[Book Review] ‘Silver Nitrate’ by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Silver Nitrate, the latest from author Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau), is a whirlwind novel of cinematic intrigue and magic. It is also, as one can always expect from Moreno-Garcia, a vivid portrait of Mexican culture.
Set in the early 90s, Silver Nitrate pulls readers into the world of Mexican film and television. Montserrat is a talented sound editor for a struggling Mexican studio, who often finds herself at odds with her boss. Because of this, Montserrat frequently finds her name at the bottom of the roster, fighting for whatever hours she can. Tristán is Montserrat’s codependent best friend—a washed up telenovela star whose fall from grace is tied to a car crash that left his diva girlfriend dead and his perfect face scarred. Despite their clearly incompatible personalities and constant fighting, the two orbit around a “will they, won’t they” relationship that one almost begs them not to explore—at least until they both do some serious introspection.
Occultist Undertones
Montserrat and Tristán’s relationship woes are the most compelling part of the plot. That is, until Tristán moves into a new apartment building that he learns is also home to Abel Urueta, an almost mythic horror film director, to whom he introduces to superfan Montserrat. When Urueta lets slip a few intriguing details about the abandoned production of his apparently cursed film, Behind the Yellow Wall, Montserrat sees an opportunity to jump start her career by selling Urueta’s story to a network that specializes in occult-type mysteries. Reluctantly, Urueta agrees on the condition that Montserrat and Tristán help him finish his ill-fated film, which he says was infused with a magic spell that should have forever changed the fates of all involved; and its incompletion has been the cause of his bad luck ever since.
For the rest of the book, the trio find themselves increasingly tied up in a conspiracy of powerful sorcerers, elite society, and Nazi occultism. Montserrat and Tristán’s relationship is tested to its breaking point as the adventure becomes more and more treacherous. Ghosts from Urueta’s past—and from Tristán’s—return with a vengeance, and Montserrat must decide to what lengths she’ll go for the story.
As a general rule, I'm much more drawn to conspiracy plots than to the fantasy elements that Silver Nitrate brings to the table—and it's perhaps contradictory that I can be so forgiving of the occult and the supernatural in fiction, but so picky about wizardry—but mercifully, Silver Nitrate leans far more into the former for most of the book. When there are rules the magic must follow—when magic is difficult and consequential—that's when you've got my attention. And so it is here, with Moreno-Garcia creating an intricate and convincing reason that Urueta’s film is being used as a conduit for this powerful spell, and the effects that decades of failure have caused. Even if there are a few moments toward the end where the magic-wielding acolytes of Silver Nitrate edge a little too close to spectacular magic that would normally turn me away, the story has wrapped me up in enough cloak and dagger intrigue and conspiracy to power me through to the finish line.
Montserrat and Tristán also turn out to be a pretty dynamic duo. Though either of them could theoretically walk away at any point when things begin to get a little too weird and the stakes too high, Montserrat's resolve and Tristán’s loyalty always ultimately get the better of them. The careful tension between them carries the momentum between supernatural occurrences, and their friendship feels just as critical as any dark plots by unseen sorcerers.
Ultimately, Sylvia Moreno-Garcia’s novel is a touching tribute to its predecessors—littered with references, both literary and filmic—and the thought process behind the book’s namesake is so good, I only wish she got a little more mileage out of it. Not because the story was lacking, but because I want to know more about this world, this film, this production that went so wrong. But more than any of that, Silver Nitrate proves that even in the face of all the cosmic power the universe throws at you, what matters most is often who was by your side the whole time.
Article written by Ande Thomas
Ande loves the intersection of sci-fi and horror, where our understanding of the natural world clashes with our fear of the new and unknown. He writes about monsters and foreign horror and can also be found over on Letterboxd.
