VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE

Childhood sweethearts reunite in the shadow of the Mexican War and the threat of vampires.

Néstor and Nena were inseparable as children on the Rancho Los Ojuelos, though not everyone thought it was appropriate, Nena being the daughter of the owner and Néstor the son of a vaquero. After a treasure hunt goes wrong when they’re 13, Néstor thinks Nena is dead and he leaves the rancho, planning never to return. Nine years later, threats of Yanquís moving south finally bring him back to help with the fight only to discover that Nena survived that night and is none too happy at having been abandoned. As the two head into the fray, they must find a way to work together again while avoiding Yanquís, Rinches, and creatures reminiscent of the one that attacked Nena all those years ago. Cañas draws upon a wealth of research in re-creating the Rio Grande Valley in the 1840s, richly weaving in the Mexican War while also delving into horror. The vampires of this tale are incredibly original, a whole new brand of folklore that slowly unspools as the story progresses. There are three different narratives here: a love story, a war story, and a horror story. Each is compelling in its own right. Unfortunately, the book’s weakness is that it can handle only two of them at a time. It isn’t until the last stand that everything comes together, but it’s powerful when it does. Nena and Néstor, who are both point-of-view characters, are equally charming and infuriating in some of their choices. The side characters are not very well fleshed out, though they add to the sense of place.

While perhaps not greater than the sum of its parts, the parts themselves are quite good.