This was like reading a relatively high-quality fanfic. Which is not a criticism of fanfic, but rather  a query as to why this piece of writing in particular deserves to be a novel. Still, if a 95,000 word Doctor Moreau fanfic set in historical Mexico and featuring an OC hetero-pairing is summat that you’ve been looking for, then I guess this is the book for you. Particularly if you like your stories nice and comfortable and predictable.