In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and each other… not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom.

The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas is intense and emotional. I loved how the book is written from both Alba’s point of view and Elias. Each brings a different perspective to the narrative and that approach makes the story more tense and the horror of Alba’s situation even more dramatic. From the very beginning, Alba’s strives for taking charge of her fate only to have that control removed entirely. To me, that loss of control is the true horror of the story, the fate of women in the culture of Zacatecas. 

I found the story fascinating, how greed, deceit, and desire for power drive the characters. Even Elias is not immune whereas Alba’s driving force is to find out more about her past and to take control of her life. I found her fall into possession horrifying, the build up intense and the story savage. The ending was entirely unexpected. 

If you like supernatural horror based in Hispanic culture, I really recommend The Possession of Alba Diaz by Isabel Cañas. The book is intense and emotional, the cultural aspects really well depicted and I love the religious aspects. The characters are charismatic and engaging. I really couldn’t put the book down. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 sleepwalking bouts

Penguin RandomHouse

Isabel Canas website