"Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Have you forgotten your lessons?"
"I can quote scripture, too. Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger."

Moreno-Garcia captures my attention once more with this beautifully written science fiction and historical novel loosely inspired by H. G. Wells's The Island of Doctor Moreau. For those of you who know nothing of the aforementioned classic, I- unfortunately - won't be providing a summary, since the plot point would pretty much giveaway the narrative set up and themes explored in <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau.</i>

All I will say is, for those of you who watch anime, this book very heavily gives off vibes of that scene in Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

This novel takes place in Mexico against the backdrop of real historical conflict associated with the Caste War of Yucatan in 1847, which lasted over five decades. Doctor Moreau lives with his daughter Carlota, the help: Ramona and Mr. Montgomery, and quite a handful of unique characters in Yaxactun conducting highly unconventional research for the wealthy Mr. Lizalde. Yaxactun is isolated deep in the jungle, where the uncustomary experiments can take place without any prying eyes. The plot line develops as a result of Mr. Lizalde being unsatisfied with Dr. Moreau's progress and threatening to cut off all funding, which causes the residents of Yaxactun to take some pretty desperate measures.

Moreno-Garcia does a superb job exploring themes associated with coming of age, familial loyalty, consequences of braking away from established routine thought pattens, playing god, and scientific ethics.

One of the highlights of this novel for me was the subtle, gradual way in which we got to witness Carlota coming into her own and branching away from modeled behaviors, taught thought processes, and overall expectations while still remaining who she is fundamentally at her core. Normally when characters go through these self-actualization journeys, who they develop into becomes vastly different from who they were; however, with Carlota, it was refreshing and a bit impressive to see that this wasn't the case. Instead of changing her mindset and actions altogether, it was more like Carlota adjusted her mindset to better align with her actions and desired goals.

That being said, I did find myself growing a bit irritated with a few of Carlota's responses and behaviors, especially during the climax of the narrative, which greatly contributed to my deduction in star rating alongside somewhat repetitive content throughout the first quarter of the book.

I also would have appreciated more scenes and character development from Lupe; it definitely would have been a plus to see more of her interactions with characters outside of Carlota, since those pretty much held one tone until the very end of the book.

Overall, the atmosphere was lush and clear with unique characters that stood out on their own. The pacing is on the slower side, but I personally found it to be fitting for the world Moreno-Garcia established. I think I would have preferred for a few events to play out differently toward the end but I'm still satisfied with the end product.

Do I recommend this? Absolutely and definitely over Velvet was the Night.
Is it my favorite Moreno-Garcia book? Nope, that title still goes to either Gods of Jade and Shadow or Mexican Gothic depending on the day lol.

A dark mystery in a gothic setting in Mexico with horror undertones is once again the theme of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's latest. This time she is revisiting the tale of Doctor Moreau and his experiments.
Doctor Moreau is working on a bizarre set of experiments in his remote Yucatan hacienda. With only his daughter, an outcast majordomo, and a handful of servants (mostly hybrid) the doctor maintains a peaceful and secretive existence deep in the jungle. Carlota loves her home and would happily stay there forever but the doctor has run out of funding from his patron which means marrying Carlota off to the wealthy family is the only option. What Carlota sees as a love match could mean disaster and soon the truth about the hybrids and the reason for their existence comes into the light. Class systems and racial tension between the landowners and the indigenous people fighting back adds much to the classic horror story. Her many fans as well as lovers of revisited classics will find much to enjoy with this book. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

Thank you so much for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I love Silvia Moreno Garcia’s books, and I was so exited to read this! I really enjoyed fit and had a super fun time getting lost in the lush and beautiful world. SMG’s writing and stories are so unique and one of a kind, and they always sweep me off my feet! I loved Carola, and I really liked seeing her grow and discover her fathers true nature. I also really liked Montgomery, and although her wasn’t my favorite at first, he grew on me! The sci fi element of this book was so cool and very intriguing. The concept was so fascinating and really hooked me in the story. I really appreciated how this book brought up some really important discussions on colonialism and also the ethics of scientific studies and animal abuse. While fictional, this story definitely changed my perspective on real life issues and events. Oh the other hand, this book felt a little too slow for my taste, and I wasn’t fond of the pacing. I also wish we got some more things resolved at the end. However, I still really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to all my friends!

I was quite eager to read The Daughter of Doctor Moreau for two reasons. I thoroughly enjoyed Mexican Gothic, and I'm a huge fan of The Island of Doctor Moreau. While this book wasn't the masterpiece that Wells' original was, this was quite entertaining and intriguing, and should appeal to readers who enjoy science fiction fare (without being too sci-fi oriented) that contains plenty of action, along with a dose of romance. I didn't find it to be imbued with the horror Mexican Gothic embodied. This was more of an adventure novel with social justice undertones.

This version utilizes the basic premise of Wells' original but reimagines it. The tale takes place in the Yucatán Peninsula and begins by introducing us to Carlota, the teenaged daughter of Moreau who has two young playmates who are both "hybrids," animals who have been scientifically altered for the purpose of creating something that is "half human, half beast." We find out Dr. Moreau saved his daughter from some kind of deadly illness when she was a child by utilizing the scientific knowledge he has gained from his experiments. As Carlota matures into a beautiful young woman, the truth behind her "illness" will have major ramifications that will affect all the characters in this tale.

The author has created many fascinating characters who are flawed with complicated personalities. Montgomery Laughton (I love the nod to Charles Laughton who played Dr. Moreau in 1932's Island of Lost Souls) has been hired by the doctor to assist in his experiments and to be the overseer of the estate. He is a troubled alcoholic who attempts to anesthetize himself so he doesn't have to care about anyone or anything. Then there is Eduardo, the spoiled son of Lizalde (Moreau's benefactor), whose attraction to Carlota produces terrible consequences.

I found the hybrids fascinating and would have loved to have learned more about them. Much time is spent with two of the hybrids, Lupe and Cachito, but we never really get to know what the other hybrids are like. The book brings up many thought provoking issues such as what constitutes a human being, animal rights, servitude, ethics in scientific research, and DNA/genetic altering.

I also would have liked more horror elements as I felt the focus was more on the adventure aspect. There is one frightening scene early on in the novel which was very creepy and terrifying, but I didn't feel that any subsequent scenes reached that intensity of horror. I was actually hoping that one of the characters would give birth to some sort of hybrid at the book's conclusion, for that could have provided an interesting horrific twist! But all in all, I found this book extremely entertaining and would highly recommend it.

This was a fine read! I am a fan of the author’s books and writing, so I was very excited to read this one. While I would not call this book Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s best work, I would still say I was, overall, satisfied. I enjoyed the historical aspect and found the SFF worked well with it. The characters were interesting and I sometimes wished they had more story. My main issue was with the pacing of the story, which sometimes felt uneven.

Another genre firecracker, this time in science fiction, from the author of Untamed Shore, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow, and the Beautiful Ones. At the character level, the story follows Carlota Moreau, the protected young daughter of outre scientist Doctor Moreau, as she ages into awareness of her father's true nature and the underpinnings of her life in remote Yucatan among her father's hybrid creations, set in counterpoint to the perspective of washed-up family retainer and hopeless romantic Montgomery Laughton. The historical setting of 1870s Yucatan lends specificity and urgency to the overarching themes of the lies and contradictions of patriarchal authority and the journey out of Eden. A good recommendation to fans of Gene Wolfe (The Fifth Head of Cerberus), Namwali Serpell (The Old Drift), and Victor LaValle (The Changeling).

I haven't read Mexican Gothic but it's on my TBR so I am not familiar with the writing style just the author.
Not knowing much going into the story I have to say wowzers! Enraptured in the beginning. No waiting for chapters roll on by before you're wanting to finish this book. I enjoyed the ride. Our MC is the daughter of Dr. Moreau...yes that one! Carlotta and Montgomery are telling the story from dual POV (which has become so popular now) and you get a great feel for the world being built in the story. This was done very well and I hope you take the time to experience this book.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Del Rey for letting me review this e-arc. Thank you thank you thank you.

I can't comment on how well the reimagining of "The Island of Doctor Moreau" as I've never read it, and the only thing I know about it is from that "The Simpsons" Treehouse of Horror episode. I knew what I was getting into, but nothing on the reimagining.

This story is so good and done beautifully. We have so many different layers here. We deal with Mexico's history of colonialism, prejudice and racism, what getting married meant during that time, and what the lands looked like back then. I felt transported to that timeframe and understood what Carlota was dealing with for her age. The sci-fi aspect? So so good. The details are done so well you could see what Carlota's family and friends looked like. I didn't want to put it down. And it was wonderful seeing Carlota grow as an individual. That's the one thing I enjoy about Moreno-Garcia's books. The growth for the main character(s). I honestly can't wait for the book's release and will try to attain every kind of copy of this book!

When I read Mexican Gothic by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia last year, I was left a little underwhelmed. I loved the writing. I loved the character building. I loved the atmosphere. I appreciated the critiques of colonialism. However, it took a sharp turn into the odd that I wasn't prepared for and ended up being a very different book than I thought it would be.

I think if I had kind of known where it was going I would have enjoyed it more. Unfortunately we can't get do overs to read a book for the first time. Enter the Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I wanted to give her another chance and since I was fully aware of how weird the inspirational novel by H.G. Wells was, I wasn't blindsided by *spoiler alert, I guess* (is 125 years long enough?) animal human hybrids created by a misguided scientist *end spoilers* and could fully enjoy the novel.

I ended up really liking it. She paints images in your head and I could see everything as I was reading and the writing style was everything I liked about Mexican Gothic. The setting is very interesting, set against a real conflict on the Yucatan peninsula. Overall, I recommend this to everyone who gave Mexican Gothic 3 stars or more and to those who love horror retellings. I do suggest at least skimming a summary of the Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells so you have an idea of where this one is going. I think I'm going to give Mexican Gothic another try soon.

Pub Date: July 19, 2022

Thank you to the author, publisher, and @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

🌟 4.5/5

I want to thank Random House - Ballantine, Del Rey and Net Galley for allowing me to get an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I was hooked by chapter two. This book is unlike your typical science fiction or historical fiction novel as it blends the two genres together in a very beautiful and creative way. We are set in the 19th century jungles of the Yucatán. You can feel the heat of the sun while embracing the sounds and peace found only in nature. While simultaneously encountering some weird science in this remote estate.

As we meet our two main characters, Carlota and Montgomery (also our two POVs). Carlota is definitely naïve, some might not like that about her but it’s a realistic flaw when we see her foil in Lupe who’s eyes have been opened to what the possibilities may be. Montgomery on the other hand is so scarred and cynical from his life experiences and adventures that his foil, Eduardo who’s charming and upper class upbringing reminds me of Logan from Gilmore Girls. Through these characters we’re given a peek into the social issues present at the time regarding Europeans, white Mexicans and the indigenous Mayan people.

When we encounter the mysterious Dr. Moreau with his laboratory full of specimens and drawings your imagination ignites. I thought the hybrids were amazing with their own personalities and lovability. My only thing is that I wish the romantic situation had resolved slightly differently but I love the development that we see through Montgomery and Carlota.

Would recommend for those who are fans of
•Weird science (think the island of spy kids 2)
•Curious about Mexican history with an interesting sci-fi aspect
•Fans of character-driven stories with focus on character development
•Varied pacing (slow and fast moments throughout)
•Lovable side characters
•Romantic, family and ethical dilemmas

Wow! Just when I thought that Moreno-Garcia had set the bar too high with Mexican Gothic, she came and outdid herself with this novel.

Deep in the jungle of the Yucatán peninsula, there’s a ranch called Yaxaktun. It’s the abode of Doctor Moreau, a French physician turned mad scientist who creates mythical creatures—using the cells of animals and human donors, and rudimentary genetics— for the benefit of a rich hacendado named Hernando Lizalde.

On one hand, Moreau is using his research to cement his reputation as a genius. He dreams of parading his creations in European science halls and receiving the acclaim he was previously denied of. On the other hand, Lizalde, who has been financing Moreau’s research with the purpose of replacing the rebellious Indian workers for a stronger and ever captive workforce, is finally growing weary. Carlota, the beautiful twenty-year-old daughter of Doctor Moreau, may be able to save the ranch, the research, and possibly their dwindling fortune if she marries Lizalde’s handsome son. The senior Lizalde, however, has other plans, and he is about to give the young couple a taste of his power.

How does Moreno-Garcia come up with stories like this? By sheer imagination! Inspired, in part, by H.G. Wells’ The Island of Doctor Moreau, and taking the Caste War in the Yucatán peninsula—that spanned five decades— as historical backdrop, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau is a novel with frenetic pace and cinematic scope, told in two perspectives, by an omniscient narrator, in which adventure, simmering class and racial tensions, sultry romance, and mad science, converge to wonderful effect to tell a cautionary tale about the disastrous consequences of tinkering with nature. It is also an exquisite moral tale in which half-men-half-beasts are more sympathetic, more capable of loyalty and abiding love, than their human counterparts.

With all the gushing I cannot hide that I loved this novel. I hope it receives the wide acclaim it deserves.

Disclaimer: I received a digital ARC from the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for my honest opinion.

I will read anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes, and this book is a good example of why. I'm not a huge fan of the original Dr. Moreau, and she still pulled me into this original and compelling story. The plot moved, the characters won me over, and the ending was exciting and satisfying. But more than anything the setting and historical backdrop were impeccably rendered. I really enjoyed this story.

As a huge fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's previous work, I was excited to read her newest novel <i>The Daughter of Doctor Moreau</i>. Loosely based on the 1896 H.G. Wells science-fiction novel, <i>The Island of Doctor Moreau</i>, Moreno-Garcia's work expands upon the original story's themes by adding elements of the treatment of women and indigenous peoples in Mexico. Her work provides more color to the story and makes it readable to a modern-day audience interested in those questions.

Unlike the original Wells version, Moreno-Garcia's story focuses on a newly developed character: Carlota Moreau, the doctor's daughter. Following Carlota and Montgomery (an original novel who still fulfills his purpose as Moreau's alcoholic servant, though it is further expanded here), we learn that the doctor has been paid by a wealthy landowner, Hernando Lizalde, to create his "hybrids" - human-like beasts with various animal traits. Though the hybrids resemble chimera-like creatures, they have the ability to speak, work, and exhibit free agency. One morning, Lizalde's son Eduardo, who is ignorant of the true purpose of Dr. Moreau's work, visits. He is immediately besotted with Carlota, and her affections are the same. Montgomery, however, is fearful of Eduardo's affections for the girl; not only does he think that Eduardo will use her unfairly, but he is also jealous. An incident occurs, which causes Eduardo to learn the truth about hybrids. When his father arrives to discourage any union between Eduardo and Carlota, all hell breaks loose. Carlota must decide what is more important to her: a normal life unlike her childhood with her father, or protecting the hybrids she has come to love as family.

The plot itself is interesting, though a little slow at first. However, this book's true strength is in the questions of morality that it poses. Like the original work, the novel makes audiences wonder what makes an individual into a person. Who deserves rights? Can anybody be considered "property"? Not only are the hybrids seen as property by Lizalde and the doctor, despite their free will and intelligence, but there are other questions of rights juxtaposed throughout the novel - from women (as property of men), children (as property of their parents), and workers (as property of their bosses - especially indigenous peoples who were forced to work by their hacendados). It's a brilliant weaving of circumstances by the author, and I have to applaud the natural way that it is brought up. The book imparts a lesson, but it does so naturally. It's far from an after-school special, but rather a deep look at the lives of workers and women throughout history that truly makes you think.

While I did like the book, there were two issues that emerged while I was reading it. First, there were several instances where the split point-of-views were sometimes too repetitive. I would read about a key event happening from Carlota's perspective, for instance, and then have to go backwards the next chapter and read about it from Montgomery's perspective. Revisiting these events and conversations, almost word-for-word sometimes, didn't work for me. I also did not like the age gap between Carlota and Montgomery. Though it was not a romance, there were definitely some "love story" elements throughout the book - especially as Montgomery comes to love Carlota's beauty and will. Seeing as how he is 35 when she is 20, and they met when she was only 14, it made me a little uncomfortable. I do wish Carlota had been an adult when they met, because it felt strange that he would fall in love with someone he watched grow up.

Despite these flaws, it really was a great book. It is not Moreno-Garcia's strongest work, but it definitely is her most poignant. While her other novels also explore important historical and moral questions, this one is centered around those themes.

My heartfelt thanks to the editors for the advanced reader copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

I fall in love with Moreno-Garcia's writing more and more with each book, and THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU might just be my favorite one yet! I was captivated from cover to cover.

This book has some really great parts to it, but in general it just fell flat for me. There is a rich cultural aspect to the story world, with beautiful imagery of lush jungles and ranging rivers. The atmosphere is one of the best parts of this story. She wraps you into the time period of conquistadors, wild country, and the exploitations of colonization. It also confronts important themes of class divides and the questionable ethics of the scientific community. As a science nerd myself, I actually found the biological and evolutionary concepts that were weaved into the plot to be intriguing. Even if, at times, the experimentation was gruesome, I’ll chalk it up to a dark, morbid curiosity that allowed me to still be captivated.

Although the creepy, crawly feel of the story is compelling, the pacing is greatly lacking for me. I didn’t get a sense of urgency that pulled me along. There just isn’t enough there that made me want to keep going. It showcases some deep philosophical and existential dilemmas, but that isn’t a plot in and of itself. Without the necessary momentum, and even with the included shock value, it is more of a slow, lazy river ride than a sweeping, rapid current to take me away. Too often, I found myself asking why I should care, and when will things pick up and truly start happening.

I also didn’t feel connected to the characters enough to feel the impact of any transformations that happened. Maybe the meek and mild just aren’t personally relatable to me, though I could objectively understand why Carlota is that way, I just wasn’t emotionally invested in her situation. Much of the dialogue feels really stilted and sometimes meaningless to the progression of the story. The writing is also, at times, bland and mechanical, with none of the rhythmic flow or punchy lines that would normally be engaging, immersive, and illustrative.

This story is definitely flat in comparison to some of her other work, which I know can happen to the best of us when we are trying to top previous successes. I still look forward to seeing what else she has in the future; but for me, this one is just ok.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is becoming one of my favorite authors. I love her rich writing style and the characters she creates jump off the page. Readers don't need to know much about "The Island of Doctor Moreau" (which this novel is loosely based on) in order to understand the plot and themes. Moreno-Garcia has made the story her own and put the heart of it with the hybrid creations this time instead of an outsider judging them.

Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book through NetGalley. I am under no obligation to review the book. All opinions are my own.

3/5 stars.

I was eagerly anticipating reading this novel as I have always enjoyed SMG's works, though I fear I may have set my expectations too high for this novel. While SMG wowed me again with her beautiful writing and wonderful way that she is able to create a story, the characters fell flat for me and I had no idea what was happening with the plot.

I didn't hate Carlota and Monty, but I didn't feel much for them or their romance - there was very little chemistry for me. Similarly, I did not feel connected with the plot and did not know the direction it was going until 60% in. Though it was a nice commentary on playing god and ownership and parenting, it didn't draw me in like the other novels have.

Overall it was a well written novel, just not a story for my taste.

Thanks so much to netgalley for providing me with thid arc in exchange for an honest review!!

I honestly love everything that silvia moreno writes. the genre doesn’t really matter because at every turn she makes the best moves. This book is no exception! i loved every moment of it, it was such s fun immersive read. definitely recommend!

I received an ARC from netgalley.

The only thing wrong with this book is that it ended. I love Silvia Moreno-Garcia and have enjoyed each of her books. This is no exception.

Magical realism sets the stage for this fantastic take off of the original Island of Doctor Moreau. Moreau lives in a far off place in the Yucatan. His work is to create hybrid animals - ones that are as close to human as possible.

A wealthy patron has hired Moreau to create "workers" to replace the "Indians" who are considered problematic and rebellious. The land, the house and the money for everything needed has been supplied for years. The patron has grown tired of the lack of return on his money, which sets the stage for much of the action.

Themes of humanity, compassion and hate run through the novel. What is human and what is evil? What is love?

Moreno-Garcia's lyrical prose is operatic. This book should not be missed.

As soon as I saw an ARC available for a new Silvia Moreno-Garcia book, I hit that request button. I went into this story totally blind, as in, I didn't know a thing about the story of Doctor Moreau from H.G. Wells. The beginning of the story dragged a bit for me and it wasn't until the latter half that the plot really picked up. Both Carlota and Montgomery (the main characters, dual POV) were just okay for me and I found them annoying until the action started. There is a bit of descriptive violence and coercion, which may bother some readers. I enjoyed the lush, vivid backdrop of the story and the influence of Mayan culture in the writing. The ARC I received did not include a glossary which I think would have been helpful (at least, it was for me when reading Gods of Jade and Shadow). There is also a point where things take a weird turn, but it's a good weird. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.