Note: This review is of an ARC I received for free, but I did purchase an analog copy for my collection.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia once again proves why she is one of those authors whose works I will pick up immediately.

Certain Dark Things is, at its core, a vampire tale, but it is also a story of the clash of different cultures, an examination of invasion and conquest, and the story of very different characters operating together.

Atl is vampire on the run from members of another clan who have decimated her family. Domingo is a garbage scavenger in Mexico City who runs into her and tries to help her escape those who pursue her. Moreno-Garcia doesn't just provide one type of vampire, but a whole slew of them (part of the post novel material includes a brief description of the various vampire clans). Vampires from Europe are pushing out those of Central America -- each type of undead is believable, no matter how unnatural. The neo-noir setting works perfectly, a great backdrop for a world similar to our own, but just as believable. While the writing isn't as polished as her later works, it is still beautiful, capturing the reader in a world where vampires have been known for decades.

I received an eARC of this title through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again! Although I want to point out I know this is a reprinting of her book originally published in 2016.

I feel like Silvia Moreno-Garcia really knows how to write compelling characters. There are about 5 main characters in this novel. Atl is the main character and her voice is really interesting to me. I feel that she struggles with tradition and finding her own way in the world. The way she interacts and moves through this world is with guarded naïveté. That makes her perfect for the other main character Domingo, who is naive but flaunts it unflinchingly. The rest of the cast of characters are unique and deep which is the same as her other works. I'm generally not a fan of works that jump to different POVs each chapter, but somehow this author pulled it off.

As to the setting and lore, the author put immense effort into everything involving this world. She even has an encyclopedia in the back to talk about all the vampire subspecies and lore. The world is a beautiful dystopian futuristic world which I felt gave off the vibe of other dystopian science fiction works such as Blade Runner (based off the book Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick) and the gritty noir feel that is rare to capture these days.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes vampire horror that goes in to lore and noir thrillers.

3 for neutral, this one just didn’t grab me, but will definitely update if able to finish at a later date.

Certain Dark Things is a short noir Vampire story set in Mexico City. Our story follows of vampire woman and a human man trying to survive against a rival vampire gang.

The vampires in the story are very unique. For example, our main vampire character it’s a bird shifter.So if you’re looking for a unique vampire story they spooky season, Certain Dark things might be a good choice.

Certain Dark Things is being republished under Tor Nightfire.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for providing a copy of the shark exchange for an honest review.

This is a unique contribution to the vampire literary trope, embracing the Mexican setting and establishing a fascinating vampire culture with different subspecies of vampires. While the world-building was excellent, I would have preferred the plot to be more involved. Still a great read for those that are looking for a vampire/noir novel!

I was drawn to this book because of the gorgeous cover so I had really high expectations for it. Unfortunately, for me, it just didn't live up to them. I loved the vampire lore that Silvia Moreno-Garcia created, I think I just wanted more out of the story.

I really enjoyed this wild ride of a novel. The writing really struck me and I couldn't stop reading. This was my first Moreno-Garcia title, and it definitely will not be my last. I'll be recommending it to all my sf/f readers. Thank you!

I loved the concept of this book and think it handled vampires in such a unique and interesting way. But I felt like there were too many point of view characters and not enough time with each one to connect with the characters meaningfully. I also felt that the ending was rushed and deeply unsatisfying.

Silvia Grace Moreno always has a great plot that keeps you reading and guessing how the story will not only play out, but end. You grow attached to her characters and feel deep in your bones that everyone gets what they deserve. Both good and bad.

Once again, I'm reminded of the fact that if Silvia Moreno-Garcia wrote the thing, I will love the thing because I *loved* this story. Mexico City provides a beautifully dark setting for a beautifully dark story of revenge, loss, regret, and how you can find something special and lovely amidst the pain of those emotions.

Atl and Domingo shine as the protagonists, each one becoming both softer and harder as they struggle for survival. There were great side characters as well, including a certain Revenant who was my personal favorite.

The world Moreno-Garcia builds with vampire lore from across the globe as well as her own unique spin, all settled within Mexico City and its culture, was fascinating. At the end of it all my only complaint is I wanted so much more than the 272 pages. It's one of those stories that you imagine what happened next, where everyone ended up in the future, and hope that in the end some peace and happiness could be found for them all.

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

I was lucky enough to receive both an eARC and ALC of Certain Dark Things. This book has been on my TBR for years and most of that time I was desperately trying to find a copy of it to read. Thankfully, this release of this book was what finally gave me a chance to read it and it was worth the wait. I’m a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia and she’s become quickly an auto buy author for me after reading Mexican Gothic. When given a chance to pick up the book that I’d been waiting to read for ages, I didn’t hesitate, which was why I applied for so many different copies/formats for this book.
We follow Domingo, a street kid who makes a way of life for himself in Mexico City by collection garbage. Everything had been going normally for him until Atl came into his life and got permission to drink his blood. For she was a vampire, a creature that wasn’t allowed within Mexico City, but Atl was on the run after her family was killed by other vampires and she’s the next target. The two of them must survive as more and more people become interested in them and want Atl dead.
I really loved this book. I loved the mythology within this story, the different types of vampires and the myths that surround them, adding to it the people of Mexico itself. Atl is descended from Aztec priestesses who worshipped a god with feather armor. In turn, Atl could not exactly fly, but glide with her own wings.
Though there were pieces of this story that wasn’t necessary or just didn’t have a satisfying ending to it. I think the author wanted to do so much with this without being able to fully explore it all. This book was just a great book to listen to and I do recommend it, despite the few flaws it has. There is a lot of violence in this book and gore, but as for a horror stand point, I was able to get through it without nightmares, so it was pretty tame in that sense, but makes you desperately want more.

I had a really fun time with this one. I think the strength of this book is the world/vibe it gives off and the multi POV story telling. I also was able to listen to the audiobook while reading this and really loved that experience. My favorite part of this story was Domingo, he is the sweetest character and all he wants to do is help this girl he meets cause he thinks she's so cool and he continues to think that even after finding out she is a Vampire. He really gave me someone to root for in this story and I loved how savvy and caring he was. In general this story reminded me of like a cyberpunk Underworld but set in Mexico. Its a city where we really get to see the underbelly and how rough it is for people without resources in this near future landscape and the plot itself was a standard "normal guy gets caught up in supernatural drama" and I was really feeling that in the month of October when I read it. If any of this sounds like stuff you would like I recommend picking it up, I just found it to be an entertaining time because of the atmosphere and Domingo and would gladly read any story in this setting or with these characters again!

Certain Dark Things tells the story of Atl, a vampire on the run, hiding out in Mexico City where vampires and their kind are illegal. As the story progresses, we learn the deep and rich lore of vampire taxonomy of this world, as well as the dark past that Atl is running from and that is threatening to catch up to her. Blending vampire clan wars with narco gang wars, the book does a swell job of combining the best parts of the supernatural and noir. I also enjoyed the fully realized neighborhoods and locales of Mexico City, as well as the layered characters that inhabit it. I was pleasantly surprised by the tender and affecting love story in the center of it, and Domingo, as Atl's companion and sometimes protector, is an endearing reader stand-in.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one after reading Mexican Gothic. Certain Dark Things is such a different story, I definitely liked it more than Mexican Gothic and am so impressed by Moreno-Garcia's versatility

I couldn't finish this book, unfortunately. It didn't interest me that much, and I got bored a few times. It didn't capture my attention. I did enjoy Silvia's other book, Mexican Gothic, so I'm curious what other books she can create! I'll definitely keep my eyes open for more from her.

***3.5 Stars***
Review goes live on 10-19-2021 @8am EST

THE 411...

Originally published in 2016, Certain Dark Things was given a new cover and re-released last month. There’s been a recent resurgence of Vampires across all media and I for one was excited to see a story set in a Dystopian Mexico City. We meet Atl who is a descendant of Aztec blood drinkers as she’s on the run from rival vampires. She meets Domingo, a young garbage collector who has been living in the city streets for years. He is instantly mesmerized by her beauty and willing to let her feed off him to survive. Atl never hides her true nature and makes sure Domingo knows what he's getting himself into. What she doesn't count on is actually getting attached to Domingo and developing feelings for him. This world is gritty and violent, the vampires all self preserve by any means necessary while living alongside mortals. This is a short quick read that is very atmospheric and will please readers who enjoy neo-noir. Our main character is on the run all throughout this story with other vampires, criminals and cops on her trail. The body count is high with very little focus on the romance and an emphasis on the chase itself. If you happen to be a fan of animal companions, Atl has a genetically modified dog who is super overprotective of Atl and is described as being large in size with tattoos on the side of its face. All in all giving Atl a bad a** look and swag!

WRITING & FINAL THOUGHTS...

I’ve honestly enjoyed seeing the growth in writing while reading Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books, each story speaks to the talent and unwillingness by this author to be boxed into any one specific genre. This story was a 3.5 star read for me which is still a solid rating, it's just not my favorite of what I've read so far. I've heard it said that noir fic is known to focus more on the setting and that's definitely the case here. The plot is very straight forward (more telling/less showing) which I didn't mind but personally would've loved to see a little more world building to compensate. I would've gladly read a 400 page book set in this world which already had me invested in its characters. I've been making way through all of SMG's book, Certain Dark Things (being one of her earlier works) has left me in awe of how much growth we get to see in each of the books that follow. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a highly underrated author who will continue to break genre barriers! the one thing I can always count on is that I never know what to expect from this author but it's guaranteed to be a solid read.

This is a rerelease brought to you by @tornightfire and comes in at under 300 pages if you are trying to squeeze in some more spooky reads this October.

Amazing vampire book, gripping story and fascinating characters. I loved the Mexican City setting it completely immersed you in it. Recommended to all vampire fans who want something gritty and dark.

Thank you to @tornightfire for my copy!

I had to DNF this book, after 60 pages in and several tries. I loved Mexican Gothic and really liked Gods of Jade and Shadow, but couldn’t get into Certain Dark Things. I liked how Aztec mythology is woven into the story, and how there are different groups of vampires, but I didn’t connect with or really care about any of the characters. This is my first vampire novel, but don’t think that was a factor for not wanting to continue reading it.

I was so sad to part with Domingo, Alt, and Caulli. It was such a dark, fun, suspenseful journey. Domingo has to be my favorite character due to his personality, innocence, and devotion. Caulli coming in a close second. Alt as a character is fascinating. A young vampire on her own in Mexico City, meets Domingo on the subway, with her awesome dog Caulli in tow. Their adventure starts at first sight. It was dark, it was graphic, it was fun and immerse. I felt as if I was in the Mexico City streets with them, fighting for my life. A whole awesome cast of characters are supported by great writing that will take you away. Highly recommended. Thanks NetGalley.

Another solid read by Moreno-Garcia! This is my third book by her and while in her distinctive style, it stands out as a dystopian noir. It features complex characters driven by the need to survive in Mexico City.

The story is told from multiple points of view, with the main focus on Domingo and Atl. Domingo is a street kid who gets sucked into Atl’s world by happen-chance. Atl is an Aztec vampire running from her past and a Necros vampire named Nick. Ana, a female detective in a male-dominated field, is chasing both Nick and Atl and ends up working with a local human gang.

There are some gruesome parts as the characters navigate a supposedly vampire-free Mexico City. I loved the nod to Dracula with the mention of Renfields, who are humans assisting vampires. While the story follows multiple characters, they all end up intertwined at the end and it’s easy enough to follow the complexity and layers of the story. Fans of Velvet Was the Night are likely to enjoy this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Nightfire for an ARC!