The Queen of the Cicadas

V. (Violet) Castro’s debut novel, released in 2021, put her on the horror map, and for good reason.

I loved how she blended Mexican legend and culture to tell a supernatural horror story that is rich in detail, dialogue, and dark humor. The setting is a Texas wedding held on a renovated farm.

But very bad things start to happen, all seemingly tied to a legend of a 1950s murder of a Mexican farmworker. But—so people say—the woman’s death piqued the interest of the Aztec Goddess of Death, who pledges herself to the murdered woman.

Castro’s expert storytelling upends classic… show more.

Nominated for the Bram Stoker Award, this book gives a new twist on female vengeance.

I loved the dual timeline of the new owners of a farmhouse learning about its very violent past, back when a Mexican migrant woman was gruesomely murdered on the property in the 1950s. If you ever watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer and rooted for Anya, the Vengeance Demon, you will love this supernatural horror novel’s exploration of female rage with ties to Mexican folklore. It does not pull any punches.