October 15, 2024
Grades 9-12 Two foes are forced together in this dreamy romance with high stakes. Scholar Lalo Villalobos spends all of his time trying to find the monster that murdered his parents. Upon confrontation, he is turned into the very beast he hates and the clock starts counting down, as he has limited time before he loses his humanity completely. Lalo and his sister Fernanda flee to the small town of Del Oro to learn how to rid the world of vampiros. There, he meets Carolina and her hunter family, tasked with protecting the townspeople from attacks. Carolina is the only person who sees Lalo for the monster that he is but agrees to help him uncover the secrets of Del Oro. Their temporary friendship blooms into a fragile love that is at risk of being destroyed by the very creatures they hunt. Lalo and Carolina could have benefited from more space to grow into their characters, but readers will be hard-pressed not to fall for their love story and the mythology they uncover.
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Starred review from October 15, 2024
A plucky vampire hunter teams up with a bookish, recently turned vampire to stop bloodthirsty monsters in this paranormal romantasy set in 1830. After Lalo Villalobos, 19, tracks down the vampiro who killed his parents, he ends up being turned into one himself rather than enacting the revenge he wanted. Using his newfound supernatural strength, Lalo escapes and returns home to Los Campos and his younger sister, Fernanda. Together they flee the busy city for the remote pueblo of Del Oro, which reportedly had a 200-year-old case of a vampiro that Lalo hopes holds the key to reversing his condition. Meanwhile in Del Oro, 18-year-old Carolina Fuentes wants to prove she's just as capable as her father and older brothers of slaying sedientos, or "thirsty ones," as the vampiros are also known--but only Abuelo believes in her. Four weeks after a tragic sediento attack on her family, Carolina stumbles upon Lalo. He's feeding on an animal, and she's determined to kill him, but she's confused about why he seems so human and not the "abomination" she expected. Instead of slaying Lalo, Carolina eventually agrees to work with him to figure out whether they can unlock the secret to restoring his humanity. Montoya adeptly weaves elements of Mexican history into her sophomore novel, which features delightful supporting characters and lovable protagonists who have fantastic chemistry. The Spanish-speaking cast members are diverse in skin tone. An irresistibly charming forbidden romance. (family tree)(Fantasy romance. 13-18)
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September 16, 2024
Eduardo “Lalo” Villalobos, 19, watches helplessly from his window as his parents are torn apart by a vampiro. His subsequent obsession with getting justice drives him to accidentally infiltrate a vampiro den, from which he stumbles out a few days later, newly turned and desperate to reverse the process. Carolina Fuentes, 18, is part of a family that hunts vampiros, which they call sedientos—but only men can be hunters. After her supportive grandfather is killed in a sediento attack, she becomes more determined than ever to prove herself as a worthy hunter to her family and exterminate every vampiro. When Lalo and Carolina cross paths, sparks fly in more ways than one. Lalo’s plan to cure vampirism aligns with Carolina’s goal to wipe all sedientos from existence, prompting the pair to embark on a journey to find and strike at the origins of vampirism, all while fighting their deep—and potentially fatal—attraction. Montoya (Sinner’s Isle) centers action, tropey fun, and insta-love romance to spin an adventurous romp that will appeal to romantasy readers. Characters cue as Latinx. Ages 12–up. Agent: Larissa Melo Pienkowski, Jill Grinberg Literary.
Starred review from January 17, 2025
Gr 10 Up-An enemies-to-lovers historical paranormal romance. Carolina Fuentes is from a long line of vampire hunters, the best of which is her grandfather-her teacher. Her father does not accept this because of her gender. Lalo Villalobos, a bookish boy, is turned into a vampire when pursuing his parents' killers. Lalo and his sister Fernanda go to Abundancia to find a way to undo his vampirism and rid the world of vampires. What follows is a simultaneously familiar and fresh romance. Romance fans will love the tension between opposites Carolina and Lalo. The pair are described as having brown skin and are of presumably Mexican heritage; the characters use Spanish words, and the lore is based on Nahuatl language. Moreover, the side characters Nena and Fernanda, and their sapphic romance, are as compelling as the main characters: a rare find in romance. Montoya knows how to write a vampire novel that follows some traditional lore but still makes it wholly unique with vampirism that arises from a deal with a god. There is a sex scene between the two leads, but it is not described explicitly. VERDICT A superb romantasy title for high school and public libraries alike.-Wilsinia Ocasio
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