Another incredibly haunting gothic horror from Cañas that is bound to have you leaving some of your bedroom lights on late into the night.

What can't Cañas do when it comes to writing? The Possession of Alba Díaz is a creepy, atmospheric novel about colonialism, the patriarchy, organized religion, and revenge - and while those topics may feel very heavy and dark, the story is still entertaining and will sink its claws deep into your skin from the very first page. Complex characters, spellbinding supernatural elements, and a daunting atmosphere are trademark characteristics of a Cañas novel, and you will find all of that and more here.

I was entranced by Alba and Elías as they came together to fight off the evil terror plaguing Alba the moment she sets foot at the mine; how their forbidden love developed the longer Elías witnessed Alba's suffering, and the lack of power he felt as he tried to protect her, not only from her demons, but her toxic family and the religion meant to save her.

While ambitious in its storytelling, I believe Cañas achieved what she set out to do with this novel; reminding us all that we are the only ones in control of our narratives, that no one can take it from us, and we deserve to direct our narrative, by any means necessary.

I really enjoyed the other works by this author and the premise of this sounded so amazing that I knew I had to read it immediately. The setting of the small mining town made for a creepy and eery atmosphere. I really resonated with Alba and her dream of freedom and to be her own person that makes her own decisions. I absolutely love the way Isabel writes romance, that's what has absolutely sucked me in to every book of hers and this one was no different. This book is more than just a horror story, it's a story of hope for freedom and love... with a dash of demonic possession.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

All hail Isabel Cañas and her creative genius because holyfuckingshit this book was soo good. The last chapters of this book had me losing my freaking mind - in the best way possible!

There's a reason that I adore this author, the way she seemlessly weaves together Mexican historical context with horror, melodrama, and romance to create such an intriguing and layered plot with captivating characters and powerful themes. *chefs kiss*

At a time when the threat against women's rights is at an all time high, I really appreciated the focus Cañas placed on bodily autonomy and the female rage that emerges when it's taken away. There was also an impeccable analysis on the impact of the Catholic Church and the Inquisition, as well as critiques on elitism and the plundering of valuable resources by greedy foreign empires.

Isabel Cañas' books are ones I think about far after reading them, and this one was no exception. She's such a talented writter and I can't help but lap up every single word on the page.

No one's work compares to the one and only Isabel Cañas.

Thank you Berkley's Influencer Hub for Underrepresented Voices for the e-arc & for a finished copy of the book!

This book hooked it's claws in me the minute I picked it up.

Alba is a character whose resilience calls to you as a reader. Her story is more than a possession in a way it's a reclaiming of her true self.

Elías is the kind of man that constantly is put under a watchful lense, he's categorized as untrustworthy and evil. Yet he this narrative separates him from the cast of characters and calls to question what you believe.

Alba and Elías couldn't appear to be more different, Alba is a planner and Elías is selfish. Yet this story yanks them together and creates something beautiful within them. It's true what they say, like calls to like.

This book centers around themes of the patriarchy, colonialism, and catholicism. It's haunting, it's toe gripping, and unforgettable.

This book is one of my top favorites of the year, truly no one does it like Isabel Cañas.

I plan to reread this via audio too because Isabel Cañas books 🤝 Audio.

Thank you so much to @AceBooksPub for the free book 👻✨#BerkleyPartner #Berkley.

The Possession of Alba Diaz has been at the top of my TBR since I first read the synopsis. The mention of a demonic presence was like music to my horror-loving ears. Despite high hopes, I had mixed feelings about it.

There was a strong focus on the dynamics between the Monterrubio family and mining operations, especially during the first half of the book. While the prose was beautifully descriptive, these plot points weren’t interesting enough to capture and maintain my interest.

The horror elements really came into play during the second half of the book. There were moments that reminded me of The Exorcist, which I loved. However, this part of the storyline dragged on longer than it needed to, which caused it feel a bit one-note.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Possession of Alba Diaz. This was an eerie and immersive read that pulled me in from the very first page. I loved the possession storyline!i the story was both unsettling and fascinating and the inclusion of Derija added a unique cultural depth that made the story stand out. The atmosphere was rich and haunting, and I found myself fully absorbed in Alba’s journey. While I would have loved a bit more yearning between the characters to heighten the emotional tension, it was still an engaging and memorable read. I’ll gladly pick up every book this author writes!

This is coming from Berkley Publishing, it’s a gothic historical horror novel. Set in 1950s San Francisco and Mexico, we follow Alba Díaz who has plans to control her fate by marrying her friend but what she can’t control is the plague that hits her town, and then a demonic presence.. this book has a lot of elements going for it, murder, romance, atmosphere, Mexican culture and history. Definitely one to add to your reading list.

I couldn't put this book down and read it in two straight sittings. Creepy and scary in all the right ways, but with a great romance to propel in forward. I was immediately invested in Alba's story and the mythology of the mine, and couldn't wait to see what happens. At one point, I had to talk myself out of reading the ending just to know. An indictment of religion, patriarchy, and colonialism all wrapped up in a bloody bow.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of The Possession of Alba Diaz, I devoured this one. I think that after the release of Mexican Gothic a lot of the books that have come out with a similar genre all have essentially the same plot of "there is an evil here because of colonizers" which while interesting quickly becomes very repetitive and dull. There are times where I try to avoid certain books for that reason. With that said, this book basically has that plot, the only thing that made it stand out more for me was the way that the possessions were described and how Alba acted during them. I thought those moments were especially creepy and reminded me of reading The Exorcist for the first time a couple of years ago. Although the moments where Elias (her lover) was getting a hard-on while she was being possessed took me out of it a little bit but maybe that's someone's exact kink, I don't know! Do I think it is amazing, revolutionary writing? No. Do I think it is a quick and entertaining read especially now that we're close to spooky season? Absolutely! Go put a hold on it at your local library right now.

I fully felt the atmosphere in The Possession of Alba Díaz. The cold of the mountains that creeps down to your bones and the fog that lingers making it hard to tell what’s outside. Cañas does a wonderful job putting the reading exactly where Alba is. I also found the dichotomy between the religious beliefs in this novel super interesting to read. You have the towns people who are worshiping the spirit of Death and building shrines outside the mines and the Inquisition staffed by Catholics who want to eradicate anyone who has differing beliefs. The tension was very strong between these two groups and helped emphasis the terror Alba was feeling.

My one complaint is that I don’t feel like enough spooky scenes happened. The times Alba was possessed were unsettling, but readers are never but put directly in the action. We’re typically seeing the aftermath and that makes the impact way smaller. Especially comparing this to The Hacienda, I just felt more wrapped up in the haunted Hacienda than I did in Alba’s possession.

Summary: Within a Mexican silver mine, a malevolent entity awakens and possesses a young woman, forcing her to seek help from a man she should inherently mistrust.

My Take: Isabel Canas’ writing is so deeply atmospheric, and beautifully descriptive, seamlessly blending Spanish words within the story that adds authenticity to this Gothic horror novel deeply rooted in Mexican culture.

Although a slow burn, this story has all the elements of a forbidden romance amongst a gory, blood drenched plot filled with suspense, foreboding, and supernatural terror. Alba wants nothing more than to be the master of her own fate, whether that meant succumbing to the demon within or marrying a man she herself chose. The romance element was the perfect amount of angst, pining, and sheer unyielding devotion complete with a heroic MMC ready to risk it all. With it’s feminine rage, justified revenge, and lush writing, The Possession of Alba Diaz is a must read.

The synopsis for this sounded so good, but it ended up being just ok.

The story starts off slow, and consistently stays that way until the last 100ish pages, where the action really picks up. For me, this was way too long of a slow burn. There was a hint at local lore, but I wish we had gone deeper into that; I think it would’ve made the story richer. I felt like I finished the book wanting more out of it overall.

That said, there were things I liked. The gothic setting was interesting, and I liked creeping dread there was leading up to the action. The romance plot added some needed energy, and I thought where it went was good. The ending really surprised me (in a good way), and I felt like it redeemed the rest of the book a little.

I’d say go into this expecting a slow burn story, and I think a lot of people would enjoy it.

For most of this book, I definitely enjoyed myself but thought I would land around 4 stars. However, the last 15 percent or so made it a strong 5 stars for me. Alba Díaz & Elias Monterrubio were both interesting perspectives as we explore a haunted Mexican silver mine. While I wish we could have gotten a little more development of their relationship, I really loved the progression of Alba's possession & how they tried to stop it.
I especially liked how this story dealt with religion. I don't want to go too deeply into it since I don't want to spoil anything. However, I just really liked the direction Isabel Cañas went with how possession works in this book.
This, ultimately, was a story about bodily autonomy during a time (set in 1765) where women were not given many options. Alba is not only trying to evade the horror of her parents' attempts to marry her off but the demonic horror that's trying to take over all control of her body. This book also really handily addresses the horrors of colonization.
Overall, another banger of a book from Isabel Cañas, especially with that ending.

Get you a man that falls in love with you when you are possessed by a demon 😂! The story had an interesting premise and having read the authors others works, I was really intrigued to see how she would balance horror and romance again. Unfortunately for me, I felt the romance was overshadowed by the very detailed storyline. It just didn’t feel super believable to me how quickly Alba and Elias fell in love. I think the possession aspect was interesting and the history of the mines and mercury during this time period. If you are a big fan of history, I feel you will enjoy this part of the story. To me, it felt it took a bit way from rooting and learning more about the characters. I did enjoy the side characters but wish we got more of them. I will say, the ending definitely helped and I was glad it was a bit unhinged. We always love a woman reclaiming her power!

This book is the story of two people - whose POV the book is told from - who are misunderstood and looking for a way out. What they never imagined is that it would take a silver mine, some local legend, and a demonic entity to do it.

Alba makes a pact with her childhood best friend to marry for convenience, in order to avoid being married off to an elderly merchant from her father’s social circle. Elias’ father dies, leaving his eldest son and family in deep debt to Alba’s father, with their only hope out of the mess his skill at alchemy, using mercury to refine silver at a mine in Nueva Espana (Mexico). Did I mention everyone hates Elias because he’s an ex-felon who doesn’t years in an infamous prison mine in Spain learning his craft? When Alba’s family flees with her fiancé’s to the mining town to avoid a plague, she begins showing strange behavior. Combined with a heated attraction between the two, Elias is determined to help her release the demon residing in her, at any cost.

This book combines hot romance and some very creepy demonic storytelling that had me flipping pages late into the night. There were some seriously great elements of both genres that made this a great read. I’ve had some of Isabel Cañas’ books in my TBR for awhile now and, and I realize I really need to get around to reading them if this is what I’m missing!

The characters were all great and there were plenty of amazing twists in there that just sent me through the roof. I don’t want to give anything away, but I was picking up my jaw at a couple points. It was that good!

Honestly, if you’re like me and you have been meaning to get on the Cañas train for a while now, this is your chance to start out with a bang! Grab this book!

Mexico, 1765. Though Alba Díaz's family is a wealthy one, money cannot protect them when plague arrives in Zacatecas. With Alba's fiancé, Carlos, they depart Zacatecas for the remote silver mine that is the source of the family's wealth. But isolation does not guarantee safety, for Alba soon begins to suffer from hallucinations, sleepwalking, and convulsions. She feels something strange and horrifying lurking within, and it is growing stronger.

Meanwhile, Elías has come to the New World to find his fortune and break the bonds between himself and the family he distrusts. Though he should stay away from his cousin Carlos' fiancée, he finds himself drawn to Alba all the same. And when he notices her deteriorating condition, he finds he can't turn away.

As Alba declines, she and Elías look for help from any source whether it is the occult or the Church. But true allies are hard to come by, and Alba and Elías discover that the corruptive nature of power is universal and the only true source of help may come from within.

Stories of demonic possession have been part of humanity's storytelling tradition since time immemorial, and for good reason. We instinctively shrink from the idea of an alien force wresting control of our bodies from us and using them for evil purposes. But demonic possession serves as a metaphor, as well, and in The Possession of Alba Díaz, Alba is being controlled by more than just a demon. Though she has escaped being forced into a marriage with one of her father's odious business partners by effectively threatening a childhood friend into accepting her proposal, Alba finds that she still does not have control over her own life. Her mother still has a say in what she does, and her soon-to-be mother-in-law has plenty to say as well– and none of it is good. Demonic possession is just the latest in a string of events that strips Alba of her agency.

Elías, too, is being pushed around by familial forces that seek to push him down one particular path, no matter what his own plans might be. He may be a man in a man's world, but with a dark past and a future dependent on people who despise him, Elías is stuck, too. The challenge both he and Alba face is to break free of the bonds that control them, whether they are familial, societal, or demonic. The horror they face is not only of the spiritual kind, but cultural as well.

Isabel Cañas' career has been a fascinating one to follow. Her 2022 debut, The Hacienda marked her as an author to watch, while her second novel, Vampires of El Norte, proved she wasn't a one-hit wonder. The Possession of Alba Díaz is her best work yet, providing a page-turning story with a pair of leading characters the reader will want to see succeed. It is a more tightly plotted book than The Hacienda, contains more of the uncanny than did Vampires of El Norte, and has plenty of the lush writing and atmospheric details that made reading those other two books such a rich experience. Cañas is not an author who sticks an old house in the background and calls her novel 'gothic'. She understands the structure the gothic story hangs upon, and she uses these tropes and symbols to tell a deeper story, not simply to provide "vibes".

Though it comes in a wrapper labeled 'horror', The Possession of Alba Díaz deals with issues of bodily autonomy and self-determination. Despite their supernatural and terrifying story, both Alba and Elías want to live their lives as they choose and be free from the strict and smothering ideals their society has laid down for them. The benefit of horror is that it allows them– and us– to have the catharsis of resolution. As bloody as the ending is, it is a satisfying conclusion.

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Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the advance copy for review.

I really enjoy Isabel Canas books. I believe she does a really great job of transporting the reader to a certain time and place. Often I find myself reading supplemental material to better understand the history of the areas depicted and its peoples. Personally, I am delighted that the author is giving her own unique spin to overplayed gothic horror tropes.

The setting really made the story unique and interesting. The characters were not complex, but that's fine as they helped develop the story and drive it along. For me, the beginning was a bit slow to start. It did not draw me in and keep me interested. However, when Alba Diaz was introduced and a situation (a death fever) was brought forth, the storyline picked up real quick. At some point along the way, some of the characters became flat and redundant to an extent. It was like Senor and Senorita Diaz were there to antagonize Alba/the plot along and Ramirez was simply a castoff. I would have liked to understand the familial history a bit more, as I believe it would have invested the reader more into the various characters tribulations. Some characters could have been combined to develop more complexity and emotional investment for the reader, giving the story a bit more weight.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to friends and colleagues.

3.5 ⭐️

My first read of fall and one of my first tastes of the horror genre! The slow anticipation of the possession mixed with the pacing of the story and romance aspects blended perfectly. I found the writing style easy to follow but also held so much atmosphere. The first half was stronger for me but it was all such a fun read. I would recommend this to people wanting to try out the horror genre! Will be checking out more of Isabel Cañas books after reading this :)

I feel comfortable saying this is Isabel Cañas' best novel to date. I've read her other books and The Possession of Alba Díaz is an evolution from her first two books. Set in 1765 in Zacatecas, Alba flees with her family and fiancé to an isolated mine where a demonic presence has been awakened. The Possession of Alba Díaz looks at colonialism, bodily autonomy, ownership, and the complicated interplay between religion, colonization, and identity. As Alba faces her unknown past and deteriorating present, Elías is haunted by his past and family legacy and can't help but notice Alba, and seems to be one of the only people who has ever truly paid attention to Alba.

This book was mesmerizing and intoxicating, an undercurrent of romance entangled with a story twisted up in alchemy and the occult, the Church, and long-kept family secrets. While Cañas' writing was already excellent, in this book all of the characters felt real and alive to me, while I was completely taken with Alba and Elías I also felt like I better knew the other characters and was interested in them as well. I feel like Cañas' writing is evolving and I really can't wait to see what comes next from her, as thus far, Alba Díaz feels like her best book yet. The dialogue and prose were absolutely perfect and the book itself was terrifying, charming, intoxicating, and even at times funny.

I was sooo thrilled to be able to read Isabel Cañas’s upcoming novel! Isabel is one of my absolute favorite writers. I love how she infuses horror with romance and history and culture! 🖤

this novel follows Alba - the adoptive daughter of wealthy merchants in 1700s Zacatecas. to escape a plague ravaging their town, the family relocates to Alba’s fiancé’s family silver mine. once there, Alba begins to feel conflicting impulses within her - one drawing her deeper into the mine and the other warning her of the dark force inhabiting it.

like her previous novels, I thought this one was very intriguing and felt very well-researched and grounded in the time period in Mexico in which it is set. Cañas highlights the societal inequities of the time - Spanish colonialism, resource exploitation, the racist caste system, Catholic imperialism, etc. and ties it within the horror of the novel’s plot so well!

the romance, as per usual in her books, was top tier yearning, lingering looks, and impure thoughts 🫠 so hot yet so chaste 😅 loved it.

my only critiques are regarding the pacing, which felt like it took a little long to get going and then focused almost solely on several repetitive and very intense scenes [won’t be specific for spoiler reasons, but the title is a big indication]. I wish we could’ve gotten more back story on Elias and gotten to know him and Alba on an even deeper level.

still, thought this was a great story. very dark and scary but equally beautiful and evocative. Isabel Cañas nunca me decepciona 😍

check it out on August 19! thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for allowing me to read & review!