What you've got here is an intriguing piece of work. It's action-packed and filled with thrilling descriptions. You've got vampires, humans, cops, and criminals. You will want to know how and if our characters make it through the dark streets of Mexico City alive or if they'd be swallowed whole? In an alternate universe, Mexico is swarming with vampire cartels. You have the Aztec vampires, native to the land, and the Necros, colonizers from Europe, fighting for turf. Mexico City is a vampire-free zone. The human cartels defend the city to the teeth. Unfortunately for the vampires, that human element has its vices, which make it difficult for vampires to survive in the city. Atl is an Aztec vampire on the run from the Necros after a defeating skirmish. Entering Mexico City, although it is dangerous for vampires, it evens out the playing field for Atl. Domingo is your streetwise 17-year-old garbage digger. One look and Domingo is drawn to Atl. Through Domingo and Atl we meet otherworldly and criminal characters with one goal, an escape from the city. Our main characters although entitled to our love, the character that won my heart was Bernardino. He reminds me of Papa Midnite from Hellblazer or Constantine. He is neither friend nor foe and his role puts fear in everyone, yet he enables you to unexpectedly trust.
Death, Love, and Courage are themes readers can easily pull out of. You can't have a vampire book without death. Atl is on the run after her family and clan were killed and burned by the Necros. It takes courage to head to a city dangerous to vampires for safety. Atl is also the spoiled and debaucherous second child. She took many things for granted because she didn't need to worry much. However, you see a change as her resources have been reduced by her enemies. Can you imagine groveling to those you need help from after the debauchery you've caused? As for Domingo, despite his street smarts, his ideas are limited. One can look at Domingo as courageous maybe naive, but one look from Atl was met with quiet enthusiasm and desire. Domingo is attracted to Atl. However, I feel the writing leads you to tread lightly when falling in love. I'm reminded of the song No More I Love You's by Annie Lennox...Lovers and Monsters. Now if Silvia Moreno-Garcia's goal was to introduce me to another wonderous world of vampire lore she has certainly achieved much. My knowledge of vampires was strictly from Dracula, Anne Rice, and every TV show that portrayed vampires as dangerous predatory monsters. Monsters who seemed to possess the leathery skin of bats, sharp teeth, or spawn from hell, whatever that might look like. Occasionally, I'd dip my feet into the likes of Twilight, where you have the monsters capable of love, but overall predatory monsters. I never would have imagined vampires have the likeness of majestic birds.
For the most part, I can't say I hated this book. The genre, the characters, the story it wished to tell was so cool. But I can't say I love it either. While I believed in Atl's struggle, she wasn't someone with whom I related. She was an immature child throughout the book. I felt the good and well intentions of Domingo, but he was pigeonholed from the start. I had hoped for something more glorious for the two of them. I'd say it comes down to a 4.9/5 Like.
I bought Mexican Gothic first. Mexican Gothic seems to be the darling when Silvia's name appears on the windows of bookstores and libraries. But I didn't start reading her work until I read Gods of Jade and Shadow. (Another recommendation for another day, if one hasn't been written already.) Certain Dark Things was one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's first works. While I love her writing, sometimes you can tell when it is someone's first time doing things or if the work was done through an earlier self. There were many plot holes or situations where I wished there was more to be said about the characters. What vivid characters they are! For example, what backstory presented why these characters were in the situation they were in? What reason did Veronica need to change her name? What duty required Bernardino to be involved with a race of vampires so different than him? What happened to Domingo or Atl after the fact? I felt more could have been explained to enrich this story. Having a thicker book has never stopped any author from telling more. This is not to say these inconsistencies are a bad thing. The genre itself is so cool that I hope Silvia Moreno-Garcia will take this opportunity to produce more stories from it. The way some authors had created side stories or spinoffs of their other work. Ana's story would make such a great prequel. Another story can be told of Bernardino and the usage of the Tonalli.
For me, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia has a magnetic way of speaking. There is enough sophistication in her narrative to conclude she's different, special, and educated. Words like Demarcation and Kyphosis might compel a reader to run to a dictionary, but she leaves a good amount of context to help avoid that. Not to mention, the Mexican terminology that is written in this book. I say Mexican because not only is Spanish used, but words native to the Aztec culture. All of that can accuse her of being technical and visceral. Then she starts cursing profanity and it simply pulls you back and zeroes you into focus and on the same page of understanding. She is able to wield the words in a way that doesn't exclude you. I'm hooked and enveloped. I love her style so much, I read four of her books in one month. I go to the bookstore and it's so hard for me to resist getting another title from her. She is my author of the year.
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