My new favorite Isabel Cañas

This is the darkest and most emotional book by Cañas yet and I'm here for it, I'm obsessed, it will be the book of the fall. The Cañas equation of historical family story set in Mexico + classic horror trope + forbidden romance has me crying giggling kicking my feet afraid for the characters every time. Not only is it not tired, I can't wait for another.
Before he foreswore his black craft and turned to God, San Cipriano was a sorcerer omnipotent, the greatest enchanter to ever light a candle and pray.

LIKE COME ON no one is writing like that!

Such a phenomenal read. I will always recommend Isabel Cañas to anyone who will listen to me talk about her writing. Her characters, plots, and settings are so unique, I'm not sure I've read anything else quite like her writing. It's captivating, engaging, and I never found myself slogging through any of the chapters.

Absolutely loved this romantic horror story!!

In the late 1700s, Alba Diaz wants her freedom. She has manipulated a marriage between her and her best friend, Carlos, who is the only good man she's ever known. When plague sweeps through her city, Alba and her family join Carlos and his to a silver mine, where Alba feels a pull towards the darkness of the mine and Carlos' estranged brother Elias. The danger and their chemistry grows. Elias and Alba must find a way to rid herself of darkness, and to rid themselves of their feelings for each other.

I ate this up. The horror is fantastic, helped along by the desolate landscape and mysterious darkness of the mountain. Elias is an AMAZING romantic interest - a dark past but can't help himself from falling for the mysterious beauty and danger in Alba. I would say this is one of the most romantic horror novels there is. Alba herself is a great MC as well, with her desire for freedom, respect, while balancing her religious and familial loyalty. She is a progressive woman in 1700s, not a modern feminist, so she feels fresh and dynamic without feeling out of place.

There are also several outstanding side characters, like Maria Victoriano, and a priest called Bartolome. The setting is bleak and depressing, but the characters and their history bring real richness to the story. I think the plot could drag for some readers, but personally I was sucked in from the very beginning.

With this novel and the Hacienda being one of my favorites, Isabel Canas is an instant-buy author for me and I loved loved loved this!

This was the from Isabel Cañas book I've read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Atmospheric, a bit creepy at times, filled with culture and history. Much to my surprise this book also has elements of romance. Loved this!

A spellbindingly chilling take on the possession narrative. Exquisitely crafted. Isabel Cañas once again delivers a work of horror so distinct in place and time you will feel as if you’ve been teleported there. There is a beautiful sophistication, elegance, and romance to her storytelling that makes Her works feel so incredibly memorable and unique. She refuses to fall back on tropes and instead injects a new life into the possession genre by exploring the many ways a woman can be possessed. It was a book that I didn’t want to end. Read it! Thanks to Netgalley for the arc!

Wow! This was my favorite yet of Cañas with her signature technique of combining romance with horror. I loved the mine setting and how creepy and claustrophobic it felt. The characters were excellent and the demons and haunting were genuinely creepy. .

What a good start to spooky season! I'm becoming a pretty big fan of Isabel Cañas, seeing as I've read all three of her books so far.

I love how immersive this books, and her others, are. That's a big thing for me if I'm reading anything that's set in the past, I really want to feel like I'm there. Cañas does a great job of that. Bonus points that I also really enjoy her writing style and prose. I never thought romance and horror would go together so well (or maybe she's just that good at it).

For a minute, I did think she was going to change up her trope of horror HEAs. I went through my shock, then acceptance, then respect for her making that decision. And then... there was the actual twist. Elias never actually died. That thought was in the back of my mind the entire time, but I did get to the point where I was almost disappointed that we didn't have a classic, devastating horror ending. To be honest, I would have been happy with either ending.

As usual, Cañas's protagonists are perfect and can do no wrong in my eyes.

After loving The Hacienda a few years ago, I’ve been eager to read more from Isabel Cañas. This week she released her third novel, The Possession of Alba Díaz. Set in a mining town outside Zacatecas in 1765, it follows Alba Díaz as she gets to know the family of her new fiancé. It’ll be a marriage of convenience, but one that could give her some freedom. But upon arriving in the mining town, she instantly feels not quite herself. The only person who notices, or who can seem to help her, is Elías: a convict from Sevilla, someone forbidden, but someone who is also strangely alluring. But with demons and debts and no future for the two of them, how can they escape their circumstances alive?

What I Liked:
- Demons, the occult, and a dark book.
- Religion as good or evil.
- Elías and his dark past.
- Alba and her insistence on owning herself.
- The demon’s intrusive speaking.
- Poetic, nightmarish descriptions of scenes, especially as the book progresses.

Final Thoughts
The Possession of Alba Díaz is the kind of horror novel that sucks you in with its flourished prose, romantic atmosphere, and gory darkness. It’s mesmerizing, but it also calls attention to important topics like how religion is used, colonialism, and a woman’s autonomy over her life trajectory. I really enjoyed Elías and Alba’s characters and the way their love story blended in with a tale of pure horror. Isabel Cañas has a vivd style and I’m excited to keep reading her books.

1765, Zacatecas, Mexico.
Alba Díaz's life is built on silver. Her father's wealth comes from the mines. Alba herself came home with him from the mountains, adopted by her barren mother. To avoid being married off to a man she despises, she makes a bargain with her oldest friend Carlos to whom she has no romantic inclinations but knows she will have a life more of her own choosing. Elías Monterrubio is a biracial alchemist living in Constantinople when he gets word that his father has died in great debt, and that Elías and his knowledge of refining silver with mercury will save the family. So Elías makes the journey from Spain to Mexico, where he meets his cousin Carlos's fiancee Alba. A plague forces them out of the city and to the mines where the air is cleaner, but something much darker lurks in the tunnels.

Isabel Cañas writes historical horror that I love to sink my teeth into. Add a religious twist with a demonic possession and I'm all in. As the mystery of the mines unfolds, Alba sinks into a terrifying despair, losing control of her body. It's a perfect analogy for the way she feels trapped as a woman in 18th century Mexico, bound by Catholicism and with expectations of motherhood. She's terrified of that life and so makes a bargain to get out of it, only circumstances propel her further into the darkness and loss of control. Cañas expertly executes this through her character development and atmospheric worldbuilding in a love story that had me teetering on edge through the very end.

On the horror scale, this falls towards the more horror-y side (but not as scary as The Hacienda, Cañas’s debut). The scenes in the mine and when Alba is possessed had me on edge, so if you're frightened by demons, maybe approach this one with caution. There aren't any jump scares, and most of the horror is "as expected" but scarier from a social and psychological standpoint the more you reflect. But I can promise you a satisfying ending, if that helps you get through this.

This is a wild, trippy, extremely well-written book. I was so pleasantly surprised by [book:Vampires of El Norte|63892214], so my hopes were high for this next venture, and it didn't disappoint.

It's 1765 and Alba Díaz lives in Mexico, or Nueva España as it was known then. Alba has just finagled a mutually advantageous engagement with one of her childhood friends Carlos, but her parents don't approve of the match. When a plague hits their city, they travel up through the mountains to Carlos' family's mercury mine, where they meet Carlos' estranged cousin Elias. Shortly after they arrive, strange things start happening, mostly to Alba: she sleepwalks in strange places, people start falling ill and dying, and the mercury is having bad effects on the villagers. Elias and Alba figure out that she is possessed by some sort of a demon from the mine, and they have to find a way to exorcise it without attracting the attention of the overzealous priest and family who want to bring in the Inquisition. Meanwhile, they have to fight the growing attraction between them.

This is a really imaginative and interesting story. Cañas seamlessly weaves in the history of Spanish colonization of Mexico and the complicated legacy of the mining of toxic substances, and Alba is an endearing protagonist who chafes against the lack of control she has over her life. Alba is a rich society woman, but she has very few options, and within that limited framework she does her best to create a future she can live with. Strangely, her demon possession gives her a way to break out of the box she's put in, which is a really creative allegory for breaking free of the patriarchy. The body horror in this book is also so incredible - the scenes of Alba being possessed by the demon are visceral and terrifying, she and Elias are both so brave and resourceful, and it wasn't too gory for me. I couldn't tell where this was going to, and I loved it. The writing is also so beautiful. This is not one to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book sank its teeth into me from page one and never let go. Set in an 18th-century Mexican silver mine during a plague outbreak, it’s so rich and atmospheric that I truly felt transported there. The characters are just as captivating as the setting; they’re intriguing, layered, and vividly drawn. I loved Alba and Elías, and equally loathed pretty much all of the other characters (by design). Let’s just say Alba’s mother tested every ounce of my patience! Together, though, this cast made for an utterly addictive story.

The Possession of Alba Díaz centers around, well, the possession of Alba Díaz! There is also a juicy forbidden love story, and the pining is unmatched. As I was nearing the end of the book I was preparing to be infuriated, but oh wow was I blown away! I did not remotely call the ending, and I love this book all the more for it.

I won’t spoil the details, but horror fans: do not sleep on this one. Isabel Cañas is officially on my must-read list.

Big thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for the gifted eARC!

I am devastated I didn't enjoy this more, especially since The Hacienda and The Vampires of El Norte are among some of my favorite recent reads. I think it primarily comes down to is apparently demonic possession just not being my jam? I also felt lukewarm about the romance between Alba and Elias since Alba wasn't really herself for most of the book. I am still an Isabel Canas stan though and I will most definitely be reading whatever she writes next.

I received this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ARC provided by Berkley Publishing Group.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can not help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom.

This was my first book by Cañas, and while I’d heard so many great things about her, I found this one surprisingly slow. I really enjoyed Alba and Elias and was rooting for them from the beginning, but the side characters and subplots didn’t hold my attention. The first 200 pages focused so heavily on family drama, the mines, and the alchemy that the possession element felt almost secondary, and it took far too long to actually get to that part of the story. The romance also didn’t quite land for me. I think this was because so much time was spent on exposition early on that there wasn’t enough room left to really develop the characters’ relationship, which made it feel rushed. That said, if you enjoy historical fiction, gothic horror with a touch of romance, and very slow-burn storytelling, this book could be a good fit. But I will still probably give Cañas other books a shot.

If I could have given this six stars I would have. It’s thrilling, it’s scary, it’s filled with tension, it’s everything I was hoping for when I picked up this book. I love the amount of subtlety throughout the book, Cañas shows instead of tells us things. Her prose writing is great. I felt fully immersed the entire time. I love how there was just constantly more and more to uncover as we moved through the story. It didn’t feel front loaded or back loaded with a lot of information or reveals. This kept the pacing nice and even.

Can’t wait to read more from Isabel Cañas!

I don’t watch a lot of horror movies but I would definitely watch this one if it ever got adapted.

Thank you for the ARC

I am happy to say that this one did not disappoint in the slightest. This book had me all over the place with my feelings and was just so immersed in this historical period in Mexico that I wasn’t super familiar with it. I actually stayed up late reading this one a couple of nights (late for me is like 11, lol) because I didn’t want to put this one down.

What I love most about this author is her ability to build atmosphere. Atmosphere is really what I am looking for in horror books a lot of the time, and this author always delivers with incredible gothic vibes. Even though frightening things are happening in the story, I can’t help but want to live there because the author creates such a visual scene. The setting of this one at a mine really added another layer of tension and danger that I appreciated as well. This author so expertly blends horror and romance, and I am always in awe of how much I really enjoy her love stories.

But the highlight was of course the possession. I just can’t get enough of possession stories, and while this one initially presents itself as a typical possession story, the author does a lot of new things with the mythology around possession that I found super interesting. She once again expertly uses a horror trope like possession to make a point about colonization and the Spanish coming in and “possessing” the land and mining it for their own use without any regard to the degradation being done. She also uses possession as a way to show how women historically, and even to this day, have to fear being possessed by men in marriage and society at large. Alba is such a wonderful main character, and I was so engrossed in her struggle, both against societal expectations of her and the possession of her body/soul (not a spoiler since it's in the title).

This one has an incredible ending that I can’t wait for more people to read and maybe talk to me about. My jaw was open in parts, and I think the ending may have bumped this one up a half star for me as it involves just some of my favorite tropes in fiction. I love that this author writes really beautiful love scenes but then will intersperse with just some of the grisliest horror - really the descriptions at the end of this one are horrific and so graphic, and I ate them up. This will have me coming back to this author for whatever she writes next!

I loved this book. Anything this author writes, I would purchase, this story had all the creepy and spooky vibes I was looking for. I wish I waiting until the fall to read this. This is an immediate five stars.

This was beautifully written but it took such a long time for the plot to actually get going. It was so much world building and character development at the beginning I struggled to really get into this one

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 rounded up to 5)

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas.

This gothic horror swept me in from the very first page. Alba, desperate to escape the horrors of the plague, soon finds herself trapped in a different kind of terror one rooted not in sickness, but in shadows, whispers, and an unsettling force that seems to have claimed her. Cañas masterfully blends historical atmosphere with supernatural dread, building a story that is haunting, visceral, and beautifully written.

The sense of unease grows with every chapter, and the gothic imagery is so vivid you can almost feel the candlelight flicker and the chill seep into your bones. Alba is a fascinating protagonist torn between survival, fear, and the darkness pressing in on her. The novel balances psychological horror with ghostly suspense, making it both emotionally gripping and deeply unsettling.

This is an absolute must-read for fans of gothic horror and historical thrillers. Perfect for a late night read when you want something chilling, immersive, and impossible to put down.

Thank you so much to Isabel Cañas, Berkley Publishing, and NetGalley for this e-ARC! Being chosen through Berkley's Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices was really special and I am so grateful for it.

Isabel Cañas just KEEPS. GETTING. BETTER. I really enjoyed Vampires of El Norte and wow, did she follow it up with a truly captivating novel in The Possession of Alba Diaz. This book is set in 18th century Mexico, where Alba is facing the prospect of marriage to someone she neither cares for nor has the desire to marry. Alba convinces her childhood friend, Carlos that they should marry instead, in a marriage that will mutually benefit them both. However, around the time of their engagement, a plague breaks out in Zacatecas, requiring them and their families--including Carlos' cousin, Elias--to head out to Carlos' family's home in the mountains where they own a mine. Upon arrival at the mine, something arises in Alba that ultimately sets the scene for the heart of the book.

Cañas creation of this world--between the deeply-engrained religiosity inherent in Mexican families, the toxic masculinity, the prejudices--resonated with me as a Latina because these are issues that are still alive today in Mexican and Mexican-American communities. However, I really loved that she made Alba strong-willed and determined to find her way out of this cycle and find a solution that will allow her to keep her autonomy. The visuals Cañas creates in this novel are evocative and imaginative, allowing the reader to really "see" what's happening as it plays out on the page. The relationships between the characters is interesting and keeps getting more interesting as you continue to learn more about them as the novel progresses, allowing the reader to stay invested in each of them. I also really loved that Cañas utilized Spanish throughout the novel and also addressed different dialects existing at that time in Spain. Seeing Spanish used so nonchalantly in a novel really helped me connect more with it; I hope she continues to do this in any future books.

Cañas does a great job of building up to the crescendo of the novel and let me tell you, the last 30% of this novel had me on the edge of my seat. I could not read or turn the pages fast enough trying to find out what happened. It was WILD. I did not want to put this book down before I finished it because I had to find out what happened. I was equally shocked, saddened, and cheered up once the final plot twist presents itself. The only thing I wish I knew more about was what ultimately happened with Elias' relationship with Maria Victoriana and Carolina. All in all though, this novel was gripping, unique, creepy, and really entertaining to read. Isabel Cañas really knocked it out of the park with this novel. I would definitely recommend this to a friend; five stars from me :)

I was lucky to get this free eARC from Berkley! These are my honest thoughts :) Something I immensely enjoyed is the slow build up of events. The romance, horror, and paranormal occurrences all leading up to Alba’s possession+exorcism was beautifully laid out start to finish. I feel like this intimate build up really engrossed me into the story and I really felt the stress to try and conquer this evil entity explode.

I love when horror has me on the edge of my seat and that’s how I felt all throughout reading! The entire story felt so eerie, as if someone, or something, was watching you. The signs of Alba’s possession really added to the overall anxiety and fear that the book induces. The possession scenes were so visceral and honestly, I felt claustrophobic, stressed, and angry on behalf of Alba. Not only was the exorcism quite forceful, her possession was incredibly agonizing on her body.

Alba is always at odds with others trying to claim her body, figuratively and not. Whether it’s men making crude comments and advances, her voice not being heard, or being an only daughter, it seemed like there was no escape - or so she thought. She devises a plan to ensure her freedom, and we see her desperately guarding its potential. The possession and exorcism play a deeper role in her wanting to reclaim her body and what it means to be a woman who doesn’t have a say in what happens to her body. I was in awe at how layered this was and how suffocating it felt for Alba to constantly fight others wanting to take control of her.

I absolutely loved the romance between her and Elías! It was so beautifully filled with tension that any moment they had to themselves just felt that much more satisfying. Something I love with romances is when two people with hard pasts, and unknown futures, find solace in each other. The romance, flirtations, and intimate moments are only more gripping when the pair have created a strong bond with each other based on trust, respect, and love.

There’s SO much to the story that I haven’t even touched on. This book is so gripping and I think about it often since I finished reading it. This was a stand out read of the month and the year.