Reviews with content warning for War - Certain Dark Things

This was definitely outside my comfort zone as far as genre is concerned, and I genuinely liked it. This is a vampire crime noir. Imagine a gritty urban crime story based in Mexico City, with battling vampire drug cartels. Atl is a vampire and is on the run for her life. She is the daughter of one of the largest cartel families in South America, and another cartel vampire family is after her. Meanwhile, the cops/government are not fond of vampires and trying to extinguish them, considering them a threat. Atl takes up with a street kid, Domingo, who is overly curious, sometimes annoying and now they are in it together on the run.

This is a brutal and bloody story. It is so well written. I really enjoyed it. Noir is not usually something I reach for, but I can never resist a vampire story. Definitely recommend if you like crime stories or vampires.

Content Warnings

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

Multiple POVs and a great modern take on a classic spooky creature- vampires. So many different kinds of vampires from different places are mentioned throughout which was nice to see instead of the typical/well known european vampire images we see all the time. How some characters stories ended was a little unsatisfying though, but I need to stop thinking so many characters always need happy or fully fleshed out endings. This story also touches on colonialism when talking about the europeans and their continental vampires arriving in central and south america.

very glad the dog doesn't die tragically in this book! I was nervous and a bit sad when Cualli was mentioned to probably be dead

Also quick note, I felt a bit weird about how Atl and Domingo's relationship went considering it was mentioned she was about 20 (yeah I get she's a diff species but still) and he was 17. I know at first she was like "no way" and had set that boundary, but then they did the do and I was not okay with an adult/minor situation

.

It seemed to drag a little bit in some parts, but overall, a great and surprisingly quick read. I've enjoyed so much from this author and it's a goal that I read everything she has done.
Def check out content warnings for this as it is a vampire tale so there is a lot of blood.

Content Warnings

ruthlessreads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I thought this book was okay. It was well written but I didn’t feel a very strong connection to any of the characters. The action felt a little forced and I was honestly bored at times. It wasn’t bad, by any means, but it’s not something I would read again nor that I would recommend to anyone who isn’t a hardcore vampire fan. I found the details about the different kinds of vampires to be fascinating and wish I’d been able to learn more about that specifically. I liked Domingo a lot even though he felt kinda flat to me, very typical “I’m obsessed with vampires” human. I wish we knew a little bit more about him as a person. The same with Atl, whose background I feel we only got the lightest of sketches of to explain why she was on the run and in Mexico City. I would’ve liked a longer book or for this to be the first in a duology about these characters, Atl specifically but also other important characters & the different clans.

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caidyn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I'm so damn glad this book got reissued! It was a fantastic read that I (pun intended) devoured. The world was so rich and I loved being able to flip back and read on the lore this book incorporated. All in all, I'd read more in this world if possible!

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