Thanks to BookBrowse & Penguin Random House/Berkley for the digital ARC copy!

I loved Isabel Cañas's other two books, The Hacienda and The Vampires of El Norte, but The Possession of Alba Díaz just became my favorite of the three. The story follows Alba and her family as they move to an isolated mine, where something dark latches onto Alba and won't let go. 

"This was a war of wills, and her body was the battlefield."

Alba is such a great character who feels real, as she struggles with her toxic family and the suffocating patriarchy of the 1700s. And then there's Elías. I didn't go into this book expecting such a lovely romance, but Alba and Elías are truly perfect.

"He was a ship lost at sea. Sextant overboard, no wind in his sails, and only her star, her brilliant star, guiding him through the dark."

The Possession of Alba Díaz is a perfect combination of romance and horror, with all of the gore and terror one expects from a demonic possession story. And the book absolutely nails the ending. While there are probably some criticisms to be made, I can't think of anything negative to say about this book at the moment. 5 stars.

Well, I didn’t see that ending coming! But I loved it. No spoilers but what a wonderful story. I really loved the characters, especially Alba, Elías, and Victoriana. Even the mercury seemed like a character and while I know it was named Mercury for its alchemical association to the planet, Mercury, the element is definitely a woman.

Aristotle wrote that Daedalus made a wooden statue of Aphrodite move by pouring quicksilver in its interior; definitely a better name for mercury would have been Aphrodite or some version of its Greek name, hydrargyrum, meaning water silver. I digress but Cañas writes so lyrically about mercury, and the water silver and the metal, silver, are so much a part of the book that they become nearly anthropomorphized.

And then, of course, there is a demon and possession and a goddess and love and death. And did I say there is a great ending? I highly recommend!

When I heard about the new Isabel Cañas novel “The Possession of Alba Diaz,” I was very excited. The description sounded amazing, and she is one of my favourite authors. The story starts with a guy, Elias, who finds a book of spells in a book bazaar. He has studied alchemy so he’s into magic. He gets a letter saying his father has returned and that he has to go back to Spain. Elias's grandfather has used some trickery to get him back here, and says that Elias can help solve a huge problem with a mine, owing to his knowledge of alchemy. Elias is, to put it mildly, less than enthused.

And then we get into the viewpoint of the titular Alba. She has her own family problems as well. She comes from a wealthy family, but is treated like a mestiza of mixed race because while most people in the region where is are fair-haired and light-eyed, she has dark hair and eyes. She also has to deal with a bunch of older dudes who have been trying to ensnare her in a marriage she doesn’t want. Her connection to the silver mine that Elias has to worry about is revealed soon. Meanwhile, she discovers more family secrets. Her ticket out of this place (she thinks, and she hopes) is a guy, Carlos, who she has known since childhood. They're engaged to be married so that both of them can get out of dodge when they get the first chance. And then, the story becomes so much more. I will always say that it's difficult to do religious horror, especially involving demonic possession, in a way that feels fresh or gives readers a reason to root for the characters impacted, and this novel more than delivers on that.

The gothic opulence of this novel drips with so much tension and atmosphere -- the immersive text, the mysteries, and the heat of it all, will make readers lose themselves between the pages. It is an absolute must-read that you’ll be racing toward the end of going “It can’t end like this!" and savouring each page with the hope of something good for Elias and Alba. If you loved “The Vampires of El Norte,” this book is even more brimming with that amazing energy.

Vampires of El Norte was my favorite book of 2023, and remains one of my favorite books ever, so it should come to no surprise that I begged Berkley for an ARC of Isabel Cañas’s new book, and let me tell you, The Possession of Alba Díaz did not disappoint.

The story follows Alba as she and her family flee from a plagued Zacatecas and seek refuge at a silver mine belonging to her fiancé’s family. What is meant to be an escape quickly becomes the opposite as Alba is hit with hallucinations, violent convulsions and bouts of sleepwalking.
Isabel Cañas has a way of crafting such a rich and tangible environment, especially when it comes to the history of Mexico. The novel was atmospheric, gothic, and eerie. Like with her previous novels the theme in this felt very relevant. The novel explores bodily autonomy, patriarchy, religion (the Catholic Church), and colonialism.

Alba is a woman in a society that has expectations of her and so she takes matters into her own hands to secure herself a future that she knows she can be in control of. The idea of control and choice are central to the plot and I loved the way it was explored through Alba’s possession. Chapter 21 has a juicy scene on this, so please look forward to that!

Like the synopsis reveals, Alba ends up confiding in someone she shouldn’t—her fiancé’s cousin, Elías. Although the romance is a subplot and far less prominent when compared to her last novel, Isabel Cañas creates such a compelling romance between the characters that literally had me giddy in anticipation for the next crumb of tension between Alba and Elías. I could write an essay on how I absolutely devour the romance in her novels. Both characters have their own internal struggle that they’re working through and yet come together to fight their demons (literally and figuratively), and are better for it.

With the ability to create beautiful stories with depictions of Mexico’s history and folklore, along with captivating characters and themes, Isabel Cañas has solidified herself as a favorite author of mine. Do yourself a favor and pick up The Possession of Alba Díaz when it’s out August 19th!

I have read all of this author's books, and think this is my favorite so far. I really enjoy the specificity and detail of the historical setting, combined with the more off the wall supernatural elements. The setting really helps ground the story in a way that I think is kind of unique and makes for a very fun read! The ending in particular gets pretty twisty and definitely kept me on my toes. I think her books keep getting better and will read whatever she writes next as well.

The thing I like most about Isabel Canas’ books is that each one gets better. This is the story of a wealthy young Mexican woman who travels to an historic silver mine with her fiancé and family. While there demonic possession and alchemy occur!

Like Canas’ other novels here we see lush writing, a gripping historical setting and a rather epic love story. The worst parts of her previous books (a confusing plot and poor pacing in the first one and an annoying language thing in the second one) are dropped here and the story moves along at a quick clip. The themes are also recognizable from her previous works - exorcism, ghosts - but honed in this one, and much more tightly done. It all unfolded easily and naturally with the finish of a practiced storyteller.

This is my favorite of Canas’ novels so far, improving on themes she’s used with success before. Recommend for lovers of historic novels, historic romance and supernatural/occult themes. Can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

"When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust..."

After loving VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE, I was so excited for this book. A historical fiction with a possession at the center of its story? As someone whose favorite horror movie is THE CONJURING, I was sold.

What I liked: the writing and setting
What didn't work for me: the pacing

Isabel Cañas is a great writer. She is gifted at creating bone-chilling storylines with eerie prose. You want to read all of her books at candlelight with whistling wind noises in the background. Those things shine in this book! Unfortunately, I just found the pacing to be a bit too slow. It takes awhile for things to really get going. I think if some of this was cut out, I would have given it 5 stars.

If you were obsessed with Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and wish she'd write more along that vein (Moreno-Garcia refuses to be tied down by genre), might I suggest Isabel Cañas? All of her books so far offer the historical, Mexico setting and horrific plots found in Mexican Gothic. What takes Cañas to a whole other level is the romances she weaves through her stories. For me, there is nothing better than a compelling romance storyline running alongside a gripping plot.

The Possession of Alba Díaz follows two main characters, Alba and Elías. Both are outcasts due to their heritage and trying to navigate a heavily biased world. Alba does so through subterfuge and an advantageous engagement; Elías through quicksilver. I loved following both of these characters and Cañas did an amazing job building tension and attachment between them. I also thought the way she described the possession, how it appears, how it feels, and the horror of losing one's agency was extremely fascinating and discomforting.

Cañas gets better with every book she writes. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors due to her beautiful writing, compelling characters, and perfect blend of horror and romance.

I would highly recommend this book to people who loved Mexican Gothic and any of Cañas' previous books.

Thank you to Isabel Cañas and Berkley Publishing Group via Netgalley for a free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Isabel Cañas is a beautiful writer, and her characters fascinate and enthrall me. This book was atmospheric and tense, but also romantic and thoughtful in ways that I really enjoyed, and I'll definitely be recommending it to horror readers at my library.

5/5⭐️

🖤📜"I promise I will always be here. Forever."📜🖤"

...are we really surprised I gave this five stars😭?

but seriously, this was amazing. Vampires of El Norte is one of my absolute favorite novels, so I was beyond ecstatic when I saw I got the chance to read an early copy of this new project. Isabel Cañas truly has a talent for weaving tales of delicious gothic-horror with historical mexican roots, and a dash of romance sprinkled throughout. I eat it up every goddamn time.

this book follows the events of, *duh* the possession of Alba, but it also reflects themes of the patriarchy, sexism, and the horrors of colonialism. The consequences that these themes held over women in 1700's Mexico, and that still shine through today. It's a big part of why I enjoy this author's storytelling, because even if it technically is historical fiction, I can always see parts of myself in her characters. It's also a treat to see peeks of Mexican rep and culture too❤️.

ofc now, the romanceeee😩this was a subplot, but when I tell you I was eating up every little crumb that was dropped in each chapter!! This woman KNOWS how to write compassionate, kind, soft MEN😩. I was lowkey in tears over Elías and his miserable POV's, especially the last 20% of the book. The way he was so loyal and understanding and CARING towards Alba was everything and more.

this beaut releases Aug 19th!!

thank you SO much for this arc Netgalley and Berkeley!!💋

Things that I liked: the atmosphere, the writing, the setting, the world building.
The story didn’t work for me personally, but I would recommend it to readers who are fans of gothic/horror romance.

The Possession of Alba Díaz by Isabel Cañas is the story of two types of possession. The juxtaposition of demonic possession alongside the possession of a woman who is given no say in her future choices was so ominously well depicted. I found this parallel to be unique and created depth in the story and characters. I also found the setting of the mysterious silver mine interesting and unsettling.

Thank you to Berkly Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

If you liked Isabel's first book (Hot Priest) and her second book (Hot Vampires), you will love her third book, Hot Demon Possession. I joke--but Isabel Canas once again brings readers what they love: lots of pining. Alba flees a plague with her fiance Carlos, only to fall head over heels for his criminal cousin Elias--but is it love or is it demonic possession? Maybe it's just the vapors, ladies used to get those, and these may be coming from the family's mysterious silver mine, where the cries of children can still be heard. Poor Alba may go insane before she can be exorcised or determine the true nature of her feelings for Elias. A beautiful book. Get possessed!

Thank you NetGalley for the early read.

Thank you to Berkeley Publishing Group for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Posession of Alba Dìaz by Isabel Cañas is a horror story about the eerie possession of a young woman in 18th Mexico. The story follows the titular Alba as she flees to a small mining village to escape an illness in the city and to grow closer to her fiancé’s family. Her fiancé, Carlos, is a choice of convenience, as Alba greatly values her autonomy and fears being controlled by others. This theme will repeat through the story. As Alba begins to show strange signs of posession she also becomes romantically entangled with the mysterious and ostracized cousin of her fiancé.

The good; Cañas, as she has in her other books, is a master of creating lush, detailed settings. Her dedication to crafting a historically accurate setting in 18th century Mexico is really incredible. The details of household goods, meals, and the settings were wonderful and really immerse the reader in the setting.

The author also did do a very good job of creating an eerie and gruesome possession. The details of gaping maws and limbs hanging at odd angles were appropriately gross and horrifying. Some of the descriptions of Alba’s physicality are really horror-film levels of gross.

Unfortunately the book didn’t hit every mark. For example, the book can get sort of bogged down in exposition, especially as it pertains to the family’s financial/social situation and the silver refining process. There really is quite a lot about mining silver and refining it. At the same time there are mentions to alchemy, which are barely touched on, besides giving a scaffolding for why the book comes into play. At a lot of points this books is hurrying up to wait. It takes a lot of patience to get to the exorcisms, or for the things to get started in the first place.

For me, I also found the metaphor about the possession and the social rules Alba is bound by to be heavy handed. It’s a good theme and definitely is applicable, but it’s rather ham fisted. I think it approaches YA levels of earnestness and really would have benefitted from a touch more subtlety.

I am a big fan of Cañas, and count The Hacienda as one of my favorites. They write some of my favorite atmospheric and romantic spooky stories. For me, this didn’t have the same impact as other works in the past. It didn’t have the same tension and sharpness. While I definitely liked reading it, it wasn’t my favorite.

For me it was a 3.5/5 with reservations that if you don’t have a tolerance for slow-burns that this won’t be for you.

Such a sumptuous blend of historical and supernatural horror, the writing was sublime, immersive, poetic and lush, really enjoyed this! Felt like a classic gothic!

4.5- I really enjoyed this book. The language is poetic and lyrical and sucks you right in. The FMC is every woman since the beginning of time who simply wants to belong to herself. The MMC is the flawed hero who is deliciously human and who isn’t the best but tries to be his best. I loved the history interwoven into the story. And I loved the metaphor and nuance that made me think of a classic Poe novel. Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Randomhouse for the chance to read and review this ARC.

Publishes August 19th and follows Alba in 1765 flees with her parents and fiancé to an isolated mine for safety when a plague sweeps through Zacatecas Mexico. Unfortunately, the mine doesn’t provide safety for Alba as she begins experiencing hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions.

I have to admit, I struggled a bit with the business forward plot line centering the quicksilver industry and the highlighting of wealth that takes place in this story.

That being said, I was really on board with the possession storyline and the romantic subplot weaved throughout. I found it tense, eerie, and it kept me engaged.

I loved how the possession worked as a sort of metaphor for the pressures and expectations Alba was enduring from her parents.

The writing was superb, the dark atmosphere was haunting, and overall I thought this was a solid historical fiction gothic horror. I liked it slightly less than the only other book I’ve read by this author - Vampires of El Norte. 3.5 stars

The Possession of Alba Díaz is a chilling blend of historical fiction and supernatural horror. Set against the backdrop of 1765 Mexico, the story follows Alba, whose horrifying symptoms are linked to a demonic force unleashed in a silver mine. As she struggles to maintain her sanity, she must turn to Elías, the last person she should trust.

Isabel Cañas masterfully builds suspense with a rich, atmospheric setting that immerses you in the tension of both the haunting and the forbidden romance. The slow burn of Alba and Elías’s complicated relationship, paired with the ominous threat lurking beneath the surface, keeps you hooked. While some plot developments are predictable, the eerie tone and deepening mystery make for an engrossing read.

A fast-paced and addicting read. From the start the book was engaging and the didn't waste anytime jumping into the overall meat and potatoes of the plot. The characters were interesting and the romance between Alba and Elías was fabulous! I ended up deciding to rate it 4 stars because I felt that some plot points were a bit rushed and I wished would've been explored with a bit more depth. Overall, this was a gripping story of possession that made you root for the main characters!

I received an arc for an honest review.
3.5 stars

Romantically gothic, written with a melancholy storytelling style, The Possession of Alba Diaz was a fascinating horror novel set in 18th century Mexico!

Alba hears whispers that pull her further into the mines and dreams of horror that will evidently come true. Her fight and possession as a whole was compelling but her love interest Elias completed the story with his alluring backstory and charismatic character.

The haunting work and horrific setting held my attention up until the final page in which Isabel ends this story but leaves room for another to begin.