Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

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.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.

Book Type:

Historical Thriller / Supernatural

Review: Vampires of El Norte

After years apart, childhood sweethearts come together to face war and vampires in the riveting and immersive historical thriller, VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by Isabel Cañas.

Set in 1840s Rio Grande Valley, we meet inseparable thirteen-year-olds Magdalena “Nena” Serrano (a rancher’s daughter) and Néstor Duarte (son of a vaquero). After sneaking out one night in search of silver, Nena is attacked by an eyeless beast. Néstor, believing Nena dead, flees the ranch in grief.

But Nena survived.

For nine years, her anger has festered, believing Néstor abandoned her, and the plans of which they dreamed together.

When the U.S. ‘Yanquís’ invade Mexico in 1846, however, everything changes for the rancheros along the border. Forced to defend their lands, Nena, her family, and the ranch’s vaqueros, plan to ride to Matamoros to fight. Néstor returns home to join them, only to come face-to-face with the girl he once thought dead.

As they battle to defend their home—and what was once between them—they face a grisly danger that lurks nearby. Men are increasingly found dead and drained of blood in attacks reminiscent of what happened to Nena.

Cañas deftly weaves together three narrative threads: vicious war, forbidden romance, and nightmarish horror. These threads forge a rich and compelling story that vividly comes to life through the author’s meticulous historical research. Growing up in Matamoros myself, I felt a deeper connection, a narrative anchor that more fully immersed me in this horrific historical and supernatural western crafted by Cañas. Her writing is sumptuous and imaginative, and I loved every minute of this terrifying tale.

As with its predecessor, THE HACIENDA, this has been one of my favorite novels this year and one you shouldn’t miss.

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