Karen’s Pick of the Week – Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

It’s October, the perfect time for everything supernatural, and also Hispanic Heritage month.  What better choice could there be for a book blog than a paranormal novel with vampires in Mexico City? Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s book, Certain Dark Things has just been released in paperback format.  This reader enjoyed the audio book @libro.fm. If you relished Moreno- Garcia’s Mexican Gothic, you might like her vampire neo-noir creation.

23 year old Atl is a Tláhuihpochtli vampire, with ancestral ties to mighty warrior priestesses who used to guard the Aztec temples.  She is on the run because her mother and sisters were murdered by a gang of Necros, a European variety of vampires who migrated to the continent and are intent on taking over control.  This is a drug war between two vampire gangs.   

In this contemporary world setting, vampires are no longer considered a fable. They are however, banned from Mexico City, where Atl has decided to take refuge with the final goal of making it to Central America.  Soon the police and human gangs are jumping into the fray.

Be prepared for some romance, but don’t expect this to be anything like Twilight.  When Atl sees 17 year old Domingo on a subway car, she feels an instant attraction to him, but also, she is hungry!  She invites him to her apartment and he accepts.  What is meant to be a one-time feeding opportunity turns into a Renfield type relationship with benefits.  Domingo is street smart, yet oddly has an air of innocence and optimism.  Atl is worldly and strong, yet lost and alone. 

A wide cast of supporting characters add to the flavor of the novel.  Two favorites of this reader are Bernardo, a wise revenant vampire, able to transfer the life force from humans and vampires, and Cualli, Atl’s genetically enhanced Doberman.  

This book provides a fun, fast-paced reading experience with an intriguing world of battling vampires of all types. There is even a glossary at the end to help when the reader needs a little extra guidance understanding all the vampire specifics. If you like your ghouls bloodthirsty give Certain Dark Things a try.