Silvia Moreno-Garcia has been on my radar ever since Mexican Gothic which surprised me in many different ways. I also adored her book The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, so when I saw the chance to read Silver Nitrate I jumped at it. This novel brings together so many things I adore, from witchy cults to cinema to colonial critiques of racists. Thanks to Jo Fletcher Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Apologies for the delay.

Ever since Mexican Gothic, and in her short stories before then, Silvia Moreno-Garcia has used her writing as a chance to impact of Mexico's colonial legacy. She has explored it through the haunted house in Mexican Gothic and through the exploits of science in The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. In Silver Nitrate she engages with this theme through the history of the occult. By engaging with how German occultists of the 20th century based their ideas of magic and power in the insidious web of race theory and Arian superiority, Moreno-Garcia is able to explore the impact of such thinking on the receiving culture. The way in which some of her characters are seduced by the idea of power, even if it comes with accepting racist ideology, is fascinating to observe. Her research on this for the novel seems to be quite detailed but it is woven in without damaging the main plot or the main focus on Montserrat and Tristán. The way in which she also explores the allure of this power, in contrast to the position both Montserrat and Tristán find themselves in, with a focus on both classism and colourism, was really interesting to read. Through reading Moreno-Garcia's fiction, I've gained a whole new understanding of these themes and this history and how both play a role nowadays as well.

Montserrat works as a sound editor, except that she is getting fewer shifts every month and the Mexican film industry seems to be dying a slow and painful death. Tristán, her best friend since childhood, is suffering from an equal drought of work ever since an accident 10 years ago which left him slightly scarred and his reputation in tatters. But things may be turning around for both of them when Tristán meets his new neighbour, Abel Urueta, who directed a mysterious horror film in the '60s. Working with him on his film sees both Montserrat and Tristán drawn into a web of cult beliefs, old school racism, and magic. Is there a curse to be broken? And if yes, will breaking it bring them fame and fortune or just see them saddled with bad luck? Silver Nitrate is told largely through Montserrat's perspective, although Tristán's perspective also comes forward in some chapters. Montserrat's character is a delightful mix between angry, fearlessness, fascination, and desire. I had a real sense of who she was and it was really fun to witness her journey throughout the novel. Tristán is also a very interesting character but his flaws are a little closer to the surface which means I found myself wavering on him every few chapters. I was also very intrigued by the novel's ideas around the magic of film, of sharing an experience, of the power of signs. I definitely enjoyed how the tensions ramped up towards the final third of the book.

I have already praised Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing in my other reviews, but it is worth saying again that her writing is at once very evocative and yet also incredibly readable. Moreno-Garcia has a real knack for creating imagery which feels at once symbolic and is yet also something you can immediately grasp. The way she works with film and sound in Silver Nitrate grabbed me straightaway and had me thinking about some experiences I have had watching films which left me changed. I also continue to enjoy the characters she crafts and how she takes certain Gothic genre staples and plays with them. The dual perspectives of the novel also really give the reader to chance to witness the relationship between her two main characters, how they see each other, how well they know each other. While romance is not at the heart of the novel, it is a constant motif thrumming in the back. One thing which kind of irked me about Silver Nitrate was that I felt like a lot of information would get unneccesarily repeated. So if, for example, Montserrat had heard something, this would get repeated almost verbatim at a later date when she relayed it to another character. While I fully appreciate the need for making certain connections etcetera clear, it happened a little too often for my liking which made me think that maybe an editor should have questioned whether it was necessary in every instance. But this is really a minor complaint which did nothing to lessen my enjoyment of the book.

Silver Nitrate is a love letter to Mexican cinema and to all that is gothically delightful. Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to bewitch me with the stories she weaves and I can't wait to read more.

I enjoyed Silver Nitrate immensely. The author is amazing at pacing and building tension, creating characters that feel human and flawed, and putting a twist on classic horror themes. The writing was really neat, and it was definitely a quick read that still felt profound.

The book follows Montserrat and Tristan who are living in Mexico City in the 90s. They meet Tristan’s new neighbour who is a cult horror director Abel. From there we learn about his unfinished film with a Nazi occultist. After agreeing to help Abel finish filming missing scenes Montserrat and Tristan realise they are in danger from someone or something.

This took me over a month to read. I found myself wanting to DNF it many times and never wanted to pick it up. The story was such a slow up for nothing to happen. I believe this book was extremely mismarketed as it is under genres of horror, thriller however it is 100% a magical realism/fantasy story. The boom just wasn’t for me.

My first time reading a Silvia Moreno-Garcia book and I wasnt disappointed.
The author has a distinct authorial voice and transports you to 90s Mexico City with her atmopheric and almost mundane in style, quiet horror of Nazi Occultism and Magic. We follow flawed. realistic characters whoi have known each other since childhood and have somewhat of an on-off relationship. A trope I find enyoyable is famous people who arent at the height of their fame being the main character, it brings some0what of a deserparte quality to the story and in this case; a washed up actor and a sound engiuneer who is getting overlooked because she is a woman. This desperation, for money, for notability drives our charcters to complete a dubbing of an p;d movie and this a 'spell' starting a chain reactiopn of events

This is not a campy. high octane horror. its slow and detailed. I can see this not working for evreyopne, but it qorked for me.

Silver Nitrate is everything I love in a book - its obscure points of reference paired with richly written characters make this one a joy to read. Sure it could have been dialled up more but for a casual horror reader this is a brilliant yarn for spooky szn.

The magic in this book is next level! I absolutely loved the uniqueness and the clever approach to the magic, and that was the aspect of the book that I loved the most.

Horror is not my traditional genre, but this one was written in such a fascinating way that I couldn't help but be sucked into the story. The relationship between the two main characters (both bisexual!) was the driving force of the book.

There was racism, lots of questionable views and plenty of 'horror'. The last third of the book was non-stop with the action, and it was definitely the best part of the book.

Interesting, fascinating and confusing all come to mind when reading this - I enjoyed it nonetheless.

As always with Silvia Moreno Garcia, I was anticipating enjoying this and also accepting that it wouldn't be like any of her other works (her books are all so different, which I love!) Happily, I was right on both counts. This reads like a love letter to old movies and the silver screen with a healthy dose of occult practices and Nazi sorcerers thrown in for good measure. Garcia is incredibly skilled at writing characters that we shouldn't like but making us root for them anyway, and Tristan and Montserrat are two such characters. I very much enjoyed the inclusion of older characters essential to the plot and overall thought the character work was excellent. The plot was compelling and there were some definitely creepy moments throughout, which is always great. I didn't love the very end of the book (literally the last 3-4 pages), but overall, I really enjoyed this one.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc of this title in exchange for this honest review.

Sadly this wasnt for me. I took a gamble on a genre I'm not really big on, so it souldnt be a surprise i wasnt overly invested. I'm sure people who enjoy this genre will love it though.

I wanted to love this but found it really slow.
Its not what i expected at all.... I was hoping for a thriller with bits of horror but it just seemed to be mostly scene setting with little bits of thriller added in.
The relationship between the 2 main characters was a little bit annoying too.
Not my favourite Moreno-Garcia that i've read.

Silver Nitrate is a suspenseful horror that takes place in 90s Mexico City. It follow two best friends Montserrat and Tristán as they are dragged into a dark world filled with occultists, decades old curses, ghosts & phantoms. Eerie and atmospheric, it is a must read for horror fans.

This book started off so well with the 90's vibes and the prose but it just kind of fell off at the end. The ending really didn't do anything for the story.

Also for a horror book, I really wish it scared me more. I want a book where I can't turn my light off at night.

“You made a haunted house out of your own flesh and bones.”
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This was my first experience with the author, and I love the way this book was written. The double POV works perfectly giving inside on different aspects of the story but also a deeper understanding behind each character. It also helps the story to progress more smoothly.
The story per say it was interesting but not what I was expecting. Saying that this is horror for me felt like a stretch, a big one, I didn’t feel any horror during my read, more like a very interesting thriller perhaps a fantasy thriller since it has magic elements. The whole plot was super interesting and captivating secrets and mysteries. The magic elements blend very well with the setting and the story and for me, they were consistent during the story.
I really enjoy the two MC and how they interact with each other. It was very well done, consistent and sometimes funny and sometimes irritating but I enjoyed every single interaction.
Unfortunately, marketing this as a horror book bumped me a bit because I was expecting something more scary or more obscure and it ended up not giving that. Nevertheless, it is a great read but be aware that is not a true horror book more a thriller with magic.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early copy in; exchange for honest review.
A character led horror set in 1990s mexico, dealing with film, cults, magic and nazis. Everything about this worked for me. Loved having two messy bisexual leads, who's history and friendship was complicated and believable. Silver Nitrate is thoroughly enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

’Silver nitrate’ promise to be a story with magic, mexican horror movies and occultism. And it is all that. I was so excited for this book but the first half was so incredibly slow that i almost DNF:ed. The characters were fun to follow so it wasn’t that, it just took so long to get to the action. When things finally start to happen, it’s A little too late and feels rushed and not too thought out. The tie to nazism felt unnecessary and boring. Montserrat and Tristan were cute though. Also i expected more horror considering its a horror book, instead We just got some ghosts.

Despite not enjoying Mexican Gothic, I was seduced by the premise and some early reviews of Silver Nitrate.

I wanted to enjoy this book and I gave it 5 chapters of my time, over 2.5 weeks but I failed to get interested; every time I picked it up, my mind wandered or I fell asleep.

The story simply doesn't move quickly enough (a sentiment I have seen echoed in other reviews) and I was left thinking that nothing of significance had happened - nor would it.

Adding this experience to that of reading Mexican Gothic, I think Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I will part ways.

I'm a big fan of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work and have read the majority of her novels. So when I say that Silver Nitrate might be my favourite, it's beating some stiff competition. The story and atmosphere are absolutely perfect - she has such a gift for creating a sense of time and place - and I loved the inclusion of not only magic, but the real-world background to that magic. The characters, especially Montserrat and Tristán, and sheer perfection despite their flaws and complexities.

Silver Nitrate is a perfect novel for autumn reading, regardless of whether or not you're a horror movie buff (but its a must-read if you are).

Silver Nitrate has so many elements in it for me to love - set in the 80s, cults, Mexican movie industry conspiracies and dark magic. However with this one I really wanted the dial turned up to 11 and I just felt like that didn't happen which is ultimately where the book let me down.

The novel follows two old friends who meet a retired film director who tells them about an old dead friend of his who believed he could harness magic through the act of making and staring in a film. The friends, Montserrat and Tristan, get themselves wrapped up in the spell when they agree to provide voiceovers for the unfinished film, and the pair of them uncover the secrets of the magical world and how it has been present inside the Mexican film industry for decades.

I have to say I adored the two main characters. Their chemistry was super convincing and I adored their dialogue and how they bounced off each other. The characters for me was the best thing about this book as everyone was super great to read about and they all really propelled the story forward. In terms of the plot I didn't think it was super strong and was expecting a lot more of a mystery and a lot more sort of plot twists and digging around. There's a couple of similar books like Night Film and The Unauthorised Biography of Ezra Maas which deal with occult film stars and the movie industry in a similar way but with these two books I was completely hooked and enthralled by the mystery. With Silver Nitrate it just felt like I was coasting along the book and never really felt any urgency or adrenaline from it which is what has let it down a lot for me.

Apart from this I did enjoy the book and think it's nice to always read something fresh from Moreno-Garcia as she always comes up with the best and weirdest ideas.

This is a 3.5 rounded up to a 4 for me.

It's a really enjoyable horror novel, with elements of ancient magic, necromancy, the power of film, etc. The storytelling is really original, and the plot is interesting, however parts of it feel overwritten. I definitely didn't fully understand the logic of the spells and runes. I know that magic kind of defies logic by definition, but I feel like there should still be a semblance of balance between spells and counter-spells. A large part of the magic is bound up in the technicalities of shooting a film on silver nitrate, and I was never able to fully understand what this all meant.

The two main characters are fine, but considering how much of the novel is dedicated to their inner thoughts, I would have liked them - especially Tristan - to be slightly less whiny. Their romance doesn't make much sense, although it adds a pleasant feeling of conclusion.

Silver Nitrate was a fun, slow burner of a read that sadly didn't quite meet the high expectations I had at the climax. The writing is faultless, I greatly admire the author's style and the graceful way that she sets the scene, and there was a lot of dialogue which I often find can be overly wooden and too over-explained in a fantasy/magical novel but Moreno-Garcia gets it spot on. It flows like real speech and gives the reader all the information needed for the furthering of the plot without seeming unnatural. The reason that I was disappointed, however, was, especially after a few tense scenes early on, I expected this to be a really scary climax and I just didn't feel the fright. There was plenty of action but I did feel a bit more horror would have bumped this up to a four star read for me. I also don't read a lot of fantasy so this is possibly my own mistake, I maybe should have read more about the story and genre before requesting. Objectively though, this is a very well written novel and a carefully thought out plot, and I think that fans of the genre and of Moreno's writing will really enjoy this!

4 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2023/08/10/silver-nitrate-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/

My Five Word TL:DR Review : Slow burn, but ultimately satisfying

SilverNitrate
This is a book that is full of ideas. It’s clever, well developed and after quite a slow start and some initial setup delivers an intense story with fully fleshed out characters and a perfect setting. Supernatural,horror, the occult, Nazis dabbling with the unknown.

The story involves two characters who are both involved, in very different roles, within the film industry. Tristan was an upcoming actor when his career took a downward spiral following the death of his girlfriend in a car accident allegedly involving drink and drugs. Montserrat is a skilled sound editor whose prickly exterior and abrupt no-nonsense way of dealing with people frequently results in her losing assignments to younger or less experienced co-workers. Both of them have money concerns which ultimately acts as their motivation. The two have been friends since childhood. Montserrat protecting Tristan from school bullying and eventually developing something of a crush on him (that was not reciprocated). The two have an on-off friendship dictated by Tristan’s relationship status. He usually abandons Montserrat when somebody ‘new’ comes onto the scene and then calls her again when things go pear-shaped and she rallies round to pick up the pieces. In spite of that they have a strong bond. In fact, the friendship between the two is one of the really strong aspects of the story. They have this whole ‘good cop/bad cop’ thing going on, a sometimes brutally honest way of talking to each other and their friendship is a great twist on the ‘damsel in distress’ with Tristan being the one most often in need of rescuing.

In terms of the plot. Well, this involves a lot of set up in terms of classical horror movies (which our two main characters share a love of). They become acquainted with an old horror director who became almost infamous for an unfinished movie that was said to be cursed, a curse that he believes can be lifted, indeed can bestow good luck, if the film is completed. And this is the start of the creepiness. I won’t elaborate further about the plot other than to say this is a story of magic, cults, worship and strange phenomenon.

I’m not entirely sure I would say this was horror. I found it more creepy and unsettling than horrifying. The concept is intriguing and well developed and the story seems to follow these peaks and troughs where something really shocks or surprises you and then there’s a slight lull while our two characters go in search of more clues. But, when the creep factor does come forth it certainly delivers the goosebumps. Shadows, ghosts, flashes of things out of the corner of the eye or reflections in mirrors of things that simply aren’t there.

The story takes place in Mexico City during the 90s. I loved the way the setting is developed. It’s so rich, which isn’t to say it’s overly detailed or elaborately described. The author has a way of relaying information during the course of the narrative, snippets thrown in about holiday customs, food, shops, etc. They seem like relatively small details but they build up to form a rich tapestry and they help you to sink into the place.

In terms of criticisms. Well, I did mention that this is a slow burn. There’s so much to unload here. Information about film making, classical movies, magic, the occult, not to mention developing the characters and slowly revealing what’s really taking place. This isn’t a book that you can race through. It’s not a fast paced, slasher bloodfest, it’s much more thought provoking and it’s a story that you have to exercise patience with.

Overall, I can’t deny that this was a slow start for me but regardless of the initial pacing issue I became hooked to the characters and the story.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.