So, as it turns out I was completely unprepared for what this collection was – in the best way possible, because wow did I love Mestiza Blood. Now, it should be noted that this collection is graphic in every sense of the world, and unflinching in its approach – we have gore and violence which are visceral in every sense, erotica and body horror – so this is certainly not the collection for the faint at heart, because Mestiza Blood dives into the dark and keeps going.

I loved it.

As with any collection, some stories resonated more than others. However, Castro has created a stand-out collection here, and even those that didn’t resonate so strongly wormed their way into my brain, and I was glued to this book from cover to cover. Part of this was due to the writing. Castro has a style that is both beautiful and raw and brutal, and the way she uses all the senses to capture the essence of horror and the stories she is telling brings the stories to life in a way that it feels as though you could blink and find yourself there. And I was pulled into this collection from the very first page.

‘My tears drip from my mouth and they taste like blood. For years, mud and garbage have weighed down my body to keep me trapped in this wet, dark grave. The tips of my fingers and toes have been nibbled away by fish swimming past my body. They all steal a little morsel of me before scurrying away.’

Night of the Living Dead Chola

There are familiar horror themes in this collection, from the classic idea of the survivor girl to revenge and supernatural twists, but you would be mistaken if you thought that this collection was familiar. Castro takes those themes and takes them apart to build them anew from the inside out, which is part of why this collection has such impact, it’s fresh, it’s raw and it’s different. As the summary says this collection focused on the Chicana experience, both through the folklore and life experience that was drawn on and the narrators themselves, which gives this collection another layer – a voice that is strong and undeniable. It is also a collection with women very much at the helm. This is their experiences, their survival, their grief and revenge, and strength – and I loved it.

‘I didn’t survive ‘that day, I died and just went to a place between life and death. But everybody’s luck changes. God can’t ignore all prayers.’

Cam Girl Sally

Overall, I did find that the longest stories in the collection – ‘Truck Stop’ and ‘The Final Porn Star’ were the strongest, because there was a little more room for development, and I particularly loved ‘The Final Pornstar’ as it combined so many elements that I loved. That is not to say Castro doesn’t hit home with the shorter stories, and I think one of my favourites was in fact the very first one ‘The Night of the Living Dead Chola’ which was just captivating from the start, and my only complaint was that I wanted more. In fact, maybe that is my only complaint with the collection as a whole – I wanted more. Each story was so consuming, so completely and utterly enrapturing, that it always felt like a shock to the system when I reached the end of one – as though I needed each to keep going, only to find myself promptly drawn into the next story.

My other favourites from this collection are ‘The Latin Queens of Mictlan’ which caught me in its imagery from the very start, and ‘Pentagram Peepshow’ and ‘Dancehall Devil’, both of which I’ve gone back and read a couple of times since.

Mestiza blood is a breathtaking collection of stories, visceral, hard-hitting and compelling, and yet at the same time, wonderfully empowering. Survival is earned at any cost. Demons are fought, both internal and external. The characters are unapologetic about eeking out a living against the horrors. It’s raw and emotive, bloody and violent, bizarre in places and undeniably sexy in others. This was my first read of Castro’s work, but it certainly won’t be the last, because what she has woven here, between folklore and reality, and everything in between is absolutely stunning – and I can’t recommend this collection highly enough, albeit with the reminder that this is a mature, unflinching book.

Looking for a fresh take on the horror genre? Well, look no further. V. Castro is the answer to all your reading desires.

𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗮 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱, a short story collection of nightmares, dreams, desires, and visions focused on the Chicana experience, was brilliant.

𝗙𝗲𝘀𝗵. 𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁. 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹.

𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 - V. Castro takes familiar horror themes and rips them wide open, exposing raw, erotic, and relatable stories with strong women at the helm.

𝗣𝗼𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 - V. Castro set out to share the Chicana experience through horrific tales, and she nailed it. By exposing how women experience the world coupled with supernatural twists, this collection is not only a wild ride, but compels the reader to think, reflect, and commiserate with the characters.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹 - The grisly scenes of horror drip with vengeance and satisfaction so much it becomes palatable.

As with any collection of short stories, some are stronger than others. Overall, I enjoyed each story but felt especially drawn to Night of the Living Dead Chola, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, Truck Stop, and Dancehall Devil.

If you are a fan of grief, revenge, and folklore horror with women who are forces to be reckoned with, then this collection is for you.

Mestiza Blood is a super fun collection of short stories. Body horror and folkloric creatures are combined with the anxieties of being a woman and an immigrant. V. Castro manages to include social commentary in her stories in a natural and relevant way while still giving the reader gory scenes and great entertainment. This is a must-read for people who love "video nasties" and horror that relies on the body (and its fluids). Personally, I prefer Gothic horror, but I still enjoyed this book. My favourite stories were the ones that included Mexican folklore like la lechuza and the woman with the donkey face.

Enjoyment: 4
Overall Rating: 4.43

Mestiza Blood is a short story collection focused on the Latinx cultural experiences in the United States. Each of its 14 stories evokes folklore and urban legends and weaves them perfectly with the contemporary life experiences of Mexican Americans.

This is my first Castro book, and I was taken by surprise at how graphic and gory some pages were. I recommend checking trigger warnings but going for it anyway. Castro's prose is so engaging, haunting, intriguing, and raw. I appreciate how she commits to each of the stories - Mestiza Blood has a little bit of everything: social commentary, gore, heartache, gore, erotica, and each delivery is like a punch in the gut that you actually enjoy. Also worth mentioning is how empowered her female characters are. I'll definitely re-read this book and seek more of Castro's works.

My favourite stories are:

Donkey Lady Bridge
Dancehall Devil
The Final Porn Star

Disclaimer: In exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Mestiza Blood.

Mestiza Blood is a lovely, strong collection of short stories by V. Castro, someone I already love. There’s a story in this collection for everyone: zombies, science fiction horror, mythology and urban legends, real life horrors such as shootings and ICE.

My favorites are as follows:
-The Demon in My Eye
-Nightmares & ICE
-Dancehall Devil
-Pentagram Peep Show
-The Final Porn Star

If you haven’t read any of V. Castro’s work, I strongly encourage it.

Thank you to Net Galley and Flame Tree Press for the chance to read this advanced review copy. Mestiza Blood releases on January 25th.

This is my first work by this author, and... I don't know. I'm torn. I think Castro is quite talented, but maybe the short story format isn't one that suits them the most? For most of the stories, I felt like I was dropped into a situation mid-event, with little to no explanation of the background or setting, some things occurred, and then the situation ended. It was very abrupt, and some of the stories made me ask "what was the point of that?" As a former theatre instructor once told me, if you have to ask why a creator is doing something, they probably shouldn't be doing it. This may be the case here.

Trigger warnings for just about everything: animal death, human death, sexual assault, body horror, explicit sex... this volume isn't for the faint of heart and definitely rated M for mature.

The longer-form stories, <u>Truck Stop</u> and <u>The Final Porn Star</u>, landed better, with more time to develop the setting, the mythology, and the characters. But even those stories had plot holes or inconsistencies which I couldn't help but find distracting. Characters made poor choices - had children, stayed in a dangerous place when there were obvious alternatives - without good reasons, seemingly for the sake of driving the plot no matter the nonsensical cost. A good editor would have done wonders to polish those errors.

I was excited for diving into some Chicana horror and on that front Castro delivered, writing without pulling punches the Latina experience. Some of the stories were very Latinx-specific and some just featured a Latina narrator, and both are equally important for highlighting Latinx experiences as well as normalizing main characters who just happen to be BIPOC. Both perspectives are valid.

I'm not sure if Castro's writing still needs polish or if it's just not for me. I found the abrupt, jarring writing style and lack of context difficult to read, but not all readers feel the same. I certainly won't discourage anyone from determining it for themselves.

V. Castro is a rising star in the horror community. I’ve read and enjoyed her books Goddess of Filth from Creature Publishing and The Queen of the Cicadas from Flame Tree Publishing, so I was excited to read an ARC of Mestiza Blood, a collection of short stories also from Flame Tree.

One of the most engaging things about Mestiza Blood is the complexity of the characters. It’s always exciting to see protagonists with the agency to make choices that are both constructive and destructive (sometimes simultaneously). There’s also excellent world-building in this collection, and I hope that Castro is considering expanding some of these short stories into longer novellas or novels.

Castro also writes about the ongoing racism, suffering, and human rights violations that are all too present in the world, focusing particularly on Southern Texas around San Antonio (where she grew up). The theme of people marginalized in multiple ways (by gender, occupation, immigration status, etc.) harnessing their individual and collective rage to challenge and remake the unjust world around them resonates throughout Mestiza Blood. Though justice doesn’t always triumph in the world (or in Castro’s stories), many of the endings are cautiously optimistic. There’s suffering, but there’s also a sense that an ultimate cosmic reckoning is coming.

I found all the stories in Mestiza Blood creative, engaging, and bloody, but I’ve highlighted my favorites below. I try not to give too much away, but if you want to enjoy the collection without any potential spoilers, I recommend you stop reading now and preorder your copy!

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

You can find my full review here:
https://dreadfulesque.com/book-review-mestiza-blood-by-v-castro/

V Castro is one of my favourite badass women in horror. This book had stories that pulled at my heart strings, made me nauseated and scared the crap out of me. A perfect mix of long and short.

Mestiza Blood is a collection of 14 short horror stories all from the Chicana experience. All of the short stories are written by the Goddess of Horror, V. Castro. I admit that I have been a huge fan of Castro’s works since I received a copy of Goddess of Filth on my Night Worms subscription box. I have since read Latino Screams, Hairspray and Switchblades, and The Queen of the Cicadas. Mestiza Blood is full of strong female lead characters. These tales run the gamut from supernatural revenge, post- apocalyptic worlds, Mexican folklore/ legends, immigration, sex, blackmail, demons, mythology, hate, monsters, etc. Almost every story contained in the collection is a solid 5 star rating for this reviewer. My favorite stories include; Night of the Living Chola, The Demon in My Eye, Nightmare and ICE, Cam Girl Sally, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, The Cold Season, The Latin Queens of Mictland, and The Final Porn Star. Throughout the stories. V. Castro takes the reader on an immersive ride into each story and truly allows the reader to get a feel of the Latinx experience. I look forward to many more stories from V. Castro and she is officially and auto-buy author for the reviewer. Many thanks to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for allowing me the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a 5 star collection and I highly recommend it.

I would call this collection a breath of fresh air in horror fiction, except that seems far too weak a description. It is more a spectacular bloom of fire burning itself a whole new place. Unflinching in its powerful darkness, the stories can be both brutal and inspiring. This collection has reaffirmed the author's place in my list of all-time favourites.

Mestizo Blood is an original, powerful anthology of short stories, all of which centre around a female main character. The stories are empowering, bizarre and sexy. I loved Castro’s unique blend of erotica and body horror that featured in many of these. I also really enjoyed how Mexican folklore was incorporated and found myself stopping to google and find out more about the legends mentioned. My personal favourites have to be Donkey Lady Bridge, Cam Girl Sally, Dancehall Devil, Truck Stop and The Final Porn Star.

I would highly recommend this to fans of horror, especially those looking for a dose of strong female leads. I can’t wait to pick up more from V. Castro.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flame Tree Press for the advance reading copy.

Last year I had the pleasure of reading The Queen of the Cicadas, from author V. Castro, which ended up as one of my most enjoyable reads of 2021.

Castro returns with Mestiza Blood, a wide-spanning anthology that offers a new voice to established tales plus some fantastic original shorts.

We open with a Mexican take on the Night of the Living Dead, but we have a story largely from the zombie’s POV, who we find out led a tortured existence.

For ‘The Demon in my Eye’, Castro plays off the virus motif, which will surely be part of many storylines in the coming years.

One of the most fascinating stories is Cam Girl Sally, which explores the life of a young disfigured girl who becomes a cam girl, but has burdening revenge desires for the disfigurement that happened to her.

We have tales of demons and curses with Street Fighter and Mal de Ojo, which feel rich in mythology, which is a testament to Castro’s writing.

The Cold Season feels like it was plucked out of a Black Mirror writer’s room, where we deal with the theme of transporting consciousness between bodies. Deep stuff.

Castro is also not afraid to dip into eroticism and body horror, as best illustrated in The Truck Stop and The Final Porn Star, which puts a horrific spin on an adult star making her final appearance in front of the camera.

Overall Mestiza Blood is refreshing and original and paints Castro as one of the most promising writers out today.

What a varied and enjoyable collection of horror short stories! V. Castro has created a number of tales of terror that run the gamut of being genuinely terrifying ("Donkey Lady Bridge", "Street Fighter") to the kind of heartwarming ("The Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Nightmares and ICE") to the super fun and slasher heavy ("The Final Porn Star"), and they all reflect the Mestiza experience in modern America. As someone who tends to have a hot or cold reaction to short stories collections, what I really loved about this one is that it has something for everybody who loves horror. The genres and tones are varied, but they for the most part all feel genuine and well explored. While a couple stories didn't really connect with me, in those instances it had more to do with the genre or tropes being tackled and not as much about the writing itself. If you haven't checked out V. Castro yet and love horror fiction, do yourself a favor and read MESTIZA BLOOD. It will give you lots of different tastes as to what she has to offer the genre.

I am proud to have picked this book and that it is my first book of the year. I've enjoyed every tale, they've made me laugh with joy as I remembered my Abuelita. There was one of the tales in particular that hit me the most, the one about Ariela. I am Ariela. My purpose is Ariela's achievement. Somehow I can't bear to disregard hope after reading about Ariela and her daughter.

📑This ARC was granted to me through NetGalley and approved by Flame Tree Press in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

My favorite thing about this short story collection was that the author's love of sleazy B horror movies showed through strongly. I believe all these stories are good candidates to be made into film or tv, but I'd especially love a full novel continuation of "Street Fighter" or "Donkey Lady Bridge."

Throughout these tales, Castro meditates on the benefits and pitfalls of motherhood, particularly the amount of time mothers sacrifice on taking care of others instead of pursuing their own goals. These are working class stories, so there are no nannies to assist. These stories center on working class Latina experience, including deportation threats, abuse by authorities, and striving to build a better tomorrow. Several main characters engage in sex work to make a living, and Castro shows how they empower themselves by doing so. All Castro's characters battle demons, both literally and figuratively, and win.

This collection is great for horror fans of all kinds, but especially those interested in Mexican folklore and feminism. The only drawback I felt was that all the characters are CIS and most are straight. It's not a problem, but I'd love a bit more LGBTQ representation. Regardless, this is a great book. I'd especially recommend it to fans of Stephen Graham Jones.

When I read Queen of the Cicadas by V. Castro, I had no idea what to expect from the book. I ended up really enjoying it and looking forward to something else from the author. Luckily, the wait was not too long and a collection of short stories from the author, Mestiza Blood, is coming in January from Flame Tree Press. I was happy to get a review copy of the book and was hoping to find the same type of eerie stories in the collection as I did in Castro’s novel.



Many of the same themes from Queen of the Cicadas are present in this collection. V. Castro has a strong voice rooted in her heritage and it comes through in this collection. There is a lot of sex and violence throughout and those who are faint of heart may be a bit shocked with some of the stories. There are some very bizarre happenings in these tales. That is not, in my opinion, a bad thing. This book is a showcase for her voice to shine through and Castro takes full advantage of this. From the opening tale to the closing sentence of the last story, there is no doubt that Castro is in control and quickly becoming a master of the genre.



Mestiza Blood kicks off with “Night of the Living Dead Chola” and its take on a woman coming back from the dead to get revenge for herself but also for all mistreated women. It is a strong, short story but just lacked a little bit of punch for me. It gets stronger from there and there are some stories that really shine. “Cam Girl Sally” is the story of a girl who turns to webcam sex in order to earn a living after a shooting leaves her face disfigured. Working with her body and her face covered by a mask, she finds herself given a chance to get revenge. “Donkey Lady Bridge” is a story of a horrific crime and the shockwaves that it leaves throughout time. It is a strongly emotional story that really hit home for me. In contrast, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a dark comedy that had me alternately chuckling and cringing. Castro’s voice shines through in these stories that are the best example of the collection. But not the best, for that was yet to come.



The last two stories in the collection are longer short stories to novella length works. The last story, “The Final Porn Star,” was my least favorite story in the collection. That is not to say that it is a bad story but I would give it three stars. It just never sunk its teeth into my imagination and I could not get up the energy to care about the characters. I also thought the story rambled a bit at the beginning and would have worked better as an even shorter story. But the other longer story, “Truck Stop,” was far ans away the best story in the collection. This is a story that was grotesque and beautiful at the same time. What does it mean to be different? What does it mean to have some part of you, body or soul, that makes you hideous to some people? There is a strength in the abnormalities that we all bear and this is brought to the forefront in this tale. I really do not know how to describe the story without giving too much of it away but this is a powerful read (but there is explicit sex and violence in the story, so reader beware). This is the best that I have read from V. Castro so far.



Mestiza Blood is a collection so there are going to be some stories that work better than others. I would give each of the stories somewhere between three and five stars, so there is not a bad story in the bunch. Mestiza Blood is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster ride and there are a lot of boundaries pushed along the way. Castro does not shy away from any topic and that will make some of the stories difficult for some readers. But for those brave enough to face their fears and expand their minds, this collection is sure to thrill. I know that I enjoyed reading this collection and think that anyone with an open mind and a strong stomach will feel the same. If that describes you, do not hesitate to pick it up when it comes out January 18.



I would like to thank Flame Tree Press and NetGalley for this review copy. Mestiza Blood is scheduled to be released on January 18.

A short story collection with punch! I'm so glad I discovered V. Castro w/ her novel, The Queen of the Cicadas. Her writing is on par w/ Stephen King and her female protagonists are the kind of kick-ass, take no prisoners ladies you should never mess with. No one is getting anything over on them, supernatural entity or just plain terrible human. If you like horror, consider this amazing writer and especially this collection of stories.

*Thanks to NetGalley and he publisher for a copy of this novel.*

I absolutely loved this book! Gobbled it down in a couple of days while sick. If you are all about the "strong female lead" this book is a parade of them. This was a great mix of stories from horror to science fiction. Parts had me laughing out loud and some just had me going hm... Like any collection there are some not as good as others, but the two longer ones are definitely worth the collection alone. It's set up well, with deeper make you think stories followed by fun romps. The Final Porn Star was by far the best. I'm giggling just thinking about it while writing this.

There are lots of descriptions of sex, gore, body horror and more, so avoid if those things are deal breakers for you. Otherwise, pick this collection up.

Thank you to V Castro, Flame Tree Press, and Netgalley for an advance ecopy in exchange for an honest opinion

Mestiza Blood is a terse but fun short story collection by V. Castro. Each story has some horrific, supernatural or odd element. If you're familiar with V. Castro's work or enjoy stories that mix urban legend, folklore, and feminism, this collection is for you! There were only a few that didn't work for me, but that's to be expected from a short story collection.

3.2 stars

ALL THE TRIGGER WARNINGS YOU CAN THINK OF! A UTTERLY DISTURBING GORY, GRISLY, GRUESOME, VIOLENT, GRAPHIC, GHASTLY, HORROR SUBGENRES FEAST.

If you are in the mood for disturbing content and enjoy Latin American folklore and culture and the goriest horror subgenres like body horror and slasher, you would probably enjoy "Mestiza Blood"!

The only books I've read as disturbing "Mestiza Blood" are The Girl Next Door and Living Dead Girl

Other books that come close (but not quite!) because they contain similar disturbing content and imagery are: Things We Lost in the Fire, Follow Me to Ground, Pan's Labyrinth: The Labyrinth of the Faun, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, and Angelfall.

When I requested this ARC I was expecting something like "Things We Lost in the Fire", which is one of my favorite dark books of all times.

"Mestiza Blood" is nothing like it though. It's a Hispanic book that covers similar dark and graphic themes and imagery but that's about it. Unfortunately, "Mestiza Blood" didn't have a much Hispanic culture as I was hoping for and it wasn't really my type of book.

I like body horror and slasher but not 200 plus pages of it, non-stop. I like it sprinkled here and there to enhance a story and bring to life the dark side of the characters and human nature. BUT, each of these short stories cover, like... ALL OF THE DARK THEMES IN THE UNIVERSE!

So, it's not a pacing I truly enjoyed since there is I had no time to digest, savor and ponder one gruesome scene when I was already deep into the next one. The writing style isn't my favorite either since it's purposely choppy to create the kind of disturbing imagery the book goes for.

However, you can tell a lot of work went into crafting these stories and I'm sure there are many readers that will thoroughly enjoy them.