Set in 19th century Mexico, where America and Mexico are at war, Vampires of El Norte is essentially a romance novel with a few vampires thrown in along the way. The book is written from the perspective of the two protagonists, Nena and Nestor, childhood friends, turned unlikely lovers.

The book started off well, with the main characters Nena and Nestor coming face to face with the first vampire of the book (more of a beast-like predator than a member of the undead) that stalks the lands surrounding Nena’s family ranch. After this brief encounter separates the pair, I found the book became very slow, up until the 60/65% mark. There was a lot of repetition, showing the same events from each character’s perspective or rehashing the same emotional state of each character over and over again - “you left me”, “I thought you were dead” - we get it.

Whilst the author’s intermittent use of Spanish terminology certainly added to the setting and authenticity of the book, for me personally, it disrupted my engagement with the book, whilst I sat googling “vaquero” and other terms that described Mexican social status. But that’s more of a “me” problem.

Overall, it was a well written book and a decent story that explored love against the backdrop of social and economic class. BUT, I went in expecting a horror. About vampires. In reality, it was quite tame and didn’t have any creepy moments - it just wasn’t quite what I was looking for and whilst I’m sure some will really enjoy it, for me it was probably a 3.5 out of 5.

Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Isabel Cañas's second novel is set on the Texas-Mexican border in the 1840s (hence the 'El Norte', North Mexico, though this part later became South Texas). Nena is the daughter of the patrón of Rancho Los Ojuelos, while Néstor is the son of one of their peóns [farm workers]. After a vampire attack throws Nena into a deep coma known as susto, Néstor believes her dead and flees the rancho to become a wandering vaquero. But Nena's abuela is a curandera, a folk healer, and manages to bring Nena back to the land of the living. Nena starts work as a curandera herself, determined to prove her worth to her father and avoid an arranged marriage as they try and defend their land from Anglo settlers. When Néstor returns, the two fight their mutual attraction while seeking out the cause of a new plague of susto among Mexican men.

Vampires of El Norte has a great atmosphere - I've loved historical fiction set in the shifting borders of Texas since I read Philipp Meyer's The Son - and what we get of the vampires is nicely scary. It ultimately had too much of a romantic focus for my taste, and definitely sits on the boundaries of YA and adult fiction, despite being marketed as the latter. Having said that, I had the same kind of fun reading this as I did with Bridget Collins' The Binding, even if I resisted the final message that romantic love matters more than love of a place - especially in the context of a people who have been consistently displaced. As Cañas writes in her afterword: 'When did your family come to this country? As a young person, I struggled to answer... The Rio Grande Valley is a pocket of the world where the border has moved more often than the people living there... When did this country come to us?'

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 stars
Paperback publication: 24 October 2024
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

I would categorise this book in this order: historical, romance, horror.
I'm not a huge fan of romance, and this relied heavily on the miscommunication trope, which has a tendency to irk me.
This being said, I absolutely loved Isabel Cañas’ writing: it was beautiful, very evocative and atmospheric (I immediately put The Hacienda on my wishlist for that very reason.)
I thought the characters were great, the story was well-paced and I really enjoyed the horror aspects of it; Cañas created great tension in those scenes and I really appreciated the approach (rather than twist) she took on the “monsters” and who really deserves the moniker. I also really loved her focus on lore and storytelling, and how knowledge is passed from one generation to the next.

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas offers an intoxicating blend of supernatural horror, historical fiction, and romance, set against the turbulent backdrop of the Texas-Mexico border in the mid-19th century. Known for her debut The Hacienda, Cañas once again proves her talent for weaving folklore and supernatural elements into richly atmospheric, character-driven narratives.

At the heart of the novel are Nena and Néstor, childhood friends turned star-crossed lovers whose lives were violently interrupted by a vampire attack years ago. Nena, believed to be dead after the attack, survives, but not without being forever changed by the traumatic experience. Meanwhile, Néstor, broken by grief and haunted by nightmares of bloodsucking monsters, has been living in self-imposed exile. Their reunion, sparked by the U.S.-Mexico War and the greater dangers that loom, is filled with tension, unresolved feelings, and the trauma that still binds them together.

One of the novel’s great strengths is how it interlaces the personal with the political. As much as this is a story about vampires—creatures that Cañas brings to life with chilling menace—it’s also about the larger historical forces shaping the region. The U.S. invasion of Mexico and the cultural tensions between the Anglo settlers and Mexican ranchers provide a vivid, fraught backdrop for the narrative. The vampires themselves, with their insatiable thirst for blood and their attacks on Nena’s family’s ranch, feel like an allegory for the violence and exploitation of the time, a clever and seamless blend of the historical and the supernatural.

Cañas excels at atmosphere, and her descriptions of the Texas-Mexico borderlands are as haunting as the creatures that stalk them. The harsh beauty of the landscape contrasts with the creeping dread of what lurks in the shadows, creating an almost gothic western vibe. Readers will feel the dust, the heat, and the palpable fear of a land where danger comes not only from the impending war but from creatures who defy the natural order.

The relationship between Nena and Néstor forms the emotional core of the story. Cañas deftly explores the complexity of their bond, shaped by shared trauma, guilt, and unspoken love. Nena’s anger at Néstor for abandoning her, and Néstor’s guilt for believing she was dead, add depth to their reunion. Their journey is not just about facing vampires but also confronting the wounds of the past and their place in a world that’s changing, both on a personal and political level.

The vampires themselves are portrayed with terrifying elegance. Cañas taps into the traditional lore of vampires but adds her own cultural twist, making these creatures feel unique to the story’s setting and time period. Their presence escalates the tension, serving as both literal and symbolic representations of the dangers encroaching on the Mexican borderlands. The horror is sharp, bloody, and often brutal, yet it’s always anchored in the emotional stakes of the characters’ survival.

If there’s any critique, it’s that some readers might find the pacing slower in the early chapters as the historical context and character dynamics are established. But once the supernatural threat fully emerges, the tension ratchets up, leading to a thrilling, suspenseful conclusion.

In conclusion, Vampires of El Norte is a masterful fusion of genres, blending western, horror, and historical romance into a singularly gripping tale. Isabel Cañas crafts a story that is as much about survival and war as it is about love and redemption, with a richly developed historical setting that heightens both the danger and the emotional stakes. Fans of supernatural historical fiction, especially those with a taste for folklore-infused horror, will find this book to be a dark and satisfying journey. It’s a chilling reminder that monsters—both human and supernatural—are never far from the borders we try to draw between safety and danger, past and future, love and loss.

This really wasn't what I was expecting though it was well written it was very slow and a bit dull at times.

When someone said vaqueros and vampires I was expecting a bit more of an action packed romp and this just wasn't that

Some great concepts and I liked the vampires but really not what I was wanting from this

The writing is beautiful and the sense of place is exceptional. It's a period of history that I don't know much about and the book does a great job of placing you in the setting and giving information without info dumping.

I went in expecting a horror book with vampires and I got a historical romance with a little bit of horror. My expectations were wrong and it's not really a genre I enjoy.

However, I can see why people would really enjoy this which is why I’m saying its a pick because it was an excellent book, just not to my tastes.

Isabel Cañas came to readers’ notice with her historical gothic horror debut The Hacienda, which itself followed hot on the heels of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic. Also partially following in Moreno-Garcia’s footsteps (although granted her novel Certain Dark Things is very very different) Cañas delivers her vampire novel. Set during the Mexican/American border wars of the mid 19th Century, Vampires of El Norte is horror but with more than a health dash of romance and some deeper issues at play through its imagery.
Magdalena, aka Nena, is the eldest daughter of a Mexican rancher. Her future is set - marriage to make an alliance with another landholder. But as a teenager, Nena only has eyes for Néstor, who is the son of one of the vaquero families, cowboys who work on the property. One night, Nena and Néstor encounter and kill a creature, Néstor believes that Nena has been killed in the encounter and leaves. Nine years later, with the threat of American incursion, Néstor returns to find that Nena is alive and has never forgiven him for leaving. But they have bigger problems, not only the Americans, but the strange, blood sucking creatures which leave people fatigued, and which Nena seems to be sense due to her earlier encounter.
For much of Vampires of El Norte, Cañas treats her vampires much like Jaws. There is an early encounter but then they are barely seen, lurking in the shadows, leaving strange evidence but keeping off the page. This allows Cañas to focus on the rekindled romance between her leads while slowly building the tension. The dramatic beats of that romance – longing glances, misunderstandings, having to work together to fight off infernal creatures - and its course, is fairly standard and so is the weakest part of this narrative.
The interesting aspect of Vampires of El Norte comes from its inspiration. And that is of the invading Americans being described by a contemporary Mexican writer as “vampires”, well before the famous novels embedded that term in the culture. Cañas cleverly builds on this idea in a way that adds some resonance to the real history that she is also reflecting. All of which makes Vampires of El Norte a better than average historical horror romance, and an unlikely genre mash that works.

Vampires of El Norte is a powerhouse of a book. It is a horror story, a romance, an adventure, a historical tale and a commentary on colonialism. Despite being a relatively short book, it manages to balance all of these elements and make you care about the characters and their plight. From the first chapter, I was invested in Nena and Nestor’s lives.

Growing up in very different circumstances, Nena and Nestor still managed to stay childhood friends for years before tragedy occurs. After looking for treasure one night, Nena is left suffering after a creature attack and Nestor believes that his best friend has died. This misunderstanding leads to him grieving for 9 years before he returns to the town he grew up in a discovers the Nena survived. And she is angry.

This is where our story really begins. Now adults, Nena and Nestor have to untangle their complicated past whilst also fighting vampires and dealing with the breakout of a war in Mexico. I loved that moments of action were interspersed with character led scenes. Isabel Canas writes the yearning between these two so well and I loved seeing how the romance between the characters bloomed. Her writing style can be so poetic at times, especially when she writes from Nestor’s perspective and shows him pining.

I was also happily surprised by how chilling and scary the book was. I wasn’t sure from the blurb whether the vampires would actually feel threatening on the page or whether they were more of a plot device to make the characters fight together. But these vampires are hideous and grotesque and much more terrifying than in most vampire novels. I also loved learning more about other Mexican monsters and ghost stories. I haven’t had the opportunity to read much South American horror, but I think I’d love to read more about creatures like El Cuco and La Llorona. This book has inspired me to read The Haunting of Alejandra next and pick up The Hacienda before Halloween.

I would recommend this book to fans of Silvia Moreno Garcia’s horror novels and books like Lone Women by Victor LaValle. It is a great historical, horror story and I can almost guarantee that you will love the characters.

Wonderfully gothic ! I loved the first one and this is no different - perfect for a Halloween read !

This is not at all my normal genre; I don't read fantasy much, I don't read vampire books, and I don't read romance; and yet still I kinda loved this book? The writing was beautiful and compulsive and I didn't want to stop reading.

Vampires of El Norte is an interesting romance novel, that is mostly interesting because of the backdrop of historical Mexico at war with the United States and the addition of vampires.

We meet Nena and Nestor as kids. Nena is the ranchors daughter while Nestor is son to indentured workers. In search of the hidden treasure, they are attacked by a monster. Something that they can't quite name. Thinking that Nena is dead, he runs away. When they find each other years later, not only their old feelings resurface but also the monsters.

I found it really interesting to see the historical setting in Mexico. The rancher life, the social hierarchy and the way the woman are treated, learning about vaquero. A lot of it we kind of know but it is different to see it in text like this. How Nena's fathers word is law and how she was treated by her mother after Nestor saved her. How dare she be in danger and be saved by a vaquero which meant she was alone with him. The author manages to add in a real atmosphere of that time period, added in with a bit of terror because of the vampires.

The vampires itself aren't on the page that much. I found the idea of them interesting. No face. And the bond at the end. There was no humanizing of them and I think that is also something we need within the vampire fiction. There was some dehumanzing of the united states, but hey, they kind of deserved that.

As for our characters, Nena was a bit of a wild child but after her attack she became the perfect ranchors daughter. But she wants so much more. Not a marriage for convenience but to become a true asset to the ranch, to people. She is the type of person that would care about those working beneath her if her parents had allowed that more. There wasn't much room for that though.

Nestor on the other hand remained a wild child. He has become a succesful freeelance vaquero. He does what he wants, for the most part. But he is working towards a goal. Saving money to buy his own ranch. They compliment each other nicely.

3.8 stars.
I really enjoyed this book, although I thought we would get more of the vampires than we did. It’s more historical fiction that focuses on romance with a dash of vampire. With a dual POV of our two main characters, Nena and Nestor; this was a fast read. Its horror elements were on the vampires and warfare of the time. Full of misconceptions and class divides, with the pacing being as quick as it was, it doesn’t make for an angsty read. You end up rooting for a happy ending for them.

Thank you toRebellion and NetGalley for the chance to read this.

This is as close to a horror novel as I am comfortable reading—and it's been such an atmospheric journey!

Set against the backdrop of the Texas-Mexico border in the 1800s, this book gave me a perfect mix of history, supernatural elements, and romance. It balances that eerie, slow-building tension with heartfelt moments between the characters, which kept me hooked the entire time.

The historical setting was so well done—there’s a sense of place that’s gritty and raw, but also lush with cultural detail. I loved how the author weaves Mexican folklore into the vampire mythology in a way that felt fresh but also grounded in history (the author's note mentions that the book was inspired by her heritage).

I didn’t care too much for the love story itself, but it served as a solid way to ground the characters and, in a way, made the horror elements stand out more. 😨 I won’t say much more about the plot because I think it’s best to discover it for yourself, but I was really happy with how everything unfolded, and the resolution was satisfying. The tension was paced well, and though it dips a bit in some parts, it always brought me back to that eerie, haunting atmosphere that made the read so enjoyable.

Definitely recommend this book if you're into something atmospheric with a unique spin on vampire lore!
4/5 🌟

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Stunning setting, beautifully realised and great slow burn historical romance. I enjoyed this book though this was definitely more in the romance category than horror.
Not as strong as The Hacienda but that's a big act to follow! Still a very immersive intense read

Hello again dear reader or listener, I have another arc review for you today and it will be one of those you might need to buckle up for, yet again, cause I need to gush. I binge-read this in less than a day so now I’m making it everyone’s problem.

First of all, a big thank you to the team at Solaris Books for granting my eArc request for this book, in exchange for an honest review!

It seems I find myself in a bit of a speculative horror fiction kick at the moment and what better time for me to find out a book whose arcs for the US release I’d very sadly missed, is about to have its UK release and thus a new arc run?! In fact, I’ve been *dying* to read this book for the longest time and things kept getting in my way, but then Solaris swooped in like a bookish fairy-godmother.

In short, Isabel Cañas’ Vampire of El Norte is everything you could possibly wish for in a Mexican gothic, with rich folklore, beautiful and atmospheric prose, complex characters, and a forbidden romance rooted in cultural and historical authenticity, to die for. Not to mention how incredibly it shows the “other side” of the Mexican-American war of the late 1840s, in ways you rarely see in mainstream media. Or how the author navigates topics of class/social standing in a manner that was both realistic and genuine.

But let’s be a little more verbose, shall we? Humor me, you know it’ll be fun!

First, Latin American folklore is among my personal favorites for too many reasons to go into, but one of them is for how deeply seeped into its wider culture it has remained to this day. So, you can imagine how even more important and prevalent it might’ve been back in the 1840s! For example, Cañas does an incredible job in rendering the seamless coexistence of religion and folklore, of the secular and the mystical, while showcasing through her protagonist Nena, and supporting character Abuela, the duality of the curandera, a healer of the body but also of the spirit/soul. Or by presenting the very real dangers behind the myths of El Cuco alongside the encroaching Anglos and Yanquis seeking to expand their territories through force. In such a way this book is an artefact of the oral tradition it is borne out of – an intrinsic homage to the fireside tale or news shared and spread from grandmother to child, worker to worker, traveler to traveler.

Also let’s be honest, this is a western with a badass monster feature. I mean, come on, it doesn’t get cooler than this!

Secondly, the romance central to the plot had me in a chokehold. And I don’t mean in a sexual tension or tee-hee spice kind of way (there is none of the latter but some exquisite bits of the former, granted). But rather because I was on both of their sides in equal measure, which absolutely shreds you when Nena and Néstor fight. Because, what Cañas does expertly, is deromanticize a situation too often complacent in its trope status. What I mean is, we all love a romance forbidden due to class separation for example. It is a trope for a reason. But far too often the obstacles to overcome are shallow, or the story will gloss over the real reasons why a match of that kind cannot happen since true love conquers all etc, or finally, the characters do not really act as if they were from different standings. Whereas Cañas shows how it’s such a complex situation that it’s incredibly difficult to untangle even if there is a reconciliation. Yes, my feels where aching, but the casual way in which either of the protagonists might accidentally hurt the other even with an off-hand comment, was so genuine and brilliant. It perfectly exhibited the truths of the time setting and culture, while still wringing every emotion out of you, making you yearn as much as the characters for a solution that might not come.

Lastly, this book could have been such an angry story, rooted in warranted resentment. It had all the openings to be, be it from a feminist perspective, allowing Nena to fight and rage against the constraints put on her as a woman and the betrayals from those closest to her; from a class perspective, showing Néstor not only bristle but fight with blood and sweat against the unfairness of the opportunities and rights denied him. Hell, even from a socio-political perspective, showing the disparity in men fighting for someone else’s cause, the bitterness of a nation’s leaders not caring about the hardships of their people in any way that matters, or ultimately the nonsensical violence that accompanies every war of expansion. All of which shown not from the victor’s point of view but rather the often-overlooked side of the defeated.

And yet.

Isabel Cañas wrote a nuanced and emotionally intelligent story, deeply rooted in the bonds of love, honor, pride, and hope. Infused with just as much folklore and myth as history and realism, she presents the reader with a novel that touches on all of the anger, but the author does not allow her characters to be consumed by it, but rather focuses on everything that each character is fighting for and towards. Ultimately creating a sweeping romance that has you on the edge of your seat, makes you want to double check all the eerily quiet shadows for fangs glinting in the dark, and that aggravates as much as it delights.

Vampires of El Notre comes out in the UK October 24th, and it will not only make the perfect Halloween read, but it will make you want to read everything else this author has written or will write in the future. It certainly did for me.

Until next time,
Eleni A.E.

I've always loved Mexican culture and also vampire fiction; and this blend of the two did not disappoint.

Nena and Nestor were childhood friends that were on the verge of becoming more when something terrible happened to Nena. She was brutally attacked by a creature in the woods and believing her to be dead, Nestor fled his hometown. Nine years later when war is breaking out around them, he returns home and is shocked to find that Nena is alive and well, though she is angry with Nestor for leaving her.

The two of them soon find themselves fighting together to survive both the war and the strange creatures that are stalking them in the night. The two must fight through the past in order to save their future.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy. I really loved the book and its characters. I can see that the author spent a long time on worldbuilding and forming 3 dimensional characters. This was already on my wish-list for the year, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy. I loved the read and can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

2.5 stars

Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for my digital review copy.

For a book that has vampires in the title, I found it lacking in the vampiric regard.

I know this book has more commentary on class, gender and race and I think that my ability to enjoy this book was diminished by expecting more vampires than what we got. I do appreciate the author's note at the end of the book as it helped clarify why there were less vampires than I thought.

It felt like we could have done so much more with the mythology of the vampires and the suspense from them. The vampire attacks ended up feeling repetitive and I could tell what was going to happen.

The prose was wonderful though. It absolutely was able to transport me to 1840s Mexico.

I know it is a historical fantasy and that is shown a lot through Nena and the societal expectations she has placed upon her. I do wish that Nena had more growth as a character as I found that the majority of the book we spend it following her as she tries to make a place for herself in the world, albeit in methods that felt juvenile at times.

I didn't really care much for the romance in this. I know this is a me thing, rather than how the author writes. It was a slow burn, but I felt like all we got from the characters (Nena and Nestor) was that they wished the other person liked them back. I don't know if it is my adversion to hetero romances (and that I am way more inclined to read lesbian romances because I, myself, am a lesbian and thus I seek to find media to represent me), but I found that part a slog to try to get through.

I do think I had the wrong idea about this book from the blurb and I expected more vampires and action than what I found I got.

This book left me giddy at the chemistry between Nena and Nestor while being swept up in the tale of war and vampires in 19th Century Mexico,
Fascinating vivid storytelling.

disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers via netgalley in exchange for an honest review

rep: mexican cast & setting

Vampires of El Norte follows both Nena & Néstor - two estranged childhood best friends - during the US attack on Mexico in 1846 where there paths cross again.

I read Isabel Cañas novel The Hacienda earlier this year & adored it but Vampires of El Norte is by far her stronger novel - an unnerving atmosphere, two wonderful protagonists, and an endearing friends to lovers romance & lots of yearning and angst (He is head over heels in LOVE!) . I absolutely loved the take on vampires - i adored the fact that we didn't get the 'norm' of vampires we see in novels AND I loved the social commentary of who the monsters actually were (e.g those who steal & pillage land & destroy communities). Highly recommend to horror lovers!