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 and beautiful – and very dangerous. Domingo is mesmerised.
Atl needs to escape the city quickly, to get far away from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn’t include Domingo, but little by little, she 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. Atl and Domingo stand little chance at all of making it out alive before the city devours them all – but they are determined to try . . .
(P)2021 Macmillan Audio
Atl needs to escape the city quickly, to get far away from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn’t include Domingo, but little by little, she 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. Atl and Domingo stand little chance at all of making it out alive before the city devours them all – but they are determined to try . . .
(P)2021 Macmillan Audio
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Reviews
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's gritty novel is steeped in the history of Mexico City and vampire lore and yet manages to deftly re-invent the bloodsucker . . . Certain Dark Things packs a wallop
With its vibrant prose and stellar world-building, Certain Dark Things is one of the best books I've read in years
Silvia Moreno-Garcia pulls zero punches, bares all the fangs, and goes for every throat in the room with Certain Dark Things
A delicious, elegant, gritty vampire noir. Moreno-Garcia has created a world that pulses with life and terror and honesty
A fresh, stunning interpretation of vampire lore . . . Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing is unforgettable
Silvia Moreno-Garcia carves out the heart of Mexico City, and then eats it, in this riveting noir-punk reinvention of vampire lore. Certain Dark Things is exquisitely vicious and brutally beautiful
Certain Dark Things is dark, inimitable, and so very, very cool. Unmissable
Certain Dark Things is arguably the vampire novel for the 21st century
With dark and delicious elegance, Moreno-Garcia delivers a satisfyingly bloody vampire story with a tantalising twist
Moreno-Garcia's characters are vivid and compelling, as is her prose. As a novel, it's fantastic: honest, wrenching, compassionate, and brutal
She has invented a complex world in which humans run around half in terror or in subjection, and half in love with countless subspecies of modern-day vampire...Will you be gripped to the last page? Oh, I expect so
Having read several Moreno-Garcia books in recent years you can be guaranteed of two things: great character creation and not knowing what the book is going to be. This book has a crime noir feel with some urban fantasy thrown in.
Is there anything Silvia Moreno-Garcia can't do? Long before she wrote Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night, Moreno-Garcia penned this gritty novel about vampiric drug cartels
A sleek and brutal noir thriller . . . balanced on a knife-edge between hope and horror
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a chameleon of an author . . . her writing is truly one of a kind
If you haven't read any of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work yet then I don't quite know what you're doing with your life, she's a fantastically fresh voice in the world of speculative fiction and Certain Dark Things is proof of her creativity
This just wowed me. It crosses an interesting line of dark fantasy, horror and even a noir thriller and yet offers something that feels uniquely its own thing while paying homages to the genres it clearly loves. Buy it, curl up with it and prepare for a dark escape across a busy city - excellent and highly recommended
The plot is action-packed, intriguing, and full of vampire trivia - that at least applies to Moreno-Garcia's world - it's the characters that make it
A brutally gritty tale of rivalries, love, and sacrifice. Once again, the author has proved how adept she is at writing multiple genres and delivering unique stories that satisfy the reader. I eagerly await her next release
The perfect blend of fantasy, horror and noir, with vivid characters and set in a Mexico City that became a character in and of itself . . . just proves her writing prowess and her ability to jump between genres with ease
I could definitely see fans of grimdark fantasy and urban/paranormal fantasy really enjoying this novel
I feel like the biggest praise I can give a book at this point in my reviewing journey is, "I've never read anything like this"
If you're looking for a new take on vampires, with classic noir tropes, politics, gangs, and a dark, gritty atmosphere, pick up this book
An engaging vampire story that hooks and holds readers throughout and builds to a satisfying climax
I highly recommend this to anyone who loves the undead and who wants a vampire story that isn't the same old rehashed a thousand times
Some great world-building, complex characters, and a dark and gritty atmosphere well-balanced with moments of levity.
The storyline was unique, with high tension and beautiful imagery. Silvia's use of monsters to paint a picture of the cruelties in our world makes for an entertaining read that'll stay with you long after you finish
This book has rock-solid world-building, very compelling characters, and a wonderfully addicting storyline filled with action and violence. If you're looking for a great vampire read, look no further! I highly recommend this one!
Certain Dark Things is violent, bloody, relentless, and completely satisfying. Atl is a wonderful protagonist. I found myself rooting for her, even when things seemed hopeless. I love the passion and inventiveness Moreno-Garcia brings to her writing. She's undoubtably having a great time writing this world to life, and it shows. This is a novel with real bite
Most definitely a fresh take on vampire novels, with excellent world-building (and vampire lore-building), a fascinating mix of different types of vampires, from terrifying to beautiful to nasty-gross to sexy, all with a gritty noir feel. One of my favourite things about Silvia Moreno-Garcia's work is the way she blends genre lines so seamlessly, and Certain Dark Things is a shining example of that skill
Believe me, this is a good book, very well written, with an original premise and interesting story
Gritty, vibrant and brilliantly original
Dark, violent and brilliantly characterful, with a really smart angle on the usual tropes
Overly familiar lore seems fresh again