In 1920s Mexico, Caseopea lived a very unhappy life cleaning floors of her wealthy grandfather and dreaming of a better life away from her chores. One day she comes across a mysterious wooden box and accidently frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death who takes her on a journey in hopes of regaining back his throne from his treacherous brother.

Part Jane Eyre and part Cinderella story, Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow is a beautiful fantasy tale based on Mayan mythology. In a time with so much negative emphasis on Mexico, it’s easy to forget that Mexico is a country with a very rich heritage, mythology and folklore. Moreno-Garcia successfully retells this myth with a beautiful prose and description of a Mexico of the 1920s.

I highly recommend this novel which is scheduled to be published in August 2019.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 Stars.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is the story of Casiopea, a poor girl abused by her relations who wants nothing more than to escape their cruelty and experience the world. She gets this opportunity when she discovers the bones of Hun-Kamé, a Mayan god, one of the Lords of Xibalba, in her grandfather's study. In freeing him, she binds the two together, and they set off on a quest to recover Hun-Kame's lost possessions and restore him to power.

It is a delightful romp through 1920s Mexico, and I really enjoyed learning more about Mayan gods as the unlikely pair interact with others from the Mayan pantheon on their journey. The pacing was excellent, and I never felt bored or disinterested. Casiopea was a wonderful heroine, and Hun-Kamé made for an interesting example of Moreno-Garcia's interpretation of Mayan gods. I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two, especially in the beginning.

However, the relationship between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé made me just a little bit uncomfortable. Casiopea is an 18-year-old girl, and she is bound to serve Hun-Kamé on pain of death through no doing of her own. There's clearly a large power imbalance in the relationship, and when their allyship begins to move towards a romance, it left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth. It felt very Beauty and the Beast to me and it's just not something I'm a big fan of.

However, I really really liked the way that the book ended, especially that it didn't fall into any of the obvious endings that I was anticipating with a twinge of disappointment. The imagery was beautiful, the setting lush, and the adventure engaging. I definitely, absolutely recommend this book to literally anyone, but especially those who, like me, loved Percy Jackson and all of the "Gods are walking the Earth" books when we were young, and want something along the same vein but more adult. This book fills that gap wonderfully and with ease.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a phenomenal book. While I certainly noticed some of my usual pet peeves in this novel (no book can escape my critical wrath) the total package was so good that I didn't care. Do you know how rare that is?

Casiopea Tun is a Persephone/Cinderella-esque figure in that she's treated as a scullery maid by the wealthy family on her mother's side after the death of her father. Rightly angry about her treatment, Casiopea opens an ornate chest she suspects her grandfather is keeping the family fortune in and awakens a Mayan god of death. From there, the two embark on an adventure to restore him to his full power and take his throne back from the brother than tricked and imprisoned him.

This book was a delight to read, and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. Casiopea and Hun-Kamé have wonderful banter as well as truly meaningful conversation. As much as I disliked Martin I still really enjoyed the chapters from his perspective because they were handled well. I know next to nothing about Mayan myths and legends and I still thought it was a great read. Highly recommended! This might be my first 5/5 on NetGalley!

So exquisitely written. Mayan mythology inspired fantasy, slow burn romance, an epic quest and one kick butt narrator...this book delivers. Love it.

This is the kind of book that consumes you while it is being read. At the same time vibrant and melancholy, thrilling and introspective, it lodges in your sternum and sits there like a weight after you finish.

It further cements Ms. Moreno-Garcia's place on my "preorder every single book" list.

Casiopea is a young Cinderella figure in the home of her wealthy grandfather, undervalued and abused because of her mother's marriage to an indigenous man. In a small act of quiet rebellion, she unlocks a private chest in her grandfather's bedroom, unwittingly unleashing a Mayan god of death named Hun-Kamé. With his resurrection, a countdown has begun, and they have a short amount of time to accomplish certain tasks needed to gain back Hun-Kamé's throne in the land of the dead before his evil twin brings hell to earth.

It has a haunting, gothic feel, and Casiopea's heartfelt and tragic longing for the simple joy of stargazing, dancing, or riding in an automobile makes her lovable and sympathetic.

I can't recommend this enough. Please read it and talk to me about it, everyone!

This has absolutely fascinating ideas and world-building- just an amazing sense of place, both with the setting of 1920's Mexico and with the Mayan trappings of Xibalba. I was so inspired to learn more about Mexican history that I spent a good chunk of time Wiki-spiraling. To be clear, though, I don't think the book is confusing or necessitates this extra research, it just made me realize how little I actually knew and how much I suddenly to know!

What knocks it down from a 5-star is that I do think that the writing and pacing feel very blunt and matter-of-fact. It's very good for drawing a scene and preventing things from ever turning melodramatic or silly, but it also ultimately lacks a certain passion that I was hoping for, and its measured pace often fails to build the right momentum. I found the conclusion to be satisfying on a plot level, but a bit dissatisfying on an an emotional one.

This book was one I have been dying to read ever since I saw that beautiful cover and learned it included Mayan mythology. I really enjoyed the plot and the book has one of the most satisfying endings I’ve read in a while.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is full of rich mythology (and I love the author's note/glossary at the end. you can definitely bet I'm about to read more about the Popol Vuh) with wonderful, quotable scenes about making your own destiny and the power of the myth.

Casiopea was such a spitfire. She was great. Didn’t take the blatant racism or misogyny her family members dished at her. Plus she didn’t let others take credit for her awesomeness.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot, but not the writing-style. The prose was rich and at times whimsical…just not the style for me.

Another great novel by Silvia Moreno-Garcia! I am a huge fan of The Beautiful Ones and was not disappointed by Gods of Jades and Shadow.

Casiopea has spent the better part of her life subdued and serving her grandfather hand and foot. She is treated cruelly by her cousin, Martin, who is secretly jealous of her spirit and any affection their grandfather gives. By chance, Casiopea unleashes Hun-Kamé, a dark lord of Xibalba, and the two set off on a quest to restore his throne. Along the way, they must recover pieces of his essence as her health slowly declines and Hun-Kame becomes more human.

Moreno-Garcia does an incredible job of painting the Yucatán peninsula and Central America in the 1920s. I recently traveled to Mexico City and I could almost feel the magic in cobblestone streets of Condesa. She also spares no details for the Mayan mythology. The black road to Xibalba and the tension was almost palpable in the end. The romance was tasteful and I dearly loved the conclusion.

A message that I took from the ending is that it is not about the conclusion but the journey. This is a great metaphor for life as well - many people work toward achieving specific life goals (great job, great house, get married, have children) but don't stop to appreciate the journey getting there. I also appreciated the duality of the two rival pairs. Martin was cruel to Casiopea but Hun-Kamé, our quasi-hero, has also been cruel to his brother which spurred his rebellion. Our heroine finds that she has a lot in common with the villain, reminding the reader that not everything is black and white.

5 Stars for Gods of Jade and Shadow!

The premise promises a story of mayhem and magic, but the execution falls short. With writing that relies heavily on telling and a whiny protagonist, this book pulls the reader out of the story at the most climatic moments. However, the diversity and originality shine.