haunting and possession creepy and I loved the descriptions of the smoke, the eyes, and the chanting - I found a few spots with the story really got lost in the silver and mercury details. It's a slow burn, especially to start, and it took me a few chapters to really get into it. The ending pulled it all together nicely, though. A fun dark, gothic story.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

The moment Berkley approved me for this, I downloaded it and started reading and I was absolutely stunned with this novel! I’ve read Isabel Cañas before, but this book really solidified just how much I absolutely love her books! This book had such a haunting and eerie atmosphere which I LOVED and it really brought you into a different time and place. I devoured this book and would recommend to anyone, even those who are not into horror. This book was well-written with great characterization, a fantastic plot, and paranormal/horror done just right.

I really enjoyed The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas!

Although speculative fiction is not my usual jam, there seemed to be something for everyone here - mystery, suspense, romance, religion, history, and horror - with several themes to make the book attractive to book clubs. I was especially interested in the details about silver mining, as well as Alba's desire, nay passion, to keep control over her body, something certainly not common for a woman in 1765, the time in which the novel takes place.

The novel's structure, a back and forth between the two main characters, was well done; the atmosphere was spooky; the characters were well drawn and likable (well, most of them anyway). A solid 5-star read!

Many thanks to Book Browse and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book.

I loved this one so much! the mystery and details were so good. any fan of her previous work will fall in love with this one

This work of art has solidified Isabel Cañas as an autobuy and favorite author of mine.
The actual queen of writing romantic horror. And the fictional men she writes!? *chef’s kiss*
I love love loveeee Elias, the MMC in this. We love a broody bad boy with a soft spot.
This is definitely way more creepy than her two other stories- she is improving on her imagery and there were a few parts that had me genuinely uncomfortable with tension.
The writing is so digestible for me. Loved the linguistic anthropology laid into the story, as well.

In 1765 Mexico, Alba, daughter of a wealthy family, is engaged to her childhood friend and is control of her future. But when Alba and her parents leave the plague-ridden city and visit the mine of her betrothed’s family, she becomes enveloped by a dark force. She finds help in her fiancé’s cousin, a mysterious man she is immediately drawn too, and must fight to keep control of her life and body. This historical gothic horror read is atmospheric and haunting, with well-developed characters.

Possession is a wonderful word to explore. Demonic possession. Ownership. The absence of autonomy. A provocation for unrepentant rebellion.

Alba Diaz is the product of a violent claim on a woman’s body. Then, like an unwanted possession, discarded and left for dead in the bowels of a silver mine.

Enter the parasitic demon. And the Spaniard who finds her. He then gives this found possession to a childless family. Along with the demon.

When she is of age, her family will give her away to a man who will claim ownership of her, force her to bear his heirs, and submit to his will.

This horror-romance plays with all the ways in which being a young woman forces her to navigate the horrors of the world. The story would end tragically if it were not for Elías, a tortured soul of a man, who fights on her behalf, not to claim her as a prize. But simply to love her.

And then I read it all over again! I love this book.

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!