Vampires of El Norte Review

& the multi-purpose antagonist (writing technique)

Wow, I loved this book. Think of this novel as a horror-romance with authentic historical roots and all the best gothic elements. The result is delicious.

5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Reading Experience

There will be spoilers ahead, but not too many. (Because you should read this book!)

The book unfolds as a dual POV narrative between 2 victims of vampires in Mexico. Here when I say “vampires,” I mean these are terrifying, barely even resembling human, beasts, much like wild animals.

💀(No “Twilight” sparkles or sexy vampires here, my friends. These vampires were only made for murder.)💀

Our ill-fated pair consists of Nena and Nestor, childhood sweethearts separated by an attack that nearly kills Nena (though for the record, she may have actually died or gone into a coma-like state).

The pair reunite years later in the midst of Anglo invasions and war.

The emotion in the writing is absolutely palpable.

For example, here’s an excerpt from page 317:

He ran his thumb over her plait again, memorizing the braid's ridges and the tickle of loose hairs. "Until I wake, and I'm alone." How many mornings had he woken cold in the chaparral to the knowledge that Nena was dead? How many mornings had she opened her eyes and wanted him near? Did she dream of him too? Did she feel the absence of him in her life as much as he felt her lack? Perhaps it was exhaustion loosening his tongue, or pain, or the sensation of her shoulder against his, her smell, the weight of her plait between his fingers. It found the truth hidden behind his heart and drew it to the surface. Gave it words to be spoken, wings to fly

“Your mother said you were dead, that night," he said. "Félix knew it. Your father knew it. They said you were dead."

A bead of sweat, then two, rolled down his face. Dripped from his jaw. He dropped her plait to wipe it away. He paused mid-gesture; his cheeks were wet, but it was not sweat.

It was tears.

Shame washed over him in a hot, nauseous wave. "I couldn't face it," he said. "A world without you. I am not brave enough."

In this gothic romance, our heroes struggle to be together while fighting:

• Vampires that hunt them

• Anglo invaders killing everyone to seize their land

• The old Mexican society rules dictating that a vaquero like Nestor (a master horseman similar to a “cowboy”) can never marry the daughter of a ranch owner.

The beauty of this story is how it uses the vampires to both test our heroes and bring them closer together as they fight to survive, which they can only do together. It’s both terrifying and beautiful.

The Multi-Purpose Antagonist

(What a technique🤩)

Isabel Cañas wrote that this quote she found in her research inspired much of the book, and it surprised her because this mention predates even “Carmilla,” which many consider the oldest vampire tale.

(Side Note: However, in my studies of the Balkan/Slavic countries, I’ve found some possibly earlier legends of vampires…but that’s research for another novel I’m working on. 😉)

But back to Isabel’s point, she brilliantly took this vampire quote and created this out of it:

Vampires are the Antagonist = Key thematic symbol = Society dynamics

🧛🏽‍♂️Level 1: The External Physical Vampire Antagonist

A vampire in its most basic form is a parasitic entity that sucks the life out of something, but not just the blood per se. While we have the real threat of people dying from a vampire draining them of blood, this book goes a step further to show deeper emotional wounds and further layers of metaphorical vampires.

❣️Level 2: (Thematic) Internal Wounds a Vampire Leaves Behind

Nena’s first vampire attack literally over her blood, but it also causes Nestor to run away, which leaves an empty hole in her heart and likewise drains her spirit as she tries to move on with her life. By the end of the novel, she gets the strength to actually kill a vampire by herself and overcome her fears. Her abuela points out how Nena has a hole in her aura that she must heal in order to get people to trust her as Nena struggles to prove herself as a capable “curendera” healer. Only when Nena forgives Nestor toward the end, thus filling the hole in her heart, can she overpower her “internal vampiric wound” and become strong.

For Nestor, the absence of Nena also robbed him of his ability to be happy, and he keeps seeing the vampire in his dreams, even though he killed it. Though Nestor has no problem defeating vampires physically, he has every problem with fighting back against powerful rancheros like Nena’s father. He has to overcome his fear of embarrassment and dishonor in order to prove his worth to her father and confidently stand with Nina, despite the fear of Nena’s father killing him. Nestor gradually becomes more courageous and goes back to face his internal and external monsters.

💰Level 3: Vampires in the Setting & Power Dynamics

The foreign invaders serve as another type of vampire, people who steal their land after killing them. This is the deeper true story of how Texas was originally stolen from Mexico in the border wars, after all. As they say, after always hearing the question, “When did you come to this country?”

Perhaps the question should have been:

“When did this country come to us?”

Nena also mentions how the old Spanish nobles had divided up the land around where she lives, and how odd it was that an old piece of paper could determine land ownership for generations.

👑Level 4: Vampiric Society Rules

Nena’s father holds an iron-fisted rule over his ranch, and over her. He plans to marry her off to another wealthy family with a lot of land in order to form an alliance to fight against the invaders. She is terrified of him, and so is everyone else, which is what her father wants. He doesn’t have slaves, but those who work under him get paid little so that they remain under his control. Nena has no real rights to do as she pleases without his permission. Anyone who disobeys her father can be beaten, killed, or banished from the safety of the ranch family. In these ways, her father drains her of power (not unlike a vampire).

I won’t spoil the end entirely, but let’s just say Nena’s struggle to please her father, do what’s best for the ranch, and also trying to be with Nestor lead her on a journey that greatly tests her strength. Yet she eventually does discover how to be strong and take some of her power back.