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A review by booksamongstfriends
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
3.0
This book really had me going… until the end.
When I picked this up, I knew what I was getting into. The panel clearly says it’s a supernatural Western, with strong historical fiction and romance elements. I didn’t expect a full-on horror story, but I get why others might feel disappointed if they went in expecting something darker.
For the first 50%, I was hooked. The slow-burning romance, the second-chance dynamic between Nina and Néstor, and the layered exploration of family, culture, and duty drew me in. The historical backdrop—focusing on land ownership, colonization, and the looming war with Anglo settlers—was compelling. I appreciated the eerie tension in the early chapters, especially knowing Nina’s attack as a child by something lurking in the dark still haunts her. That attack, which drove Néstor to leave town thinking she had died, hangs like a shadow over everything.
But then… nothing really happens. The first half is mostly worldbuilding, which I enjoyed to a degree, but the pacing dragged. And let’s be real—this book is just the miscommunication trope with vampiric creatures and colonization thrown in. And if you know me, I can’t stand the miscommunication trope. Idc how far back in the day it is. Send me a letter!
The action doesn’t pick up until the Anglo settlers arrive, and even then, the tension felt muted. By the time we see Nina and Néstor on the run together, the moments of suspense and action felt too dry to fully deliver.
And then we get to the last 60 pages. This is where everything—literally everything—gets thrown at you. Nina and Néstor finally have raw, honest conversations about their past and feelings, but it’s so rushed. Néstor pours his heart out, but their relationship feels one-sided—90% him, 10% her. The climax moment, where Nina rejects Néstor out of fear of community judgment and family expectations, was frustrating. And then, in the final 10 pages, Néstor has to save her life to prove his worth, wrapping things up in a way that felt forced and unsatisfying.
The writing itself is beautiful. Cañas’s prose is undeniably strong and captivating, which is why I was so invested in the earlier chapters. But by the end, the rushed pacing, the miscommunication trope, and the overloaded final moments left me feeling let down. I would still recommend this read, especially for romance readers looking to explore other genres.
When I picked this up, I knew what I was getting into. The panel clearly says it’s a supernatural Western, with strong historical fiction and romance elements. I didn’t expect a full-on horror story, but I get why others might feel disappointed if they went in expecting something darker.
For the first 50%, I was hooked. The slow-burning romance, the second-chance dynamic between Nina and Néstor, and the layered exploration of family, culture, and duty drew me in. The historical backdrop—focusing on land ownership, colonization, and the looming war with Anglo settlers—was compelling. I appreciated the eerie tension in the early chapters, especially knowing Nina’s attack as a child by something lurking in the dark still haunts her. That attack, which drove Néstor to leave town thinking she had died, hangs like a shadow over everything.
But then… nothing really happens. The first half is mostly worldbuilding, which I enjoyed to a degree, but the pacing dragged. And let’s be real—this book is just the miscommunication trope with vampiric creatures and colonization thrown in. And if you know me, I can’t stand the miscommunication trope. Idc how far back in the day it is. Send me a letter!
The action doesn’t pick up until the Anglo settlers arrive, and even then, the tension felt muted. By the time we see Nina and Néstor on the run together, the moments of suspense and action felt too dry to fully deliver.
And then we get to the last 60 pages. This is where everything—literally everything—gets thrown at you. Nina and Néstor finally have raw, honest conversations about their past and feelings, but it’s so rushed. Néstor pours his heart out, but their relationship feels one-sided—90% him, 10% her. The climax moment, where Nina rejects Néstor out of fear of community judgment and family expectations, was frustrating. And then, in the final 10 pages, Néstor has to save her life to prove his worth, wrapping things up in a way that felt forced and unsatisfying.
The writing itself is beautiful. Cañas’s prose is undeniably strong and captivating, which is why I was so invested in the earlier chapters. But by the end, the rushed pacing, the miscommunication trope, and the overloaded final moments left me feeling let down. I would still recommend this read, especially for romance readers looking to explore other genres.