Certain Dark Things

August 22, 2016
Moreno-Garcia’s action-packed second standalone novel (after Signal to Noise) brings myths from multiple cultures into focus as different, coexisting types of vampires get tangled up in the drug wars of near-future Mexico, setting the stage for a bloody and engrossing story of rival families. Mexico City has done its best to ban vampires from entry, but 17-year-old Domingo, a trash picker, manages to find one: 23-year-old Atl. She pays Domingo to let her briefly feed on him; struck by her beauty, he works his way further into her life. Domingo and Atl grow closer while trying to protect each other from the vicious Godoy family, who killed Atl’s family and are now after her. Few of the characters would be considered likable, but they’re more interesting for their flaws. A bittersweet, satisfying ending confirms that Moreno-Garcia is an author to watch. Agent: Eddie Schneider, JABberwocky Literary.

Starred review from September 15, 2016

Atl is a vampire on the run and hiding out in one of the few places that have successfully banned the undead: Mexico City. She meets a young, homeless trash-picker named Domingo who offers to help. Atl has been followed to the city by Nick, the spoiled and brutal scion of the rival vampire gang that wishes her dead. One of the bodies Nick leaves in his wake as he hunts Atl catches the attention of cop Ana, who has a history with vampires. With no support from her misogynistic colleagues, she reluctantly partners with local human criminal gangs to find the killers. Atl's native heritage has a history entwined with Mexico's Aztec past, but there are other species absorbingly described. Domingo is a hapless and naive helper besotted with Atl, while Atl herself is a vicious yet still appealing heroine to root for as cops, crooks, and vampires hunt her across the steamy streets of the capital. VERDICT The Mexican setting is a huge part of the allure of this new novel from Moreno-Garcia (Signal to Noise), as are the fascinating varieties of vampires she sets forth.--MM

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2016
Moreno-Garcia's latest, following Signal to Noise (2015), envisions a fascinating near-future Mexico City with vampire drug lords vying for territory. The story starts out simply enough: boy meets girl on a trainshe needs blood; he can use the cash. Domingo, a street-smart garbage picker, is fascinated by Alt, a young vampire from an ancient Aztec clan. Alt shouldn't be in the city, a vampire-free zone controlled by human drug cartels and corrupt police, constantly patrolled by crews checking for vampire incursions. She is the pampered child of vampire wealth with no knowledge of the human world, running from the Necros, a vicious vampire species that slaughtered her entire family. Alt needs help to escape the city, and Domingo may be the one person who can aid her, if she can control her bloodlust long enough to keep him alive. Vampires only know hungerand Alt is very hungry. This fast-paced horror tale presents a new, alternate world of vampire-human rivalry and will appeal to those who enjoy rooting for unlikely heroes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)