Folklore from around the world has inspired many different kinds of horror, and many authors and creators have learned how to draw from their own culture and folklore to depict some very modern horrors. One such author is V. Castro, whose deep dives into Mexican-American culture and Aztec theology have yielded some very original takes on horror tropes. In the same way she upended the possession trope in her novella Goddess of Filth, she once again upends the avenging spirit trope in her novel The Queen of the Cicadas.
The novel focuses on Belinda Alvarez, a woman who is unhappy with her current circumstances and is attending a friend’s wedding on an idyllic farm. However, this farm is where migrant worker Milagros is murdered and who also makes a deal with the Aztec goddess of death Mictecacíhuatl. When these two women’s paths intersect across time and across the border between life and death, it will not just be an opportunity for vengeance. They will create a movement that could potentially change everything.
Castro has a penchant for description and for a narrative that shifts rapidly but this actually pulls the reader in without it becoming distracting, more like riding an amusement carnival dark ride rather than being pulled in multiple directions. Belinda Alvarez, the narrator guiding us through the story as Milagros, is a woman who is in search of direction but finds purpose in helping the subject of this urban legend. Maggie Schneider also provides an authentic, emotional voice for Belinda, showing her evolving spiritually and emotionally as Milagros, the spirit, also evolves.
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