I saw this book on Net Galley and was immediately smitten with the cover. It is both terrifying and compelling to me. Unfortunately I had requested a few too many "Eyeball" reader copies, but when I saw the audio from Spotify, I RAN for it so so fast.
I have been burned a few times by covers, so I did look at the blurb. AND, YES I did want to read a book involving an ancient Aztec God called The Flayed One. I mean, really...releasing in early fall, this is PRIME Autumnal reading material. The leaves crunching under my feet, chilly mornings with fog rolling in, and cold nights with a crackling fire.
Yes... it is true... I live in the subtropics and my Autumn so far has been trips to the pool, lots of sunscreen and humidity and torrential afternoon storms. SO I NEED MY CHILLING BOOKS MORE THAN EVER! And this one really felt like exactly how I like my horror- ancient terrifying beings, a confused modern story line, and very well developed characters.
Please let me know if you can see the photo, I am not seeing them, but I can see that I inserted it. I may need to do an update.
ANYWAY.
After Hollow Folk, I was not sure that anything could top that for a spooky horror read. I think Rooted is on par with Hollow Folk and possibly, a bit better- definitely a bit better editing if you ask me.
Without any spoilers- we join Aurora, and her ex boyfriend as they work together as a team to repatriate Mexican artifacts to their rightful place. It's a bit unclear where the artifacts have been, but some appear to have been living, and wreaking havoc in Spain for centuries. One of the artifacts is a mysterious status of the Flayed one- an Aztec god who would flay parts of his body off for seeds and nutrients for the soil. It sounds creepy- and honestly it really is creepy. I suggest a bit of a google of this one. I went down a rabbit hole and I am grateful to the author because that was one amazing and cool rabbit hole.
Things in Mexico City aren't right. Aurora herself was prone to odd hallucinations and headaches as a child, and with her main narration, readers aren't ever sure if she is having a breakdown or, if unusual plants are really sprouting across the pavement. As she is doing her best to complete the work, navigate her ill mother and her ex boyfriend she becomes increasingly disturbed. The museum artifacts seem to be almost speaking to her, and she has found documents at her childhood home that indicate she may not be exactly who she believed herself to be.
As Aurora unravels, and the story picks up steam readers can expect botanical horror, body horror, secrets unveiled all occurring at a rapid pace. Gout leads the reader to one conclusion only to pivot to one that is broader and more astounding. I loved it!
Krysta Gonzalez is the narrator, and I appreciated that she took on a tough task of voicing Aurora at many ages and life stages. Her narration was smooth and pleasant to listen to- in fact, I finished this book in about 3 days - a record for me.
Cover design by Esther S. Kim. Both deserve a lot of credit as the book is one that grabs the eye immediately. STATS
First Published: 9/15/2026
Pages: 288
Available as an Audio Book : Yes
Trigger Warnings: racism, supernatural occurrences, body horror, death of child, death of parent, accidental patricide, ancient Gods, botanical horror, mental health,
(this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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