Valley of Shadows takes place in a small town on the Rio Grande a few years after the second Franco-Mexican War, The town was in Mexico and Solitario Cisneros was the sheriff. Then the river jumped its banks and moved south, the town is stranded in the Texas desert and Solitarios pregnant wife is dead.

Solitario sees spirits and he just wants to be left alone on his ranch hoping to catch glimpses of his dead wife. But evil comes to the town of Olvido, and families are murdered in sick rituals. Solitario is forced to come out of retirement went his friend and his friend’s family is murdered.

The backstory of Solitario is rich and interesting. The time period and locale is fascinating, The magical realism of old Mexico and Apache cultures provides depth and color. But the storyline, despite the horrific murders, is a little plodding. The villian never quite materializes as a strong figure and The whodunnit part of the narrative is the least interesting part.

I was hooked on this book from the very beginning! Picked this out as a light, quick read, but was entranced immediately! Start to finish took me 3 days because I was OBSESSED with the story! Definitely interested in reading more by Rudy Ruiz and was a big fan of the writing style. Unpredictable plot twists through the whole book and many, many events I didn’t see coming! As for complaints- personally, I’d like a little more horror and a little less of the “magic” because it feels out of place in this story. It seems like an afterthought to add some fantasy elements to this story that don’t quite fit with the rest of the plot. There are parts of the story where the magic saves the day, but I feel like there were easier and more consistent ways to do so. I think that more terror would have added the finishing touch to keep me hooked even more, but that’s just what would make it perfect for ME, not everyone. I feel that this is a perfect mix of horror, fiction, mystery, thriller, and just a sprinkle of enchantment for most people. I’ve already recommended this book to several people and can’t wait to hear what they think. The narrator for the audiobook was 10/10 amazing as well.

✨ Review ✨ Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz, Narrated by Gary Tiedemann

This book takes place on the US-Mexico border in the 1870s. The Mexican town of Olivido became part of the US after the Rio Grande shifted South of the town, and Solitario Cisneros, former sheriff of Olvido, is forced out of retirement when stranger murders and kidnappings overtake the area. Racial violence looms as white residents suspect Mexican and Apache residents of committing these crimes, but Solitario leads this investigation with more openmindedness.

Solitario joins Onawa, an Apache-Mexican seer, to try to chase and find kidnapped children and to stop these gruesome killings before they take more of the town's residents. Through Solitario and Onawa we see threads of ghosts communing with the living and dead, brujería and powers of all types. As the magical world overlays with reality, we can see how important family and place and culture are to these residents.

While the magical world may deviate from reality, this depiction of the transience of the borderlands was very realistic and powerful. Understanding how people and places shifted on the border, and how racially different people came together and clashed in these regions in the 1870s rang very close to reality. This book is beautifully written and narrated, and gorgeously atmospheric. This is a perfect read for fall!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: mystery, horror, magical realism, historical fiction.
Location: US-Mexico borderlands
Pub Date: out now!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ historical fiction + magical realism + mystery + a smidge of horror
⭕️ borderlands settings with messy racial interactions
⭕️ stories featuring quests

Thanks to Blackstone Publishing and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

I loved this book! The intermingling of magical realism and ancestral traditions in the Mexican, Apache, and Anglo communities was well done, as was the depiction of the racial divide. A few things of note, I wish only Solitario and Onawa were able to see the spirits. I think that would have made it more powerful where, as it stands, it feels a bit like plot armor (very convenient that most people can see and communicate with the dead in a murder/kidnapping mystery). I could have done without the Onawa unrequited love storyline - it’s unnecessary and there could have remained a fantastic platonic partnership there (especially between Apache and Mexican). Solitario’s unrelenting love for Lus is so beautiful, and Onawa’s childish pouting over him cheapens that tragic love story, in my opinion. The conclusion was an interesting twist, though mildly predictable. I loved the ending.

Thank you so much for the advanced copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed the narrator of this story, and found the reading to be really engaging with a near perfect match of the tone and mood of this story. However, the novel itself felt pretty average. The story has a lot of enticing features and potential. A traumatized ex-soldier with a family curse looking to find himself and move on from his past. A headstrong love interest with her own aspirations and profound power. Alongside a thrilling mystery tied to ethnic/racial divisions. Ruiz also winds themes throughout the novel that are thought provoking. The story has so much potential to leave readers with solid conclusions on the nature of grief, the abuse of power, the mistreatment of non-white citizens, and how to find oneself despite a traumatic past. My biggest critique is that the execution and resolution at the end of the novel left me dissatisfied as a reader. I wanted more full development from the characters, and felt that they ended up more static than dynamic. I was also disappointed with the novel's largest twist in the mystery. Other readers will certainly feel differently, but the climactic moment of the novel sharply diverted from any critique or lesson that had been building through the novel to that point. I still thoroughly enjoyed the writing and the potential of the story, but wanted more from the last third.

Phew! I've been wanting a book like this and here it is! Valley of Shadows by Rudy Ruiz was atmospheric af taking place in the "wild" West of the Mexican-US border. This story shows what one man who has nearly lost in all will risk for what is right.

What’s it about?: With a vivid, colorful writing style and a fascinating setting, Valley of Shadows narrates the story of a man marked by his past and a mysterious curse that follows him whenever he has the chance of finding a sliver of happiness. He finds himself involved in the investigation of a gruesome case due to his past as a Rurales agent and the supernatural influences from his environment and heritage.

What I liked: I have to say I really enjoyed the audiobook narrator. He has a very pleasant, relaxing voice and the way he pronounces the hispanic names and words make me think he might be hispanic himself? All I can say is that I’m gonna miss him lol. Like I said, both the writing style and the setting are fabulous, then… Why the three stars?

What I didn’t like: Sadly none of the positive qualities make up for the plot, which had a lot of potential in the beginning, but ended up deflating in the end. Both the protagonist and the other characters did not have any significant or interesting development, and I was disappointed with the romantic side of it. I felt like it just came apart at the seams in the last quarter of the book. By the very end I just wanted to finish it, and sadly I have to admit I felt like the plot finished… and then the book continued. The last few chapters felt like they were unnecessary in my opinion. I was quite disappointed.

In conclusion: I feel like three stars sum up exactly what I feel about this book. It had so much potential and while I can tell the author tried their best to polish the presentation to a beautiful degree, the basic plot development and lack of character depth made it, like I said, come apart at the seams. I don’t discard reading more from the author in the future though.

I don't read historical fiction as much as I should, but I'm glad I gave this one a chance. The writing was beautiful and the cross-genre storyline was mysterious and magical, haunting and heartbreaking. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator is probably one of my favorites - so soothing and emotive. Overall, I highly recommend this wonderful novel, perfect for this time of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ALC in exchange for a review.

Valley of Shadows follows Solitario Cisneros who is asked to help solve a series of murders/kidnappings. Living alone and away from the town of Olvido he is reticent to go back due to various reasons. Has lost his wife and is still grieving her and because of a cursed placed upon him by his grandmother and all the men in his family his solution is to stay away from people as a way of protecting them and himself. Eventually Solitario decides to help along with Onawa an Apache and Mexican Seer. We follow their journey in trying to figure out what is happening, who is killing these people/taking them and what their ultimate plan is. The writing was beautiful it was so vivid it felt like I was right there with them. The detail in the murders was graphic at times so please be aware of that but it made the situation feel very real and provided a sense of urgency. I did not see the twist coming. I also really appreciate it that the author included history into this story. The setting is the US-Mexico border during the 1880s so you see what the interactions between the Anglo‘s, Mexicans, Indigenous peoples were like and how they were treated and seen. The addition of magical realism into the story provided a stronger tether to Mexican and Indigenous culture. I really enjoyed this narration and story. The ending did leave me a little bit wanting more. It felt a bit rushed and a little incomplete but other than that I was gripped from the beginning and found myself gasping and shouting while listening, definitely recommend. 4.5 ⭐️

Historical Westerns aren't usually my jam but this story grabbed me from the start and held me for the entire book! I NEEDED to know what happened! Such a great, well-told but ultimately sad story. Sometimes I feel like our prejudices haven't gotten much better, people are just much better at hiding them. I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.

#ValleyofShadows
#NetGalley

I found this such and interesting mix of historical fiction and magical realism! I listened to the audio on standard speed and was very distracted hearing shhh on the end of words with the S. One of those sounds once you hear it you can't help but focus on

This was my first Ruiz book and I am hooked! Ruiz was able to intertwine history, myth and horror so seamlessly it seemed natural. This is not only one of my new favorite books of the year, but possibly top 10 of all time.

I went into this book without really knowing anything about it and about half way through realized I had read another book by this author that I really enjoyed. I don't normally read books that are considered horror, but I am so glad that I didn't realize this is considered horror because it is so much more than that.

Rudy Ruiz has such a deep lyrical storytelling style. The characters seem a bit stoic at first but become so layered as the story continues. There is so much information given throughout the story that when you try to recount everything it is a lot but doesn't seem so dense when reading, it's so naturally given.

I really enjoyed all of the different elements layered throughout. It has aspects of horror, magical realism, crime drama, historical fiction, and western to name a few. The story tackles misogyny, racism, and colonizing throughout. One memorable quote is, "discrimination is evil, but evil does not discriminate." I look forward to reading more by this author. So far the stories have been entertaining and thought provoking.

This is exactly the type of Magical Realism I love. Probably because a part of my soul believes in it, at least ancestrally. It just feels more like something that was lost more than something that never existed.

Maybe it's because the scenery around me in Southern Arizona is practically the same, but I could picture Olvido so clearly.

I enjoyed that there was no clear answer throughout on who was perpetrating the killings, and though I guessed the end I didn't feel too let down from that. It's a good story of perception and understanding your own prejudices. Solitario is my favorite type of hero, the lone wolf trauma king with a heart of gold. Elias was the perfect sidekick, and Onawa a strong female companion.

I think I loved this book so much because it represents my own family story, which I never really find. My Dad's family has been in the same area of Southern Arizona and New Mexico long before they found themselves Americans. in similar ways the pioneers came to inhabit land that was already full of Mexican and Indigenous people.

Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

This book was not something that I am used to but I have to say that I liked it a lot more then I thought I would. I will give it a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

This book has a lot of Mexican, and Aztec folklore, and magic which was really interesting and entertaining. I don't have much knowledge on any of that so it was really enjoyable to read this story and learn about it all.

This story is set in the 1800's after the Rio Grande, shifted and part of Mexico is now a part of the United States. This creates a really interesting imbalance of native Mexicans, and Americans looking for new beginnings. I would say for a decent part of the book they work well together but there is a very clear discrimination against the Mexican people.

I will say it was a little difficult to listen to as an audiobook because there are some lines in Spanish, which I think if I would reading it would be easier for me to figure out what it means, where it was a little difficult listening to it. However if that is something that doesn't bother you as a reader, the narrator was fantastic!

The only thing that I didn't love in this book is the flashback to when the main characters wife died. I feel like that would have flowed better earlier in the book, or maybe just not spend as much time on it. I think it was important information for the storyline, I just felt it was place in a weird spot.

I would recommend this book to anyone that likes historical somewhat realistic fiction, that includes Mexican and Aztec folklore and magic. This is a story of survival, finding your true meaning, and grief. (I say somewhat realistic because I don't know my thoughts on magic being real, but the lore, and the rituals I do believe are authentic to the time the story was set in).

This is another book I really had no idea what it was about when I requested it I just saw horror magical realism and indigenous Mexican and indigenous American representation and folklore I knew I had to check it out.

I really love the whole setting of the book is really what caught my eye and kept my attention because this takes place right when America got parts of Mexico which included Texas Arizona New Mexico type of areas specifically Mexico my family is tied to those areas and the discrimination that was going on is really well represented I loved all of the magical realism in this it's very subtle but it comes through really well the plot kept me interested the entire time my really only complaint was that this is marked as horror but I didn't feel like there was very much horror at all like this is very much Thriller I guess for the certain parts but I really love the balance between new and old and everything that was kind of going on at the time it was just really well executed.

“”Discrimination is evil, but evil does not discriminate.”

1883, West Texas. In the vast desert, a gleaming river snakes beneath the blinding sun. When the Rio Grande shifts course, the Mexican city of Olvido is stranded on the northern side of the new border between the United States and Mexico.

When a series of mysterious and horrific crimes grips the divided border town, a reclusive former Mexican lawman is lured out of retirement to restore order and save the lives of a growing number of abducted children. In the face of skeptics and hostile Anglo settlers, the war-weary charro, Solitario Cisneros, struggles to overcome not only the evil forces that threaten his town, but also his own inner demons. He is burdened by the turbulent darkness of a mystical curse that has guided his lonely destiny, until Onawa, a gifted and beautiful Apache-Mexican seer, joins his mission and dares him to change the course of both their lives.”

This book is labeled Horror, Magical Realism, and Historical Fiction. Only the latter is a favoured genre.

Look at me, reading out of my comfort zone.

I admit to being completely seduced by the cover.

While I found the grisly bits a little too, well, grisly, I really did think the book beautifully written.

Beautiful is, of course, the wrong word – rape, murder, torture, and kidnapping can’t be considered anything but horrific – but the descriptions of everything from the town, to the people, to the visions, ghosts, and rituals, was almost cinematic.

The dialogue was fairly melodramatic – as if the characters were competing in a Quotable Quotes contest, but other than that, I really enjoyed dipping my toes into this bit of literary fusion.

6.5/10

Thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for this ARC.

Perfectly spooky and entertaining. The writing was a bit choppy at time but overall enjoyed this story

DNF'd at 50%

This book was alright but unfortunately I never really got into it. I listened it but when I got to halfway through the book I just realized I didn't really care what's going to happen anymore. I usually don't dnf books when it's decent and didn't hate it but life is short and I don't want to waste my time for a book I didn't really enjoy and don't hold my interest.
For the book I can't really tell anything about I feel like I already forgot what I just listened.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me a audio ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review and opinions.

What a phenomenal story. It was atmospheric, magical, haunting, heart-wrenching, and utterly thrilling.

The story unfolds across dual timelines--between Solitario's quest to solve the gruesome murders and kidnappings plaguing his small border-town and his younger years as child, a solider, and a lawman. With each flashback, the story falls into a rhythm of exploring present events and then revealing the moments from Solitario's past that tie into them.

The mystery is engaging and there's some genuinely surprising and heart-breaking twists. I loved the elements of magical realism and the easy acceptance of the mystical and supernatural throughout. The audiobook narrator also did a really good job and imbued the story with a ton of emotion.

I was unfamiliar with Ruiz before this but am definitely looking forward to exploring more of his work.

Thank you to Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.