The Possession of Alba Díaz - by Isabel Cañas (Hardcover)

About the Book

"When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust... from bestselling author Isabel Caänas. In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancâe, Carlos, to his family's isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong. Elâias, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family's legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin's betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can't help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them... and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon's thirst for blood grows stronger. In the fight for her life, Alba and Elâias become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and one another... not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom"--

Book Synopsis

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust...from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

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

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

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

Review Quotes

Praise for The Possession of Alba Díaz

"Isabel Cañas's third novel, a horror-romance mashup about the sins of imperialism, is astoundingly creepy, but it describes love and lust as clearly as it does the closing-in walls of a demonic silver mine so dark and claustrophobic that it swallows Alba's words whole. It's a nauseating pleasure to read."
--Vulture

"A gorgeously written tale."
--Variety

"Searching for self; broken families; women in white; divinity colonised and decolonised; romance; possession in all of its forms -- with prose at times deliciously baroque, at times austere as the Zacatecas landscape, Cañas has created a gothic feast for the senses. Don't read it too late at night."
--Brigitte Knightley, author of The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy

"With every book, Isabel Cañas asserts jaw-dropping peerlessness at her craft. Chilling and tender, bloody and sensuous, The Possession of Alba Díaz is Cañas working at the height of her prodigious powers, expanding her fascinating Gothic oeuvre with her best and most brutal work yet. I devoured it."
-Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

"Gorgeous and gory. No one writes gothic like Isabel Cañas. The Possession of Alba Díaz is terrifically terrifying, richly imagined, impossibly sensual and as luminous as the quicksilver that spills across its pages."
--Roshani Chokshi, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Tale of The Flower Bride

"Cañas' latest gothic thriller combines an exploration of history, greed, toxic silver mining techniques, forbidden knowledge, and the dichotomies of wealth, family, class, faith, and good versus evil into a compelling, horrifying tale of possession that will only expand her growing audience."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Cañas's vivid and detailed descriptions of the novel's setting in 18th-century Mexico add to the experience of reading this atmospheric and original take on the possession story."
--Library Journal

"Chilling.... the richly layered narrative offers much to hold readers' interest as it probes themes of colonialism, patriarchy, and autonomy. Cañas's fans will not be disappointed."
--Publishers Weekly

"Isabel Cañas has quickly become a superstar of historical fiction, and this one looks like the best yet!"
--CrimeReads

"If you're looking to read horror, historical fiction, slow burn romance, or simply a few hundred pages of engrossing prose, Alba Díaz and Isabel Cañas will not disappoint."
--Latinx Pop Magazine

"It's a historical possession novel from one of the best historical horror writers out there right now, so you'll definitely want to add it to your to-be-read stack as soon as possible."
--Paste

"Cañas' latest seems to have it all: plagues, demons, the occult and more."
--Ms. Magazine

"Cañas' blend of horror and history promises a chilling and immersive read."
--Saving Advice

"Isabel Cañas excels in the genre of gothic horror. With vivid and sensuous prose, the tightening social constraints hovering over Alba's future, forbidden desires, and creeping tension, Cañas effortlessly sends chills down her readers' spines. Each page is immersive in detail and darkly atmospheric. But the heartbeat of her books lies in the well-crafted characters.... If you crave blood-fueled cinematic-quality terrors, Cañas is the author who will scratch that itch. Keep your lights on with this one!"
--Historical Novel Society

"I adore the way Isabel Cañas perfectly blends gothic and historical fiction."
--Book Riot

Praise for Isabel Cañas

"A thing of uncanny, chilling beauty. Hauntings, exorcisms, incantations, forbidden love -- The Hacienda transports one to a world where love triumphs over demons."
--The New York Times

"At once romance, horror, historical fiction, and an adventure narrative about war, Vampires of El Norte elegantly navigates a multiplicity of genres to deliver an engaging story that cements Cañas as one of the best new voices bridging the gap between romance and speculative fiction...The Hacienda was great, but Vampires of El Norte is even better."
--NPR

"Set during the Mexican-American War--this lushly drawn nightmare is a riveting story about two people facing terrible monsters and impossible odds. Cañas has the ability to tell a story that is at once sexy, frightening, and smart."
--Karin Slaughter, New York Times bestselling author of False Witness

"[R]omantic, frightening, claustrophobic, and entirely satisfying."
--Vulture

"Cañas clearly knows the genre, alternately deploying and subverting haunted house tropes. The result is a brilliant contribution to the new wave of postcolonial Gothics. Readers won't want to miss this."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Melding historical fiction with supernatural elements and a sweeping romance, Isabel Cañas crafts a lush story that'll appeal to readers of all genres."
--Reader's Digest

"Cañas delivers a horror novel full of expressive, sumptuous prose and enlightening historical details."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Cañas masterfully interweaves horror, historical fiction, and romance in this gripping novel."
--BookRiot

"If the title doesn't grip you right away, the promise of Cañas' powerful blend of historical fiction and horror definitely should."
--Paste

About the Author

Isabel Cañas is a Mexican American speculative fiction writer. After having lived in Mexico, Scotland, Egypt, Turkey, and New York City, among other places, she has settled in the Pacific Northwest. She holds a doctorate in Near Eastern languages and civilizations and writes fiction inspired by her research and her heritage.