In reading Gods of Jade and Shadow I found myself always wanting something more. Sometimes more emotion, sometimes more personality in Casiopea, sometimes more details of the smells and sounds of the journey as she steps outside of her small town for the first time since her father died. The plot was intriguing and I appreciated having Martin as a contrasting point of view, but it wasn't enough to keep me reading. I put the book down after seven chapters and haven't felt the desire to pick it back up again.

Really incredible retelling of Mexican folklore with beautiful and haunting language. Very well done and I will be recommending this to everyone who is looking for more #ownvoices about Mexico.

Did I like this book? Yes. Did I love this book? Yes! What I completely heartbroken when I finished this book? YES!

Oh my god, how do I even begin talking about this book? I finished it and just kinda laid there unable to comprehend just how much I loved it and why did it have to end that way or why did it have to end at all? When I first heard about this book, I really hoped that I would like it, but I honestly didn’t expect it to impact me so much.

Gods of Jade and Shadows is about a girl who lives in a not so great situation and dreams about the day when she can leave. Casiopea Tun wants freedom and adventure and dreams, but instead she keeps them locked away in a little tin can so the rest of the world won't see. She’s a smart girl, a rational one and she doesn’t want to let her daydreams take control almost. So of course when she accidently resurrects a Mayan god, she takes it as and rational person would. She knows she's never been subjected to illusions, so it's perfectly logical that there's a god standing in front of her. From there it becomes a quest where she and Hun-Kamé must travel to find his missing parts and take back his throne from his brother.

If there's one thing that I love more then gods of death being bound to mortals, it's watching these gods deal with said outspoken, rebellious, yet kind mortal. The writing in this book honestly made me feel like I was both listening to someone wise and ancient tell me this story, or I was reading ancient text that shouldn’t be seen by human eyes. It's a myth through and through. It made it seem like this wasn’t a work of fiction really, but that this actually happened.

I loved these characters, even the ones that I hated, I couldn’t help but like because they were so well written. I can't stop thinking about this book. I probably will never be able to stop thinking about this book.

It's interesting to consider how little Mayan, Aztec or other native 'American' mythology is present in mainstream US culture compared to, say, Greek mythology. This especially considering our proximity to these cultures vs Europe and the rest of the world. Maybe that's evidence of our Euro-centrism left over from colonialism, but I'm glad that's changing as time goes by.

This book had a fun mix of fantasy-adventure, magical folklore, historical context (Mexico, 1920s) and a daring female protagonist who forms a bond with the God of Death. Sometimes it's easy to forget how much social mobility has changed over time and varies in different regions of the world. Casiopea has very few options before (unwittingly) falling into the service of a previously imprisoned god who must go on a quest to retrieve parts of himself stolen by an evil-er sibling. Even though she was forced(!) upon threat of death(!!) to help this god reclaim himself, they eventually form a bond which came off like a kind of Stockholm Syndrome, but whatever, maybe he was unbearably dreamy.

I also definitely read the title as Gods of *Shade* and Shadow for the first half of the book and imagined the demons and gods being super passive-aggressive to each other.

Moreno-Garcia is wonderfully descriptive and creates a lush world for readers to step into. The story was compelling and I really appreciated the characters' interactions with one another. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a digital copy of this book. I loved this story! The writing is well done and the characters are many layered. The plot is not a run of the mill fantasy and will please those tired of the same of fantasy plot and structure.

OMG. What a trip!!! What a fantastic, brilliant book! I want to give it a triple thumbs up.

Caseopia's back story was a little like Cinderella's, only instead of an evil stepmother, she had a grandfather. Enslaved and bullied, she wished to one day get out of this dreadful and dreary life and move to Merida with the riches that her grandfather had promised to give her and her mother upon his passing.

One day when everyone was out for a family vacation, out of spite and curiosity, she opened a mysterious box which the grandfather had kept in his bedroom. Little did she realize how much this pandora's box was about to change her entire life.

When she released Hun Kame, Lord of Xibalba, the Place of Fear, she had wokened up the entire Mayan Underworld which then, was ruled by Hun Kame's twin brother, Vucub Kame, who stole the crown from him. Hence, she got herself tangled up in the fight of the twin brothers for the throne befitting only the strongest and vilest.

I love all the characters the author created and developed! Caseopia was strong-willed, intelligent, inquisitive, bold, courageous, and loyal. Hun Kame, although mysterious, stoic and dark as death as he was, was also drawn to Caseopia's hard-headed devil-may-care attitude. I also loved how the author developed their relationship!

Her cousin, was totally despicable at first, but as his story progressed, I couldn't help but empathize with him and understand his anger and frustrations. I even wanted a good ending for him. The fact that the author was able to do that, to me, showed what a brilliant writer she is.

The writing and pacing were brilliant too. I didn't want to miss a word! I enjoyed traveling vicariously through Caseopia to Texas, Mexico City and the Mayan Underworld and awakening all my 5 senses!

Reading this was like reading The Master and Margarita which I absolutely loved! Some of the characters reminded me of those in that book. (Gahh which reminds me, I should've added The Master and Margarita to my all time favorite reads list! If you haven't read it, please please do!)

If you love magical realism, mythology and the Jazz Age, you're going to love this!

Where are you headed next, Caseiopia? Pray take me along!

And... I want this book in my shelf!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for providing a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Review will be published on my blog and Goodreads, and shared on Twitter and Litsy, closer to publication day.

I was pretty excited for this because I especially loved Sylvia's last book, The Beautiful Ones. And then she's done really great Mexican settings in the two other books I've read by her as well!

What I really liked here was the MC—Casiopea was the perfect character and I loved reading her wittiness in her dialogue and her remarks that she would give to Hun-Kamé. I seriously loved Hun-Kamé, too, especially as his character progressed in the book! The two together had such great chemistry!

There were several POVs in this one, but I really wish that it was only Casiopea and Hun-Kamé. I was kind of bored at times with Casiopea's cousin and Hun-Kamé's brother. Minor detail—but I felt like Casiopea's name had a lot of syllables so I had to keep shortening it to Cas in my head as I read it! 

The writing and world descriptions were beautiful and the tale was very cool. Another complaint was I wish it ended on the chapter before the last one because I'm unsure if this is a stand alone, but I think it is? But with the last chapter, I'm not sure? Anyway, I love the authors other books more, but this is still a cool, original story to check out.

Really crackerjack SF/Fantasy set in Mexico involving ancient Mayan Gods, magic, and a remarkably unremarkable woman who just wants more than her life is currently offering her. This was my first time reading anything by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and I immediately ordered some of her other books upon finishing this one.

5 stars!

Unlike anything I’ve ever read. So beautiful. This Mayan death god myth-making tale was one of a kind and its great to see one of the most anticipated 2019 YA fantasy releases living up to its expectations. Let’s have more Mexican/Mayan inspired fantasy, please!

Gods of Jade and Shadow did more than just bring us a fantasy grounded in non-Western myth--it also brought us a different writing style, an interesting immersion into 1920s Mexican culture, and a fresh take on the female protagonist. I could not get enough of this story. Looking forward to seeing more from Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

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Set in Jazz age (1920s) Mexico, this fantasy is about a strong woman named Casiopea who encounters a Mayan death God and the quest they subsequently go on.
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I had hardly any knowledge of or around Mayan mythology or really any Mexican mythology before reading this book so I was a bit nervous I’d be lost. I’m so glad I took a chance on this story though, because it’s a really good one and it wasn’t hard to get wrapped into the story..
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I loved that Casiopea was already headstrong and determined at the start of the novel. She held her own throughout the whole story; no damsel in distress story here!
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Full of trials, personal growth, and a lot of heart, this is a great fantasy read to pick up. Fair warning there are some dark parts to this story, but if you read adult fantasy you will be used to that.

“The things you name do grow in power, but others that are not ever whispered claw at one’s heart anyway, rip it to shreds even if a syllable does not escape the lips.”

After reading Signal to Noise, Silvia Moreno-García instantaneously became one of my new favorite authors. With Gods of Jade and Shadow she has cemented her place in my heart.

Within Gods of Jade and Shadow, Moreno-Garcia has created two worlds: the world of 1920s Mexico, full of cars and trains and the newness of Art Deco and flappers, and Xibalba, the Underworld, a landscape lush with strange and frightening flora and fauna. Casiopea traverses both these worlds, learning who she is, in the way of coming of age tales, but also teaching those around her what it means to be faithful, steadfast, and, most of all, kind.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read the eARC of this book.

Loosely inspired by the Maya epic Popol Vuh, this book follows the exploits of Casiopea, a girl living in southern Mexico in the 1920s, when she accidentally frees the Maya god of death/lord of Xibalba from a curse. She embarks with him on a quest across Mexico to take win his throne from his treacherous twin brother.

I adored the colorful snapshots of different cities in the 1920s (Casiopea's journey takes us from her town in the Yucatán to Mérida to Veracruz to Mexico City to El Paso to Tijuana). The fashion, the music the fancy hotels, and Casiopea's fascination with automobiles... all helped bring the setting to life. Gods and demons, witches and ghosts weave seamlessly through the historical setting, giving this book a wonderful historical-but-creepy atmosphere.

If you were fond of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's spare, precise prose in "Prime Meridian" or in her short story collection "This Strange Way of Dying," then you'll love this. Though I loved the descriptions of historical Mexico, I will say that the creepiness of Xibalba and other elements of the supernatural (especially the scene with the ghosts!!) were where the prose REALLY shone.

Received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book blends the best of magical realism, a quest story, and a search for identity into a compelling, engaging book. I loved Cassopeia, the protagonist, and her travel companion also drew me in. Villains that are complex and journeys that are rich in detail. Definitely recommended.

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

There are just so many things I love about this book that brought back my hope for YA novels. As of late, I felt there has been a decline of YA novels in regards to quality and the genre itself–falling into the same tropes, cliches, and recycling the same plots. I get it, I am 24 and YA novels are not really supposed to target readers like me but sometimes it is not always necessary to follow the trend but to focus on the quality of the content.

But for me, Gods of Jade and Shadow stood out. It was mature, patient, and thoroughly descriptive. Moreno-Garcia is a natural story teller and her writing style is effortless.


“Words are seeds, Casiopea. With words you embroider narratives, and the narrative breed myths, and there’s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power.”


The Era

We are all familiar with the Jazz Age from novels such as The Great Gatsby and what comes to mind are images of flappers, glitz and glamour, so it was interesting to see how it was portrayed in Mexico.

The world-building... delightfully descriptive, vivid like splashes of paint, but not rushed. The pace is patient as she constructs her world balanced with history and fantasy. The author was somehow able to twine Mayan mythology while describing the architecture and the culture significances and influences of various Mexico cities without making it sound like a history lesson. Each town and city we are introduced to has its on theme and appeal.

I actually found myself curious to explore more about Mayan mythology and historical events in Mexico.

Also, I liked how unfair society was described. Not liked per se–as a person who has dark skin, it is panful to read when people are mistreated due to their race–but by the author adding it into the story, it makes it more believable and real. When authors choose to gloss over a more painful part of history–you are not REALLY telling the story. You are holding back. I liked how the author mentioned how people in this time period coveted their European heritages and dismissed those with African and Indigenous features. This theme is unfortunately prevalent in today's society as well.


Casiopea

I adored our heroine. Genuinely. She seemed so real, tangible, her worries and dreams so honest that anyone could relate. She was not a Mary Sue who was special–she literally just had bad luck. But she does not whine or throw a tantrum, she is brave and never backs down. But she is not perfect–which made me like her more. I especially liked her shyness and how proper she was. It makes sense with the time period and her religious beliefs. Casiopea is a fiery girl who dreams of escaping her dull, harsh life and exploring the world and with the turn of events, she does. Despite the doom approaching, she urges on and does not balk as the journey takes her farther and farther from the comfort of home.

The Gods

I will not give anything away but the gods depicted are not so easy to put in a box. Not so easy to define, not so easy to understand their motives. Mercurial. Proud. We never really get into the head of Hun-Kame and I preferred it like that. It made his character more interesting and harder to distinguish. It left him a mystery while in contrast, his brother–who perspective we do get–was very obvious to us and his motives.

There is a lot of juxtaposition between the main characters–Casiopea/Martin and Hun-Kame/ Vucub-Kame and though it first appears they are so different, in the end, they all come together.

I loved learning about the Mayan gods and the creatures we were introduced to. It was different than the usual vampire, werewolf, fey trio portrayed in novels nowadays and it was a nice relief.

I would definitely recommend if you want a book that will both teach and entertain you!

I received a kindle ARC version of this book via Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group for the copy! I really enjoyed this book. It was certainly unique and very original. The story was so intriguing and the characters were interesting. Some of the visuals of Hun Kame and Casiopea's adventures were brilliant. As much as I enjoyed this book I also found myself disappointed at the lack of depth and detail. I wanted more detail of the Mayan mythology that was rooted in this book. More detail about the myth of the death gods themselves and their world. I also felt like this book could have been longer. Hun Kame and Casiopea jumped from one place to the next without much detail of their current locations. This book had so much potential and was a bit of a let down. I still enjoyed the story line and the characters and it is definitely worth the read!

Caseopia Tun is a poor relation of a locally rich and powerful family in 1920s rural Mexico, willful and hungry for more from life. When she accidentally releases a god who’s been hurt and imprisoned by his brother, she starts a journey as his semi-willing helper and, eventually, love interest. But gods don’t love humans. Working from a set of traditional stories that are unfamiliar to me, the story, full of lush imagery and wry commentary on the follies of youth, shows how stubbornness and self-chosen duty can turn a girl into a woman and give her strength to meddle in the affairs of gods.

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Website

Genres: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology, Adult, YA, Romance, Fairy Tale, Urban Fantasy, Alternative History, Literary Fantasy

Similar books: War for the Oaks, Obsidian and Blood Trilogy, Bear and the Nightingale, Grim Fandango (Game)

Previous books in the series/by the author reviewed: None

Rating: Highly Recommended if you want to read a 1920's Mexico Urban Fantasy with a strong Romance Plotline

Here's the TL;DR for my review (SPOILERS!):

Pros
1920's Mexico is a fully realized setting.
The Mayan mythology explored here was fun. I can't say I've ever read an Fantasy novel featuring these gods before.
Casiopea Tun is an enjoyable protagonist, a young woman who's just beginning to gain confidence in herself after a lifetime of being oppressed by her family.
Hun-Kame is the deposed god of the Mayan Underworld, and I liked his journey to reclaiming his throne from his treacherous brother.
Good prose. The author's language rests squarely on the stained glass end of the stained glass-window pane spectrum of textual beauty.
Mixed
The pacing was deliberately slow. The book had a slow start, slow middle, and slow end. There was very little action. This isn't a bad thing if you want to read an action-light book, but if you're in the mood for a thriller page turner, this ain't it.
Cons
I didn't fully buy the romance between Casiopea and Hun-Kame. Something about it didn't click with me, but it might click with you.
A lot of the male characters, particularly the human antagonists, were misogynists. Because the author painted them so strongly as misogynists they became a little 2D in their villainy. I wanted them to be more interesting.
Spoiler-tastic Review

I got this book for free before it's release date for the purpose of an honest review. It will be released in August 2019.

'Gods of Jade and Shadow' is a fairy tale set in Mexico 100 years ago. Set in an art-deco world where Mayan traditions, Christian upbringings and modern technology clash and converge, this is a book filled with artistic style and substantive characters.

Casiopea is the disappointing only daughter in a family where sons are preferred, living in a small town in southern Mexico. She has no plans in life besides being her grandfather's housekeeper, having spent her entire life up until this point being gaslight by her ungrateful family. But when she opens a secret box in her grandfather's room, she releases the ghost of one of the Mayan death-gods, drawing her into a web of internecine divine and mortal conspiracy.

Hun-Kame is the deposed god-king of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld. He had his head cut off by his brother and was imprisoned on Earth in the home of one of his priests, Casiopea's grandfather. But when Hun-Kame is released by Casiopea, Hun-Kame and Casiopea are inextricably bound; she gains part of his godly power, while he gains her mortality. This forced partnership pleases neither of them, so they decide to do whatever it takes to free themselves of one another.

What follows is an adventure spanning from the jungle-infested Mayan temples in the Yucatan, to Mexcio City, to Texas and California. They must work together, trying to overcome the forces which want to kill them both. I liked the plot, for the characters were forced to cooperate and learn more about themselves. Hun-Kame was forced to develop some humanity, a novel feature for a divine creature, while Casiopea was forced to make decisions for herself and show agency.

Finally, the author's prose was strong. She uses clear language, spiced up with clever imagery with sparkling use of words. In particular I liked her magic, which she described in an almost McKillip-ish fashion.

Now, as always, I have some constructive criticism.

The book was slowly paced. Some books can pull off being slowly paced, allowing the reader to revel in a drawn-out story told over time with little action or tension. This book almost worked like that for me. I would have liked it if there was a little more action or if the stakes were higher towards the end.

The romance between the two leads didn't work for me. Now I'll admit that I don't generally like Romance subplots, and this book was a Romance subplot writ-large. This book just wasn't my type. If you're like me and don't actively enjoy romance subplots, this book might not be for you. But if you do enjoy romance subplots, then you probably actually would like this book and this isn't criticism at all.

That's it! I liked this book. I can Recommend it to your Average Fantasy reader, and Highly Recommend it to a Fantasy reader who is in the mood for some 1920's Mexico Urban Fantasy goodness with a strong Romance plotline.

Did someone say mythology set to the backdrop of the roaring 20's!? I love this just on principal so you can imagine my excitement when I also loved Gods of Jade and Shadow altogether (also, that cover is just divine.) This book was such a fascinating and unique read from my normal fantasy books. The book includes Mayan Mythology following the God of Death, Mexican folklore set in the 1920's centered around a female as the heroine of the story. It reminds me of elements of American Gods, which I only read just a few months previously to be fair. Picturing the underworld (Xibalba) brought all sorts of beautiful glow in the dark/zelda twilight type images to my mind. It was beautiful read for me; with an incredible amount of interesting ideas and a unique, vibrant world, I think that readers will get a lot out of it!

(Spoiler Free)
Casiopea is a girl who dreams of the stars and freedom, but she's stuck in her small town in Yucatan, Mexico. One day, she opens a wooden chest, and accidentally unleashes Hun-Kamé, an ancient Maya god of death who had been trapped and betrayed by his brother. She's fierce and he's broody and together they embark on a journey to reclaim Hun-Kamé's kingdom.

The characters in this book were so solid and layered. They constantly break the conventions that their archetypes traditionally fall into. By doing this, Moreno-Garcia creates a well rounded and nuanced narrative driven by its characters. The antagonists are slightly more wooden, but they are given the backstory to their actions, and I really enjoyed the final showdown between Casiopea and her "enemy", her cousin, Martin.
Our main protagonist, Casiopea shines. She's strong, vulnerable and unapologetically herself. I loved reading from her perspective and she has quickly become one of my favorite characters in literature. Casiopea is a girl who feels so much that it spills into Hun- Kamé. They are both so, so lonely and have been for so long that their relationship feels tragically poetic. It's one of the strongest points in the novel. Moreno-Garcia is an expert at building tension and slow burn bittersweet angst.

This story pulls from the Popol Vuh and Maya mythology and I am so happy to read Latinx rep from an ownvoices author. Although this book takes place in the 1920's , as a Xicana, it felt so warm to read about characters going on journeys in places ( the Baja California scenes!) and eat food that I am familiar with( I'm talking about the bolillo dipped in coffee scene se me hizo agua la boca). Silvia Moreno-Garcia continues to be a bright voice in the Latinx SFF communtiy and I can't wait to see what's next!

Gods of Jade and Shadow follows Casiopea, who, as a "poor relation" is forced to act as a servant in her grandfather's house. Resentful and dreaming of a better life, Casiopea accidentally summons the Mayan God of Death; she must then help him regain his proper place as ruler of the underworld. This book was so good! I loved the details of 20s Mexico and the Mayan folklore was fascinating. This read like a dreamy folktale and I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended.