An intriguing and well-written take on the vampire genre. It blends mystery/noir with horror, and features engaging and well-drawn characters. Moreno-Garcia brings the setting to life brilliantly on the page, too. Highly recommended.

Silvia draws out a richly evocative world filled with vampire species from cultures across the globe but none are as fascinating as Atl and her clan. Cyberpunk meets noir in this gripping story of a young vampire trying to salvage what remains of her family with the help of a human and her enhanced dog.

I wanted to love this one so much because so many of my bookstagram friends love it! Unfortunately, I've tried to read it four different times and I can't get past the 30% mark. I think it's time to admit that this one isn't for me. I will say Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing style is beautiful. I just couldn't get into the story and I'm even sure why. It makes me sad.

I really enjoyed this book. The story was interesting and different from what I'm used to, the world-building was intricate and interesting, and the characters were fascinating. There were great elements of horror sprinkled throughout the book, though nothing too overwhelming (which is good for me cuz I'm a scaredy cat). The mythology of the vampires, and especially Atl's people, was such a great exercise in world-building that I immediately wanted more stories set in this world. This was such a fun read that it makes me want to go and pick up another Silvia Morena-Garcia book even if it's about a totally different subject.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh what a cool book this could have been if the many cool ideas it contains had been spun a little further, if there had been a little more plot and substance, a little more depth to the characters. The way it stands, this is a vampire novel that stands out only through its use of mythology and the Latinx cast of characters.

Atl is a vampire, belonging to one of several vampire sub-species/tribes, and she is on the run from the evil vampires (from a different tribe) who killed her family. In Mexico City, which is supposed to be vampire-free as opposed to the rest of the country and maybe even the world, she meets Domingo, a teenage boy who lives on the streets and makes a little money collecting garbage and doing odd jobs here or there. As Domingo loves to read comic books about vampires, he becomes obsessedw ith Atl, the first real one he’s met, and wants to become her servant/errand boy/lover/friend.

Meanwhile, we follow Nick Godoy, son of the vampire who had Atl’s family killed. He is a villain who’s easy to hate because he’s just evil. Unfortunately we don’t get to learn a lot about him as a person, or about his past. All we know is he hates Atl and wants to capture and torture her. Because he that’s his idea of fun. Not a very well-written villain, as stories go, but at least you don’t have to examine the blurry lines between good and evil while reading this book.
Lastly, there are a few human characters in addition to Domingo whose perspective made this book a lot more interesting. Ana Aguirre is a cop who has fought her fair share of vampires in her day. Rodrigo, on the other hand, works tighly with Nick and is more familiar with the criminal underbelly of Mexico City. Not only do these two provide some much-needed fleshing out of the world, but it was almost refreshing to follow a character who doesen’t revere vampires but rather fears them.

I was entertained enough while reading this book but in almost every single chapter, there were instances where I thought to myself “This has so much potential! Why not do something with it?”. First of all, the setting of Mexico City. I have never been there so I would have appreciated at least some description of the characters’ surroundings. And even if I grant you that this book wasn’t written for me specifically, and you don’t have to describe every tree or building that your characters pass in the story, there’s no argument against creating atmosphere. Which was sadly lacking here.

The world building is very basic and by that I don’t just mean the actual physical world our characters inhabit. The interesting aspect of this vampire novel is that it doesn’t offer the same old tired tropes we know from all those European vampire stories we know. Atl isn’t plae, she has no problem going out into the sun, and she doesn’t have fangs. But Atl’s type of vampire isn’t the only one! While we get glimpses or one-liners about what others there are, I would have loved to eplore them more and to see this bit of world bulding incorporated into the actual story, rather than just be exposition. The world didn’t feel lived-in or real, is what it comes down to.

The characters are similarly pale with the protagonist Domingo remaining one-dimensional throughout the entire book. Domingo isn’t even a person except in his relation to Atl, the vampire he meets and gets immediately obsessed with, only to immediately fall in eternal love with her. All he wants is be near her, help her, kiss her. Any agency he does have comes from his want to serve Atl. The only thing that makes him endearing is his naivete and his unquenchable optimism. So brownie points for that.
Atl has a backstory, of which we learn a little, but you guessed it, I would have liked a bit more.

This isn’t a big book at 350 pages and I don’t often say this but an extra 100 pages really would have done it a world of good. Then again, the beginning of the book was almost only exposition, mostly Atl explaining the world of vampires to Domingo, and the plot itself is super thin as it is. Girl comes to town, finds herself a willing little helper, girl wants to leave town. She meets with a few people, there is one confrontation, decisions are made. The end.

I still think Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a writer to watch,but I am also becoming more and more convinced that her earlier books weren’t quite ready yet. Or, to say it differently, if she wrote a book about Mexican vampires now, after having written something as fantastic as Mexican Gothic, it would be a much stronger book. I still want to read some of her backlist, but for the next book I’ll choose her latest, Velvet was the Night.

MY RATING:6/10 – Good-ish

Well that was fun - and is at that as someone who was happy to see vampires’ influence on fiction wane for the last few years. Surprisingly, I really liked this.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a very, widely inventive author and no two of her books are even somewhat similar. This is narcos and vampires and Aztec culture. Refreshing and dark doesn’t feel like a retread of every supernatural book ever. I will say I found the villain is a bit one-dimensional and the the cop POV to be unnecessary. This was a fun, fast and good time.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

I must say I am enjoying the writing of Silvia. She always grips me from beginning to end. The writing was amazing, the history was fun, the mythology was well explained and the characters intrigued me well enough. I loved Atl and Domingo's relationship and bond. They were such a comical pair to me. The plot still has me iffy, but I overall enjoyed this story.

Initial reaction: Highly engaging and original story. Probably one of my favorite vampire stories. 4.5 stars overall.

Full review:

I remember back in 2016 when I first read Silvia Moreno-Garcia's "Certain Dark Things" that I was blown away by how rich the writing, worldbuilding, and characterization were in this action-packed novel. Even as I revisit the novel today in a different format (audiobook, which was very well narrated by Dan Bittner), I'm still left feeling with a sense of wonder and wanting to dive more into this universe while following the characters and the vision of Mexico and Mexico City depicted here. I wish that this story (now out of print) would be brought back into circulation so that more people could have the chance to experience this for themselves. It's one of the most original and fascinating vampire novels I've read in a long time.

To build a bit of background, in this universe vampires are real and they have been discovered since the 1970s, living and thriving in different parts of Mexico. There are many different types of vampire groups, many of whom you do not want to cross in the wrong path whether you're human or vampire, especially since they are in rival gangs with their own motivations and alliances. Domingo, a sweet, naive, but well meaning protagonist, is a clumsy human who happens to cross paths one fateful night with Atl in Mexico City. Atl is descended from Aztec vampires and walks her own path with her dog Cualli, only really seeing Domingo as a means to an end at first, but she keeps him around. Technically, vampires are banned inside Mexico City, so Atl keeps a low profile, but the two of them meeting sets off an unlikely camaraderie which leads the two into a whirlwind of trouble while crossing paths with rival vampire gangs. Atl's journey is especially heavy as she's on the run from those who want to capture or kill her. She persistently seeks aid after a tragedy befalling her family and left not knowing whom she can trust. Domingo follows her and her dog willingly, fascinated by her intrigue and wanting to know more about her, but ends up learning more than he thought he would about the underground workings of the narco-vampire gangs.

This book is written in third person, and follows a colorful cast of characters which I enjoyed watching. Ana was another character I enjoyed following, a cop who endures a lot of difficult circumstances in the pursuit of several crimes committed by the vampire gangs and her determination to discover the truth of things. Nick, one of the antagonists of the novel, is truly sinister and hell bent on capturing/killing Atl for his own reasons, yet I also found myself following his perspective to see how events would unfold through the novel.

One caveat of "Certain Dark Things" I found overall was the open nature of the ending, which made me think there could be more stories down the line in this universe given the fate of some of the characters (others...not so much considering they meet some pretty brutal ends). If there's a chance of that happening, I would love to follow it, since the action scenes were strong, the characterizations were solid, the building of the different groups of vampires, their lore and history were very well drawn, and it felt like a solid entry in urban fantasy that I wanted to revisit long after I put the book down.

Definitely glad to have this as a part of my library and I look forward to reading more of Moreno-Garcia in the future. For me, it was a wonderful introduction to her work.

Overall score: 4.5/5 stars.

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley from the publisher. I also purchased a copy of the book in audio.

3.5 stars ~ subject to change

Having read Moreno-Garcia’s The Beautiful Ones, I was once again struck by the gorgeous prose and the feeling of sinking into the world that Certain Dark Things brought to me. The vampire lore and different subspecies and their respective characteristics was so interesting, as well as the hint we get at the past history of vampires. Reading vampire novels can be fun but often support themselves with the usual lore so being given this refreshing twist of non-eurocentric vampires was delightful. I also must commend how dark and violent these vampires are and how the non-relationship between humans and vampires is depicted in bold strokes by the author. The characters themselves were all interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed how they crisscrossed each other, especially the events leading to the finale and epilogue. The only reason I’m not giving this a higher rating is honestly it’s me not you situation, since I didn’t grow as sentimentally attached to the characters as I wanted to be, but still top notch vampire novel.

The sky is blue, Trump is a Russia-capitulating piece of orange garbage, and I love vampire books. All of those are facts that will never change. So Certain Dark Things was right on my radar despite it being out of my comfort zone. I’m not that into adult urban fantasy/paranormal, you know? It’s something I read only on rare occasions. #ownvoices stuff is a different story, though.

The worldbuilding is complex and varied, but you can still boil it down into a quick pitch: the world discovered vampires as a separate species in the 1960s and Mexico is one of the only countries they haven’t been banned or ejected from. Atl, survivor of the massacre that killed off much of her family, is a bird-like Aztec subspecies of vampire and Domingo is the homeless guy who gets caught up in her business. The events that follow are well-paced and sure to keep readers from going anywhere before they finish reading.

Atl and Domingo make for a great leading duo–he’s soft-hearted but street-smart, she’s the cynical former party girl with a vicious modified Doberman–and they’re layered characters on their own as well. Domingo kinda won my heart because he’s so sweet. A little naive and eager to help Atl any way he can, he quickly becomes attached to her after she picks him out as her next meal. It’s just nice not to have some super-masculine butt-kicker guy for once.

The weakness of the novel lies in Ana, the hardened cop who gets swept up in the search for Atl via the (human) gang that comes to her for help. Having killed vampires before where she used to live, Ana is the best choice to help the gang “take care” of Atl and the vampires coming to Mexico City in pursuit of her. Ana endures a deluge of unsurprising sexism from other cops and calls it out, even if it’s only in her head, and her character was just as well-written as Atl and Domingo. Without revealing much, the conclusion of Ana’s part in the story is rather unsatisfactory.

But perhaps the most satisfying thing is leaving antagonist Nick’s point of view after being there for a bit. He is AWFUL. It’s a family thing that brings him to Mexico City in pursuit of Atl, but he’s got his own grudge against her because she outright rejected him when the two encountered one another once. He’s that guy. His point of view is a bit necessary, but switching back to someone else’s POV made me happy, as did bad things happening to him. See: a good portion of his face being blown off by a gun.

If Moreno-Garcia one day returns to the paranormal alt-history world she built throughout Certain Dark Things, I’m all for it. With quite a few vampire species mentioned but otherwise left unexplored, there’s plenty to come back to and expand on with new characters and stories. Even if that never happens, Certain Dark Things is a strong standalone tale that will make you hunger for more vampires. The end of the YA paranormal trend did a number on the adult paranormal market as well and darn it, I love vampires. BRING ON THE FANGS.

Really a great book.Action-packed from start to finish (probably a little too non-stop and streamlined), it's an addicting read in a very interesting setting with some really great character work. Our main protagonists, Atl and Domingo, are interesting, nuanced and unexpected. I wasn't sure about the writing quality for the first couple chapters; it seemed a little unseasoned. But by the end, I don't know if the author just got into a groove and became more assured throughout the book, or I just got used to the writing, or my first impression was wrong, because I did not end up feeling that way.

I was lucky enough to get an advanced reading copy of Moreno-Garcia’s Certain Dark Things. Yes, it’s about vampires, but not as Hollywood—or even other bloodsucker literature— has portrayed them: with Aztec heritage. Atl is a Tlāhuihpochtlin, the last of a clan of matriarchal vamps from the pre-Spanish colonization of Mexico able to take on an avian aspect. Her family slaughtered by a rival clan, Atl’s mission is to escape capture and finally make her way out of Mexico. Weak from a lack of food when the young, vampire-obsessed Domingo happens by, he’s a distraction she doesn’t need.

At first.

The first thing I noticed was the novel’s style. Vamp novels are notorious for trying too hard: creating monumental back story, elaborate and labyrinthine class systems, and flashbacks for your life—some that last up to a quarter of the book. Certain Dark Things is not that vampire novel.

It feels modern, but with just enough of a head nod to history so we’re grounded in why these characters are as we read them now. Sure, there are various vampire strains, but their differences aren’t the crux of the story. At its core, Certain Dark Things is a tale of woman (er, vampire) against self—her internal battle to determine if she’s the same person she was then. “Then” meaning the time when she made the most integral decision of her life. Or has she changed?

And if she’s changed, can her life be different?

I appreciate that Moreno-Garcia isn’t gentle with her characters. She puts them through it: physical and mental anguish, regret, loss of life and limb. I rooted for her on her journey as she raced around Mexico City, deciding who to trust, healing some ancient wounds, and creating new ones.

In her sophomore effort, Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to provide a refreshing and unique view into a world that’s not stranger to fiction: vampires. These fresh takes on old tropes live and die by Garcia’s excellent voice and sharp characterization throughout. Action-packed, endlessly fascinating, and thorough in its world building; it won’t be easy for readers to not devour what is hopefully the first of many books in this enthralling version of a Mexico teeming with wonderfully realized predators.
In CERTAIN DARK THINGS, streetwise Domingo finds out his comic books may not be as accurate as he assumed when he meets Atl, a vampire with ties to Mexico’s ancient history, comes into his life. Unwittingly drafted to be Atl’s companion and protector, Domingo is soon knee deep in a war between vampires, the police, and rival street gangs—on the run for his life with a woman who may only see him as her next meal.

When I first heard of Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, it was on Twitter, where Naz was raving about it. I trust his recommendations, and the description of the book was intriguing, so when I had an opportunity to get an ARC on Netgalley, I took it. I am glad I did, because this book truly brings vampires back and how!
The novel is set in Mexico City, which has now become a city-state walled off from the rest of Mexico. Mexico itself is a haven for many species of vampires who are fleeing from other parts of the world with stricter regulations. Mexico City, however, unlike the rest of Mexico doesn't take well to them, and is a dangerous place for a vampire.

Into such a vampire city, arrives Atl, a Tlahuihpochtli (a species of vampire, native to Mexico), who is on the run from a gang of Necros (another vampire species), which murdered her entire family. Her genetically modified Doberman is her only companion. She is seeking a way out of Mexico, and during her efforts to do so she meets Domingo, a young man who makes a living by picking garbage for a rag and bone man. Domingo becomes her familiar of sorts--both her source of nourishment and a person to help her in her quest. The rest of the book follows a pretty predictable arc, and to reveal any more here would be spoiling it.

The very first thing that comes to mind about what I loved about this book, is the world-building. The presence of vampires of multiple ethnicities, the attitude of different countries towards them etc, are a subtle nod to the existing political climate. This world feels real enough to be ours, and this was genius on the author’s part. At the very end of the book is a list of the different vampire species and the differences and similarities between them–this section is as good as the main story itself!

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has created characters that are layered and fleshed out. They are wonderfully and believably flawed, and the reader roots for them. I especially appreciate how she has turned stereotypes around by having a relatively sensitive and innocent man and a pretty bad ass heroine. And yet, Domingo’s sensitivity is not a weakness, and Atl’s pride doesn’t prevent her from seeking help when she needs it. Atl and Domingo balance each other beautifully, and their interactions definitely are a highlight of the book.

I personally felt the pace lagged a bit in the beginning, but just as I was wondering if the story would go somewhere, the pace picked up. Once it did, it was a quick, unputdownable read!

There are a lot of things to love about this book. It is a wonderfully refreshing look at vampire lore, and the genre as a whole. I encourage everyone to go read it.


FTC disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for this honest review.

https://thereadingdesk.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/book-review-certain-dark-things/

Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a surprising and beautifully written novel of horror and darkness that will drawn you into its bloody and visceral world and remind you of how seductive and deadly vampires were before they were turned into glittery boy-band wannabees. Intricately researched, Moreno-Garcia brings the ancient lore and forgotten legends of Mesoamerican vampires into the dim light of modern day.

"...I'm not what you think I am.'
Atl looked at him as she fished out two tea bags and closed the tin. She grabbed a pad of lined notepaper that was attached to the refrigerator. It had smiley kittens on it. He knew it wasn't hers; it was probably the relic of a previous tenant. She wasn't a smiley kitten girl, that was for sure.
'No, man, no, I wasn't saying, you know. Just in case, I-'
'I'm a Tlahuihpochtli..."

It is Mexico City, in poverty and hunger, Domingo makes his way collecting garbage and trading and selling what he can to survive, when he stumbles upon a beautiful woman. Domingo follows her and he can tell that she is hurt and afraid of being seen. When he comes to her aid, she seems to make a decision. Inviting him up to her rooms she reveals herself.

She is a vampire, but not any normal kind, she is a royal descendant of an ancient bloodline of Aztec blood drinkers and she is being hunted. In the world of vampires, there is a war waging and Atl is the last of her family. She needs to escape from South America but she is alone and trapped in Mexico City. She is weak from her wounds and against her better judgement, confides in the street urchin, Domingo.

Mexico City is considered a vampire free zone. Atl is not only in danger from the rival Vampire clan, but there is the police and a vigilante group that is bent on ridding the world of vampires. Time is running out and Domingo is Atl's only hope.

"...Are you hungry?' Domingo asked her.
'Maybe,' she admitted.
'You can have some of my blood. I don't mind.'
Atl pressed a hand against her chest, pausing and carefully considering her options.
'Domingo, would you like it if we were friends?'
'For real?'
'Yes. But being my friend is a bit different.'
'I'll bet it's different,' he said, smiling goofily, his crooked teeth showing.
'No, it's not just the blood.'
'Then what?'
'It's a bond. You'd be my tlapalehuiani,' she moved closer to him, brushing his hand. 'Bloodletting was very important to the Aztecs, did you know that..."

Vampires, gangsters and cops all come to the gritty and dark streets of Mexico City to hunt Atl and Domingo. Can they get out alive?

Certain Dark Things is a vampire novel of the kind that has not been written for years. There is no doe eyed young adult romance here. There is no elitist vampire creature that is dressed in long cloaks and walking among the rich and famous. No these creatures the vampires of ancient myth and folklore, dressed uncomfortably in the garb of modern day. They war and kill and hunt. But among themselves they fight for power. This is the Godfather, but these families of evil are far more dangerous and cruel than any mobsters could ever be. Mexico City is transformed through the eyes of Domingo into a surreal world that is more reminiscent to the world that was The Blade Runner. It is dank and dark and without hope. But hope is all these two have as the fight for survival.

Domingo is an amazing character. His love for Atl is that of a puppy far more than a paramour. He is in love with her and what she is. At her side he doesn't find power, he finds courage as he battles against the life that has held him down in the gutters of Mexico City. His love and devotion to the vampire is that of a servant and a lover. But there is something of the hero in him. A sense that in his heart he has waited his whole life for such a challenge. Such a quest. He is far more Don Quixote than Renfield.

Atl is very complex. She in turn uses Domingo for her own needs and then protects him. Not allowing herself to feel anything but the loss and grief of her murdered family. She knows she must survive if what is left of her people has a chance. Still the opportunity to wreak vengeance for her family threatens to keep her in a city that begins to close in around her.

Certain Dark Things is a beautifully written tale. Well plotted and the writing is a cadence of horror and poetry. This is the first book by Moreno-Garcia I have ever read but it will not be the last. I am intrigued to find out what else she has to offer.

A very good read.

Certain Dark Things:
Vampires and drug trafficking in an alternative Mexico


I discovered Certain Dark Things in the most unusual way. I was talking to Lavie Tidhar when he mentioned the project he was working on, The Jewish Mexican Literary Review, the magazine he publishes with Mexican-Canadian Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I had the opportunity to ask her some questions, which I’m going to share with you in this review. When I inquired about the magazine, she replied: “I call it an avant-garde zine. It’s something I run together with Lavie Tidhar. I believe he called it… maybe he said it was a punk or underground zine? It’s just something we do for fun, a compilation of prose, poetry, interviews with artists. If we were in the 90s it’s the kind of thing we would have photocopied and stapled together and given away at grungy little venues. It speaks to the rebellious little shitheads in both of us. Anyway, check it out. It’s free.”

The first thing that caught my attention from this Canadian author was the fact that she writes exclusively in English. She told me that, for the time being, writing in Spanish was not an option. “No. For two reasons. By the time I started writing seriously I had already moved to Canada. I was very far away from Mexico. It didn’t seem convenient (especially at the time, it was 2006 and many magazines were still reading manuscripts and stories that came by mail). So it only made sense to write in the local language. Plus, I really enjoy English and the challenge of handling it because it was not, it’s not my first language. I want to improve my French at some point and get it up to the same level. Anyway, so there was that. Then there is the reality that there is no one interested in my work in a Spanish speaking country. There are no speculative fiction publishers or important magazines in Mexico. I have had two stories translated into Spanish, both for anthologies edited by Federico Shaffler called Teknochtitlán. This last one can be downloaded for free online and the Arts and Culture ministry of the state of Tamaulipas sponsored it. And that’s the way it goes. There is no commercial publishing of speculative fiction. It seems to be the same in other parts of Latin America, and even in Spain. Books are translated from English to Spanish but there is very little local talent being fostered. So then the few people writing in Spanish have to turn to one of the few, small publishers or have to self-publish, which is a big commitment because if you self-publish you are having to run a small business.
I’ve had no queries from publishers to translate my novels into Spanish, so I also don’t know there’s much interest in my work. In general, I think editorials want a sure thing in translation and whatever cool cache I’ve accumulated because my novels have had some critical acclaim (NPR best of the year list, Locus finalist, British Fantasy finalist, etc.) I don’t think that’s nearly enough to make people terribly interested in me. It is what it is, I’m lucky to have sold a few novels in any language. I have translated several stories for projects I have edited (yes, I’m an editor, too) and toyed with the idea of a magazine that translates fiction in Spanish to English, or some sort of bilingual compendium, but this would be an enormous expense. I couldn’t undertake it. Maybe one day.”

I was curious about this writer’s writings and so I read Signal to Noise, a fantasy novel about ancient magic, music, teenage years and the awakening of love. I was surprised by its rhythm and good prose. Lavie already had talked to me about Silvia’s next thing, Certain Dark Things. So, when he mentioned the word “Narcovampires” I did not stop until reading it.

I was very curious about the genesis of this story: “The trouble with me is I don’t keep organized notes”, explains Moreno-Garcia. “Since I work a full-time job I’m often working on fiction at weird moments. So I’ll be eating a hamburger during lunch and scribble something on a napkin. There are several instances where I got home and I couldn’t read a word because it had ketchup on it. And my notes are pretty frantic, too. So I don’t recall the exact genesis of many things. Certain Dark Things grew out of a short story I sold to a vampire anthology called Evolve 2. I’ve done a bunch of vampire stories with different approaches (“Stories with Happy Endings” has a Mexican reporter interviewing a vampire, “A Handful of Earth” is about Dracula’s brides, etc.). I was born in the border zone in Mexico, right next to the US, and that’s where there’s been a lot of narco crime in the past few years so I think it grew out of that. I think it was just a way to channel my anxieties about my birth country. Vampires are a lot less menacing than criminals, than poverty, than drug addiction. But as for was there a particular moment when I said “there are gangs,” it’s just blurry. The story really began for me when Domingo sees Atl in the subway, just an image, and then come all the questions. Who are they? Where are they going? What are they thinking? Sometimes it’s an image, sometimes it’s a line, it’s the hook that gets you going.”

The way Moreno-Garcia fits fantasy into every day life in a natural and credible manner is fascinating. About this, the author says, “I write in a variety of genres, not just fantasy. It just happened that my first few novels could be called fantasy, although they tend to overlap with other categories (Certain Dark Things has been called a cyberpunkish novel). It’s more evident in my short fiction that I don’t just use one ‘language’ because I go from horror to science fiction to anything in between. I’m actually moving away from speculative fiction right now and into crime writing in the next few years. I feel an affinity for fantasy due to my childhood and my exposure to folklore and oral storytelling but it’s not my sole focus. On the other hand, I like realist fiction very much. I like character studies. I like magic realism, which blurs boundaries. And all of this means I have an interest in the mundane and the strange things you find in the mundane. Which are multiple and many.”

The author introduces the novel through the character of Domingo, a drifting youngster surviving in the streets of Mexico City. His terrible personal story has not stripped him of certain innocence, and of the capacity to perceive the positive around him. His encounter with Atl, member of the Tlähuihpochtin, a matriarchal clan of Aztec females vampires, will change his life, making him discover from within the world of vampire families that control part of the drug trafficking.

Moreno-Garcia sets the story in an alternative present in which vampires are known to the world, and in which some countries have chosen to close their borders to them. In this context vampires are a different species than humans, and while humankind considers them very dangerous because of their enhanced mental and physical capacities, vampires despise humans because of their weaknesses. I think the novel reflects about xenophobia in a bidirectional way. “I’m in general more interested in intra-community conflict and issues of class and poverty. There are some scattered thoughts about colonialism in the book, but I don’t think it’s my Big Xenophobia Book. I have a Master’s degree in Science and Technology Studies and the focus of my research was eugenic science in the early 20th century. It’s been interesting watching the rhetoric in the US these days because a lot of that is an exact reproduction of dialogue and thoughts about racial groups, which were in vogue in the early 20th century. I could copy and paste words from famous eugenicists of the time and you would have a hard time knowing if Trump said it or it was someone one hundred years ago. The same fears are certainly there, the same ways of wording them persist. So at some point I feel I will write a novel, which focuses on that. I have a title for it (Villautopia) and a blurry outline. There was a novel in 1919 by a Mexican writer called Eugenia, which had eugenicist themes and in that book everyone lives in Villautopia. That would be the big Xenophobia Book. But I don’t know when I would work on it. But because of my research and my general interests it is very likely that some of the stuff I was exploring and had to do with eugenics slipped into the vampire book. So you may just be seeing my subconscious more clearly than I am right now.”

The author reinvents the vampire myth, enriching it with Aztec, Mexican and other cultural traditions’ references. “I don’t like writing series. I get bored writing in the same genre, never mind the same universe. The novel was bought as a stand-alone and I doubt the publisher might be interested in a sequel, I’ve certainly heard nothing of that sort. My next few books deal with other stuff so a sequel is not in the near future. It doesn’t mean I wouldn’t write another book in that world, but right now it’s not my priority and even if I did it wouldn’t be a series. There are too many topics that interest me for me to lock myself into one. I’ve written stories which reference Prehispanic cultures before. In this case, it seemed a natural fit. Aztec thought was concerned with notions of sacrifice, blood, life, battle and renewal. I thought it made a good background element for the character of Atl.”

Each vampire family displays different abilities: some are shape-shifters, others can alter the will of those around them, there are even some who can have food or can exposed themselves to sun light, etc. In a certain way, I believe the author is able to built a more updated and less idealized version of the myth, much less romantic than some modern takes, but far more interesting. The relationship of mutual dependency between Domingo and Atl help us understand the power struggles among vampire clans, the inaction of corrupt police, and the self-interested intervention of drug cartels. This novel is an interesting canvas of the organized crime scene in big cities. Apart from having a notorious world building, this story it is an urban fantasy full of adventures and local culture references. The end seemed to me especially well chosen, the only one that could offer a closure without falling into a predictable solution.

This novel could be interpreted as a YA book (the main characters are young, it is the story of the becoming of an age, secondary characters serve as guides or helpers…). Nevertheless, the violence and the uncompromised language makes this book, in my opinion, an adult one.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia also shared her future plans: “My novel The Beautiful Ones is out October 2017. I call it a novel of manners with a fantasy element. My agent has my next novel on his desk. It’s called Lords of Xibalba and deals with Mayan gods in 1920s Mexico. I’m hoping he can sell that. And right now I’m one third of the way through a science fiction novella called Prime Meridian. Which I also hope to sell. And after that I’m taking a year off to do some research and reading for my next novel, which is going to be a crime book with no fantastic elements set in the 1990s.”

Aztec blood drinkers, narco-vampires, a plucky street kid turned familiar all round out this entertaining paranormal read. Atl is a member of an ancient Aztec blood drinking family. On the run from some murderous narco-vampires, she finds herself stranded in the city, where her kind are not allowed. Enlisting the help of Domingo, a street kid, she finds herself growing closer to him despite her need to stay unattached.

Aztec vampire aristocrat is on the run from nouveau riche vampire dudebro, teams up with homeless teen in Mexico City. Oh, and she also has a deadly, modified doberman as her sidekick.

I'm a sucker for original world-building, and while this book doesn't read like your typical YA-fare (it's more like a mix of horror/crime novel with a bit of YA romance thrown in) I found it to be a fast, compulsive read that had me wishing it wasn't a stand-alone book.