| Title | : | Certain Dark Things |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250785588 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250785589 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | First published October 25, 2016 |
| Awards | : | Locus Award Best Horror Novel (2017) |
Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.
Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn't include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.
Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?
Certain Dark Things Reviews
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Warning: I don't know why people on Goodreads insist on classifying this as YA, but it's an adult novel. One of the five POVs is from a 17 year old (Domingo), but the other POVs are two people in their twenties and two people in their fifties. Plus, it's a violent neo-noir.
For people who only know me for Mexican Gothic, I should warn you all my books tend to straddle different genres and have a very different feel for one another. This is a neo-noir set in an alternate Mexico City. As such, it bears little resemblance to Mexican Gothic or vampire romances. It's violent, gritty, and faithful to the spirit of la novela negra.
Update: 3/21: Cover revealed and excerpt available:
https://nightworms.com/blogs/news/exc...
Update 11/20: Review copies are available via Netgalley:
https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/boo...
Update 08/2020: Skeletal page for new edition with a few order links functional:
https://us.macmillan.com/books/978125...
Update: Happy to say Certain Dark Things, which has been out of print for a while now, will come out in a new edition courtesy of Tor in 2021. See announcement here:
https://tornightfire.com/announcing-t...
People e-mail me several times a month asking where they can buy Certain Dark Things, so I figured I'd leave this message here: it's out of print. You can't buy it. Some libraries might have old copies. Sorry and check out there rest of my catalogue. -
Certain Dark Things is not just another vampire novel. Set in Mexico City, the novel imagines an alternate present in which the discovery of vampires' existence in the 1970s has fundamentally reshaped the world of the 21st Century. Mexico City has become a closed nation city, leaving the rest of the country at the mercy of powerful vampire gangs who fight for territory against each other and the humans. And it's not just one kind of vampire. Vampires from every culture in the world -- dozens of subspecies -- have fled to Mexico because it has some of the least restrictive laws against blood-suckers. This is not great news for the native vampires of Mexico -- bird-winged blood drinkers who have existed since the time of the Aztecs. One of these, a beautiful young woman named Atl, flees to Mexico City when her Northern Mexico clan is destroyed by a rival gang of Necros (a horrifying European species that can control humans with a single bite and whose blood is poison to other vampires). With only her faithful dog Cualli and a young street boy Domingo, Atl must try to find a way out of the country while pursued by both Necros and human gangs who refuse to tolerate any vampires on their turf. I loved the premise of this book! Throwing vampire myths from so many cultures together was right down my alley. If you like vampire books but would appreciate some . . . er, fresh blood . . . this is a fast-paced read that breathes fresh life into the genre.
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**3.5-stars**
Originally published in October 2016, Certain Dark Things has recently been rereleased by Tor Nightfire with this splendid new cover!!
With vampire fiction making a bit of a resurgance and Silvia Moreno-Garcia, justly, gaining in popularity, I believe it was a smart decision.
I knew the second I saw this cover that I had to get my hands on it. The beautiful woman, the dog, the colors...
This noir-style story takes place in an alternate version of Mexico City, where vampires are real and everyone knows it. Please note, we're talking the dangerous, brutal kind of vampires, not the sparkling, romantic ones.
We love to see it.
Domingo is a street-kid who collects garbage to make ends meet. When he spies Atl, the most beautiful girl ever, he is immediately drawn to her.
As much as she tries to resist, Atl eventually succumbs to Domingo's charm. Atl is on the run. She has many dangerous people looking for her and Domingo insists on helping; even though he is clueless to the ins-and-outs of the vampire world.
Alt and Domingo must pair up to fight their enemies and attempt to escape to freedom.
There's a gritty texture to this entire story. It's violent and dangerous. I really enjoyed the overall idea and the setting; particularly, how humans and vampires live side-by-side.
For me, I feel like I needed it to be built out more to become fully invested however. It felt quite surface-level, which is fine. It's a good story with solid world creation, but for me, I would need a little more substance before I could say that I really enjoyed it.
With this being said, it is a quick, fun read, quite atmopsheric and I think a lot of Readers will have fun with it. I do think it is a very solid example of Moreno-Garcia's style. I'm a fan!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I really appreciate it!
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4ish stars.
Really a great book, especially considering it's a vampire book. Don't get me wrong, the reason I don't like vampire books isn't because of the campiness or the shimmering in the light, it's because of the blood. I can't handle blood. Typing the word blood is making me light-headed. Drinking blood and the teeth in the neck and the words 'veins' and 'arteries,' stakes piercing through hearts blech blech blech blech. This book has made me like vampires. In spite of the blood (of which there is ample amount).
Moreno-Garcia has created a unique universe. In it there are different sub-species of vampires, seemingly grounded in the many existing cultural takes on the vampire legend. Our main heroine, Atl, happens to belong to a tribe with ties back to the ancient Aztec Empire. She's unlike any vampire I've come across in a really cool way.
Action-packed from start to finish (probably a little too non-stop gas-on-the-pedal), it's an addicting read in an interesting setting with some 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 (this is only Moreno-Garcia’s second novel). 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'd love to read more stories in this universe. -
I think this is a pass for me.
Domingo is a seventeen year-old who lives on the streets, getting by by being invisible and selling useful garbage. One night on the subway, he encounters Atl, an Nahautl (Aztec) woman who seems to be about his age, and her dog. She's on the run from Rodrigo, who is set on hunting down Atl and her family. It's a forward time, or perhaps a parallel time, when the world knows about vampires, and there are genetically modified dogs and such, so it isn't a surprise to Domingo when he discovers Atl is a member of an obscure group of beings that are more like birds of prey than night-vampires.
I read for quite a bit into the story, hoping for some of the fun and folklore of
Gods of Jade and Shadow, but this feels like a very early blueprint. Dark Things takes itself quite seriously, without much humor to lessen all the feels. Domingo, who had been drifting, suddenly finds a purpose and becomes quite serious. Atl is fighting for her life; she's quite serious. Rodrigo and his henchmen are serious. It's all very plotty and angsty, and it's mostly about Domingo falling hard for Atl and Atl having multiple thoughts about what she's doing, and the people trying to harm her having harmful thoughts. See? Angsty.
Narrative takes viewpoints from all three. I did enjoy what we had of Atl's viewpoint, because it was more of a glimpse into pre-Spanish conquistador folklore. Later the narrative includes that of Nick, the violent vampire hunting Atl and member of Rodrigo's team that actually hates him (angsty again).
I think if you enjoy paranormal vampire stories, and how these things come about, and drama of vampire politics and the like, it's not a bad book. It isn't as snappy as
Gods of Jade and Shadow in action or dialogue, but it isn't bad. I started skimming because while I cared what happened to Atl and Domingo, I fast lost interest in the mechanations of what was going on with the various conflicts. I read ahead to the ending, and for the animal-friends, Just really not my thing. But hey! Another one off the TBR list. Yay, me! -
HUZZAH!
Certain Dark Things is being resurrected and republished in trade paperback 2021!
Read about it
HERE. -
One of my favorite things about Silvia Moreno-Garcia is probably something that frustrates a number of readers: when you pick up one of her books you’re never sure what you’re gonna get. This is my fifth book from the author and it’s been interesting to see the range she has when it comes to setting, tone, plot and characters.
The biggest divergence from her other other works I’ve read is that Certain Dark Things is set in modern day, with the rest taking place during different eras in Mexican history. The story primarily follows Atl, a Tlāhuihpochtli vampire on the run in Mexico City, and Domingo, a human who’s just trying to get by on his own. The moment they meet Domingo knows that Atl is something special, and the two of them form a bond despite their differences. But what Domingo doesn’t yet know is that Atl is being hunted—by another vampire clan known as Necros, as well as the local authorities. She’s going to need to trust him with not just her secrets, but with her life, if they both are going to get out of Mexico City alive.
I feel as though at this point we have been exposed to a fair amount of vampire content. We’ve seen sparkly ones, horny teenage vamps, ones that live in abandoned castles, but for the most part they’ve all been based on the European standard for vampires. As Moreno-Garcia elaborates on in the afterword and glossary at the back of the book, the vampire mythos is truly a global one, with cultures and societies all over the world having their own takes on the same predatory blood-sucker. In Certain Dark Things, the author grants them all equal space, with each version being a separate vampire subspecies native to different areas. This was by far my favorite element of the book, and though not feasible based on the story she was trying to tell, I kept hoping we would see appearances from even more variants.
As for everything else, I thought the story was engaging and interesting. There’s enough action to where you don’t have to drag yourself through it, even if the plot is a little formulaic. Atl’s and Domingo’s backstories were trickled out to the reader, although I wish she had gone a little deeper into the characterizations. I think the ending made sense for the direction the rest of the book went in, but I could see some people finding it unsatisfying. Overall I’d say this is a middle of the pack book of Moreno-Garcia’s, where I’d love the see more of this world, if not necessarily with the same characters.
*Thanks to Tor Nightfire for an advance review copy!
**For more book talk & reviews,
follow me on Instagram at @elle_mentbooks! -
What a treat! This was a fabulous vampire book. Admittedly I'm biased because I enjoy a good vampire story, but even if you're not usually a fan, I would still recommend this one. It's original and with the exception of Fevre Dream by George R. Martin, is the best I've read.
This is a modern take on gang war-fare in Mexico City. The main character, Atl, is a young vampire on the run from a different vampire sub species and gang. What is fascinating, as other reviewers have established, is the details to which Moreno-Garcia goes into about the different subspecies of vampire. I particularly liked the Aztec bird-based species to which the main character belongs.
The other main character Domingo, human, is touchingly portrayed along with his complicated relationship with Atl.
I enjoyed everything about this story. It was truly excellent. I'm not usually a reader of glossaries, but for any vampire geeks out there, this glossary has lots of fascinating details about all the different vampire types and their habits.
Do you know the difference between a wendigo, a revenant, an obayifo or a Necros for example? The glossary is a work of art in its own right...and so assured in tone that I found myself questioning whether this was a 'fantasy' novel at all!
If you want something different from your next vampire fix...something less European vanilla.....look no further my vampire loving friends.
Recommended. -
Was 3.75 but that ending rounded it up to a 4. You know I like when an author makes that specific choice.
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I think this had the unfortunate luck of coming directly after another 3 star read for me. Halfway through I just didn't have the patience for it anymore. It isn't particularly bad, but I just didn't enjoy most of it.
The setting was fabulous and very well done. It's set in Mexico City, exploring the darker, dirtier corners of the city: the subway tunnels, warehouses where dog fights take place, poor apartment complexes, heck she even takes us to a landfill. The feeling and tone were perfect.
I just wish she'd given us a story and characters to match. I didn't really connect with any of them. Atl- I didn't like and I didn't even hate. Domingo- poor guy, he just gave this impression of not being very intelligent. Very kind and caring, but overwhelmingly naive and innocent. The villain was cartoonishly evil, a caricature of a villain. Bernardino was the best character, but his motivation was non-existent and his believability was nil. Ana was actually my favorite character for quite awhile, the author even ruined her in the end.
The plot was very basic. Atl's on the run from a bunch of drug dealing vampires. Mexico City is a no-vampire zone, so for now, she's cornered. Step in the villains hunting Ana. Step in the police detective investigating the trail of bodies the bad guys leave behind... you get the picture. There aren't really any twists or turns or surprises, what you see is what you get.
I do think a lot of thought was put into the vampire breeds/histories/lore/etc. Everytime Atl mentioned a different kind of vampire, or a new power, or the history of her people I perked right up. There is a glossary of different vampires in the back of the book and that was probably the highlight of the book for me. These are not your typical bloodsuckers, and I'd be willing to give the author another shot at a vampire book that didn't focus on these particular characters and plot lines. -
Longer RTC.
Remember what Anne Rice did for the vampire novel 40 years ago with "Interview with the Vampire"? Silvia Moreno-Garcia has done that now with THIS BOOK. This was a fresh and elegantly blood-soaked reboot of the vampire tale, and I did not want to put it down. From Dusk till Dawn meets Blade meets Vampire: The Masquerade, but polished to perfection.
Going right onto my Top 5 Books of 2016 list! Absolutely stunning
////Seriously AMAZING.//// Totally changes the game as far as the vampire novel is concerned. Preorder it IMMEDIATELY.
Thanks so much to Thomas Dunne and NetGalley for the review copy! -
CERTAIN DARK THINGS takes vampires, turns them into different types of vampires, then introduces some vampire genealogy, and lastly, plops it all down into Mexico City where vampires aren't even allowed. What fun!
As far as the story itself goes, I give it 3.5/5 stars. It was good enough for me to want more. The different types of vampires and vampire families has been done before, and done better. However, there were some things I really liked about this novel-well, two main things. The dog and Domingo. Though Domingo seemed too naive to live at times, I was rooting for him and for the dog. The main character, Atl, didn't have much to endear her to the reader, and in fact, I nearly hated her.
I recently listened to the audio of a Latina-authored book and the narrator was terrible. However, the story itself was good enough for me to overlook it. Almost the opposite thing happened here. The narrator was so damn good, (that's YOU, Aida Reluzco!), I couldn't stop listening, even though I didn't care for the story itself that much. Her voicing was phenomenal and I plan on looking for other books narrated by her in the future.
Overall, this tale was a decent one, even without a protagonist I could get behind. The narration brought it up to an another level-one where I can say I did end up enjoying this vampiric tale!
*Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the e-audio of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it!* -
4 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
https://bibliosanctum.com/2016/12/08/...
I’ve been champing at the bit to read Certain Dark things ever since I first heard about the book. Back then it still didn’t have a title, but the mere description of it clinched it for me. I’m not someone who’s ever needed much motivation to pick up a vampire story after all, and after learning that one of the main characters is a descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, I was even more intrigued.
That the book takes place in Mexico City was a compelling factor too. Gangs, drugs and corruption run rampant in the capital, but what you won’t have to worry about are vampires. That’s because the city has declared itself to be a “vampire-free zone”. But as with all rules, there are times when individuals have found a way around this particular edict.
This is something Domingo knows all too well. A homeless teenager who ekes out a meager living by salvaging landfills for usable goods to resell, he is on his way home one day when he spies a pretty girl trailed by her large Doberman. To his surprise, she notices him back. And actually talks to him! It isn’t long before the girl confides in him her name and true nature. She is Atl, and she is a member of a subgroup of vampires who trace their line back to the ancient Aztecs.
Atl is in trouble, so she cuts to the chase: some other dangerous vampires are after her, and she needs to get out of Mexico City and head south right away. But while she’s here, she will need a place to hide as well as a “Renfield” to feed on and to assist her during the day. Completely smitten by this confident, beautiful girl, Domingo readily agrees to help her out—the fact that she’s a vampire and wants to drink his blood be damned.
However, it turns out Atl’s troubles are worse than he realized. The vampire gang she’s on the run from are headed by Nick Godoy, a real nasty piece of work. Brash young Nick is a “Necro”, a subspecies of vampire that most closely resembles the classical vampire archetype, and he has a grudge to grind. Bent on seeking vengeance for a long-ago slight, Nick has tracked his target to Mexico City where he and his Renfield Rodrigo have been getting into all sorts of mischief, attracting the attention of a police detective thus causing even more problems for Atl and Domingo.
I had high hopes for the world-building going into Certain Dark Things, and I was not disappointed. Instead of charging in with an attempt to turn the vampire mythos on its head though, Silvia Moreno-Garcia does something more subtle—and ingenious, in my opinion. As we go deeper into Atl’s past, we get to learn a wealth of information about vampire lore in general. We find out about the subspecies, of which there are many. Considering how many cultures throughout history have developed their own version of the “blood-sucking/flesh-eating monster” legend (the Chinese and the Jiang-shi, or the stories of the Wendigo in Native American folklore, to name a couple) I thought this to be an especially clever twist. By drawing from inspiration taken from all over the world, the author has formed a basis for her story that at once feels fresh but still has roots firmly planted in our reality. The results are very effective and pleasing because the reader feels an immediate affinity for the setting and characters.
The plot was also kept rather simple. It’s also fast-paced as hell. Everything about this book is slick and elegant, furnished with all the best features without being weighed down. This lack of complexity is perhaps the only thing holding me back from giving it a full five stars, but while it may not be phenomenal, it is still great. Certain Dark Things easily ranks among my most interesting and entertaining reads of the year.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia offers a whole new world to discover in Certain Dark Things, a novel that offers rock solid world-building and compelling characters that are guaranteed to charm you and open your eyes. So if you’re getting a hankering for a vampire story, why not give this one a try? You won’t regret it. -
A refreshing and original take on vampires, filled with vivid characters in a rich setting.
The story is set in Mexico City, where Atl is a vampire on the run from a rival clan, and Domingo is a garbage picker who lives alone on the streets. Unlike other books where the urban setting can seem somewhat arbitrary and interchangeable, Certain Dark Things is imbued with cultural texture that comes to life so that the setting here is almost like another integral character. The sights, smells, and feel of Mexico City all feel important.
The characters are painted with the same kind of life to them. The villains are harsh and lack any redemptive qualities, and the heroes are people we want to see triumph. But even here the main characters are a study in contrasts. Atl is by nature dark and violent, while her companion Domingo lives lightly and is surprisingly unjaded by a life alone on the streets. Even knowing Atl can't help but be herself, Domingo also can't help but be who he is:
He liked to think that there were heroes and villains, he liked picturing Atl as a damsel in distress. He liked the black and white of the comic book panels, the simple speech bubbles above characters. Good vampires. Bad vampires. And she had to be good because she was pretty and young and his friend. Right?
The tension in the characters works well and is cleverly done as we see both Domingo and Atl change, but also remain exactly the same.
For people who think there is nothing new when it comes to vampire stories, this is a great choice. If you are predisposed to the genre, there is a lot of satisfaction to be found here. -
A vampire novel that plays with your expectations and brings new light into the niche? Nice.
Characters: ★★★★
Pacing: ★★★
World: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★
In an alternate version of Mexico City, vampires exist. Well, they're outlawed from Mexico City itself, but they're a known species in Mexico and throughout the world. With several different subspecies of vampire originating from all across the globe, things come to a head in Certain Dark Things when the Mexican native group of vampires, the original Aztec blood drinkers, encounter a turf war with the European immigrant variant of vampire and the fallout impacts different people in Mexico City.
Atl, the lone surviving member of her vampire clan, is on the run from the European vampire clan that massacred her family. She picked Mexico City as a dangerous hideout spot in order to avoid the vampires in a city that outlaws their existence. While it makes it hard for the bad guys to track her down, it also makes it hard for her to get around—and she's not exactly hiding well with her huge genetically enhanced Doberman at her heels. Atl desperately needs to escape Mexico if she wants to survive.
Domingo is a trash collector in Mexico City. He's eeking a meager life for himself on the fringes of society, and he's still young enough to believe in adventure. So when a mysterious and beautiful woman with a hulking Doberman dog asks for his help, he agrees with a shocking lack of hesitation.
Atl thinks he's just a convenient meal for now. Domingo thinks he's having his shot at a grand vampire adventure. They're both in for a huge surprise.
I loved this neo-noir take on vampires in Mexico City. Like all of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works, I thought this one was playing with established concepts and genres in new ways. I love her writing and her way of engaging storytelling. Her characters feel real and yet distant, easy to predict and yet surprising. Certain Dark Things was no exception, even though it did have a few more bumps in the plot and pacing than a usual Moreno-Garcia work (Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic were written later than this one, and you can tell. However, it's a testament to her writing ability that the difference in quality is not that large.)
Highlights for me: The characters, the worldbuilding, and unpredictable nature of the story.
Lowpoints for me: I did think the pacing suffered in the middle, but that's because I love drama.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one and am thrilled to see it republished in this form with this stunning cover edition. Its brief original release and subsequent abandonment due to publisher issues was not the fault of the work, and now we can all enjoy this tale in its updated form!
Thank you to Macmillan/TOR for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
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3.5 Stars
This was an interesting, diverse take on the vampires. Admittedly, vampire fiction is not my favourite subgenre of horror, but this one worked better than most. I really enjoyed the worldbuilding which pulled inspiration from Aztec mythology.
As for the story itself, I felt the plot was pretty thin. The story was very character focused, yet I did not become overly attached to the main characters. The book has some moments of grisly vampire horror, but it's not particularly scary. Instead the book provides thematic commentary on prejudice and class issues.
I am happy that this book got a second life with a republication from Tor Nightfire. While not a personal favourite, there is a lot to appreciate about this novel. This is a must read for people looking for a fresh take on vampire lore.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher. -
After reading Moreno-Garcia's 'Signal to Noise,' I was on the lookout for anything else from this young author. 'Certain Dark Things' is quite a different offering, but it did not disappoint!
This is a YA vampire novel for those who grew up with the mythos of 'Vampire: The Masquerade' and 'True Blood' (&c).
If you read the previous sentence and said, "Yay, that's for me!" - well, it is. But if you read it and said, "Eh, I don't know about that." - well, don't write it off yet; it still might be for you! Because this is simply a very, very entertaining book.
Domingo is a Mexico City teen who manages to scrape by through garbage-picking. Heading home with his cart of garbage one evening, he sees an elegant and lovely girl on the subway, accompanied by her impressive, gene-modified dog. Of course, he knows the young woman is far out of his league - but he can't help being drawn to her. When unexpectedly she invites him back to her place saying that's there's something that he can do for her, he expects some kind of trap... and he's not entirely wrong. But there was more to the situation that even he expected.
This alternate near-future Mexico City is part of a world where vampires 'went public' a few decades ago - and, needless to say, not all humans were thrilled with the revelation. Mexico City is one locale which has flat-out banned vampires within the city limits. But the elegant girl, Atl, is indeed a vampire, descendant of an ancient clan once revered by the Aztecs. She's also genuinely young, and in over her head - trying to escape revenge by hiding where she should not be. After a vicious gang-war involving complex vendettas, she's on her own, fleeing some particularly nasty enemies. Only desperation would lead her to put her trust in a human street kid - but Atl is nothing if not desperate. And Domingo is smitten.
The book has a well-balanced mix of action and romance, and a superbly-drawn, vivid and fascinating setting. If you haven't yet discovered Moreno-Garcia, I encourage you to do so!
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's for the copy of this book. As always, my opinions are solely my own. -
I'm not widely read on vampires but I think this is an original book, I particularly liked that there are different breeds of vampires and that the romance is just a subplot (thankfully, because it’s plain boring). The Mexico City setting, the Aztec mythology and the whole narcos-vampire combo also worked well for me, as did the nicely dark tones and the spot-on worldbuilding.
The vampires are organized in rival gangs and have unique skills; they have different societal customs, some embrace modernity, some breathe by tradition and they frequently engage in both infighting and expansion efforts. They also clash or make alliances with human gangs. Drug trafficking, organized crime and the police are a fundamental part of this novel, which is another element of novelty.
The other best feature of the book is the characters: they are not Mary Sues or Gary Stues, (vampires or otherwise), they all have a background and feel realistic so I became invested in them quite smoothly. There are several effective and well-handled third-person PoVs: a spoiled vampire heiress who saw her world collapse, a slum boy with an earnest heart, a middle-aged cop working in a hostile environment who needs to make ends meet, a narcissistic vampire scion with an obsession, a despondent vampire servant, an embittered Revenant lost in his past and a biomodified doberman (okay, not really a viewpoint) are just the main players of this all-out war.
The tale is straightforward and spans a few days, it was a quick read and I liked its engaging details, the vivid setting and the intriguing characters on both sides of the argument.
The main drawback is the ending because it is rushed. It wasn't disappointing in itself but it felt neglected after the previous careful building up of tension and the character-development. There is no cliffhanger and this book is a standalone, but the story is completely open to potential sequels.
Sacrifice. The face of all earthly things at one point is sacrifice. -
I've been a fan of Moreno-Garcia's writing since Signal to Noise, but somehow I missed this vampire novel when it came out. And I'm so glad I jumped on it at last, because it's become one of my favorite books by her, and one of my all-time fav horror books. Moreno-Garcia creates a rich and complex vampire lore — with ten different taxonomies of vampires — and this gives her room to explore the meaning of vampires in a whole new way. Vampires as predators, as romantic icons, as part of an ecosystem, as mind-controllers, as ravagers and despoilers — she explores every possible vision of vampire-dom along the way. I love the central relationship between Atl and Domingo so much. This book creeped me out but also drew me into its rich and complex world. Moreno-Garcia keeps making a strong case for the horror novel as something personal and introspective, but this book in particular is a standout. Certain Dark Things will make you think about vampires in a whole new way.
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When I went looking for a book that can count for Latinx Heritage Month and future Spooktober recommendations I was not disappointed! A walled off Mexico City... Several species of vampires, one which traces back to the days of the Aztecs... This was an enjoyable read.
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A dark and intimate little story of vampires, gangsters and life in Mexico City.
Atl is a Tlāhuihpochtli, a native aztec vampire, one of eight different sub-species of vampire. She has fled to Mexico City which has banned all vampires, but she's being pursued by the Godoy, a Necros vampire clan (European vampires) that her family is in conflict with. In Mexico City Atl meets Domingo, a young street-kid with a fascination for vampires and a painful naivete. What follows is a desperate chase through Mexico City while exploring the interesting relationship between Atl and Domingo against a background of some beautifully realized characters, both in terms of allies and pursuers.
There are several things I loved about this book. Firstly the world-building around the vampires is very clever. Basically, the author has gone in with the idea that most myths about vampires in various cultures are actually real, just associated with different sub-species. Atl's sub-species sort of matches Aztec myths around the feathered serpent. Nick's sub-species matches more traditional European ideas around vampires.
Another thing I loved is Atl and Domingo, and Domingo in general really. Both of these characters are very young in terms of experience, but Domingo retains an innocence that Atl has shed. Domingo's earnest fascination with everything Atl punctures Atl's cynicism beautifully and their relationship grows throughout the book without having an obvious conclusion.
I also thought the background characters were beautifully drawn, with Ana the hard-working and put-upon cop, Rodrigo the veteran vampire retainer forced to take on his Master's stupid kid and the Revenant Bernardino and his old-world sensibilities mixed with an underlying menace. When something horrible happens to one of these characters later in the book I audibly gasped, even though these characters are very much backgrounded. -
1.5
After the awesome world from Obsidian and Blood which only has three books, I didn't mind a touch of Aztec vampirism at all. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the only thing I liked in this book. Let me rephrase that: the take on vampires in Certain Dark Things is great. Not really original since there are other authors who used different types of vampires, but still good and really well combined with mythology and folklore.
There are five POVs: Atl's (a young vampire girl on the run from a gang that killed her family), Domingo's (a young trash collector who ends up helping her), Nick's (different subspecies of vampire than Atl), Rodrigo's (Nick's father's henchman) and Anna's (a corrupt police officer).
I hated every character save one (I'm not counting the dog; I like dogs) and that one doesn't even have a POV here. But that's a minor issue I have. It wouldn't be the first book I read with horrible characters. Atl is one of the most annoying protagonists I've come across. She is ungrateful and childish. Her memories didn't endear her to me.
There are TSTL moments too - you know, when a character should do one thing but starts with the annoying I am tough routine. The smirking didn't help either.
The non-existent chemistry between Atl and Domingo made it difficult to believe in any kind of connection.
What I have issue with the most and the main reason why I didn't enjoy the book are the themes. The whole book is one huge check list of the current social and other issues. I will not list them. I do not appreciate preachy books and this one takes the cake the way the issues are thrown in your face every couple of pages or so. Lots of subtle and not so subtle jabs at various groups of people.
I think the only reason I am not giving up on something with this author's name on it is because I've seen two or three Lovecraftian anthologies edited by her.
People will like this book.
ARC received from St. Martin Press via NetGalley -
I will absolutely finish this book someday, but today is not that day.
-
I’m a fan of (all different kinds) of vampires stories, but it was refreshing to read a suitably dark novel with excellent world-building. Moreno-Garcia weaves together Aztec mythology into her vampire lore, and situates the clans in the drug world of Mexico. There’s a cast of sympathetic and layered characters, and the writing is equally effortless even when describing gory action scenes and contemplative moments considering moral dilemmas. This is a new favorite.
–Molly Wetta
from The Best Books We Read In July 2016:
http://bookriot.com/2016/08/01/riot-r... -
3.75
Vampires were my thing back in the day, way before Twilight. I'm talking early '90s during the
Christopher Pike era and then shortly after with Anita Blake. It was rare to find paranormal books like this back then unless you wanted to read Anne Rice, which I didn't. So, this was a welcome nostalgia trip as I've mostly been reading comics and manga and not so many novels. I had forgotten how much fun vampire books can be, especially when they're fresh like this one was.
I don't mind when an author uses the tried and true vampire mythos instead of making their own, but it's so much more fun when they do create something new. This is the type of story I wish was a series because there's so much more I want to know about this world. I absolutely love her take on vampires and the very different species/types/cultures. Side note about that: I wish I had realized there was a glossary at the back, it would've been helpful to read that first. I think that would've been better placed at the front instead.
I don't have issues with shifting POVs and I really enjoyed having the story told to me from different sides. The only one I thought was kind of weak was the police officer Ana, she and her daughter just weren't developed as much. I felt like I should've cared about them more but I just didn't.
I felt a sense of urgency throughout this, which is what you want when the characters are constantly on the run. The only problem was how rushed the ending felt to me because of that, but, it's somewhat refreshing to have things take a turn for the worse so quickly and for there to be actual consequences and death. So many novels draw things out and it takes forever for people to die or it's this big show, but I think it makes more sense when it happens in a split second - it's less dramatic but more realistic.
I love Atl and Domingo and I can understand how some people didn't think they had much chemistry, but I disagree. Sure, it's probably mostly a crush and lust on Domingo's part but I also think he feels real affection for Atl, and so does she for him. And Atl is young, even though she had certain ideals drilled into her I didn't think it was unrealistic for her to slowly grow attached to Domingo. I also liked that they didn't just rely on the blood exchanged to forge their connection. I think the stress and adrenaline of everything they went through also forced them together much quicker than if they had just met some other way. So for me their relationship made sense.
I think a sequel could be easily written and even a series, but I can understand if she chooses not to. The ending sets this up so that it could continue but it still has a satisfying conclusion.
Oh, and if anyone is worried about Atl's dog like I was throughout, I love animals so much but man I hate when they're companions in books like this because I'm just anxious the whole time that something will happen to them.
I really enjoyed this, so much that I just bought her newest release,
Mexican Gothic, even though it has nothing to do with this book. I loved the setting and characters and can't wait to read something else similar. It's always fun when you find a new author that makes you excited to check out their whole back catalog. -
I remember a few years back when every blog I follow seemed to be talking about Certain Dark Things and all the reviews were tempting so I put it on my to-buy list and then I got distracted and I never read it. Ugh. I hate and I love that there are always so many tempting books coming at me. Anyhow, it’s been re-released by Tor Nightfire so if you’re like me and missed it the first time around now is the time to grab it for yourself (and maybe even read it, ha!)
I started this out by reading the print copy at night and listening to the audiobook from Netgalley (thank you Netgalley!) during the day. If you’re a fan of audiobooks I’d say go for it that way because the narrator does an excellent job of bringing the story and characters to life. About ¼ of the way through I put the paperback down and switched completely to audio because I found myself more engaged that way but YMMV.
The storyline, to be completely honest, isn’t one that thrills me. It’s set in an alternate universe in Mexico City and is about a young vampire named Atl who is on the run from another killer clan of vampires who want her dead for reasons. I’m not a super fan of vampire clan wars and vampire politics make me sleepy, likely because I read way too many of them as a youngling, but that’s totally on me. But Atl is interesting. She’s prickly and cold and embodies some of the vampire qualities that have mostly been wiped clean from so many vampire novels in the last decade or so (I said MOSTLY so please don’t come at me with your but what abouts . . . I know there are exceptions but I’m all about those Near Dark bloodsuckers). I also loved the folklore and Aztec mythology weaved into the story and, of course, I was a sucker for Atl’s beautiful, modified dog and Atl’s human servant Domingo. If you need to latch on to a character in order to become engrossed in a story, Domingo is that character. He’s sweet, a little innocent and so loyal it’s almost painful.
I’m going to rate the story a three (I know, I know, I’m THE WORST - no need to tell me again) but because of the excellent narration, I’m bumping it up to a four. It’s a bloody and brutal tale which I love and though it took a little while for it to get going for me, once I fell into it I enjoyed the audio experience so much I didn’t want to shut it off to do actual life stuff. -
I freaking loved this book! This Is the type of writing that makes me LOVE Solvia Moreno-Garcia! This same energy and flow are exemplified in The Beautiful Ones. It seems that anything older by her I LOVE!
I am thrilled that this was reprinted since I never experienced it the first time around—an incredible cyberpunk vampire story with different types of vampires in Mexico.
It had great pacing and engaging characters following an intriguing storyline.
My biggest complaint is that it ended. I would absolutely LOVE to see this one turned into a series. There is such a wealth of characters and backstories that could be explored!
5 Stars! -
4 1/2 stars******
The nitty-gritty: Dark and deliciously dangerous, with a unique take on vampires that will make jaded readers sit up and take notice.
I have to admit that I honestly thought this was young adult before I started reading, but it surprised me (in more ways than one!) by being most certainly not YA. Certain Dark Things has made my list of all-time favorite vampire novels, and I’m so happy to have finally read a book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. If you like your vampires dark, nasty and complicated, then this book is for you. Just about every element makes this special, starting with the setting. The story takes place in Mexico City, a place teaming with gangs, a corrupt police force and government, and even vampires, although technically the city is a vampire-free zone.
Domingo is a homeless teen who survives by scouring the landfills for junk he can sell. He may not have much, but he’s at home in his corner of the world, and his street smarts keep him alive and off the radar of the sanitation crew. He’s seen a lot, but one thing he’s never seen before is a real vampire, since they were banned in Mexico City, and border patrols keep a close eye on any trying to get in. Until one day, Domingo spots an intriguing girl walking with her huge Doberman, and because he’s seventeen and she’s beautiful, he decides to follow her.
When the girl asks him back to her place, he assumes she wants to pay him to have sex, but that’s not quite the case. The girl turns out to be a vampire named Atl, part of a vampire subspecies descended from the ancient Aztecs, and what she needs from Domingo is blood. Atl and Domingo come to a tentative agreement, as Atl needs a “Renfield”—a human who can help her out during the daylight hours. But Domingo soon learns that Atl needs way more help than he can give her. It turns out she’s on the run from another vampire named Nick Godoy, and she’s come to Mexico City to try to hide from him.
Unfortunately, Nick and his Renfield Rodrigo are hot on her heals. Not only that, but when a savvy cop named Ana with a reputation for killing vampires starts investigating the murder of a young girl, clues lead her to Nick, and suddenly Atl finds herself the target of more humans and vampires than she can handle.
Certain Dark Things has a fairly simplistic plot—Atl is being hunted by Nick and his gang, and later by Ana, and it’s all she can do to stay one step ahead of them. But what’s not simplistic is just about every other element in this story, and I have to start with the world building because it blew me away. Moreno-Garcia has come up with a world with ten different vampire subspecies, and each one has its own quirks, abilities and dangers. In this story, we really only get to know three of these subspecies, but I love that she took the time to dream up seven others that didn’t even make it into the book! (Think about that for a minute.) Atl’s species drinks only the blood from the young, hence her interest in Domingo. She can also shapeshift into a bird-like creature and even fly. Nick, on the other hand, is a Necro, the subspecies that most resembles vampires from popular culture that you and I are familiar with: they sport long fangs, are often pale and don’t do well in sunlight, and many are well-off financially. The author goes into a lot more detail, and every word about each subspecies fascinated me. There’s even a handy glossary at the end of the book that gives a brief description of each of the ten subspecies, and despite the lateness of the hour when I finished the book, I couldn’t stop reading until I had inhaled each detail. Many of the subspecies originated in different countries, so there is a wonderful aspect of diversity inherent in the story.
The characters and the relationships between them are just as detailed as the world-building. Atl is an interesting combination of tough and vulnerable, and I loved how she tries to keep her distance from others, but you can tell she really wants to make a connection with someone. We find out right away that several really bad things have happened to Atl. Her mother and sister were killed by a rival vampire gang, and she retaliated by paying back the vampire responsible—big time. Now he’s out for revenge and he won’t stop until Atl is dead. And it turns out it’s really hard to kill a vampire, so you can imagine the creative ways the author finds to inflict pain and suffering on these characters.
Which brings me to my next point: if you’re the squeamish sort, you may not get along with this book. Certain Dark Things is dark and bloody and painful and sad, but many of the relationships soften those hard edges, which is one of the reason I wanted to keep reading, despite the seemingly non-stop violence. Atl is fiercely devoted to her dog Cualli, and I thought it was refreshing that she actually treated him like a dog, without anthropomorphizing him. Atl is drawn to Domingo, not only because of his blood, but I got the impression that she loved his innocence and sweetness as well. Their relationship wasn’t what you might expect, and I appreciated that the author didn’t take things in the expected direction.
At about 60% in my Kindle ARC, the action really took off and literally didn’t stop until the end. Above all, this is a “chase” story. Atl and Domingo are trying to keep one step ahead of Nick, Rodrigo and Ana, and frankly, they are having a hard time. I love that the author brings in a whole slew of vampires and humans who are trying to help Atl, but at the same time, these gang members and vampires aren’t exactly the reliable sort, so you just never know where things are going. I was so keen on Atl and Domingo making it out of Mexico City that my heart was racing the entire time. It’s not often that I get really worried about characters that I love, and this was one of the most heart-pounding books I’ve read in some time! The ending gave me goosebumps, and that’s all I’m going to say about it.
Certain Dark Things is not to be missed, especially if you love your vampire stories dark and gritty and infused with emotion. Highly recommended.
Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy. -
3.5 stars - this is a melancholic, noir urban fantasy love story with lots and lots of blood and gore.
I loved the Aztec hummingbird vampires, as well as all the other different kinds of vampires in this world. The ending was also excellent, but I think the novel should have been streamlined/edited more. There were too many boring filler descriptions of downtime, as well as long q&a sessions about vampire trivia - I would have preferred learning about the world vicariously instead of being told directly by one of the characters.
What I really liked were the characterizations, especially that of Domingo, who's a young garbage collector and street kid. Moreno-Garcia clearly did her research and he feels so authentic in his poverty and loneliness. His innocent loyalty is genuinely moving, and sparks some wonderful character development (that I don't want to spoil here) for the female vampire character.
If you like horror or noir fiction with a lot of gore, then you'll probably like this novel more than I did - my rating reflects my personal enjoyment, not the story's overall quality. That overall quality is high in terms of world-building, prose, characterization, and literary value. So if you don't mind some slow pacing, and you like very dark stories, then give this one a try - it's certainly unique! -
Update 10/24: I’m finished! I listened to the audiobook and I think that may have impacted my reading. It’s not bad—I loved the narrator and the way she voiced each character—but I always tend to read audiobooks a little differently than I do physical books. There was a lot to love about this book and I’m feeling guilty for not giving it 5 stars. I think I’m going to think about it a bit and come back with a full review later.
In the meantime, know that I really loved this book and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who loves vampires, morally grey characters, and action scenes.
Sometime in 2020:
I’ve been wanting to read this book for forever!! I’m so pleased to hear that it’s being republished in 2021 by Tor!!
So, my vampire addiction will continue. 🩸🩸🩸
