Thanks to #NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC in return for a fair review.

A brand new, refreshing, creative retelling of H. G. Wells’ “The Island of Doctor Moreau” with feminist vibes, taking place in Yucatan peninsula during the war between Mayan people fighting for their freedom and Mexican tyrants.

Silvia Moreno Garcia’s creative story telling, unconventional characters, riveting style and intense horrific elements kept my attention throughout.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was an interesting book. There were some element of the story that I really adored and some that I didn’t enjoy at all. If I’m being honest I expected to love this book, based on the synopsis and the fact that I enjoyed the authors previous work. I’m a bit disappointed that I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would. Anyway, with all that said let’s get into the actual review.

I enjoyed the writing style a lot, as I expected I would. Moreno-Garcia has the ability to create such a vivd atmosphere. I could picture the setting of the story perfectly and I will remember it for a long time. I adore atmospheric books, so this was right up my alley. I don’t know how to explain it better but I love the way this author creates stories. All of Moreno-Garcia’s books have such interesting summaries that make me want to read them all. The writing style was a definite favourite of mine and I plan on picking up more books by this author in the future.

I expected there to be a lot more horror elements than there ended up being. I feel like this book was marketed as a horror, but it was more of a mix between historical fiction and science fiction (with horror elements as well). Which isn’t a bad combination, but I just expected something different. That’s on me I guess, I just think this would have been an even more interesting book (for me) if the horror elements were the main focus of the story. I did find the story to be boring at times, it just didn’t manage to hold my attention. Though I’m still attributing that to having different expectations of the story.

Now onto the characters. I didn’t really connect with any of them. They were mostly fine but I didn’t feel anything for them. Carlota was interesting in the sense that she was a very sheltered character, and I felt that that portrayal was well done. It’s not a perspective that I read from often. I don’t have any strong feelings about her, I liked her fine but she didn’t stand out much for me. Which can be said about all the characters in this story. Montgomery was also fine, I honestly don’t have much to say about him. He was either grumpy or drunk during the book, so there is that. Doctor Moreau was fine as well, but he fell flat towards the end. I expected something more and that it would turn more complex than it actually did. (I can’t go into details about that since saying what it was would be a spoiler.) I wanted more from him, or rather I wanted more from all the characters.

I didn’t enjoy the romance. Montgomery met Carlota when she was a child, so their whole relationship felt weird to me. She was an adult when their relationship started, but it still felt weird. There were also some other things that bothered me with their romance (small things, nothing major), but I can’t go into detail about that since I would need to spoil some things. Basically I didn’t like the romance and I thought it was unnecessary. I would have enjoyed seeing them have a platonic dynamic more.

As I said at the start of this review, I enjoyed some aspects of the story while others bothered me. In this book the setting is very memorable but the characters are not. I would still recommend this book if you enjoy atmospheric books, just don’t go into it with the expectation of it being a horror book.

I hadn't read anything by this author before, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! it was strange, whimsical and a little creepy. I have read the the island of doctor moreau, and loved this unique and original take on the story.

The writing was easy to follow and transported me elsewhere. Our main character was fierce and challenged whatever obstacles were thrown her way. Overall, I enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend it. I'll be checking out Mexican Gothic next!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an e-arc!

Another solid stand alone tale from Moreno-Garcia, this time historical sci-fi/horror. I'm not that familiar with the original, although I felt this novel was much more predictable then her others I've read so far. I enjoyed it, not as much as my favourites Gods of Jade and Shadow and Mexican Gothic, but not far off, and I'm looking forward to the next novel Silver Nitrate due Summer 2023.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

This is a clever and enjoyable reimagining of the Island of Dr Moreau. I found the doctor's daughter, Carlotta to be an engaging protagonist and enjoyed the dynamics between her and the doctor's assistant, Montgomery. The setting in 1870's Mexico works well and allows for commentary on race, class, colonialism and gender. Looking forward to reading this author's back catalogue.

I love how I’ve read about three of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s books so far – and have two still on my shelves – yet so far only Gods of Jade and Shadow has been more than an okay book for me. I stared off with this full of good intentions, but very quickly one thing that started to grate on me was the repetition – we follow two main perspectives, but for the first third of the book every time we swap from one to the other, we just mostly get a recap of what happened to them during that time, even if they were together! And not just a quick description of their feelings, but almost a step-by-step repeat. This did improve massively halfway through, but it set the tone for me. It was very atmospheric, and an interesting interpreting of a classic story. Due to having read something recently with the same inspiration, I was less surprised by the twist as we were supposed to be. In the end, I liked it, but didn’t love it.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia has several books and I have now read two now both of which have been very interesting. There are aspects of this book that I really enjoyed and the other half which I was not as interested in. This is a very loose retelling of The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells.
“When she looked in the mirror she felt as though there was an invisible crack in it, perhaps in her”
This book was set in nineteenth century Mexico and it follows Carlota the daughter of Doctor Moreau who is living in a lavish estate hidden from the world. Whilst hidden away Doctor Moreau works on his hybrids who are created to be controlled by their master and be seen and not heard. When Doctor Moreau hires Montgomery to help with the scientific experiments the group are cast into a quiet and peaceful life only to be disrupted by the arrival of Eduardo Lizalde.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia definitely gets the genre of gothic historical fiction with the atmosphere of this book as I felt like I could have been in this book. The imagery made me feel as though I was living through this coming of age along with Carlota. Although the main thing I loved about this book was the hybrids. They were so interesting to read about and find out about their lives. Lupe and Cachito were so interesting and were my favourite characters in this. Their personalities were so fun, and they were the reason that I continued to read this book.
Another character that I did love was Montgomery. Although at some points I found his thoughts a little strange I overall did enjoy seeing his perspective on the occurrences at the Yuxaxiton. He was cynical and grumpy which is always a plus with a male character, so I was rooting for him within the love triangle.
“If she’d been a siren luring him to the bottom of the sea, he would have followed, If she’d been a gorgon he’d have let himself be turned into stone.”
I think the main issue I have with Moreno-Garcia's books are that I have trouble connecting with the story. Throughout I feel as though there is so many story lines; the love triangle, father-daughter relationships, the hybrids, the war and so on. I could not pick up certain parts of it. I read this book for the horror, and I did not get it at all through this story. I did not connect with many of the characters, and I was not invested in the outcome of their stories.
Overall, I enjoyed the last quarter of this book and I do want to try Silvia Moreno-Garcia's book surrounding vampires however I am not sure how many of her other books I will pick up by her. Montgomery and Cachito was my favourite part of this book as well as the atmosphere. This is definitely a book to read during autumn and I do think that some people will love this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for this copy to read and review!

Usually I am a massive Moreno-Garcia fan but this novel fell flat for me.

Incredibly slow-paced with little desire to keep reading. This is a shame as I usually love her work.

Such a fantastic read, it's perfect for this season.Another gothic read , it's not paranormal it's more of sci-fi. Similarly to Mexican Gothic it has the same pace slow and the beginning was hard o udersand some stuff but omg when I continue I couldn't put it down!

We have the POV of Carlota Moreau and Montgomery Laughton and we get a better idea of what is happening .Carlota was an interesting and strong heroine.Montgomery was interesting too and his back story was sad.

This was refreshing in many ways , also I find it atmospheric and I liked the characters.

Several months later I'm doing my review on this book. I've had some hard time finishing this one. It was just so boring right from the start to the end. This was my first read of Moreno-Garcia, I'll read her book mexican gothic because I've only heard good about that one. But this it was just disappointing. My fair rate for this is 2.5 star rounded up to 3.

You can read more of my review on Goodreads.

I read this one recently and with Silvia moreno-Garcia being one of my fav authors I was so excited to get to this one.

Really enjoyed the story, the characters were great and loved the setting.

I would say though it’s not my fav Garcia Novel buts it still a great read and maybe a good starting point with the author

A beautifully written retelling with deep and important themes, where all the characters are given a new layer of relatable humanity and the setting a new historical, geographical, and societal context.
The audiobook version of this book was also really well made.

To start with, this is one of the most beautiful covers I’ve seen this year. Stunning.

This is a loose retelling of The Island of Dr Moreau and the author has done a great job putting their own twist on it.
We have 2 different perspectives on this books, Carlotta (Dr Moreaus daughter) and Montgomery.
Through them you learn more about Dr Moreau and the creatures he’s making. I wouldn’t say there’s any horror elements like I’ve seen others say though regarding the monsters.
This book oozes atmosphere & tension, and also deals with the battles women faced in society in the 1800s.
If you’re looking for a book that sucks you in straight away, good pacing, keeps you hooked and you love Historical/Sci-fi - I couldn’t recommend this book highly enough.
The only thing I think this book was lacking was character development, as I didn’t feel massively connected to any of the characters.
Thanks to Netgalley & Querus books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I went into this one blind, with no knowledge of the original story of Dr. Moreau, on which this story is loosely based. Mexican Gothic was a five-star read for me, so I was excited for another Moreno-Garcia.

This is the story of Dr. Moreau, his daughter Carlota, the property caretaker and Englishman Montgomery, and a few dozen "hybrids" (part animal, part human) who live on a secluded ranch on the Yucatan peninsula. Dr. Moreau's claim to fame is the creation of these hybrids, although the success he's had with his animal/human experiment has been mixed, to say the least.

The writing was excellent, and the storyline was exciting and unique, but for some reason, I felt indifferent. I suppose it lacked the eerie intrigue and seduction of Mexican Gothic that I was hoping for. Also, as readers, we learn so little about Doctor Moreau or the hybrids, so I didn't feel invested in many of the characters. Maybe it would have helped if I did have some previous knowledge of 'The Island of Doctor Moreau." I'm not sure. I didn't love it, but I did like it, and I'll continue reading Moreno-Garcia's work.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau was so promising...but sadly it fell flat for me. I have read and loved every single one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's works so maybe I was due one which didn't really connect with me. I'll start with the things I did enjoy about the novel:

* I really liked the concept - the idea of Doctor Moreau and his beautiful, strange daughter Carlota living in this lush but secluded estate in the middle of the jungle with the hybrids that he has created through experimentation was so unique and interesting. I liked how the various hybrids had distinct personalities and the novel raises some compelling questions about scientific experimentation, rights and individuality.

* I loved the writing itself - as always Moreno=Garcia's writing shines, beautiful and descriptive in all the right moments, I couldn't fault it.

What I didn't enjoy was my lack of connection to the characters and the wider story - I felt myself not really caring about any of it which was disappointing considering all the right elements were present but I just felt myself not really invested in any of the events.

Thank you, Quercus Books, Jo Fletcher Books and NetGalley for this eArc.

If Silvia more-Garcia has a book, I'll read it! Wonderful mix of gothic and sci-fi, and I must say I didn't know those could mix so well. Like always characters are so well written, you can't but enjoy how masterful Moreno-Garcia is in weaving this world. While it may be a story about coming of age, it also deals with a lot of other issues like colonialism, moralism, science, relationships, and all that while giving an homage to the original Dr.Moreau!

And while I enjoyed the book as a whole I didn't really, at any point during the reading, start to care for these characters, didn't find them particularly likeable in any way. Little hard to explain, but there we are :D

I think there are a few things you can now expect from a book authored by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. First, she’ll have stellar characters and the story will be told from the perspective of several of them (even more unique to her, the “villain” of many of her stories will also have a perspective point). Second, the story may be a slow-burn as far as the overall tempo of the story, but if you have faith, things will very much get moving before long. And third, you can never expect what genre you will find yourself in with this author. She has an uncanny ability of weaving together a variety of seemingly completely different concepts and themes and somehow…magic happens! We’ve already seen a mixture of the classic Gothic horror story with a Mexican setting and themes of colonialism. And here, we have a reimaging of the “The Island of Doctor Moreau” set in the Yucatan peninsula during the 1800s. It’s horror, it’s science fiction, it’s historical fiction. All at once!

I only knew the most broad points of the original tale, so I can only confirm that this story was approachable as new-comer. I was able to get a pretty decent understanding of that story, but having not read it myself, I can’t say what details may or may not match up. What I can say is that Moreno-Garcia uses the platform offered up by this story (a grieving doctor and his “monstrous” creations) as a platform to explore themes of identity and otherness, and the combination works really well. Our main character, the titular daughter of the doctor, brings a unique perspective to the story, as a young woman coming into her own in a very isolated and strange environment.

As I said, one of the best things about this story is how it blends the science fiction and horror elements with the historical backdrop of this region during this time period. Like the original story itself, I didn’t have a ton of knowledge of the politics and parties involved during this time period, but the book does an excellent job introducing readers. The author also includes a great note at the end of the story that speaks to her research into this period of history. I definitely recommend this book to science fiction/horror readers, and to anyone who has enjoyed Moreno-Garcia’s books in the past!

Serena’s Rating 8: Another unique entry by one of the most reliable (but genre unreliable) authors of the day. Should be a hit with a wide range of readers!

I thought the author’s Mexican Gothic was a good read so picked this one up with high hopes. It’s harder to classify – probably less horror more fantasy and is a reimagining of Wells’ classic tale focussing, as the title suggests, on Carlotta the daughter of the infamous and immoral Dr Moreau. It featured some great characters with a few also-rans.
Unfortunately I found this novel a bit so-so, with a smattering of perilous adventure mixed with corny will-they-won’t-they cheese. Some great writing but sadly I was left disappointed.

Carlota Moreau is a young woman growing up on a secluded estate on the Yucantán Peninsula in deepest Mexico, protected from the conflict between the Mayan rebels and the Mexicans of European descent.

The overseer on the estate is the troubled Montgomery Laughton, who turns to drink whilst dealing with his difficult past. He’s also a hunter, which is why Moreau has hired him.

Carlota’s friends are brother and sister Lupe and Cachito who aren’t what they seem at first. There are also a few inhabitants lurking in the back garden. Into the mix arrives Eduardo Lizalde, son of Doctor Moreau’s patron. His arrival upsets the balance of the household and things will never be the same again.

I knew the name Dr Moreau was familiar, but it was only when I was finishing this book that the authors afterword revealed where I’d came across it - it was the title of a book by HG Wells, in which a shipwrecked man stumbles upon an island on which some strange experiments are taking place. It was then I realised where Silvia Moreno-Garcia had taken her inspiration.

I hate revealing spoilers and after nearly a year of blogging, I’m not going to start now. I’ve never read Moreno-Garcia before (I had heard of Mexican gothic) so not sure what genre this belongs to. I don’t think it’s science fiction - Gothic historical fiction. The ‘feel’ of the book made me think of classic literature from the 19th century.


Definitely one of my favourite aspects of the book was the atmosphere and the setting. It’s quite lush and humid, and you can easily imagine the estate and the courtyard. You really get the sense that it's secluded and self contained, as it needs to be.

There’s also a romance in the book, of which I won’t say too much. One of the relationships didn’t seem age appropriate but maybe that’s just me.


Each chapter switches POV between two characters - Carlota and Montgomery.

Montgomery is a troubled and damaged character nursing a broken heart that he soothes with an ever present bottle of aguamiel. He cares for his charges, especially Carlota, and has their best interests at heart. He’s a brooding presence in some of the scenes.

Carlota starts off as quite innocent but that changes as the story develops. She loves her family and to her the place she lives is a paradise, but of course nothing stays the same forever and it would be a pretty boring book if it did. I did like her character ‘coming of age’ arc as the story progressed. I also liked her relationship with the other inhabitants.

It definitely had more of a depth to it that I expected - the morality of the experiments, the role of religion and colonialism, although it doesn’t go too far into exploring these theme and it doesn’t get in the way of the story. I liked how the author weaved these complications into the book and I learnt something about this period of Mexican history, which was also expanded on in an afterword by the author.

I liked the prose in the book, such strong imagery at times.

I liked it but never loved it. It’s difficult to put my finger on why that is so. For some reason, I couldn’t quite feel enough for the characters. I certainly enjoyed the historical setting and despite a somewhat slowish start, which I didn’t really mind, it certainly picks up the pace. It brings up some interesting questions about identity and morality.

It has a cracking pace and is an intriguing, well written book so I will read more by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Such a striking cover as well.

Thanks to Netgalley and Querus books for a copy to review

To my utter dismay, this will be a negative review of SMG's latest novel, a reimagining of Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau.

Told from the POVs of Carlota Moreau and Montgomery, this novel places the events of the original work in Mexico after the Caste War between the native Maya people and the European-descended Mexicans. I've seen it described as "set against the backdrop of the lush Yucatán jungle", and a "creative, feminist retelling", and anything ranging from science fiction to thriller to horror. And I firmly disagree with all of those statements.

With Carlota being at the very least a milquetoast heroine, and at the worst a disappointingly anti-feminist damsel in distress, neither she nor Montgomery are well-developed or likeable characters. Even if we ignore Montgomery's Woody Allen-esque infatuation with Carlota, who he'd known since she was 14, it would be ridiculous to call this novel anything other than historical romance. The suspense is virtually non-existent, and the science fiction is minimal, with none of the sci fi elements actually being SMG's original ideas, but instead reiterated (and blander versions of) thoughts from Wells' original work. In the end, this novel is almost entirely romance, and not terribly exciting one either.

The book is certainly not helped by the presence of underwhelming villains, a negligible amount of descriptions of Yucatán, the Maya people or local culture and beliefs, and a political context which is fairly inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. All in all, I'm sorry to say I found SMG's reimagining of the original work redundant.

I received a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the arc.