Montserrat is an avid horror movie buff and an experienced sound editor who is steadily being pushed to the side at her job for younger, male colleaguMontserrat is an avid horror movie buff and an experienced sound editor who is steadily being pushed to the side at her job for younger, male colleagues. Her best friend is Tristan, an actor whose career is going into decline as a result of a scandalous car crash ten years ago. By chance, they meet retired film director Abel Urueta, whose last film shoot shut down under mysterious circumstances. Urueta spins yarns about a German occultist who was involved with the film and may have endowed his magic into the very fabric of the silver nitrate. When Montserrat and Tristan help him fulfill his life’s work and finish the film, they awaken magic and draw the attention on sorcerers who are bent on owning the film for themselves.
Silver Nitrate has a beautiful sense of time and place, set in 1993 in Mexico, but having a feel of the golden age of film. It’s a book for film lovers, especially horror aficionados, with exciting Easter eggs for those who appreciate the genre. Moreno-Garcia makes sorcery highly plausible, and the Nazi occultism spin makes for an atmospheric read full of stunning supernatural imagery. The complicated but devoted relationship between Montserrat and Tristan whose inception was when they were both children is the heart of this novel. Both characters are flawed and troubled. Tristan is vain and mercurial, but also deeply devoted and kind. Although both characters in their late 30s, he is considered past his prime and is getting less roles due to his scandal-ridden past and the facial scars from the car accident that killed his girlfriend. He has not recovered from the emotional trauma of his girlfriend’s death, and carries it like a heavy weight on his shoulders. Montserrat is in the difficult position of dealing with blatant sexism at her job due to being the only woman sound editor. For good reason, she carries some degree of bitterness that adds to her already incisive personality. While she keeps others at a distance, she is always there for Tristan. Yet, even at their worst, the reader is deeply invested in their wellbeing. The horror of this book is more subtle and fitting to the theme of classic horror. Scenes play out as though they are in black and white and sepia. The uncanny happenings evoke a gothic feel with an emphasis on the unknown versus the obvious. Silver Nitrate is deeply character driven, some time while for things to escalate, with quite a bit of exposition. But the payoff makes the investment by the reader more than worth it. As always, Moreno-Garcia delivers an engrossing read that delivers an emotional wallop due to her excellent character work.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Advanced Review Copy provided by Netgalley for review, courtesy of Del Rey Books....more
Oh, I loved the heck out of this book! Anna Bennett writes delicious heroes. Hazel and Blade felt so right together. I felt so much sympathy for what Oh, I loved the heck out of this book! Anna Bennett writes delicious heroes. Hazel and Blade felt so right together. I felt so much sympathy for what they'd gone through together and I am so glad they found each other. I loved the girls too. This was such a fun read, and I had a smile on my face when I finished it.
When I want a lighter Regency romance that hits all the notes, I know I can pick up an Anna Bennett and get exactly what I'm searching for.
I actually got an ARC for this before it came out, but I didn't get a chance to read it. My life a year ago was hectic to the extreme, with very littlI actually got an ARC for this before it came out, but I didn't get a chance to read it. My life a year ago was hectic to the extreme, with very little time for reading. I kept trying to get the audiobook, but I never got around to listening to it. But I realized that was really a blessing because this was the right time to read this wonderful book.
Going in, I had no idea what was going on and what to expect, and I will endeavor to write a review that allows anyone who reads it to have the same advantage. Therefore, I will have to be exceedingly careful in my gushing.
I have to highly recommend getting the audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. I have a feeling she speaks Spanish fluently because her accents were excellent and authentic. I enjoyed her pitch, and the manner in which she was able to deftly switch to different characters, male and female. When a narrator understands the immersive capabilities they bring to product, it enhances the reading experience significantly. The narrator is Frankie Corzo, and I give her kudos.
What really strikes me about this book is the lush, opulent, oh so entrancing descriptive imagery of Moreno-Garcia. This book was a feast for my senses. It was beautiful and strange, but also there were parts that were unnerving or just plain disgusting. I was fully engaged by the narrative. I was seduced by this book. There were times I was afraid to keep listening, but I couldn't turn it off at the same time. In my opinion, the book is very well written in that it is not at all predictable. And each time I thought I knew what was going to happen next, I found myself surprised at where the story went.
Noemi is hard to describe in a few words. I suppose it's easiest to just say that she is a delightfully complex and fully fleshed out character. The beginning of the book she seems spoiled and shallow, but there is something about her that immediately made me realize I cannot underestimate her or easily categorize her. She has an inner resilience and steel that makes her unbreakable. But like good composite steel, she is strong enough to resist the forces that work on her to tear her down. Despite that, there's an inner darkness and turmoil that she had to fight to see her way through this narrative. She acknowledges that dark side of her psyche but doesn't give into to it. I like that her character subverts the gothic story heroine. It's good, because that house, it hides hungry secrets.
I also appreciated Francis quite a bit. He is a character that subverts archetypes and stereotypes in a brilliant way.
Oh there's one aspect of the book that I really loved, but I can't talk about it because I don't want to spoil anyone reading this book. It's just perfect for me.
This book was thrilling and some parts are just so freaking weird and skin crawling. It really drives home how disgusting racism really is. It's hard to say to much about that, because it's so important to the story, but suffice it to say that the book takes a very sharp examination into colonialism, eugenics and white supremacy in a well-integrated and thoughtful way.
There's so much to love about this book. I cherished the last lines of it, and I had this joy when I finished it, which revitalizes my bibliophilic juices. When you read a fantastic book, it just energizes you and makes you clamor for more. For me, Mexican Gothic is one of those books.
*Just as a side note, I absolutely adore this cover..so much!...more
Flavia Alba finds herself in a case with Imperial implications and that's no fun. It's up to her to find out why someone had the nerve to commit suiciFlavia Alba finds herself in a case with Imperial implications and that's no fun. It's up to her to find out why someone had the nerve to commit suicide and mess up the Emperor's processional. The list of suspects seems to grow, and Flavia's promise to keep herself safe might turn out hard to keep. I love the humor and the insights, and the fact that Flavia has to use her intelligence and understanding of humor nature to do her job as an inquiry agent. Plus, it's an interesting look into a time in history over 2000 years ago.
Add a beautiful young painter and a handsome vicar who's a duke's son, throw in a dash of murder, and a sprinkle of art forgery, a Trumpian faux populAdd a beautiful young painter and a handsome vicar who's a duke's son, throw in a dash of murder, and a sprinkle of art forgery, a Trumpian faux populist character, and there you have it.
This was enjoyable with clever writing and likable characters, but I felt like I had to keep putting it down. Could be me, with everything going on. I am looking forward to Gemma's story.
This is my first book by Elizabeth Essex, and it's made me want to read more of her books. The hero, Lieutenant Dance, is a wonderful, scrumptious speThis is my first book by Elizabeth Essex, and it's made me want to read more of her books. The hero, Lieutenant Dance, is a wonderful, scrumptious specimen. I liked everything about him. He's very determined and a great leader, his discipline as a naval officer and his sense of excellence in doing his job spoke to me. But at the same time, he retains a sense of humanity and kindness and integrity that made me love him even more. I like that even though he's a very self-controlled man, he has a hint of playfulness and earthy masculinity that adds to his appeal. He takes on the role as a second-in-command on a ship that has something very wrong with it, mismanaged, with undisciplined sailors and corrupt crew members. The captain is a complete drunk and has withdrawn in practically every way from the running of the ship, so Dance is forced to take over many of his responsibilities, to the resentment of the crew. Things are only getting worse, and now he has to keep Jane and the rest of the scientists safe, not to mention fighting his feelings for her.
Jane is the kind of heroine that makes a reader happy. She feels like a normal person who you might have known. I cheered her on because she was very brave, going on this expedition, especially as a woman who wouldn't hardly be taken seriously even by other scientists, and bravely facing the distrust and misogyny that a group of mostly undereducated sailors had for her.
I found this book very romantic. I like that things do get very steamy at the appropriate time, but also Essex builds the tension beautifully as they get to know each other. There are wonderfully written scenes and an undercurrent of romantic tension in their interactions. You can tell that they have a love match, and it makes you look forward to seeing how that unfolds.
It's not much of a spoiler, because it's on the blurb, but when they get stranded on the island, that's one of my favorite parts. Finally the walls are able to come down and Jane and Dance know each other in the most elemental way, their passion for each other is no longer deniable. Jane shows what an incredible woman she is in those moments, not only being saved by Dance, but saving him and facilitating their adjustment to the island they take shelter on.
There is a lot of detail attended to life on a ship, and it gives an element of authenticity to the story. A lot of naval jargon gets thrown around, but it's not disruptive. What I didn't know or couldn't parse didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. Ship life adds an element of suspense and tension as Dance is trying to figure out what exactly is going on and working to keep a ship that is literally falling apart together despite the grumbling of the crew.
If I could change anything, the ending is a bit abrupt, but I was also satisfied because Dance and Jane get to be together, and this is one couple that I definitely rooted for. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Ms. Essex (who coincidentally graduated from my college alma mater :)
This was a lovely little romance. I'm glad it came up as a recommendation on my Amazon Kindle bookstore page. I liked the author knew a bit about the This was a lovely little romance. I'm glad it came up as a recommendation on my Amazon Kindle bookstore page. I liked the author knew a bit about the history of interracial marriage and wrote a story that showed that more of it occurred than history one would presume before the advent of Jim Crow/Segregation laws. I would have liked to live in a town like this during this point in history (when I normally think that being a black American at this time was a double-edged sword pointed at your throat). I liked that Wendy rose above the prejudice and ill treatment she faced. Born a slave but working to be an independent businesswoman. Although she faced racism, she didn't let it get to her or sour her or make her a hater. She didn't give up and I was glad to see her dreams come true.
Travis was such a sweetie. I loved him. He stepped in when his immature brother wouldn't honor is commitment to marry Wendy when he finds out that his bride is Negro. Travis was man enough to even help Wendy with her sewing so she could win the contest that might get her a shot at her own business.
While the ending ties up things nicely, it's a good ending that made me satisfied with the story. The love scenes are sweet but pretty steamy, and they show that Wendy and Travis had great chemistry, a strong bond, and true love. What a great combination. Probably the only thing I would change is for it to be longer. I will definitely continue this series. I downloaded the first book right after finishing this.
This was a layered and immersive historical mystery. I felt like I was in 1920s England and seeing firsthand the complex relationships of the characteThis was a layered and immersive historical mystery. I felt like I was in 1920s England and seeing firsthand the complex relationships of the characters. Brody examines culture, race, gender, and social stratification in a deft way that is incisive and thoughtful. I will definitely read more in this series.
Although this wasn't terribly exciting, I really like Manda Collins' gentle, sweet, humorous voice and her very likable lead characters. For that reasAlthough this wasn't terribly exciting, I really like Manda Collins' gentle, sweet, humorous voice and her very likable lead characters. For that reason I would still give it four stars. It's just the thing if you want a pleasant Regency romance that has characters you would enjoy being around in real life.
I liked this, although I thought the beginning was slow and the ending a bit abrupt. Really nice paranormal atmosphere, and I'm a sucker for the WWII I liked this, although I thought the beginning was slow and the ending a bit abrupt. Really nice paranormal atmosphere, and I'm a sucker for the WWII setting.
This was a slow read for me, due to the tone and unfamiliar terms specific to this setting. I wish there was a glossary, because that would have facilThis was a slow read for me, due to the tone and unfamiliar terms specific to this setting. I wish there was a glossary, because that would have facilitated my reading. However, I liked the vantage point of 1st century Rome, especially in a mystery format.
I was nervous about this book, because I love this time period, but I don't care much for estranged married couple romance. However, Ms. Raybourn tackI was nervous about this book, because I love this time period, but I don't care much for estranged married couple romance. However, Ms. Raybourn tackles both with beautiful grace. This book has wonderful atmosphere and Evie and Gabriel are both very endearing characters. The adventure was a much appreciated bonus.
Danielle The Book Huntress
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