I am sad to say that I did not enjoy this book at all and ended up not finishing it because I got bored.
I know some people will like it but this one just wasn't one that kept me interested in the story.

Vampire gangs are part of the terrain in this dark urban fantasy by the author of Mexican Gothic. The narrator brilliantly captures the flavor and style of the story and transports the listener to an alternate Mexico City, where street rabble, monsters, and criminals form alliances to survive. Different types and lineages of vampires have evolved from Aztec legend and are now controlling the city streets and plotting to avenge historical feuds. Domingo, a young street punk, is mesmerized by the vampire Atl, and becomes her "Renfield" or familiar, and source of blood and can't help falling in love with her mythical charms. Certain Dark Things expertly combines noir, urban fantasy, romance, and the supernatural. Although there may be some YA appeal and Domingo is an older teen, the author states that is was not intended for a Young Adult audience.

I'm not usually a big fan of vampire stories, but I'm a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, so I knew I had to give this one a shot. I really ended up enjoying it! My only gripe with it is that I wish there had been more backstory, especially for Atl. Her story was very intriguing but I felt like we didn't get enough of her past and her family's. I did enjoy her friendship with Domingo. He was such a sweetheart. I actually wish the book had been longer. The ending almost felt like there could be a sequel in the future so I'll be hoping for that! One thing I really like about Moreno-Garcia is that all of her books are SO different. You really never know what you'll get when you read one of her books and I enjoy that a lot. I'm excited to read Velvet was the Night next!

Definitely a different take on the vampire story. I would love move books on this world going over the different vampire species and more of the backstory. It just seemed like there were some really interesting points mentioned, but weren't further explained or add to the story.. The ending also felt really anticlimactic to me. Though I love that the dog did survive.

Originally released in 2016, Certain Dark Things sees itself fitted with a new look and an audio edition due to its re-release this month under Tor. Having only recently read another book by the same author, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, I am very appreciative of the spotlight shining onto this supernatural tale that felt equally familiar and intriguing after missing its first run.

Set in a slightly more technologically advanced Mexico City, Certain Dark Things utilizes the ordinary sight of street kids, party culture, and policing to draw the reader into a world where vampires sprout bird wings because they’re from an Aztec clan. Through the point of view of said vampire, Atl, and a motley cast of screw-ups, we learn that in this world vampires have always existed but have remained a secret to the general public until the past few decades. Upon their reveal to the world, many countries restricted vampire habitation, with Mexico limiting vampire movement within its borders and barring them entirely from entering Mexico City. Thus, it is desperation and death that brings Atl to Mexico City at the start of the book. Her long-ruling family has recently become victim to genocide at the hands of a territorial war between vampire empires. Forced to go on the run with her cybernetically enhanced dog, Atl must quickly learn who she can trust and how far. Luckily, she runs into a curious street kid, Domingo, who has led a rough life made a little bit brighter by nerding out on vampire comics and movies. With his help, Atl finds that she may just survive to find a way through a city that holds treachery and danger around every corner while being hunted by the very sadistic vampire force that murdered her family.

I found the integration of certain aspects of indigenous Mexican culture into the different practices upheld by the various vampire clans represented in the story refreshing. While the energy and some beats of the story reminded me of the best parts of the True Blood TV series and the political maneuvering of the vampire clans, human mobs, and police reminded me of Jade City, the commitment to showcasing how the loss of Atl’s family, the only remaining bearers of her culture, provides a unique lens. I also found that the story balanced a fine line between what I’ve seen before and feeling new by keeping the character motivations and crises clear throughout the tale. If you’re missing vampires, have a hankering for seeing them outside of a U.S. or UK-centric space, and are captivated by character work showcasing voices in direct conflict with one another, I think Certain Dark Things may just be the read for you.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia's books are always hit or miss with me. Nothing will compare to my love for Mexican Gothic, but I am so happy Tor Nightfire is rereleasing Moreno-Garcia's Certain Dark Things as this book was a pleasant surprise for me. I chose to do the audiobook and the narrator was amazing! I *think* it is the same narrator that I loved from Mexican Gothic, but my Dory brain could have forgotten.

The book takes place in a world in which vampires exist and people know of their presence. Specifically, the book is located in Mexico City, where there's an abundance of vampires and we are quickly introduced to Atl, a descendant of Aztec vampires. She meets Domingo, a poor teenager who finds himself attracted to Atl. Silvia Moreno-Garcia creates this beautiful world-building setting in which most of Mexico has fallen to violent vampire attacks, but Mexico City has been declared a "vampire-free zone." You can immediately guess how this story will play out. Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Certain Dark Things has some of the best world-building I've ever read. While the story takes a bit longer than expected to get to the main points of contention, this is ultimately due to that world-building factor, so keep reading, readers! Who knew that in 2021, I'd need to read a book about vampires? I really loved all the characters and I hope the next book Silvia Moreno-Garcia releases is in the same vein of Certain Dark Things and Mexican Gothic, rather than her latest one, Velvet Was The Night.

A unique and interesting story, but one best listened to with earbuds. The narrator is very soft-spoken, switches accents with ease, and is pleasant to listen to. Unfortunately, in a car, that soft voice means it is hard to hear sometimes. The narrator’s voice is soothing and could easily read you to sleep or calm you in a panic attack. I found that a wonderful juxtaposition to the gore and menace found within the story.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a writer who adheres to the belief that there is no such thing as plot armor and happily ever afters are in the eye of the beholder. The end came too soon. This was excellent.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia, and McMillan Audio for giving me the chance to listen to this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

I have mixed feelings about this book! This was a good dark fantasy novel, but not one of my all-time favorites.
While there were aspects of the story I really enjoyed, I also found myself getting bored more than once and had a very hard time finishing it.
I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters. Their dynamic is different and fun to read. I also loved that it takes place in Mexico City! The main girl Atl is bold and a total fighter, so she was absolutely my favorite. Moreno-Garcia did a great job giving the characters their own points of view and making it clear to the reader.
I started to lose interest, however, at around the halfway point. I lost some of the plot and felt like more could have happened. Still, it was a good book and worth a read if you tend to like the author's writing or the genre!

Vampires are back! I adore Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing and I think it truly shines in Certain Dark Things. The world building is fantastic and the vampires were unique. I loved that we had so many perspectives. I will say that I wish it were longer and we had more plot. It was more romance heavy than I was expecting!

I've been a fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing since Gods of Jade and Shadow, so I was excited for the chance to read one of her earlier works, newly back in print (and with a gorgeous new cover). I was also lucky enough to listen to the audiobook, marvelously read by Aida Reluzco.

Certain Dark Things didn't disappoint. Moreno-Garcia's writing style is strong and clearly recognizable in this earlier book, providing rich vampiric lore throughout. Her prose is, as its inspiration would suggest, particularly cinematic - you can totally picture the gleam of neon lights on the asphalt in the dark alleys of this vampire-riddled, noirish version of Mexico City. Atl and Domingo are fascinating characters, surrounded by a strong cast in a few different plot threads that all ravel together into the dramatic conclusion.

Reluzco's reading is splendid throughout; well-paced, with a kind of smoky tone that lends itself perfectly to the noir vibe, and distinct, pitch perfect voices for different characters. I'd definitely recommend listening to this one for those who can.

Whether in text or audio form, Certain Dark Things makes an excellent read for fans of Moreno-Garcia, of noir atmospheres, or of vampire fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advance review copy!

I wasn't sure about a vampire book, but I am loving this dark urban fantasy. Moreno-Garcia is queen of the gothic and this book does her credit. Atla is a little one-note as a character, but I love her trauma and her burgeoning friendship. Mexica City is a suitably threatening landscape for this tale of survival and revenge. I am a big fan!

Certain Dark Things
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Debute in 2016 is the only thing this book has against it. Mrs Moreno-Garcia had an amazing idea that would establish a new idea in the vampire genre. The south of the boarder vampires like dusk to dawn has dominated the genre for too long. I like how she uses variation to explain the diverse reasons the stories don't fit her vampire reality. She uses historical practices to explain this in many ways which adds a level or authenticity to her suspension of believe. The reader / listener can easily find connections to the story. I like the exclusive nature of the story, showing both sides of the social and political tracks. She gives the characters real motivation and psychological schema. A great story to share with diverse population of students to create discussion and understanding.

This book was so interesting. It’s a noir story with a vampire gangster feel set in Mexico City. There are 5 POVs. Two are a somewhat friendly human/vamp duo on the run, two are a less than friendly human/vamp duo seeking revenge and the last is a human cop trying to solve a string of murders. It's on the slower side, dark, unique, if you like classic vampire stories you’ll love this.

Adult content note: moderate swearing and heavy violence

CERTAIN DARK THINGS takes vampires, turns them into different types of vampires, then introduces some vampire genealogy, and lastly, plops it all down into Mexico City where vampires aren't even allowed. What fun!

As far as the story itself goes, I give it 3.5/5 stars. It was good enough for me to want more. The different types of vampires and vampire families has been done before, and done better. However, there were some things I really liked about this novel-well, two main things. The dog and Domingo. Though Domingo seemed too naive to live at times, I was rooting for him and for the dog. The main character, Atl, didn't have much to endear her to the reader, and in fact, I nearly hated her.

I recently listened to the audio of a Latina-authored book and the narrator was terrible. However, the story itself was good enough for me to overlook it. Almost the opposite thing happened here. The narrator was so damn good, (that's YOU, Aida Reluzco!), I couldn't stop listening, even though I didn't care for the story itself that much. Her voicing was phenomenal and I plan on looking for other books narrated by her in the future.

Overall, this tale was a decent one, even without a protagonist I could get behind. The narration brought it up to an another level-one where I can say I did end up enjoying this vampiric tale!

*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the e-audio of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!*

DNF at 50%

Ugh, I wanted to love this one so much. I was pulled in with the promise of vampires in Mexico City as well as different types of vampires. Don't get me wrong, the descriptions of Mexico City are lush and immersive. I loved that we got to see different types of vampires and who they descended from, which isn't always as common in vampire lore. That being said, we had some really fantastic elements that never came together as a cohesive story.

I finally stopped at 50% because nothing is happening. The plot execution just isn't working for. Also, the characters all seem like stereotypes and shells, so I'm not remotely invested in any of them.

I feel like I keep chasing the glory of Mexican Gothic (which was spectacular) and keep coming up short.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

The story follows a boy and his twenties of vampire whose family was killed a necro vampire who's hunting her and a cop who is trying to solve crime in Mexico City. It jumps around to different points of view in each chapter and it's a different take on vampires. There are many different types of vampires and they're able to reproduce like regular people and have family lineage. It takes place in Mexico City. I enjoyed the history and backstory of different Legends and a different take on vampires.

I liked this book but I didn’t love it as much as I had hoped that I would. I went into this book with incredibly high expectations which may have been unrealistic. The book has been one that I have wanted to read for a long time so I jumped at the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. There were a lot of things that I really liked about the book and I am glad that I finally got the chance to experience it for myself.

One thing that I really liked about this book is how different the vampires were compared to most vampire stories. The fact that there were different vampire subspecies and they were all different was really interesting and I think that it added a lot to the story. Atl is an Aztec vampire which is bird-like. Atl is on the run from another clan that wants to kill her. She pairs up with a human, Domingo, who is completely taken with her right away. Can they stay safe if they work together?

My favorite character in the book was Domingo. He was all in from the start and really wanted to be the support that he felt Atl needed. Atl was much more complicated. She has been through some terrible things and the odds were really against her. I did love Atl’s dog and loved how protective he was of her. I thought that most of the characters were interesting but unfortunately, I never grew to care about any of them. There was just something about this book that failed to hook me.

Aida Reluzco did a good job with the narration but I do feel like this book would have been better if several narrators were used. There were times that I wasn’t quite sure which perspective the book had switched to which could be rather confusing. I thought that she had a very pleasant voice and was easy to listen to for hours at a time.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a different kind of vampire story. This book didn’t completely click for me but I do think that a lot of other readers will really appreciate the story. I definitely plan to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a digital review copy of this audiobook from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is one of my absolute favorites and I’m always so excited to see something new from her. While Certain Dark Things isn’t exactly new, as I’ve previously read the original one that went out of print, but it has been rebirthed, revamped, and refreshed and is almost available for your eyes to feast upon. Or your ears to listen upon come Tuesday. ⁣
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A gothic-noir tale set in Mexico City, there are gangs and crime aplenty, and vampires aren’t the only threat around, though they do pose a big one. Vamps are only permitted in certain zones within the city, and Atl and her sidekick Domingo are living outside those zones, hiding daily from both the law and other vampires. Atl’s past is shrouded in mystery, and the reader is slowly filled in on the details of why she’s running and who she’s running from. ⁣
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I was fortunate enough to receive a copy of the audiobook from Tor Nightfire courtesy of NetGalley and narrator Aida Reluzco did such a fantastic job navigating this gritty, atmospheric, and dangerous world and bringing Atl and Domingo to life. Fast-paced and dark with a fresh take on vampires, this is one of those books I tell everyone to read. After listening to the audiobook this time around, it’s also one I’ll tell everyone to listen to.

With this book Silvia Moreno- Garcia weaves vampirism into Mexican folklore and Aztec history, the world building is brilliantly done, creating several different subspecies of vampires in the process. The books main character Atl is one of these vampires. She's not always likable but she is a great protagonist to carry this story about a world in which vampires are active participants in drug trafficking and rivaling gangs in certain parts of Mexico. She has had to flee her family compound and is now “trapped” in supposedly vampire-free Mexico City with the hope of escaping further into South America. The problem is that she is the spoiled younger daughter with no real sense of living outside her clan’s rigid and pampered society or experience with living alone.
She finds a 17yo street kid Domingo willing to help her, uplifted by being noticed by someone special and excited about the newness of meeting a vampire from his comic books (sort of …). But a rivaling clan is on their heels and Atl needs to find her mother’s old allies and figure out whether they are willing to be her allies as well.

Certain Dark Things is a beautifully written vampire noir, full of culture and Mexican folk tales and is an excitingly clever different take on vampire mythology.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia a f*cking boss and single-handedly revitalized the vampire game.

Different vampire species? CHECK!
Feuding vampire families? CHECK!
Vampires living as part of society? CHECK!
Vampire hit men? CHECK!

Ok...I think you can tell I am excited about this story. Thank you Net Galley, Tor Nightfire and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listening copy. I was riveted from the very first words....when the author explained how this book came to be a cult phenomenon and the decision to re-release the book. I was immediately hooked.

I haven't read an amazing vampire story like this in such a long time. I love Moreno-Garcia's versatility and creativity. I read Velvet Was the Night right before this and I felt that while the universes could have fit seamlessly (both are set in Mexico City), she is like a chameleon and creates this amazing new world with vivid, dark and gritty imagery.

Vampires are among us, but they've been banished to certain cities, hide who they are, and try to leave no trace. There are rules to follow, but everyone breaks the rules. Vampires are portrayed as having a rich, cultural history, but certain species are reviled...and all are dangerous. I won't summarize the synopsis here (I went in, blind and suggest you do too!). I was just blown away by this new world. I finished the audiobook in one day because I just needed to know what happens next. I loved how the characters played off each other and their dynamic interactions. The pacing and plotting was terrific, and I loved the tense atmosphere.

My one complaint: It was too short! I want more.

I would love this to be turned into a limited series and I would love a sequel. Can we please make that happen?