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Silver Nitrate

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Silver Nitrate

Written by: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Narrated by: Gisela Chípe
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NATIONAL BESTSELLER • From the author of The Daughter of Doctor Moreau and Mexican Gothic comes 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.

“No one punctures the skin of reality to reveal the lurking, sinister magic beneath better than Silvia Moreno-Garcia.”—Kiersten White, author of Hide

LOCUS AWARD FINALIST • A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Polygon, CrimeReads, BookPage, Book Riot

Montserrat has always been overlooked. She’s a talented sound editor, but she’s left out of the boys’ club running the film industry in ’90s Mexico City. And she’s all but invisible to her best friend, Tristán, a charming if faded soap opera star, though she’s been in love with him since childhood.

Then Tristán discovers his new neighbor is the cult horror director Abel Urueta, and the legendary auteur claims he can change their lives—even if his tale of a Nazi occultist imbuing magic into highly volatile silver nitrate stock sounds like sheer fantasy. The magic film was never finished, which is why, Urueta swears, his career vanished overnight. He is cursed.

Now the director wants Montserrat and Tristán to help him shoot the missing scene and lift the curse . . . but Montserrat soon notices a dark presence following her, and Tristán begins seeing the ghost of his ex-girlfriend.

As they work together to unravel the mystery of the film and the obscure occultist who once roamed their city, Montserrat and Tristán may find that sorcerers and magic are not only the stuff of movies. Horror Latino & Hispanic Creators Supernatural Thriller & Suspense World Literature Scary Paranormal Magic Fiction Latin America Haunted Fantasy Celebrity Mexico
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A strong story about friendship, magic, and the cost of power, SILVER NITRATE is an exciting, spooky story about two best friends who work in the film industry and come across an infamous, cursed film with magical properties.

Montserrat and Tristán could not be more different. Montserrat is rough around the edges, tough, brave, and willing to see the truth of things. Tristán is a smooth-talker, charming, and looking for a way to improve their lot in life. Their relationship is one of give and take, one of support and balance, and it makes them great foils once trouble starts brewing with the film.

The plot is a slow burn, with enough creepy elements to carry it once things start getting weird. There are plenty of spooky aspects that will appease horror fans, though sometimes it take a bit to get there. I enjoyed the character development, especially Tristán's, and found the ending to be quite satisfying. The prose is smooth and makes this an enjoyable read, though there were a couple deus ex machines that made things easier for our heroes.

If you enjoy stories about ghosts and the occult, this is a great book to pick up. It's fun, spooky, and centers on a great friendship.

Best Friends Go On A Spooky Adventure

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Very slow. Ntm on the narrator but it sounded a bit like those tiktok voice generators. Overall I like the premise it’s just too slow, but it has some good moments.

It’s ok

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As always, a fun jaunt to Mexico by Moreno-Garcia, however this foray into "horror" was not my thing. The magical lacked the detailed complexity I would have expected from the author. She did write one of the protagonists, Tristán, masterfully as a total dick.

A fun throwback to the 1990s however a bit predictable on the story side #Bookstodon

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The devil rides out, but quite boring. The marketing also says horror, but it's like a worst Night Film.

meh

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