Certain Dark Things

First, I would like to thank the author for sending me this ARC as part of an Instagram giveaway.

Everyone should go ahead and preorder this book now. I had such a fun time reading this. While this is only the second book I've read by Moreno-Garcia, (the first being “Mexican Gothic”) I already know I will like anything she puts out, and I already have some books on hold with my library.

This book takes place in present day Mexico City, where vampires are not allowed within city limits. When vampires were revealed to be a real thing in the 1970's, the world was in an uproar. Vampires took over media by storm, and many misconceptions were quickly made. This story follows a woman, Atl, who is part of a species of vampires that are descendants of the Aztecs. Her entire family has been killed and she's on the run from the Necros, the vampires that killed them. When she stumbles upon a human named Domingo who is willing to help her, she brings him on and together they try to escape Mexico City.

This book is a quick read, both in terms of page count and pacing. Everything moved so quickly. The characters were very well fleshed out for such a short book, and the world building was spectacular. I could've read multiple books set in this world. There was such a rich tapestry created of this alternate Mexico City. I was immensely fascinated by the history of Atl's family, because they were very traditional and traced their roots back to such a rich time period.

All-in-all, I think this is the perfect book to pick up for the start of fall. It's spooky, thrilling, and enthralling.

TW: alcohol, amputation, assault, blood, bones, death, decaptiation, drugs, fire, gore, gun violence, hostages, kidnapping, misogyny, murder, police brutality, profanity, prostitution, sexual assault, torture, violence