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Silberne Geister
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Horror (2023)Bedrohliche Séancen, hochentzündliche Filmrollen und ein untoter Okkultist der Nazis – und mittendrin eine ungewöhnliche Protagonistin mit einer Vorliebe für Horrorfilme.
Die kluge Montserrat schlägt sich als Außenseiterin in einer Männerdomäne im mexikanischen Filmbusiness. Der einzige Mensch, der ihr lieb und teuer ist, ist ihr Jugendfreund Tristan, der als Soap-Darsteller unter Auftragsarmut leidet. Als sie und Tristan das Angebot bekommen, einen nie produzierten legendären Horrorfilm zu vollenden, schlagen sie ein. Doch der Filmstreifen ist mit einem dunklen Fluch belegt, der alle ins Unglück stürzt, die an ihm arbeiten ... Und das ist längst nicht alles! Der Geist eines teuflischen Okkultisten der Nazis steht an der Schwelle zum Reich der Lebenden, und Montserrat und Tristan müssen ihn und seine Anhänger um jeden Preis aufhalten. Nicht nach »Der mexikanische Fluch« und »Die Tochter des Doktor Moreau« der neueste Roman der internationalen Sensationsautorin!
Die kluge Montserrat schlägt sich als Außenseiterin in einer Männerdomäne im mexikanischen Filmbusiness. Der einzige Mensch, der ihr lieb und teuer ist, ist ihr Jugendfreund Tristan, der als Soap-Darsteller unter Auftragsarmut leidet. Als sie und Tristan das Angebot bekommen, einen nie produzierten legendären Horrorfilm zu vollenden, schlagen sie ein. Doch der Filmstreifen ist mit einem dunklen Fluch belegt, der alle ins Unglück stürzt, die an ihm arbeiten ... Und das ist längst nicht alles! Der Geist eines teuflischen Okkultisten der Nazis steht an der Schwelle zum Reich der Lebenden, und Montserrat und Tristan müssen ihn und seine Anhänger um jeden Preis aufhalten. Nicht nach »Der mexikanische Fluch« und »Die Tochter des Doktor Moreau« der neueste Roman der internationalen Sensationsautorin!
497 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2023
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About the author
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
157 books27.7k followersSilvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. She has also edited a number of anthologies, including the World Fantasy Award-winning She Walks in Shadows (a.k.a. Cthulhu's Daughters). Mexican by birth, Canadian by inclination.
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July 10, 2023Set in 1993 in Mexico City, this novel follows a sound editor and a former soap opera star as they stumble onto an occultist who made a curious film decades before. Out 2023.
What genre is this?
The editor and I called it supernatural suspense with a heavy dose of film history.
Is there a playlist?
Playlist via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ht...
Is there a book kit?
Yeah, download it here
What genre is this?
The editor and I called it supernatural suspense with a heavy dose of film history.
Is there a playlist?
Playlist via Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ht...
Is there a book kit?
Yeah, download it here
April 30, 2024
the most wicked, evil, devious part of this thriller was the romance.
for a long time i couldn't decide if this was overwritten or underedited. plot twist: the answer is it's both!
there's just too much information in here, and very little of it is necessary. on top of that there's the writing-based stuff: many instances of the same word being used in back to back sentences (one of my hundreds of pet peeves), plus the overall sense that this was written at a desk with an open thesaurus on it...
but i fear that may just be the author's style.
this was an incredible premise that overcommitted and underdelivered, offering disappointing characters who treat each other terribly, no development, and a disappointing plot.
and again, just about the worst romance i've ever read. negative chemistry. terrible influences on each other. continually calling each other ugly and/or terribly personality'd in their truest and most internal thoughts.
bottom line: the horror.
(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)
---------------
tbr review
selecting the single mystery/thriller book i'll read this year
for a long time i couldn't decide if this was overwritten or underedited. plot twist: the answer is it's both!
there's just too much information in here, and very little of it is necessary. on top of that there's the writing-based stuff: many instances of the same word being used in back to back sentences (one of my hundreds of pet peeves), plus the overall sense that this was written at a desk with an open thesaurus on it...
but i fear that may just be the author's style.
this was an incredible premise that overcommitted and underdelivered, offering disappointing characters who treat each other terribly, no development, and a disappointing plot.
and again, just about the worst romance i've ever read. negative chemistry. terrible influences on each other. continually calling each other ugly and/or terribly personality'd in their truest and most internal thoughts.
bottom line: the horror.
(thanks to netgalley for the e-arc)
---------------
tbr review
selecting the single mystery/thriller book i'll read this year
October 14, 2023
oh this was GOOD. two bisexuals try to unravel a decades old curse while navigating strange new powers?? i was completely sold
my full review is up on my blog
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Please do not quote this review without credit please.
my full review is up on my blog
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review
Please do not quote this review without credit please.
January 4, 2025
This dark, heart-pounding, and riveting supernatural horror story, blending occultism, horror movie anthologies, Nazism, Aryan race, and mysticism, may be the best novel created by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
If you're a fan of horror movies, interested in the dynamics that make a movie whole, or a member of the industry like me, this story is so accurate that you may become addicted to it. The tough, fearless, stubborn, loner, badass, and perfectionist sound editor, Montserrat, is not a traditional heroine and absolutely not a damsel in distress. She can fight her own battles, finding her way in a competitive movie sector among her male rivals. She never cares about her appearance, takes fewer showers, forgets to have a proper haircut, and only wears Rock group theme t-shirts and long socks with big holes. She has her own vulnerabilities: she loves her car, her job, and she still has unrequited feelings for Tristan, her childhood best friend.
Tristan is also not the perfect hero to save the girl and ride off into the sunset with her. When he realizes things are emotionally complicated, he just runs away. His cowardice prevents him from confronting his true feelings. His star was rising when he starred in a soap opera until a tragedy took away everything he had worked for. A car accident ended the life of his girlfriend/screen partner, his reputation, and his appearance. Now he is an emotional trainwreck, waiting for the anniversary of his ex-girlfriend's death, doing voice-over jobs, having short flings, and trying to adjust to his new life in his small one-bedroom apartment.
Both Tristan and Montserrat deal with financial problems. Tristan barely gets roles to play ads while Montserrat is losing gigs to younger generations, even though she's the best at her work.
Tristan realizes he's neighbors with the legendary horror director Abel Urueta, who invites him and Montserrat for dinner at his house. When they meet him, the topic comes up about his unfinished, famous, cursed movie project "Behind the Yellow Wall," which brought bad luck to each crew member who worked on it! Urueta tells them an unbelievable story: the screenwriter of the movie, Ewers, is a German occultist who ran away from Germany during the rising of Nazism and believed in the superiority of the Aryan race. He believed he could manifest magic using film stock. In his opinion, silver nitrate stock is a powerful conduit for casting spells! But his unexpected death during the film ruined the entire manifestation and brought more disaster to people's lives!
Urueta wants Tristan and Montserrat's help to finish the movie with Montserrat's dubbing experience and voice editing skills. If they complete the missing scene, the curse of the movie can be lifted, which can bring good opportunities to their lives.
But they have no idea what kind of caged thrilling existence is about to be set free as soon as they review the film stock.
The dark entity starts chasing Montserrat as Tristan deals with the ghost of his ex-girlfriend appearing in his bathroom. And Urueta thinks somebody is threatening his life!
What have they gotten themselves into, and how can they lift the curse forever? There are very dangerous people out there looking for the film stock, but there is also something sinister out there even scarier than those dangerous people to hunt them!
I loved the riveting storytelling, occult elements, the author's introduction to the history of horror movies, brilliant references to legendary works and directors, and the relationship dynamics between Tristan and Montserrat! This has become my favorite book by this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Del Rey for sharing this incredible book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
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If you're a fan of horror movies, interested in the dynamics that make a movie whole, or a member of the industry like me, this story is so accurate that you may become addicted to it. The tough, fearless, stubborn, loner, badass, and perfectionist sound editor, Montserrat, is not a traditional heroine and absolutely not a damsel in distress. She can fight her own battles, finding her way in a competitive movie sector among her male rivals. She never cares about her appearance, takes fewer showers, forgets to have a proper haircut, and only wears Rock group theme t-shirts and long socks with big holes. She has her own vulnerabilities: she loves her car, her job, and she still has unrequited feelings for Tristan, her childhood best friend.
Tristan is also not the perfect hero to save the girl and ride off into the sunset with her. When he realizes things are emotionally complicated, he just runs away. His cowardice prevents him from confronting his true feelings. His star was rising when he starred in a soap opera until a tragedy took away everything he had worked for. A car accident ended the life of his girlfriend/screen partner, his reputation, and his appearance. Now he is an emotional trainwreck, waiting for the anniversary of his ex-girlfriend's death, doing voice-over jobs, having short flings, and trying to adjust to his new life in his small one-bedroom apartment.
Both Tristan and Montserrat deal with financial problems. Tristan barely gets roles to play ads while Montserrat is losing gigs to younger generations, even though she's the best at her work.
Tristan realizes he's neighbors with the legendary horror director Abel Urueta, who invites him and Montserrat for dinner at his house. When they meet him, the topic comes up about his unfinished, famous, cursed movie project "Behind the Yellow Wall," which brought bad luck to each crew member who worked on it! Urueta tells them an unbelievable story: the screenwriter of the movie, Ewers, is a German occultist who ran away from Germany during the rising of Nazism and believed in the superiority of the Aryan race. He believed he could manifest magic using film stock. In his opinion, silver nitrate stock is a powerful conduit for casting spells! But his unexpected death during the film ruined the entire manifestation and brought more disaster to people's lives!
Urueta wants Tristan and Montserrat's help to finish the movie with Montserrat's dubbing experience and voice editing skills. If they complete the missing scene, the curse of the movie can be lifted, which can bring good opportunities to their lives.
But they have no idea what kind of caged thrilling existence is about to be set free as soon as they review the film stock.
The dark entity starts chasing Montserrat as Tristan deals with the ghost of his ex-girlfriend appearing in his bathroom. And Urueta thinks somebody is threatening his life!
What have they gotten themselves into, and how can they lift the curse forever? There are very dangerous people out there looking for the film stock, but there is also something sinister out there even scarier than those dangerous people to hunt them!
I loved the riveting storytelling, occult elements, the author's introduction to the history of horror movies, brilliant references to legendary works and directors, and the relationship dynamics between Tristan and Montserrat! This has become my favorite book by this author!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing/Ballantine/Del Rey for sharing this incredible book’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
medium.com
March 13, 2025
**4.5-stars rounded up**
I was sold on Silver Nitrate from the moment I read the publisher's synopsis, which claimed it to be a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers.
Ummm, color me intrigued. I had to get my hands on this.
Luckily, for me, this lived up to the claims. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I am going to now declare it my favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel.
This story is set in the 1990s, in Mexico City, and follows two main characters, best friends, Montserrat and Tristan.
Montserrat is a talented sound editor, but as a female in a mostly male profession, she's frequently overlooked. In fact, she feels practically invisible to everyone, but her best friend since childhood, Tristan, a charming soap opera star.
Having been close for decades, Montserrat and Tristan have a lot of history. They rely on one another for a lot of different things. It's a comfortable relationship, though not without its complications.
As the story begins, Tristan has just moved into a new apartment building and he discovers, to his delight, that his new neighbor is cult horror director, Abel Urueta. Tristan can hardly believe it, Montserrat is such a huge fan of Urueta's. Tristan can't wait to tell her.
Tristan befriends the older man and before too long, Montserrat and Tristan are spending time in Urueta's apartment, as friends. Over drinks he tells them about his career and more importantly, about its demise, which he blames on an unfinished film laced with the power of magic.
He weaves them a tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into a highly volatile silver nitrate stock, never finished. He asks them to help him shoot the missing scene. Urueta claims once complete, his curse will be lifted.
After careful consideration, Montserrat and Tristan agree. What's the worst that could happen?
Montserrat and Tristan discover quickly that messing with occult magic can get real messy. Montserrat feels haunted by an unknown presence, and Tristan is having encounters with the ghost of his dead ex-girlfriend.
Both friends are losing sleep, they're on edge constantly and feel like they're beginning to lose their grip on reality. Is it self-inflicted? Are they just feeling these things because of fear, or is something actually plaguing them?
As the danger grows, Montserrat and Tristan begin digging into the truth of the old film and Urueta's stories. It's seems they've unleashed something, but how can they stop it?
You better buckle up, because things get strange, things get wild, but boy, oh boy, was it fun. I thought this was fantastic. Moreno-Garcia truly brought the atmosphere, great characters, as well as captivating and original premise!
Silver Nitrate is a slow burn, with a subtle tone that builds intensity throughout. I thought this was beautifully-crafted and the rich quality of the writing can't be denied.
The whole premise was just so interesting. I really enjoyed how it unfolded, with Tristan befriending Urueta and him sort of bringing Montserrat and Tristan in on his private struggle, the idea of the curse.
I felt Montserrat and Tristan were at the perfect place in their lives to be swept along on this journey with Urueta as well. The background work for these characters was a perfect match for the way the story progresses.
They were both sort of at a crossroads, where they needed a shake up. Urueta offered something intriguing and spurred on by each other's interest, they both went along with it, regardless of any hesitations they may have had individually.
I also enjoyed how quickly after helping Urueta that stuff began to get spooky for them. The things happening, let's call them the hauntings, were sort of quiet too.
It wasn't all in your face, gory or shocking, just slightly subtle things that could have been imagination, just as easily as a true haunting, but it definitely lent a sense of dread to the narrative.
My favorite part of this book though was the character work. Both Montserrat and Tristan were so well fleshed out. I found their entire lives interesting, from their careers, to their families, to their past relationships.
I also loved watching their relationship grow and change throughout the story. The insight into how they were feeling about each other, it was complicated and it made me a bit emo. As the danger increased, they began to see each other in a new light; particularly Tristan in regards to Montserrat.
Overall, I thought this was such a well-rounded and well-written story. It's memorable in its character work and uniqueness. I will be thinking about this one for a while.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a slow burn, historical-feeling Horror story, with equally great characters and plot. I think a lot of Readers will enjoy this one.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint!
I was sold on Silver Nitrate from the moment I read the publisher's synopsis, which claimed it to be a fabulous meld of Mexican horror movies and Nazi occultism: a dark thriller about the curse that haunts a legendary lost film--and awakens one woman's hidden powers.
Ummm, color me intrigued. I had to get my hands on this.
Luckily, for me, this lived up to the claims. In fact, I enjoyed it so much, I am going to now declare it my favorite Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel.
This story is set in the 1990s, in Mexico City, and follows two main characters, best friends, Montserrat and Tristan.
Montserrat is a talented sound editor, but as a female in a mostly male profession, she's frequently overlooked. In fact, she feels practically invisible to everyone, but her best friend since childhood, Tristan, a charming soap opera star.
Having been close for decades, Montserrat and Tristan have a lot of history. They rely on one another for a lot of different things. It's a comfortable relationship, though not without its complications.
As the story begins, Tristan has just moved into a new apartment building and he discovers, to his delight, that his new neighbor is cult horror director, Abel Urueta. Tristan can hardly believe it, Montserrat is such a huge fan of Urueta's. Tristan can't wait to tell her.
Tristan befriends the older man and before too long, Montserrat and Tristan are spending time in Urueta's apartment, as friends. Over drinks he tells them about his career and more importantly, about its demise, which he blames on an unfinished film laced with the power of magic.
He weaves them a tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into a highly volatile silver nitrate stock, never finished. He asks them to help him shoot the missing scene. Urueta claims once complete, his curse will be lifted.
After careful consideration, Montserrat and Tristan agree. What's the worst that could happen?
Montserrat and Tristan discover quickly that messing with occult magic can get real messy. Montserrat feels haunted by an unknown presence, and Tristan is having encounters with the ghost of his dead ex-girlfriend.
Both friends are losing sleep, they're on edge constantly and feel like they're beginning to lose their grip on reality. Is it self-inflicted? Are they just feeling these things because of fear, or is something actually plaguing them?
As the danger grows, Montserrat and Tristan begin digging into the truth of the old film and Urueta's stories. It's seems they've unleashed something, but how can they stop it?
You better buckle up, because things get strange, things get wild, but boy, oh boy, was it fun. I thought this was fantastic. Moreno-Garcia truly brought the atmosphere, great characters, as well as captivating and original premise!
Silver Nitrate is a slow burn, with a subtle tone that builds intensity throughout. I thought this was beautifully-crafted and the rich quality of the writing can't be denied.
The whole premise was just so interesting. I really enjoyed how it unfolded, with Tristan befriending Urueta and him sort of bringing Montserrat and Tristan in on his private struggle, the idea of the curse.
I felt Montserrat and Tristan were at the perfect place in their lives to be swept along on this journey with Urueta as well. The background work for these characters was a perfect match for the way the story progresses.
They were both sort of at a crossroads, where they needed a shake up. Urueta offered something intriguing and spurred on by each other's interest, they both went along with it, regardless of any hesitations they may have had individually.
I also enjoyed how quickly after helping Urueta that stuff began to get spooky for them. The things happening, let's call them the hauntings, were sort of quiet too.
It wasn't all in your face, gory or shocking, just slightly subtle things that could have been imagination, just as easily as a true haunting, but it definitely lent a sense of dread to the narrative.
My favorite part of this book though was the character work. Both Montserrat and Tristan were so well fleshed out. I found their entire lives interesting, from their careers, to their families, to their past relationships.
I also loved watching their relationship grow and change throughout the story. The insight into how they were feeling about each other, it was complicated and it made me a bit emo. As the danger increased, they began to see each other in a new light; particularly Tristan in regards to Montserrat.
Overall, I thought this was such a well-rounded and well-written story. It's memorable in its character work and uniqueness. I will be thinking about this one for a while.
I recommend this to anyone who enjoys a slow burn, historical-feeling Horror story, with equally great characters and plot. I think a lot of Readers will enjoy this one.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Del Rey, for providing me with a copy to read and review. This was a highly anticipated release for me and it did not disappoint!
October 14, 2023
“Silver Nitrate” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia started out interestingly and had me curious as to what was about to unfold right off the bat. This is the second novel I’ve read by her as I enjoyed “Mexican Gothic” back in 2022 and was happy to read something new by her this year.
Now, before I jump into my review, there is only one trigger warning I found while reading that deals with cancer. If this triggers you or anything, please don’t read this novel. Moving along, I genuinely enjoyed that this novel is all about old-school horror movies, production, and all the behind-the-scenes aspects of them.
For the most part, all the characters in “Silver Nitrate” are nicely fleshed out, especially Montserrat. That’s the big thing I remember when it comes to Moreno-Garcia’s solid style of writing. She’s a good author who does a great job of building up the atmosphere in any given situation. It was great to read about the rich Mexican film history in this novel and all the unique places in Mexico where this all takes place.
I also enjoyed the references throughout reading from The Exorcist, Freddy Krueger, and BLACK SABBATH! As a huge metalhead, this brought warmth to my soul since I love it when some of my favorite bands are mentioned in a novel.
That’s pretty much all I enjoyed, unfortunately. The main thing that irked me the most about this novel was that it’s pretty much a huge slow burn before anything good happens. It’s just huge chunks of pages and chapters dedicated to useless dialogue and it completely bored me beyond belief. I usually don’t mind a slow start to a novel if it pays off but this definitely dragged on the majority of the time while reading. I’m talking about nothing scary happening at all until 100+ pages which totally took me out of the reading experience.
After it happened, it was another slogfest of useless dialogue before something else happened that got me excited to read about it. I felt that is way too long for something else that’s interesting or scary to happen besides the good start to this novel. Again, there’s just way too much dialogue to the point where I was hoping for something, anything to happen as things got too dull.
While I found the story to be interesting, it was lacking in actual horror. My whole thing is if any horror novel claims to be one, there needs to be a significant chunk of it throughout the entire reading experience. You know, dedicated to things that are scary, creepy, gruesome, and the kind of content that will make a reader make weird faces while reading.
Sadly, the few horror situations that happened were decent but not extraordinary for me to create such weird faces. “Silver Nitrate” was simply not scary enough for a horror enthusiast like me. I expected a high dose of horror with such an awesome book cover but this was disappointing. I won’t spoil anything for you but even the ending I felt was okay but not anything that blew me away. It was very underwhelming, to say the least.
I give “Silver Nitrate” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia a 2/5 as I felt the story dragged on for me with characters that were overdeveloped thanks to their endless dialogue. If this novel was trimmed down to 50-75 pages by cutting back on all that dialogue including the times things that were repeated and actually injected with more horror, this would have been a better read. The foundation was there but this wasn’t as good as “Mexican Gothic” was for me. This novel could have been far creepier since it deals with cults, black magic, rituals, and more but it ultimately failed to deliver when it mattered most.
Now, before I jump into my review, there is only one trigger warning I found while reading that deals with cancer. If this triggers you or anything, please don’t read this novel. Moving along, I genuinely enjoyed that this novel is all about old-school horror movies, production, and all the behind-the-scenes aspects of them.
For the most part, all the characters in “Silver Nitrate” are nicely fleshed out, especially Montserrat. That’s the big thing I remember when it comes to Moreno-Garcia’s solid style of writing. She’s a good author who does a great job of building up the atmosphere in any given situation. It was great to read about the rich Mexican film history in this novel and all the unique places in Mexico where this all takes place.
I also enjoyed the references throughout reading from The Exorcist, Freddy Krueger, and BLACK SABBATH! As a huge metalhead, this brought warmth to my soul since I love it when some of my favorite bands are mentioned in a novel.
That’s pretty much all I enjoyed, unfortunately. The main thing that irked me the most about this novel was that it’s pretty much a huge slow burn before anything good happens. It’s just huge chunks of pages and chapters dedicated to useless dialogue and it completely bored me beyond belief. I usually don’t mind a slow start to a novel if it pays off but this definitely dragged on the majority of the time while reading. I’m talking about nothing scary happening at all until 100+ pages which totally took me out of the reading experience.
After it happened, it was another slogfest of useless dialogue before something else happened that got me excited to read about it. I felt that is way too long for something else that’s interesting or scary to happen besides the good start to this novel. Again, there’s just way too much dialogue to the point where I was hoping for something, anything to happen as things got too dull.
While I found the story to be interesting, it was lacking in actual horror. My whole thing is if any horror novel claims to be one, there needs to be a significant chunk of it throughout the entire reading experience. You know, dedicated to things that are scary, creepy, gruesome, and the kind of content that will make a reader make weird faces while reading.
Sadly, the few horror situations that happened were decent but not extraordinary for me to create such weird faces. “Silver Nitrate” was simply not scary enough for a horror enthusiast like me. I expected a high dose of horror with such an awesome book cover but this was disappointing. I won’t spoil anything for you but even the ending I felt was okay but not anything that blew me away. It was very underwhelming, to say the least.
I give “Silver Nitrate” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia a 2/5 as I felt the story dragged on for me with characters that were overdeveloped thanks to their endless dialogue. If this novel was trimmed down to 50-75 pages by cutting back on all that dialogue including the times things that were repeated and actually injected with more horror, this would have been a better read. The foundation was there but this wasn’t as good as “Mexican Gothic” was for me. This novel could have been far creepier since it deals with cults, black magic, rituals, and more but it ultimately failed to deliver when it mattered most.
December 2, 2023
SILVER NITRATE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Mexican Gothic, The Lover
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059335...
Release Date: July 18th, 2023
General Genre: Horror/Thrillers, Supernatural, Hispanic/Latine, Historical
Sub-Genre/Themes: Film industry, best friends, 1990s, the occult, Nazis, Mexico City, ghosts, romance, sorcerers, magic, rituals & spells, racism, classism, feminism
Writing Style: Plot-driven & character-driven, very intricately plotted, compelling
What You Need to Know: I listened to the audiobook and it was my favorite audiobook experience yet! This book has a large cast of characters. The narrator, Gisela Chipe, gave everyone their own voice with subtle changes in tone, inflection, accent, and cadence. The main character, Montserrat, sounded a bit flat–like Daria (MTV cartoon) which was odd at first but grew on me. I think if I had read the physical book, my reading experience wouldn’t have been as exciting. I would have butchered all the pronunciation of all the Spanish names and places in my head so this was extremely helpful; and more authentic. Appears as though this narrator does all of SMG’s audiobooks.
My Reading Experience: Oh my goodness. Where to start? A clever story told with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s careful attention to detail and obvious love of history set in Mexico City (1990s-no cell phones or internet).
The two main characters, Montserrat and Tristán are best friends. He calls her Momo, so I will too for this response. I love these two. Their relationship. Childhood friends with a rich backstory that is explained over time from both of their unique perspectives.
She is a woman working in the film industry as a sound engineer–one of the few women, actually. She’s sassy and doesn’t take any bullshit. I fell in love with her right away. The dialogue is whip-crack smart; colorful and interesting. (again, the audiobook sells it)
Her best friend, Tristán is a handsome soap opera star. He’s the opposite of her. Needy, attention-starved, always in or out of a doomed relationship, problematic with substance abuse but sweet and funny and endearing. The two of them together and wildly entertaining.
Once the storyline develops into a mystery, Momo and Tristán find themselves wrapped up in a very real, active, secret cabal of occultists. An old curse is somehow reactivated, targeting Momo and Tristán so they must find a way to seal off the curse and remove themselves from what they naively got involved in. Silvia Moreno-Garcia did so much research into film and occultism, that I feel like I was learning a lot the deeper I got into this story. Very high level of investment. Every time I listened, I felt like I was back in this long movie made just for me. Strong visuals and atmosphere. I’m sad it’s over.
Final Recommendation: Perfect for readers who enjoy being dazzled by rich, detailed storytelling, characters who are best friends (a little sexual/romantic tension) humor, supernatural elements, paranormal elements, social commentary about sexism, feminism, classism, and racism. A mystery wrapped in found-footage horror, tucked inside a romantic comedy.
Comps: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Other Books I Enjoyed by This Author: Mexican Gothic, The Lover
Affiliate Link: https://bookshop.org/a/7576/978059335...
Release Date: July 18th, 2023
General Genre: Horror/Thrillers, Supernatural, Hispanic/Latine, Historical
Sub-Genre/Themes: Film industry, best friends, 1990s, the occult, Nazis, Mexico City, ghosts, romance, sorcerers, magic, rituals & spells, racism, classism, feminism
Writing Style: Plot-driven & character-driven, very intricately plotted, compelling
What You Need to Know: I listened to the audiobook and it was my favorite audiobook experience yet! This book has a large cast of characters. The narrator, Gisela Chipe, gave everyone their own voice with subtle changes in tone, inflection, accent, and cadence. The main character, Montserrat, sounded a bit flat–like Daria (MTV cartoon) which was odd at first but grew on me. I think if I had read the physical book, my reading experience wouldn’t have been as exciting. I would have butchered all the pronunciation of all the Spanish names and places in my head so this was extremely helpful; and more authentic. Appears as though this narrator does all of SMG’s audiobooks.
My Reading Experience: Oh my goodness. Where to start? A clever story told with Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s careful attention to detail and obvious love of history set in Mexico City (1990s-no cell phones or internet).
The two main characters, Montserrat and Tristán are best friends. He calls her Momo, so I will too for this response. I love these two. Their relationship. Childhood friends with a rich backstory that is explained over time from both of their unique perspectives.
She is a woman working in the film industry as a sound engineer–one of the few women, actually. She’s sassy and doesn’t take any bullshit. I fell in love with her right away. The dialogue is whip-crack smart; colorful and interesting. (again, the audiobook sells it)
Her best friend, Tristán is a handsome soap opera star. He’s the opposite of her. Needy, attention-starved, always in or out of a doomed relationship, problematic with substance abuse but sweet and funny and endearing. The two of them together and wildly entertaining.
Once the storyline develops into a mystery, Momo and Tristán find themselves wrapped up in a very real, active, secret cabal of occultists. An old curse is somehow reactivated, targeting Momo and Tristán so they must find a way to seal off the curse and remove themselves from what they naively got involved in. Silvia Moreno-Garcia did so much research into film and occultism, that I feel like I was learning a lot the deeper I got into this story. Very high level of investment. Every time I listened, I felt like I was back in this long movie made just for me. Strong visuals and atmosphere. I’m sad it’s over.
Final Recommendation: Perfect for readers who enjoy being dazzled by rich, detailed storytelling, characters who are best friends (a little sexual/romantic tension) humor, supernatural elements, paranormal elements, social commentary about sexism, feminism, classism, and racism. A mystery wrapped in found-footage horror, tucked inside a romantic comedy.
Comps: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
May 28, 2024
Goodreads Choice Awards Final Round - Best Horror
Goodreads Choice Awards Opening Round - Best Horror
Montserrat is friends with Tristán. Both of them are near forty and work in the film industry. She used to have a massive crush on him. I don't want to give too much away, but there is magic, mayhem, and the like. The glamour of the film industry is unrivaled, but what most interested me was the Nazis delving into magic. Racism abounds.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey
Goodreads Choice Awards Opening Round - Best Horror
Montserrat is friends with Tristán. Both of them are near forty and work in the film industry. She used to have a massive crush on him. I don't want to give too much away, but there is magic, mayhem, and the like. The glamour of the film industry is unrivaled, but what most interested me was the Nazis delving into magic. Racism abounds.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey
July 14, 2023
This slow burning mystery from the queen of thought provoking fiction is another one to add to your TBR this year! Mexican Gothic and Untamed Shore remain my favorites of her novels, but Silver Nitrate follows close in their footsteps in my rankings. Dark, timely, and unapologetic, if you are looking for a novel of suspense with an atmosphere of creeping dread that suddenly smacks you across the face, this is it.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
January 7, 2024
tristan’s cool and all, but monserrat can certainly do better. he’s just not a serious person sorry
This is the second book I read by Silvia Moreno Garcia this year that I felt disappointed by. She's all concept and little execution. The first 70% of this novel was like watching paint dry. Tristan and Monserrat while being interesting people were not enough to anchor me and make me care about this very character driven cursed film plot. I just never came to care for them or the circumstances of the story. The final third was very fast paced and did provide a bit of entertainment but I'm not a huge fan. 2.5 stars
featured in this vlog: https://t.co/XiRPjMLq0X
This is the second book I read by Silvia Moreno Garcia this year that I felt disappointed by. She's all concept and little execution. The first 70% of this novel was like watching paint dry. Tristan and Monserrat while being interesting people were not enough to anchor me and make me care about this very character driven cursed film plot. I just never came to care for them or the circumstances of the story. The final third was very fast paced and did provide a bit of entertainment but I'm not a huge fan. 2.5 stars
featured in this vlog: https://t.co/XiRPjMLq0X
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2023
Reel in the Years
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a treasure. Not confined by genre, she conjures up atmosphere while illuminating corners of Mexico we hardly knew existed. “Silver Nitrate” is a supernatural thriller reminiscent of a Shirley Jackson journey… we are going to slowly drift until we are shrouded in the horror.
1990’s Mexico. Montserrat is a woman battling to get by as a sound editor in one of the film industry’s smaller production companies. Her long-time on-again-off-again boyfriend, Tristán, is also struggling to make ends meet in any acting and voice-over roles he can hustle up. He chances onto a neighbor, the legendary and semi-retired cult horror director Abel Urueta. Tristán and Montserrat are big fans and dine with him as they listen to stories of the director’s past glory days. When Montserrat quizzes him on the long-lost classic film, “Beyond the Yellow Door,” they are intrigued to hear this production was doomed by the supernatural, by magic, and that the destinies of everyone involved were cursed.
Silver nitrate was a volatile chemical treatment once used to enhance the film quality. The co-writer of the film was a powerful Nazi occultist, Wilhelm Ewers, who believed the silver would enable him to cast a powerful spell. Ewers had met an untimely death and only one secret unfinished reel still existed. Urueta believed if this portion could be finished his fortunes would change, the curse broken. Montserrat and Tristán jumped at the chance of resurrecting a part of film history, nefarious or not.
“But sometimes, when you’ve been around magic, you tend to attract the attention of other things that lurk in shadows. Monsters, ghosts, and the evil eye.”
Things start to twist. Spirits seem present, just out of focus, just outside the frame. Bad luck turns a corner… at first. Threats from other interested parties soon manifest themselves. It cannot be possible that evil from the afterlife is returning to play its hand.
“...just what I needed. Some good old thermonuclear black magic.”
Montserrat is a particularly resilient character. She has never backed down working in a male-dominated arena. Here she understands curses cannot be outrun and is determined to square-off against the supernatural forces at play by researching what they are dealing with and arming herself with that knowledge. Tristán is a little less bold, a weaker hero, but together they form a good team.
After the initial introduction of the characters and plot, the pace slows down as we are filled in on some of the occult practices and the real-life racist Nazi influences present. This is one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s major gifts to us in a number of her works– a real insight into Mexico in a time rarely explored in the media. Our patience is then rewarded when the finale pits the powers of all involved in a thrilling showdown.
Thank you to Random House Publishing / Ballantine / Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
@silviamg @randomhouse @DelReyBooks
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a treasure. Not confined by genre, she conjures up atmosphere while illuminating corners of Mexico we hardly knew existed. “Silver Nitrate” is a supernatural thriller reminiscent of a Shirley Jackson journey… we are going to slowly drift until we are shrouded in the horror.
1990’s Mexico. Montserrat is a woman battling to get by as a sound editor in one of the film industry’s smaller production companies. Her long-time on-again-off-again boyfriend, Tristán, is also struggling to make ends meet in any acting and voice-over roles he can hustle up. He chances onto a neighbor, the legendary and semi-retired cult horror director Abel Urueta. Tristán and Montserrat are big fans and dine with him as they listen to stories of the director’s past glory days. When Montserrat quizzes him on the long-lost classic film, “Beyond the Yellow Door,” they are intrigued to hear this production was doomed by the supernatural, by magic, and that the destinies of everyone involved were cursed.
Silver nitrate was a volatile chemical treatment once used to enhance the film quality. The co-writer of the film was a powerful Nazi occultist, Wilhelm Ewers, who believed the silver would enable him to cast a powerful spell. Ewers had met an untimely death and only one secret unfinished reel still existed. Urueta believed if this portion could be finished his fortunes would change, the curse broken. Montserrat and Tristán jumped at the chance of resurrecting a part of film history, nefarious or not.
“But sometimes, when you’ve been around magic, you tend to attract the attention of other things that lurk in shadows. Monsters, ghosts, and the evil eye.”
Things start to twist. Spirits seem present, just out of focus, just outside the frame. Bad luck turns a corner… at first. Threats from other interested parties soon manifest themselves. It cannot be possible that evil from the afterlife is returning to play its hand.
“...just what I needed. Some good old thermonuclear black magic.”
Montserrat is a particularly resilient character. She has never backed down working in a male-dominated arena. Here she understands curses cannot be outrun and is determined to square-off against the supernatural forces at play by researching what they are dealing with and arming herself with that knowledge. Tristán is a little less bold, a weaker hero, but together they form a good team.
After the initial introduction of the characters and plot, the pace slows down as we are filled in on some of the occult practices and the real-life racist Nazi influences present. This is one of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s major gifts to us in a number of her works– a real insight into Mexico in a time rarely explored in the media. Our patience is then rewarded when the finale pits the powers of all involved in a thrilling showdown.
Thank you to Random House Publishing / Ballantine / Del Rey and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
@silviamg @randomhouse @DelReyBooks
March 28, 2023
When they watched horror movies, it was the sight of the monster, the Other, that terrified Tristán and the idea of becoming the hero that seduced him. Montserrat saw herself in the faces of monsters and did not wince.
…
Midnight sorceries, curses, and phantoms. What had they gotten themselves into?
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group—Ballantine for sending me an ARC of Silver Nitrate in exchange for an honest review.
My first exposure to Ms. Moreno-Garcia was her breakout hit, Mexican Gothic, a slow burn but satisfying, modern take on the Gothic horror novel with an interesting Lovecraftian back half. After enjoying that novel, I also read The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, a clever update of The Island of Doctor Moreau that took the best parts of the source material, stood on those shoulders, and used it to tell a richer, fuller, more human story. So believe me when I say I was excited to read Silver Nitrate.
On the positive side, 1990s Mexico City was an original location in which to place this tale. And I liked the two main characters, frustrated Montserrat and her childhood friend Tristán. Indeed, their relationship—their interpersonal dynamics, and the emotional hold each has over the other—was the best part of the novel.
Unfortunately, the story in Silver Nitrate was simply too slow and strange. There are a lot of information dumps as Montserrat has to either reads things or be told things in order for her to understand what is happening. So it’s a very slow build before things really start happening. While the last few chapters are action-filled, I thought the climax was a bit of a letdown. And I was never really sold on the whole premise of the magical film medium, and I don’t think the story was clear or coherent about what role the audience’s presence was playing in the magical goings on.
I’m guessing I’m in the minority of reviewers on Silver Nitrate, so I’ll wrap up with a couple of caveats. One, I know Ms. Moreno-Garcia has written several horror novels that I have not read, so if you enjoyed those, you may be more likely than me to enjoy this one. Two, I’m open to the possibility that this whole book was meta, a deliberate mirroring of the strange beats of the very 1950s B-horror movies it references. But whatever the explanation, Silver Nitrate simply didn’t work for me. Recommended only for die-hard fans of the author.
June 24, 2023
Silvia Moreno-Garcia has returned to horror! And Silver Nitrate is mostly set in the 90's, featuring Mexican horror films and Nazi occultism. It's definitely a slow-burn novel that takes its time and is interested in historical detail, but it does deliver on the premise with scenes that had me holding my breath for the character. Ghosts, undead spirits, blood magic, and more.
The first quarter of the book is really setup. We're getting to know our two POV characters, the world, and the background. Tristan and Montserrat are childhood best friends who have grown up to have a complicated but consistent relationship. Tristan was a hotshot actor, but now in his late 30's he's kind of washed up and mostly doing voiceover work. Montserrat had a crush on Tristan in childhood, but she was always plain and endured teasing from other kids for her twisted leg. (but she threatened them with her cane, which is perfect and very her) Now she works as a sound engineer for films and commercials, but her sexist boss keeps giving her less work. There's a ton of nerdy detail about films, filmmaking, and horror in particular. Their relationship is close, at least when Tristan isn't involved with his latest girlfriend or boyfriend. (did I mention they're both bisexual?)
Tristan and Montserrat befriend an old director of horror films and he tells them about the cursed film he worked on that never got made, and the Nazi occultist name Ewers who drove much of the project. He had strange ideas about using film for magic rituals and spells. He also held a lot of racist ideas about Aryan superiority. The two main characters are drawn into the mystery surrounding the film and his death, and into a dark and dangerous world of magic...
SMG never really misses for me and this was such a carefully crafted homage to classic horror films while delivering rich historical detail, complex and fully realized characters, and a satisfying horror narrative where you might have to decide what's more disturbing - Ewer's dark presence or the horrifying beliefs he held. If you get on with her writing I definitely recommend this. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own
The first quarter of the book is really setup. We're getting to know our two POV characters, the world, and the background. Tristan and Montserrat are childhood best friends who have grown up to have a complicated but consistent relationship. Tristan was a hotshot actor, but now in his late 30's he's kind of washed up and mostly doing voiceover work. Montserrat had a crush on Tristan in childhood, but she was always plain and endured teasing from other kids for her twisted leg. (but she threatened them with her cane, which is perfect and very her) Now she works as a sound engineer for films and commercials, but her sexist boss keeps giving her less work. There's a ton of nerdy detail about films, filmmaking, and horror in particular. Their relationship is close, at least when Tristan isn't involved with his latest girlfriend or boyfriend. (did I mention they're both bisexual?)
Tristan and Montserrat befriend an old director of horror films and he tells them about the cursed film he worked on that never got made, and the Nazi occultist name Ewers who drove much of the project. He had strange ideas about using film for magic rituals and spells. He also held a lot of racist ideas about Aryan superiority. The two main characters are drawn into the mystery surrounding the film and his death, and into a dark and dangerous world of magic...
SMG never really misses for me and this was such a carefully crafted homage to classic horror films while delivering rich historical detail, complex and fully realized characters, and a satisfying horror narrative where you might have to decide what's more disturbing - Ewer's dark presence or the horrifying beliefs he held. If you get on with her writing I definitely recommend this. I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own
August 20, 2023
AN EERIE AND INTELLIGENT HORROR NOVEL!
Montserrat is a sound editor in the early 1990's trying to pave her way in a mens world in Mexico where she has to continuously fight for work since discrimination against woman in the Mexican film industry is prominent even though her work achievements far outweigh her male co-workers. Her lifelong friend Tristan, an extremely handsome yet fading soap opera star struggles to find work while roles are going to much younger and prettier faces so Tristan has a lot of free time to spend with his good friend.
They meet up with a neighbor who happened to be a distinguished Spanish horror film director from the 30's and 40's and has many old stories to share especially about an unfinished film that had an actor supposedly a Nazi named Ewers who was trying to weave black magic into this particular film through hidden spells so that the viewers wouldn't be aware but he also had made a plan to come back to life after his arranged death through the use of this magic film containing certain chemicals (silver nitrate) which were rarely used due to being highly flammable yet Ewers believed the combination would bring about the ultimate magic experience delving into the dark forces of the occult. This man dealt heavily into the occult dark practices and he had gained many followers over the years, unfortunately for him the movie was never completed but many followers believed the film was cursed since it was never finished so Montserrat has no idea what she's getting into when she agrees to help finish the film to break the deadly curse even though she doesn't believe in black magic or any other type of magic.
The events that follow will have Montserrat and Tristan seeing and feeling nightmarish things that they could never have imagined possible. Their world will be turned upside down and they will fighting for their sanity as well as their lives while Montserrat finds a power within herself to battle the dark magic that this man, Ewers had embedded into this film while people around them keep dying through other occult practices being used by Ewer's followers who still believe he will return when this film is finally completed.
I have been waiting a long time to read a novel written by "Silvia Moreno-Garcia" so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to read "Silver Nitrate". This was quite an original story that was more plot oriented with the history and storytelling. All the characters were interesting and well developed so I didn't feel lost while reading since there many people to follow with their own storylines. I thought the book as a whole was about a woman fighting discrimination and her own personal demons while never giving up, then finally discovering her own power and self worth as a female in the workplace as well as her own growth and acceptance of herself as a woman in general.
This definitely was a facinating yet a very slow-burn as far as real action until the last thirty percent the book when it became a non-stop, spooky page turner with all sorts of devilish delights to make one's skin quiver and the hairs on your neck and arms stand up straight. I really enjoyed this novel with the atmospheric and wonderful cultural storytelling although I would have liked more excitement earlier on since it was definitely worth waiting for the exciting conclusion.
The one problem I did have and this would be with the editor not the writer which was the language barrier for myself since I am not Spanish speaking individual and their was so much Spanish terminology that I couldn't access on my kindle dictionary so it would disrupt my flow of thought while reading to stop and google so many Spanish words. I'm the type of reader who must understand the definition of all words so I can process everything correctly and I didn't want to take the chance of missing out on anything crucial to the story. It would have been helpful to have a Spanish to English look-up section in the back of the book for readers like myself who really want and need to know all the words they're reading no matter what language they're written in. The quality and substance of this novel made it one I would recommend for horror readers who enjoy a cultural history along with fantastic storytelling!
I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 1/2 STERLING SILVER 🌟🌟🌟🌠STARS!!
Montserrat is a sound editor in the early 1990's trying to pave her way in a mens world in Mexico where she has to continuously fight for work since discrimination against woman in the Mexican film industry is prominent even though her work achievements far outweigh her male co-workers. Her lifelong friend Tristan, an extremely handsome yet fading soap opera star struggles to find work while roles are going to much younger and prettier faces so Tristan has a lot of free time to spend with his good friend.
They meet up with a neighbor who happened to be a distinguished Spanish horror film director from the 30's and 40's and has many old stories to share especially about an unfinished film that had an actor supposedly a Nazi named Ewers who was trying to weave black magic into this particular film through hidden spells so that the viewers wouldn't be aware but he also had made a plan to come back to life after his arranged death through the use of this magic film containing certain chemicals (silver nitrate) which were rarely used due to being highly flammable yet Ewers believed the combination would bring about the ultimate magic experience delving into the dark forces of the occult. This man dealt heavily into the occult dark practices and he had gained many followers over the years, unfortunately for him the movie was never completed but many followers believed the film was cursed since it was never finished so Montserrat has no idea what she's getting into when she agrees to help finish the film to break the deadly curse even though she doesn't believe in black magic or any other type of magic.
The events that follow will have Montserrat and Tristan seeing and feeling nightmarish things that they could never have imagined possible. Their world will be turned upside down and they will fighting for their sanity as well as their lives while Montserrat finds a power within herself to battle the dark magic that this man, Ewers had embedded into this film while people around them keep dying through other occult practices being used by Ewer's followers who still believe he will return when this film is finally completed.
I have been waiting a long time to read a novel written by "Silvia Moreno-Garcia" so I was thrilled when I had the opportunity to read "Silver Nitrate". This was quite an original story that was more plot oriented with the history and storytelling. All the characters were interesting and well developed so I didn't feel lost while reading since there many people to follow with their own storylines. I thought the book as a whole was about a woman fighting discrimination and her own personal demons while never giving up, then finally discovering her own power and self worth as a female in the workplace as well as her own growth and acceptance of herself as a woman in general.
This definitely was a facinating yet a very slow-burn as far as real action until the last thirty percent the book when it became a non-stop, spooky page turner with all sorts of devilish delights to make one's skin quiver and the hairs on your neck and arms stand up straight. I really enjoyed this novel with the atmospheric and wonderful cultural storytelling although I would have liked more excitement earlier on since it was definitely worth waiting for the exciting conclusion.
The one problem I did have and this would be with the editor not the writer which was the language barrier for myself since I am not Spanish speaking individual and their was so much Spanish terminology that I couldn't access on my kindle dictionary so it would disrupt my flow of thought while reading to stop and google so many Spanish words. I'm the type of reader who must understand the definition of all words so I can process everything correctly and I didn't want to take the chance of missing out on anything crucial to the story. It would have been helpful to have a Spanish to English look-up section in the back of the book for readers like myself who really want and need to know all the words they're reading no matter what language they're written in. The quality and substance of this novel made it one I would recommend for horror readers who enjoy a cultural history along with fantastic storytelling!
I want to thank the publisher "Random House Publishing - Ballantine" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this terrific novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 1/2 STERLING SILVER 🌟🌟🌟🌠STARS!!
October 26, 2023
3.75 stars
A sedated telling of something extraordinary, Silver Nitrate has a lot of positives going for it: appealing protagonist(s), a layered mystery surrounding a lost film and its makers, and immersive, evidently researched details regarding Mexican cinema history. The only thing missing is a sense of urgency to the core narrative.
Trying to pinpoint exactly why I wasn't more enthusiastic about Silver Nitrate; I loved the concept of connecting aspects of cinema to cultish practice, the protagonists duo was extremely relatable and likeable (perhaps a little too culturally progressive considering the setting was the 90s), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing painted vivid scenes and was extremely emotive. Ultimately I come to this conclusion: the presentation overall is very 'told, not shown', and heavy on exposition. As a reader, the constant secondhand (sometimes thirdhand) account of critical events makes for a very distant and removed experience. Particularly in the middle stretch of the novel, where it is scenes after scenes of characters receiving information (reading book, listening to story, etc.); the pattern gets monotonous quickly, no matter how polished it is written.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia clearly has put a lot of effort into Silver Nitrate, especially on building the groundwork for the more fantastical elements; but I was desperate for a flashback, an epistolary format change, or an unexpected POVs, beyond yet another scene of character reading text, or listening to long-winded speech. Overall, Silver Nitrate is handsomely written and has its moments (the finale does become more action-packed), but overall it's oddly placid than what one would expect from its premise.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
A sedated telling of something extraordinary, Silver Nitrate has a lot of positives going for it: appealing protagonist(s), a layered mystery surrounding a lost film and its makers, and immersive, evidently researched details regarding Mexican cinema history. The only thing missing is a sense of urgency to the core narrative.
Trying to pinpoint exactly why I wasn't more enthusiastic about Silver Nitrate; I loved the concept of connecting aspects of cinema to cultish practice, the protagonists duo was extremely relatable and likeable (perhaps a little too culturally progressive considering the setting was the 90s), and Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing painted vivid scenes and was extremely emotive. Ultimately I come to this conclusion: the presentation overall is very 'told, not shown', and heavy on exposition. As a reader, the constant secondhand (sometimes thirdhand) account of critical events makes for a very distant and removed experience. Particularly in the middle stretch of the novel, where it is scenes after scenes of characters receiving information (reading book, listening to story, etc.); the pattern gets monotonous quickly, no matter how polished it is written.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia clearly has put a lot of effort into Silver Nitrate, especially on building the groundwork for the more fantastical elements; but I was desperate for a flashback, an epistolary format change, or an unexpected POVs, beyond yet another scene of character reading text, or listening to long-winded speech. Overall, Silver Nitrate is handsomely written and has its moments (the finale does become more action-packed), but overall it's oddly placid than what one would expect from its premise.
**This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Much appreciated!**
May 7, 2023
I have been hit and miss with Moreno-Garcia for a long time. I have started many of her books and quit them, in the ones that didn't work something just felt off. I didn't get the same propulsion into the story. That happened here, too, but I tried to finish this one hoping that what I have enjoyed about her books I've finished would show up. Unfortunately it never did.
There is so much explaining here. Just a whole book of explaining. Exposition, yes, so much of it, being told to you rather than shown. But also explaining, too, telling you things about making movies. Almost all the actual action of the story happens off the page, this is a book that really could have benefited from flashbacks or some other structural device so that we don't have to keep having characters tell us things over and over again instead of seeing the things happen.
Just never came alive, sadly.
There is so much explaining here. Just a whole book of explaining. Exposition, yes, so much of it, being told to you rather than shown. But also explaining, too, telling you things about making movies. Almost all the actual action of the story happens off the page, this is a book that really could have benefited from flashbacks or some other structural device so that we don't have to keep having characters tell us things over and over again instead of seeing the things happen.
Just never came alive, sadly.
March 26, 2023
The first quarter of this is super slow moving (too slow in pacing for my taste), but once we get to the "Feature Film" section, this story is off to the races with a propulsive & horrific story of the movies come to life. This has a gritty pulpy vibe that I really connected with, and I very much enjoyed the course the story took by the end
December 5, 2025
Watch me review this book (& other nominees in the horror category!) here: https://youtu.be/dVOamSxBvnk
Full written review to come!
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Full written review to come!
You can find me on...
Youtube | Instagram | TikTok
You can join our book club over on Patreon...
PBB Book Club
March 30, 2023
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is a treasure and Silver Nitrate is a gem: a novel noir about film noir, a chilling roller coaster of a tale that captures perfectly why we love horror movies, scary books, and things that go bump in the night.
September 28, 2023
UPDATE 4: THE REVIEW.
Find review on Instagram if you like pictures and video review on Tik Tok if you like video reviews.
Silver Nitrate is a historical (the 1990’s are now HISTORICAL) paranormal mystery/thriller. Like much of SMG’s work, this book DEFIES genre. Monserrat who is an invisible person who looks at herself as plain. She’s a film editor whose being squeezed out by the owner of the studio and is still friends with her childhood best friend, Tristan. Tristan is a former telenovela actor who lost his career and his way about 10 years before the novel begins when he was involved in a car accident and blamed for the death of his then girlfriend in the accident and it was headline/gossip news. He’s never quite recovered from the accident and subsequent press neither personally, mentally or professionally. They’re both suffering with career woes as well as financial issues at the beginning of the novel. Monserrat has always been Tristan’s protector but he uses her unrequited love as a landing place between relationships with other women.
One day, Tristan receives the mail of a new tenant in his building and that leads to him discovering that his newest neighbor is none other than 1960’s iconic cult horror film director Abel Urrueta, who is one of his and Monserrat’s favorite directors. You know what they say about meeting your heroes, right?!?! AND YET Tristan and Monserrat make it their mission to meet Abel. Just like Jodoroswsky’s Dune, Abel has his own incomplete masterpiece, a legend whispered about within the horror genre, even all these years later: a film called Beyond The Yellow Door. There are a lot of secrets and gossip about the film over the years, but Abel tells Tristan and Monserrat the truth about the film.
Beyond the Yellow Door is a cursed film, probably because one of the producers on the movie, Ewers, was a runaway from Nazi Germany who believed in the dominance of the Aryan race. Ewers, on top of his white supremacist views is also a part-time occultist. He thought he could conjure magic via the making of Beyond The Yellow Door. Nothing bad could happen with that, right? If you’re not familiar with silver nitrate film, it’s HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. It explodes. It causes fires. Specifically, Ewers thought that by using this very powerful film, they could conduct powerful spells on screen to access more power. Instead, he seemingly conjures a curse that follows everyone who worked on the film. And, OF COURSE, Abel wants to finish making the film to complete the circle of magic and convinces Tristan and Monserrat to help him with their skills. Naturally, it doesn’t go well and Tristan starts seeing his dead girlfriend’s ghost and Monserrat is being to be chased by a spooky dark ghoul.
At this point, the story becomes: HOW DO THEY LIFT THE CURSE THEY JUST PLACED ON THEMSELVES?!?!?!?!? I love the dichotomy of the beginning of this book and the subsequent mapping out the history of the movie and all the players involved in making the film all throughout Mexico.
Because Silvia is a genius and she wrote a book about movies, she split the book into 3 sections: the opening credits, the feature film, and fade to black. So not only is this a book about movies. It’s a book written like a movie about movies. THE LAYERS.
Silvia is such a master at developing characters. Not only are there historical relationships among all the characters, people who died and disappeared, there are historical relationships between the characters, and many relationships that warp and change as they come to the present. She interweaves all of these relationships, past and present, to create tension within her story along with all the paranormal elements.
I felt all the characters had a distinct voice and motive. Monserrat is disabled and yet the story is about her being strong with a disability not “overcoming it”. Tristan and Monserrat’s fraught relationship is actually so endearing and complicated at the same time. Tristan calls her Momo throughout the whole book, her childhood nickname and it’s such an endearment even though you may not always be championing Tristan in this novel. Tristan and Monserrat are basically thrown into becoming amateur detectives and figuring out what is happening to them or just remaining cursed. They have to uncover the full mystery of the film because Abel is not a reliable narrator and has dragged them into this mess.
In her typical writing style, Silvia imbues the story with a ton of pop culture references that have to do with Mexican telenovelas and film. If you’re even remotely familiar with any of these things, the easter eggs are so fun to find. If not, writing them all down and looking them up is worth your time. I don’t know how Silvia’s mind absorbs and processes culture in this way but as a reader, it’s immersive and so interesting.
I’ve attempted to remove all the context from what I’m about to say but going back to Ewers being a white supremacist—one of Silvia’s gifts as a writer is her ability to dismantle white supremacy and colonialism in her work. In this book she shreds apart the hypothesis of “ancient aliens”—the white supremacist nothing that the great engineering and architectural feats of ancient time were built by aliens and not the ingenuity and intelligence of indigenous peoples. It was just so satisfying to read.
A note on the horror elements: I’m afraid of spooky and while there were scenes that made my hackles rise and gave my creepy vibes, I never felt AFRAID or GROSSED OUT.
If I had to compare Silvia Moreno-Garcia to Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Silver Nitrate is like taking the genre of mystery/thriller elements of Velvet Was the Night and mixing it with the pacing of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau (slightly faster paced: where everything in Daughter comes together around the 85% mark, in Silver Nitrate, the action begins at around the 70%) and the wonder and paranormal elements of Signal to Noise.
As with most SMG novels, you must be patient with this story. It’s not fast-paced in any way, but it is SO, SO and satisfying. Silver Nitrate is probably in my top 3 Silvia Moreno-Garcia books and that’s saying a lot.
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UPDATE 3: FINISHED MY RE-READ AND WILL BE POSTING MY FULL REVIEW SOON, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WITCHCRAFT SILVIA HAS CAST TO MAKE HER SUCH A GREAT WRITER. TLDR; THIS WAS AMAZING.
UPDATE 2: WE HAVE A COVER
WE HAVE A GOODREADS PAGE 😮
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Silver Nitrate is a historical (the 1990’s are now HISTORICAL) paranormal mystery/thriller. Like much of SMG’s work, this book DEFIES genre. Monserrat who is an invisible person who looks at herself as plain. She’s a film editor whose being squeezed out by the owner of the studio and is still friends with her childhood best friend, Tristan. Tristan is a former telenovela actor who lost his career and his way about 10 years before the novel begins when he was involved in a car accident and blamed for the death of his then girlfriend in the accident and it was headline/gossip news. He’s never quite recovered from the accident and subsequent press neither personally, mentally or professionally. They’re both suffering with career woes as well as financial issues at the beginning of the novel. Monserrat has always been Tristan’s protector but he uses her unrequited love as a landing place between relationships with other women.
One day, Tristan receives the mail of a new tenant in his building and that leads to him discovering that his newest neighbor is none other than 1960’s iconic cult horror film director Abel Urrueta, who is one of his and Monserrat’s favorite directors. You know what they say about meeting your heroes, right?!?! AND YET Tristan and Monserrat make it their mission to meet Abel. Just like Jodoroswsky’s Dune, Abel has his own incomplete masterpiece, a legend whispered about within the horror genre, even all these years later: a film called Beyond The Yellow Door. There are a lot of secrets and gossip about the film over the years, but Abel tells Tristan and Monserrat the truth about the film.
Beyond the Yellow Door is a cursed film, probably because one of the producers on the movie, Ewers, was a runaway from Nazi Germany who believed in the dominance of the Aryan race. Ewers, on top of his white supremacist views is also a part-time occultist. He thought he could conjure magic via the making of Beyond The Yellow Door. Nothing bad could happen with that, right? If you’re not familiar with silver nitrate film, it’s HIGHLY FLAMMABLE. It explodes. It causes fires. Specifically, Ewers thought that by using this very powerful film, they could conduct powerful spells on screen to access more power. Instead, he seemingly conjures a curse that follows everyone who worked on the film. And, OF COURSE, Abel wants to finish making the film to complete the circle of magic and convinces Tristan and Monserrat to help him with their skills. Naturally, it doesn’t go well and Tristan starts seeing his dead girlfriend’s ghost and Monserrat is being to be chased by a spooky dark ghoul.
At this point, the story becomes: HOW DO THEY LIFT THE CURSE THEY JUST PLACED ON THEMSELVES?!?!?!?!? I love the dichotomy of the beginning of this book and the subsequent mapping out the history of the movie and all the players involved in making the film all throughout Mexico.
Because Silvia is a genius and she wrote a book about movies, she split the book into 3 sections: the opening credits, the feature film, and fade to black. So not only is this a book about movies. It’s a book written like a movie about movies. THE LAYERS.
Silvia is such a master at developing characters. Not only are there historical relationships among all the characters, people who died and disappeared, there are historical relationships between the characters, and many relationships that warp and change as they come to the present. She interweaves all of these relationships, past and present, to create tension within her story along with all the paranormal elements.
I felt all the characters had a distinct voice and motive. Monserrat is disabled and yet the story is about her being strong with a disability not “overcoming it”. Tristan and Monserrat’s fraught relationship is actually so endearing and complicated at the same time. Tristan calls her Momo throughout the whole book, her childhood nickname and it’s such an endearment even though you may not always be championing Tristan in this novel. Tristan and Monserrat are basically thrown into becoming amateur detectives and figuring out what is happening to them or just remaining cursed. They have to uncover the full mystery of the film because Abel is not a reliable narrator and has dragged them into this mess.
In her typical writing style, Silvia imbues the story with a ton of pop culture references that have to do with Mexican telenovelas and film. If you’re even remotely familiar with any of these things, the easter eggs are so fun to find. If not, writing them all down and looking them up is worth your time. I don’t know how Silvia’s mind absorbs and processes culture in this way but as a reader, it’s immersive and so interesting.
I’ve attempted to remove all the context from what I’m about to say but going back to Ewers being a white supremacist—one of Silvia’s gifts as a writer is her ability to dismantle white supremacy and colonialism in her work. In this book she shreds apart the hypothesis of “ancient aliens”—the white supremacist nothing that the great engineering and architectural feats of ancient time were built by aliens and not the ingenuity and intelligence of indigenous peoples. It was just so satisfying to read.
A note on the horror elements: I’m afraid of spooky and while there were scenes that made my hackles rise and gave my creepy vibes, I never felt AFRAID or GROSSED OUT.
If I had to compare Silvia Moreno-Garcia to Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Silver Nitrate is like taking the genre of mystery/thriller elements of Velvet Was the Night and mixing it with the pacing of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau (slightly faster paced: where everything in Daughter comes together around the 85% mark, in Silver Nitrate, the action begins at around the 70%) and the wonder and paranormal elements of Signal to Noise.
As with most SMG novels, you must be patient with this story. It’s not fast-paced in any way, but it is SO, SO and satisfying. Silver Nitrate is probably in my top 3 Silvia Moreno-Garcia books and that’s saying a lot.
Follow me on Instagram & Tik Tok.
Support me by shopping my Bookshop shelves and Kindle shelves.
UPDATE 3: FINISHED MY RE-READ AND WILL BE POSTING MY FULL REVIEW SOON, BUT I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WITCHCRAFT SILVIA HAS CAST TO MAKE HER SUCH A GREAT WRITER. TLDR; THIS WAS AMAZING.
UPDATE 2: WE HAVE A COVER
WE HAVE A GOODREADS PAGE 😮
July 15, 2023
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is an auto-read author of mine since her blockbuster novel, Mexican Gothic, but she’s been in the industry much earlier than that. I’ve devoured every book of hers that I can and when I heard the synopsis of her upcoming novel, SILVER NITRATE, I just knew that I wanted to read it asap! Thank you @delreybooks for this gifted copy!
The story takes place in 1990s Mexico City, with two main protagonists—Monsterrat and Tristán—who work in film industry. Monsterrat works in film production in a company filled with men who deem her unqualified and Tristán is a washed up soap star with beauty and talent but a checkered past and bad reputation. When the duo meet cult horror director Abel Urueta who asks them to help finish his film that was cut short due to Nazi occultist magic shutting down production. They are skeptical of Abel’s stories but jump at the chance to revive their careers. That is, until they both start seeing a dark sinister presence growing within them and their surroundings. There’s a mystery with this film and maybe more than just perceived magic is involved.
SILVER NITRATE is incredibly slow. Like the author’s slowest book ever—which is why I’m not giving it 5 stars. That being said, this storyline is ingeniously plotted and the characters are incredibly developed. It’ll take you awhile to get into this story, but if you’re a fan of the author’s previous works, this book is for you. I loved the research done in this book about Nazi occultism, which is something I never knew ACTUALLY existed. Go into this book with an open mind and enjoy the ride.
The story takes place in 1990s Mexico City, with two main protagonists—Monsterrat and Tristán—who work in film industry. Monsterrat works in film production in a company filled with men who deem her unqualified and Tristán is a washed up soap star with beauty and talent but a checkered past and bad reputation. When the duo meet cult horror director Abel Urueta who asks them to help finish his film that was cut short due to Nazi occultist magic shutting down production. They are skeptical of Abel’s stories but jump at the chance to revive their careers. That is, until they both start seeing a dark sinister presence growing within them and their surroundings. There’s a mystery with this film and maybe more than just perceived magic is involved.
SILVER NITRATE is incredibly slow. Like the author’s slowest book ever—which is why I’m not giving it 5 stars. That being said, this storyline is ingeniously plotted and the characters are incredibly developed. It’ll take you awhile to get into this story, but if you’re a fan of the author’s previous works, this book is for you. I loved the research done in this book about Nazi occultism, which is something I never knew ACTUALLY existed. Go into this book with an open mind and enjoy the ride.
Read
July 12, 2023I think I'm too dumb to read this one. I cannot get into it at all. DNF
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
December 24, 2023
• I expected a lot more horror, I thought there would be more of a focus on the Occultism aspect than there was. I love supernatural horror and that aspect really intrigued me
• It’s certainly more literary than horror so maybe I went in with the wrong expectations but this is another example of it coming down again to marketing. (I mean look at that cover ya know)
• I think if you like literary fiction and romance and want something with a very light spooky element to read for fall you may really enjoy this.
What I liked:
• Instantly atmospheric and easy to get a vivid picture of the setting. Love that first sentence. (However, While the first page was atmospheric the writing from there didn’t impressed me.)
What I didn’t like:
• I felt like nothing was happening for so much of the book. I kept reading and at a certain point I was like 40% in and it was just info-dumps and character relationship drama.
• I'm finding these two mc shallow and annoying 🙄😒 Tristan is an f boy and Montserrat acts like she’s so above it all but she lets him walk all over her and she is about as fleshed out as a piece of cardboard.
• Kind of boring tbh...43% in and only 1 actually spooky scenes. A lot of history talk and movie production facts. Just incredibly slow.
• Kind of reminds me of white horse. Just really awkward dialogue that felt like I was reading a debut novel. 😬
• ...wait 1994??? Huh?!64% I forgot the first page said "1993" no clue why though it adds nothing and makes no difference. It doesn't seem intentional in any way.
• Idk this is just silly to me. How is Montserrat an expert now on magic??? (Like that scene where she just started drawing runes against that woman, or the part where she said they needed to make wards and she said she would show Tristan how…). It kind of reminded me of “the chosen one” trope in YA where the one girl is so plain and basic but somehow, she is the key to saving everyone and has all this untapped magical ability she never realized. It’s so cheesy.
• Oh lord not this whole "she's prettier without makeup" crap. Tristan is a total f boy that doesn’t want Monserrat to be with anyone else but he also doesn't want to be with her. Gross. P 229
• Idk it's just so boring and I hate these two characters together . Like WHY would I root for this romance?! The author dedicates so much time giving us examples of how badly Tristan treats MoMo and how he won’t commit and how this girl liked him since she was a kid so she just lets him treat her like a doormat because she has always pined over him. SHE COULD DO BETTER. But I’m supposed to find this ending and them moving in together all cute and fluffy and good feelings because he FINALLY realizes just how amazing this girl is that he has always overlooked because she’s just so plain and homely but OH he LIKES HER MOST THAT WAY. UGH.
• The ending barf. Can he stop saying MO MO . UGHHHHH. Ewwwwwwww. I think because I listened to the audio while reading along and it got really annoying to keep hearing that silly nickname.
• It’s certainly more literary than horror so maybe I went in with the wrong expectations but this is another example of it coming down again to marketing. (I mean look at that cover ya know)
• I think if you like literary fiction and romance and want something with a very light spooky element to read for fall you may really enjoy this.
What I liked:
• Instantly atmospheric and easy to get a vivid picture of the setting. Love that first sentence. (However, While the first page was atmospheric the writing from there didn’t impressed me.)
What I didn’t like:
• I felt like nothing was happening for so much of the book. I kept reading and at a certain point I was like 40% in and it was just info-dumps and character relationship drama.
• I'm finding these two mc shallow and annoying 🙄😒 Tristan is an f boy and Montserrat acts like she’s so above it all but she lets him walk all over her and she is about as fleshed out as a piece of cardboard.
• Kind of boring tbh...43% in and only 1 actually spooky scenes. A lot of history talk and movie production facts. Just incredibly slow.
• Kind of reminds me of white horse. Just really awkward dialogue that felt like I was reading a debut novel. 😬
• ...wait 1994??? Huh?!64% I forgot the first page said "1993" no clue why though it adds nothing and makes no difference. It doesn't seem intentional in any way.
• Idk this is just silly to me. How is Montserrat an expert now on magic??? (Like that scene where she just started drawing runes against that woman, or the part where she said they needed to make wards and she said she would show Tristan how…). It kind of reminded me of “the chosen one” trope in YA where the one girl is so plain and basic but somehow, she is the key to saving everyone and has all this untapped magical ability she never realized. It’s so cheesy.
• Oh lord not this whole "she's prettier without makeup" crap. Tristan is a total f boy that doesn’t want Monserrat to be with anyone else but he also doesn't want to be with her. Gross. P 229
• Idk it's just so boring and I hate these two characters together . Like WHY would I root for this romance?! The author dedicates so much time giving us examples of how badly Tristan treats MoMo and how he won’t commit and how this girl liked him since she was a kid so she just lets him treat her like a doormat because she has always pined over him. SHE COULD DO BETTER. But I’m supposed to find this ending and them moving in together all cute and fluffy and good feelings because he FINALLY realizes just how amazing this girl is that he has always overlooked because she’s just so plain and homely but OH he LIKES HER MOST THAT WAY. UGH.
• The ending barf. Can he stop saying MO MO . UGHHHHH. Ewwwwwwww. I think because I listened to the audio while reading along and it got really annoying to keep hearing that silly nickname.
July 22, 2023
slow and overwrought, belaboured by exposition and unlikeable characters, silver nitrate just never came alive for me.
i'm disappointed, given how excited i was for this novel - one of my most-anticipated 2023 releases. i had to really push myself to even get to the end, and it felt like moving through molasses. that being said, i'm still going to read silvia moreno-garcia's works: i do love the atmospheric way that she writes her historical fiction, the way she deftly captures mexico of the past while blurring reality, history, and dark fantasy.
i'm disappointed, given how excited i was for this novel - one of my most-anticipated 2023 releases. i had to really push myself to even get to the end, and it felt like moving through molasses. that being said, i'm still going to read silvia moreno-garcia's works: i do love the atmospheric way that she writes her historical fiction, the way she deftly captures mexico of the past while blurring reality, history, and dark fantasy.
May 27, 2023
Got this book for review on netgally.
It was ny first book by this author so I was curious to see what I think about her writing. The story was okay but didn't quite stand out to me and I never really felt connected with the plot. But it wasn't a bad book just not my cup of tea. Liked the horror themes in this but wasn't as scary or intense as I had hoped.
It was ny first book by this author so I was curious to see what I think about her writing. The story was okay but didn't quite stand out to me and I never really felt connected with the plot. But it wasn't a bad book just not my cup of tea. Liked the horror themes in this but wasn't as scary or intense as I had hoped.
Read
July 26, 2023DNF after 3 chapters. Just wasn’t for me.
October 23, 2023
Silver Nitrate is a very character-driven story, so I liked that the main characters Tristán and Montserrat are well fleshed out and fully realised. However, the plot is so slow. I felt like I enjoyed the beginning and as I got towards the end, but the main bulk of the story just dragged on. It’s well-written and the references to many horror movies were much appreciated. I’d say this is one for the film buffs from this alone and it also goes into some details behind the process of making movies within the character’s jobs.
Montserrat is a sound- editor, feeling overlooked in her job because of the male-dominated industry. Tristán is an actor, who is haunted by the death of his girlfriend ten years prior. They lived the party lifestyle that often comes with fame, drugs and alcohol. Montserrat is also helplessly in love with him, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care about anything other than himself at time. He is fond of her though, she is dependable.
Their new neighbours ends up being a famous cult-horror movie director, Abel Urueta. Montserrat is a huge fan of his work, she has even seen some of his more obscure movies. They begin chatting with him and he revels in telling them stories from his movie-making past. He informs them of a spell he believes was cast using the silver nitrate that was used to enhance film quality of one of his old movies.
Will Montserrat and Tristán end up getting more than they bargained for in the form of Nazi satanism😅 and their past coming back to haunt them more than they ever could imagine?
Montserrat is a sound- editor, feeling overlooked in her job because of the male-dominated industry. Tristán is an actor, who is haunted by the death of his girlfriend ten years prior. They lived the party lifestyle that often comes with fame, drugs and alcohol. Montserrat is also helplessly in love with him, but he doesn’t seem to notice or care about anything other than himself at time. He is fond of her though, she is dependable.
Their new neighbours ends up being a famous cult-horror movie director, Abel Urueta. Montserrat is a huge fan of his work, she has even seen some of his more obscure movies. They begin chatting with him and he revels in telling them stories from his movie-making past. He informs them of a spell he believes was cast using the silver nitrate that was used to enhance film quality of one of his old movies.
Will Montserrat and Tristán end up getting more than they bargained for in the form of Nazi satanism😅 and their past coming back to haunt them more than they ever could imagine?
June 4, 2023
Start with a marginalized female sound editor in Mexico City's male-dominated 1990s film culture. Add her childhood friend, a once-handsome actor, whose career plummeted when he was in a fatal car crash. Actually, he survived and he's still handsome, but he can't seem to get beyond the minor changes to his appearance resulting from the accident. Then throw in a mostly forgotten director of 1960s horror films, who dreams of completing a film begun shortly before his sudden disappearance from the industry. There's also a dead Aryan supremacist, an expert in dark arts, who contributed to that unfinished film and hoped to use it to grant himself literal (as opposed to cinematic) immortality. What you get is a wonderfully twisted story of the supernatural, set in Mexico's B-film industry.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia deftly weaves together the different threads of this story set in a world that at first appears to be normal, but grows stranger and stranger as it moves toward the denouement. Readers get time to know the characters in their day-to-day lives before these lives begin to spin out of control under malevolent influences, which makes the novel's events feel real in a way they wouldn't if she'd jumped straight into the paranormal.
Silver Nitrate makes for perfect summer reading, whether you're on the beach or stuck inside during an untimely bout of bad weather. You can count on an exponential increase in your own reading speed and tension as you make your way through it. As it ends, you'll find yourself in a world on the brink of catastrophe, unsure when the pleasant paths you were wandering became more treacherous. I'm not normally a big reader of horror fiction, but even readers ambivalent about the genre should find this novel compelling.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
Silvia Moreno-Garcia deftly weaves together the different threads of this story set in a world that at first appears to be normal, but grows stranger and stranger as it moves toward the denouement. Readers get time to know the characters in their day-to-day lives before these lives begin to spin out of control under malevolent influences, which makes the novel's events feel real in a way they wouldn't if she'd jumped straight into the paranormal.
Silver Nitrate makes for perfect summer reading, whether you're on the beach or stuck inside during an untimely bout of bad weather. You can count on an exponential increase in your own reading speed and tension as you make your way through it. As it ends, you'll find yourself in a world on the brink of catastrophe, unsure when the pleasant paths you were wandering became more treacherous. I'm not normally a big reader of horror fiction, but even readers ambivalent about the genre should find this novel compelling.
I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.
September 12, 2025
Silver Nitrate is painfully slow in the first 30% or so, to the point where I considered dnfing (though one's mileage may vary based on how much one enjoys old horror films and trivia about them). Around the halfway mark things start happening, and the second half ended up being a much more enjoyable read. Still can't rate it higher than this overall, though. 2.5 stars
July 23, 2023
A slow burn of cinematic sorcery and character-driven intrigue awaits……
Book Information
Silver Nitrate, written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is a 336-page horror/mystery published on July 18, 2023. Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Thank you to the Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book for review.
Summary
Montserrat, a talented sound editor in '90s Mexico City, is overlooked in the male-dominated film industry. When her best friend Tristán discovers their new neighbor is a cursed horror director, they get entangled in a quest to complete his unfinished magic film and lift the curse. However, as they dig deeper, dark forces start to emerge, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
My Thoughts
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia offers a unique and original story, weaving together a tapestry of occultism, mystery, and old Mexican horror. It presents a very slow-burn, character-driven narrative with great character development. The book leans more towards literary fiction than pure horror and is light on horror or gore. It delivers intriguing characters, dark atmospheres, and a dash of cinematic magic.
The author provides in-depth education in the art of movie making in the past, making it a fascinating read for cinema students, particularly those interested in old Mexican horror movies. However, the book's pacing could have been improved, as it tends to focus on detail without offering much action.
The main characters are distinct, well-written, and engaging. The story takes a deep dive into the characters' everyday lives and interactions.
While the book is rich in cultural references and offers an abundance of information, it relies heavily on characters telling rather than showing, dialogue or reflection vs action, which might not resonate with all readers. Some twists in the plot are predictable, and the climax of the story fell short, for me, in terms of delivering a satisfying horror element.
Recommendation
Overall, Silver Nitrate is a thought-provoking and beautifully written novel that delves into complex themes and provides a glimpse into the world of old Mexican horror movies. However, it may not appeal to those seeking a fast-paced and action-packed horror story.
Rating
3 Mexican Horror Stars
Book Information
Silver Nitrate, written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, is a 336-page horror/mystery published on July 18, 2023. Moreno-Garcia is the author of several novels, including Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and Shadow and The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. Thank you to the Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for providing me with an advance readers copy of this book for review.
Summary
Montserrat, a talented sound editor in '90s Mexico City, is overlooked in the male-dominated film industry. When her best friend Tristán discovers their new neighbor is a cursed horror director, they get entangled in a quest to complete his unfinished magic film and lift the curse. However, as they dig deeper, dark forces start to emerge, blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
My Thoughts
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia offers a unique and original story, weaving together a tapestry of occultism, mystery, and old Mexican horror. It presents a very slow-burn, character-driven narrative with great character development. The book leans more towards literary fiction than pure horror and is light on horror or gore. It delivers intriguing characters, dark atmospheres, and a dash of cinematic magic.
The author provides in-depth education in the art of movie making in the past, making it a fascinating read for cinema students, particularly those interested in old Mexican horror movies. However, the book's pacing could have been improved, as it tends to focus on detail without offering much action.
The main characters are distinct, well-written, and engaging. The story takes a deep dive into the characters' everyday lives and interactions.
While the book is rich in cultural references and offers an abundance of information, it relies heavily on characters telling rather than showing, dialogue or reflection vs action, which might not resonate with all readers. Some twists in the plot are predictable, and the climax of the story fell short, for me, in terms of delivering a satisfying horror element.
Recommendation
Overall, Silver Nitrate is a thought-provoking and beautifully written novel that delves into complex themes and provides a glimpse into the world of old Mexican horror movies. However, it may not appeal to those seeking a fast-paced and action-packed horror story.
Rating
3 Mexican Horror Stars
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