HNS Book Review: Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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Title: Certain Dark Things
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Pages: 336
Year:  2016
Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books
Source: Netgalley
l B & N  l Book Depository l Goodreads

Synopsis:

Welcome to Mexico City… An Oasis In A Sea Of Vampires…

Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is busy eking out a living when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life.

Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, must feast on the young to survive and Domingo looks especially tasty. Smart, beautiful, and dangerous, Atl needs to escape to South America, far from the rival narco-vampire clan pursuing her. Domingo is smitten.

Her plan doesn’t include developing any real attachment to Domingo. Hell, the only living creature she loves is her trusty Doberman. Little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his effervescent charm.

And then there’s Ana, a cop who suddenly finds herself following a trail of corpses and winds up smack in the middle of vampire gang rivalries.

Vampires, humans, cops, and gangsters collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive?

Reviewer’s Thoughts:

She was not a warrior. She was not brave. She was none of the things they had said about her ancestors. She wasn’t even anything like the fantasies of the vampire. Domingo spouted picturing powerful creatures who roamed the night.

I hate to be a cliché, but Certain Dark Things offers something readers haven’t seen before. I will be very firm about this because this book is making vampires cool again.

Once and for all, it is set in futuristic Mexico, where ancient vampires are hunted. The story follows Domingo, a scavenger teenage boy that attracts the attention of vampire princess Atl. But, not in the way you think. She’s hiding from her family’s mortal enemy–a vampire clan that wants her head. She didn’t expect she’d form a special bond with him.

Certain Dark Things introduces a different breed of vampires knitted from Mexico’s rich history, Aztec for example. There’s lyrical mythology and legends embedded in the plot. The terrifying nature of these creatures will make you pause and catch your breath. I also like the drug war nifty part. The gritty lull of the story is not to be missed.

Even though this story is set in the future, it didn’t deviate from contemporary issues such as privilege and poverty.

Domingo lifted a spoon and carefully began to eat. Atl felt funny, looking at him. There was plenty of food to go around back home and Atl never wondered where her next meal would come from. But it came from kids like this. Kids who stared at a cherry like it was ruby, like a banana in a glass dish was an exciting new discovery.

Unlike Atl who came from an established vampire clan, Domingo is a runaway orphan of sort who is also a self-proclaimed scavenger. He is proud of his job. He also mentioned, when things were rough he had to prostitute himself. This is merely not a gritty embellishment, it’s a reality for many as well. Moreno-Garcia handled that spectacularly.

My only moan is the staggering pacing near the end and the ambiguous ending. I am petitioning for a sequel.

Verdict: Certain Dark Things is fantastic; it’s a calculated tale accompanied by charming morally gray characters. You need to pick up this book, you won’t be disappointed.

About the Author

7dVr3HIhSue discovered the magical world filled with words at a young age. They have been her constant companion ever since. In addition to being a full time bookworm, and a dessert enthusiastic, she also runs the first fansite for Vampire Academy’s Lucy Fry called Lucy Fry Source. When she’s not tucked between the pages of her books, you can find her at her personal blog. You can also follow Sue on instagram and goodreads.

See the rest of Kerly Sue’s post here ?