The Possession of Alba Díaz by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Title: The Possession of Alba Díaz

Author: Isabel Cañas

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 369

Publication Date: 8/19/25

Categories: Gothic Horror, Historical Fiction, Paranormal

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 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.

Content Warning: demon possession, exorcism, murder

+ Isabel Cañas is a must read author for me! I love her historical fiction horror writing style and once again I was sucked into this story she created. How does she write horror in such a beautiful manner?! I love it. The lyrical prose always has a way of seducing me into the horror stories that she writes.

+ This story is set in New Spain – Mexico, in a town with a silver mine. I love all the history I learned from this book from the silver mines to the power of the Catholic religion. It was a time during the Spanish Inquisition and though there is only one priest who is with this family, his authority had power – enough to demand a whole town to stop worshipping other idols from their culture.

+ Alba is trying to take ahold of her future. She knows as a young woman, she has no choice but to marry but she chooses a friend of hers, Carlos, to marry because she feels like it’s her only path to freedom. But when she goes with him to the silver mine his family owns, something possesses her – a demonic spirit and now she has to fight it for freedom of her body and mind! I liked the parallels and how it’s a story about a woman trying to fight for her freedom.

+ I grew up Catholic so exorcism and demonic possession always scared me. But it’s always fascinated me also. There are some creepy parts in this story especially when Alba is possessed, and a little body horror but this was not scary.

+~ There is even romance in this story which I loved. I like a man who isn’t afraid of a little possession! 😅 But I would have liked more build-up between them, even more time spent together and getting to know one another before falling for one another.

~ The beginning starts off a little slow, but once they travel to the mines the story picks up. I also wanted to know a little more about the alchemy and mercury. Elías is such a worldly character with such a tragic backstory, I wanted to know more of him.

Final Thoughts:

I’m so glad I saved this one for October, it’s the perfect gothic horror read for spooky season! It’s beautifully written and I was hooked. I look forward to reading what this author writes next.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Vampires of El Norte by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Hacienda by. Isabel Cañas | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️