I was nervous when I read the blurb for this one, because it’s been a long long time since I’ve enjoyed a vampire story. They’re cliche and overdone. Well, at least I thought so. Moreno-Garcia made me eat my words and enjoy it. This was a phenomenal read and I highly recommend it for people who are looking for a fresh take on bloodsuckers. Moreno-Garcia is bringing vampires back.

Interesting modern take on vampires and how they might adapt to a corrupt, violent human society. Easy to read, fast paced, Well drawn characters, strong world building.

I have read previous works by this author and enjoy her “genre jumping.” This story is very different from her popular novels, but the character development is good and she creates a “parallel” Mexico City that feel different, but not dystopian or futuristic. The story moves fast and the human and vampire characters are interesting and relatable. Solid plot and storyline!

Did not finish, as I just couldn’t get into it. Lots and lots and lots of exposition from one character, remembering her history; I just couldn't get into the setting and the initial setup of the vampire picking up the character was just not a great springboard.

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did as I’m not a vampire aficionado. But it’s so much more than a vampire tale. It’s a love story between a human innocent and a vampire with a kind heart; between a mom and her daughter, among friends across millenia. And even as I struggled to understand the many ‘types’ of vampires, I came to the magnificent “Encylopaedia Vampirica” at the end of the book and found that the author had truly constructed a world different yet similar to ours—ethnographic vampire civilizations. And it includes diseases, descriptions of vampire relationships, religions, and stories of the history of these mighty groups. A whole history of vampire civilization—amazing imagination (I hope)!

This is the tale of a relatively naïve human, Domingo who is a “rag-and-bone” picker in Mexico City and how he meets and loves a young, and of course beautiful, vampire Atl. Atl is part bird of prey. She travels with , Cualli, her only companion, a dog who guards her. In need of a “friend” willing to feed her she meets Domingo as she evades the vampire clan responsible for the deaths of her mother and sister.

Vampires of any type are not allowed in Mexico City and so the chase begins . . . a police detective and multiple “clans” of vampires—most of whom are territorial, ritualistic and all of chase Atl and Domingo. And although all vampires live long lives with none immortal, Each “clan” originates from a different country and has a unique approach to vampire-ness with cultural prohibitions and rules. For me this reflects the world today—different countries, values and sins.

Mother/daughter relationships are also explored from a vampire and policewoman perspective. How we define success in the maternal role varies by culture. Similarly, how humans define love is frequently compared in the book to how vampires of different “clans” define it. And the implications of cross-cultural relationships (e.g. human and vampire) also are recorded with striking similarity to cross-cultural issues we see today.

In a poignant and unexpected ending, Atl leaves Domingo in the last scene giving him a backpack of supplies and money. His expression of love is to no avail. As he leaves the station, he finds Cualli, Atl’s dog, and puts him in a grocery cart and goes on. Perhaps Cualli represents a continued connection in (I hope) a sequel.

After reading and loving “Mexican Gothic” and “The Beautiful Ones” I anticipated another page-turner from Moreno-Garcia. Sadly that was not the case; I found the characters uninteresting and the writing a tad clunky. Despite numerous attempts I could not make it past page 20. I do appreciate the new edition’s interview with the author, discussion guide, and cocktail recipes. This novel will not dissuade me from seeking out more of her work, or recommending the author.

oh... i’m super conflicted about this one. i read mexican gothic and absolutely adored it, and so i was really excited to see if this invoked the same feeling.

unfortunately, i found myself a little disappointed. the first almost-half felt unbearably dry; i was never quite captured by it, by the characters or the story. i was very-nearly driven to hopelessness before i decided i’d so loved the author’s previous work, i had to keep giving it a chance. eventually i realized that it was worth it, although i’m not totally convinced that the engrossing second part excused how boring the first was. i liked atl immediately, liked being in her head, but i felt very neutral about the others (of course, nick is disgusting).

what really shines with this story is the lore, the world. i haven’t personally read any iteration of vampires like this. the mythology of it all blew me away. and i really appreciated that i never felt like i was being info-dumped upon. i clicked quickly with the straightforward, almost brisk writing. solid 3.5 stars!

*arc received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

I love all of the books by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and this was no exception!! I was so grateful for the opportunity to read and review this through Net Galley. This story was captivating and beautifully written and, as usual, she tells such a wonderful story you are left wanting more and thinking about the characters long after you finish the book!

This vampiric neon-noir is a grizzly delight! Set in Mexico City, this book is packed with vampire history and lore. We follow Domingo, a garbage collecting street kid, as he accidentally becomes Atl’s, the descendent of an ancient line of Aztec vampires, Renfield. Of course there’s the vampire savvy cop trying to make a better life for herself and her daughter, the young bully vampire who thinks he can get away with anything, the old old old vampire locked away in a house full dusty dolls, and a wide cast of characters that are both familiar yet wholly different and new. This book builds and builds until an end that pushes the pace and energy to a startling breaking point.

If you’re picking this up because you loved Mexican Gothic as much as I did, know that this is very, very different. What does stay the same is Moreno-Garcia’s ability to create a beautifully vivid picture of Mexico with a complex heroine that will keep you wanting more. It’s dark, it’s gritty and it’s incredibly well written.

Could vampires be descendants of Aztecs roaming Mexico and trying to find their way in the modern world? Absolutely.

Atl, a vampire from the north, is on the run following her family’s massacre by a rivaling vampire clan and finds herself - and her dog - stuck in a futuristic Mexico City. To get out, she must show some vulnerability and befriend a local garbage-digging guy, a few others vampires, and people from her mother’s past.

I took a star off because it started a bit slow and I wanted a bit more in some areas - especially with the local cops and the endings. I would be very willing to read stand alone books about the other vampires that appear.

Big thanks to the publisher and #NetGalley for the ARC.

What a tremendous horror novel, one bound to captivate a whole new audience thanks to this well-timed reissue by Tor Nightfire. Moreno-Garcia knows exactly when to show restraint, when to pour on the gore, and how much of her novel's world she must reveal (and at what pace). CERTAIN DARK THINGS reads fast, but not at the expense of depth or intelligence.

I'm so grateful that a publisher had the good sense to bring this book back from the dead. After Mexican Gothic, I was immediately hooked on Ms. Moreno-Garcia's writing. Her characters are so compelling, and I love how México City is a character in its own right. The world building for the different types of vampires and how colonization had an impact on both them and humans was fascinating, and I was actually excited to page through the reference index at the back of the book that goes deeper into the lore.

This was a fun ride through an alternate Mexico. Interesting that it found its place so far from where it started, glad it found its publishing home.

I found this novel very slow at the beginning. I was a little bored at times also. This book is decent just not really my thing I guess.
At the end it really picked up for me, to be honest the ending was way better than the rest of the novel.
I loved the morally ambiguous characters. If you like vampires and are wanting something fresh and different, check this out.

Thank you to Tor Nightfire and to NetGalley for giving me a chance to sink my teeth into this gem! And thank you to Tor Nightfire for bringing it back into print.

Atl, scion of a once powerful vampire clan, is on the run and hiding out in Mexico City when she meets Domingo, a young street urchin, who starts off as a light snack, but turns into something more. Domingo, Atl and her enhanced German shepherd, Cualli, must navigate a city that is decidedly inhospitable to Atl’s kind, while avoiding “sanitation” squads, cops, human drug cartels and Nick, the violent son of the leader of the Necros, a rival vampire clan, and Rodrigo, who is employed by Nick’s father. Atl is scared, hungry and desperate. And that’s when a vampire can be at her most dangerous.

Ms. Moreno-Garcia, drawing on hundreds of years of history and myth and folklore, builds a parallel timeline where the existence of various subspecies of vampires is common knowledge. The mythology that is woven into the scenes is probably the strongest part of the book. And, as one might expect from an author of her caliber, in building her word, Ms. Moreno-Garcia takes care not to sacrifice the main story for the sake of exposition.

For fans of urban fantasy and vampire fiction, Certain Dark Things is well worth the read. Given the success of some of her recent projects, I’m sure Ms. Moreno-Garcia will have more than a few interesting opportunities ahead of her, but I hope that at some point she dives back into this world for a few hundred pages. It has great potential as a series.

This is a unique book about vampires. It portrays vampires as being in different subspecies, the Necros are from Europe with an aversion to sunlight, have fangs and can eat and drink human food. The Tlahuihpochtli can shape shift into birds and have a proboscis to feed. The Revenants can absorb a life force and have excellent mind reading skills. There is an Encyclopedia of the different types at the end of the book which helped keep up with the different species. When the existence of vampires became known in the 1970's, the Necros were kicked out of Europe and some settled near Mexico which is where our story takes us. Nick, a Necros, follows Atl, a Tlahuihpochtli, into Mexico City where they have a score to settle. Domingo, a homeless teen is befriended by Atl. Ana works for the police and with the help of a local gang is hunting down the vampires as well. I didn't know who to root for, the humans or Atl!

Like everything I’ve read by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, this novel was AMAZING. It’s a rerelease from before she was famous, first coming out in the 20-teens during the vampire book craze. Apparently books from that first release have become coveted items and I can see why, this is by far the best most inventive vampire story I have ever read. Moreno-Garcia has taken vampire legends from around the world, supposed that all of these different kinds of vampires exist, and that the humans of the world know about them and don’t take too kindly to their existence.

In the story two young vampires from rival clans battle it out in Mexico City leaving a lot of human casualties and creating a few too many entanglements. It’s part detective story, part action-adventure with a whole lot of folklore and mythology thrown in. If you’re looking for a gripping, exciting novel that will test the boundaries of reality as you know it, you have found it in Certain Dark Things

I haven’t read a good vampire story in a LONG time, and this one brought back all those memories to me! This is a totally new kind of vampire I must say! The story takes place in Mexico City and is full of wonderful Mexican culture, folklore, and more – the author really did her research! The story centers around Atl, a beautiful, dangerous descendant of Aztec blood drinkers. Domingo is just a street kid when he runs into her late one night. She is being pursued by the rival narco-vampire clan, and she ends up taking Domingo with her on her race to get away. There is a lot going on in the story, with bloody bodies, crime bosses and cops tossed in. They all finally wind up together in the outskirts of Mexico City, and the ending may be the best part of this novel! My thanks to #NetGalley and Moreno-Garcia for my copy of this fast-paced story.

* Thanks to Netgalley and Tor Nightfire for providing an advance review copy *

I've been following Sivia Moreno-Garcia since "Signal to Noise", I fell in love with the combination of coming of age in Mexico City, much beloved music and fantasy elements. I was thrilled to see that "Certain Dark Things" would be seeing a reprint, and while horror is not usually my thing, "Mexican Gothic" was about the right level of scary for my taste.

"Certain Dark Things" is set in an alternate reality, where vampires are known to be real and their characteristics are well known. Vampires are described in many different ways in popular culture, from Bram Stoker's creatures that require their native earth to survive and feature some mind control capabilities, to Stephanie Meyer's sparkling kind. Silvia Moreno-Garcia tells us there is a reason for that - vampires are not a monolithic entity, and have evolved independently in different regions of the world, resulting in a variety of species. "Certain Dark Things" focuses on a young female vampire (Atl), from a species native to Mexico with strong ties to Aztec culture, trying to escape from a competing clan of vampire drug lords with the help of a garbage collector (Domingo).

Even though the story features vampires, I would consider it more of a thriller than a horror story. It is a very fast paced book, and it left me wanting for more of this particular world, although I don't think much else is needed to be said about these particular characters - their journey was satisfyingly complete. The relationship between Atl and Domingo was interesting, changing as the characters' needs did. The villains were a little flatter but the variance between vampire species served to fill the gap. Nick reminded me a lot of Ramiro Vargas, from Telemundo's "Queen of the South".

The story is set in Mexico City, and the city itself becomes almost like another character, with its disparity between the trendier neighborhoods and the slums in the landfill. I found it interesting that Mexico City had managed to set itself as a vampire free zone - is that wishful thinking from those who'd like to see the drug wars staying out of it? If you want to get an additional feel of the vibe of the city, I'd recommend watching the movie "Amores Perros" (Love's a Bitch) - Domingo and Cualli kept reminding me of that movie.

<spoiler>The author mentions German Robles as an inspiration for this book. While I did not watch his movies, I did remember watching him live in his iconic role in the super scary "The Lady in Black", and I couldn't help but picturing him as Bernardino.
I loved the little detail regarding vampires affinity to counting, that got a good chuckle out of me. And I thought it was an interesting choice to have Atl flee south rather than north. </spoiler>

4 stars

Speculative fiction always fascinates me, especially the world-building aspect - and Certain Dark Things did not disappoint. SMG’s world building is truly *incredible*. There aren’t just vampires, there are multiple species of vampire, and they’re all a bit different - such a unique new take on the vampire novel! The mythology is fully fleshed out with a detailed history of each species and a well-developed, complex relationship between vampires and humans and among vampires. I would *love* to see more from SMG set in this world.

I also loved the writing itself. SMG paints a vivid picture of Mexico City as a dark and eerie place (perfect for vampires!). So atmospheric is the writing that Mexico City feels like another character in the story, one that I’d like to know more about!

I took off a star for two main reasons: first, while I liked most of the ending, there was one part that I really didn’t like (won’t say more to avoid spoilers). Second, the relationship between Atl and Domingo left me wanting more. It won’t say that their relationship felt like an afterthought, because it clearly wasn’t, but it felt like a missed opportunity to create a really unique connection between a vampire and a human.

Overall, I really enjoyed it and humbly request/demand that SMG give us more adventures in this world!!