The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

July 26, 2025

The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Minerva is a graduate student at a New England university, dependent on scholarships and on-campus jobs to afford staying there. She is originally from Mexico, and there is a history of witchcraft passing down through her family from her great-grandmother Alba. Minerva loves horror fiction and become fascinated by an obscure horror writer who attended the same university. While researching the writer's life and work, Minerva becomes aware of strange forces haunting the campus and the town.

Not your typical story of witches and warlocks. Three main characters: Alba, Beatrice, and Minerva, each with her own timeline, which can be a little confusing. Overall creepy, dark, and atmospheric. I am not a huge horror fan (although I read more horror than I think I do), but I really enjoy Moreno-Garcia's modern gothic fiction. I could not put this one down. Will appeal to readers who enjoy horror mixed with folklore and multigenerational stories. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

The Morningside by Tea Obreht

February 25, 2025

The Morningside by Tea Obreht

Set in Island City, the Morningside is a once elegant but now rundown apartment building where Silvia and her mother live after being evicted from their ancestral home and resettled in Island City. The building is only partially occupied since many residents fled the city. Silvia's mother wants to forget their past and where they originally came from, but Silvia's aunt fills her head with superstition and fears. Silvia lives a lonely life until a girl close to her age named Mila moves into the building, and the two girls become fascinated by the woman who lives in the penthouse.

Meh. A dystopian novel by the author of Inland and The Tiger's Wie that sounds like it might be set in a future Manhattan devastated by climate change and war. The author doesn't seem to know what story she wants to tell: first it's about evil spirits and folklore and discovering the true identity of the woman in the penthouse, then it changes to the plight of refugees and conspiracy, and then it switches to war crimes and government abuses. And then there are these damned birds that don't have anything to do with anything. If you want to read something that has similar themes but is a much better book, read Celeste Ng's Our Missing Hearts.

Post-apocalyptic New York

Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Canas

September 14, 2023

Vampires of el Norte by Isabel Canas

Growing up on Nena's father's ranch in Tejas (Texas), Nena and Nestor were inseparable as children. But when they were 13, Nestor flees from the ranch, believing that Nena is dead and that it is his fault. Nine years later, Nestor returns to find Nena alive and grown, working as a healer. But the peaceful life of the ranch is threatened by the whites from the north as well as a supernatural creature that steals souls as well as lives.

It's almost fall, so it's time for some seasonal reading, in this case Mexican gothic. Full of folktales, legends, and family stories with a romance thrown in. The vampires in the story aren't only the supernatural kind. If you like the novels of Silvia Moreno-Garcia, you'll enjoy Vampires of el Norte.

The chupacabra, which figures in Mexican folklore and may be the vampire in the story

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

March 3, 2022

The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

As a mixed race child from a scandalous union, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in anywhere: her tribe, her hometown or her family. The only bright spots in her life are her BFF and Jamie, the new guy on her brother's hockey team who may be her new boyfriend. After her BFF is murdered, Daunis agrees to help the investigation by going undercover. But there are other forces at work that hit very close to home.

The author exposes some dark secrets about Native American communities: sexual assault, addiction, spousal abuse, violence against women. It is very YA in tone, with a little too much drama. But I learned a lot about Native American folklore and customs.

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

May 24, 2020

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang

When the Japanese begin bombing the city of Nanking in China, the faculty at Minghua University organize an evacuation to move the students to China's western province, taking the school's prized Library of Legends with them.  Halfway through the journey, the three main characters (Shao, son of a wealthy family; Lian, a scholarship student; and Sparrow, a maidservant) split off from the student group to travel to Shanghai, each for their own reasons.

Overall, I was disappointed in this book.  Usually I really like historical fiction about lesser known historical events, in this case, the second Sino-Japanese War and China's historic Library of Legends.  But too much time was spent on flirtations and political groups within the students, and too little time was spent on the library itself.  There is also a magical realism factor where one of the characters is actually a character from one of the legends who has been living on earth for thousands of years.  The author also devotes many pages to describing how wealthy and influential Shao's family is, also how elegant and expensive his clothes are, and how much poverty there is in large Chinese cities (yes, we get it, there is a huge gap between rich and poor in China just like there is in the West).  There are also too many pages of walking and bombing and hiding, and spending the night at a temple, then a monastery, then a village, then another temple, then a warehouse, then another village, etc.  A good editor should have whacked out about 100 pages and made this a much better book.  However, the cover art is gorgeous.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a review.

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

April 27, 2020

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

After receiving a frantic letter from her recently married cousin Catalina, Noemi Taboada is sent by her family to visit Catalina and scope out the situation.  Traveling to a remote mountainous region of Mexico, Noemi arrives at High Place, the family home of the English Doyle family.  The house is isolated and neglected with a group of secretive and silent residents who follow a set of strict house rules.

The local doctor informs Noemi that Catalina has a mild case of tuberculosis and requires rest and good food to recover.  The family quickly squashes Noemi's efforts to bring in a psychologist to examine Catalina, and it becomes clear that Noemi is an unwelcome, meddlesome guest.  Soon after arriving at the house, Noemi begins to experience a series of disturbing dreams or hallucinations.  At the same time, she continues to push for more information about her cousin's condition and unexpectedly uncovers horrific secrets about the Doyle family that could threaten her very life.

There are strong gothic overtones similar to Wuthering Heights or Rebecca:  creepy setting, perpetual fog or mist, run-down old house, controlling patriarch, rigid housekeeper, imprisoned wife.  There is a little bit of everything here:  gothic, mystery, horror, historical fiction, folklore.  

I didn't like this one as well as Moreno-Garcia's first book Gods of Jade and Shadows.  But if you like your fiction with a dose of weird, this could be for you.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

July 5, 2019

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Casiopea Tun and her mother live with her horrible maternal grandfather and his family, treated as servants even though Casiopea’s mother was once her father’s favorite daughter.  Casiopea longs for a different life, away from her awful relatives, but when she opens a locked chest and lets out what was inside, she gets more than she bargained for.  She embarks on a quest across Mexico with the Lord of Death as he seeks revenge on his fellow supernaturals, while Casiopea strives to figure out her heart's desire.

Really good!  This is a quest story that blends mythology, folklore, and a splash of Cinderella, set during the Jazz Age in Mexico.  Anyone who enjoyed Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik should enjoy this novel.