Mayan gods of death in the Jazz Age. Let that sync in for a moment because Gods of Jade and Shadow is one hell of a ride. Going into it, I really wasn’t sure what to expect, because not only was I not familiar with Moreno-Garcia’s writing, I also can’t say that I am hugely versed in Mayan folklore (and I seriously doubt endlessly rewatching The Road to El-Dorado actually counts here). But I loved the cover, I was intrigued by the blurb and I figured hey, it can’t be all that bad, right? The Jazz Age as a setting isn’t usually that popular (though I have seen this change more recently, particularly around YA fantasy), but as Moreno-Garcia proves in this book, it can be just as exciting and alluring as more traditional settings.

The story synopsis sounds a lot like a fairytale: once upon a time, in Mexico, a girl named Casiopea Tun lived a miserable existence in her grandfather’s home, a slave to his whims and to the taunts of her cousin Martín. Until one day, she opened a chest and unleashed the Mayan God of Death, Hun-Kamé, from his imprisonment. Now, she and the Death God must travel all across Mexico and into California to reunite him with the missing parts of his body (and his power) and take on his treacherous brother Vucub-Kamé in a battle of wits and power to determine who should rule over Xibalba. Victory for Hun-Kamé could mean that all of Casiopea’s dreams come true. Defeat, however, could spell disaster not just for her, but for all of Mexico.

What started off very much as a Cinderella story (Casiopea is half-Indian and reviled by her family for her mixed heritage, forced to wait on her grandfather and perform chores around the house like a servant) quickly turns out to be so much more than that. Casiopea is an agent of change herself, no fairy godmother for her, not magical carriage or slippers. When she frees Hun-Kamé and decides to help him in his quest (partly out of necessity, as to avoid doing so would mean certain death for her), she doesn’t dally or fear things, she accepts what she must do and goes on with it. The more of the world she sees, the less she wants to go back home and I really enjoyed seeing how much of a stalwart heroine she becomes.

Moreno-Garcia is able to deftly weave Mayan mythology with the aesthetic of the Jazz Age, an era of fast cars, fast music, loose morals and short dresses. It is a dazzling world where some gods can still walk freely and I loved seeing how the demons and weather gods and temptresses all make their own way in a world that doesn’t really worship them any more. By contrast, the future that Vucub-Kamé wants to bring about is definitely one of oppression and death, full of misery and strife. You definitely know who you’re rooting for here, but it doesn’t mean that their quest is an easy one. Throughout it, it’s not just Casiopea who changes, but Hun-Kamé too; while he and Casiopea are bound and her mortal essence flows through him, he is still very much a God of Xibalba and his ultimate return to rule over the land of the dead would mean not just leaving Casiopea, but also the mortal world behind. Their love story feels natural, no instant attraction, no professions of undying love, no moping for what cannot be. I loved the pragmatism that Casiopea brings to the relationship and the story feels much more like Hades and Persephone in the Jazz Age via Mayan mythology over a Cinderella comparison.

So why not a full 5 star review? Because I found some of the parts slower than others, while the ending feels almost a bit too rushed. The descent into Xibalba should have taken more than it did. I also found the relationship between Vucub-Kamé and Martín to be a weird one. On the one hand, pitting brother against brother and cousin against cousin is very much keeping in line with the fairytale and the narrative goes to great lengths to ensure that the conflict itself makes sense (and certainly the animosity between Vucub-Kamé and Hun-Kamé does), but I didn’t feel that we spent enough time with Martín beyond the fact that he’s an indolent man who doesn’t like Casiopea. Their conflict doesn’t really feel that big - Casiopea just wants to leave her grandfather’s house behind and never come back, whereas Martín is a man with no imagination, so I was never really sold on him being her enemy all that much. Also, more selfishly, I really wanted a different ending for Casiopea and Hun-Kamé, as unrealistic as that would be.

Overall, though, I still recommend Gods of Jade and Shadow. The premise is intriguing, the Mayan setting and mythology isn’t just window dressing, and the characters are (for the most part) engaging and lively. I was really sold on Casiopea’s mission and her approach and I really loved her humanity and tenderness. And Hun-Kamé himself is basically a bad boy Death God with a mysterious allure that one can’t help but fall for (or at least that was the case with me). I would actually love to see Moreno-Garcia return to this world in future, even if the characters might change.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia was a whirlwind ride with a kick-ass heroine, Casiopea, through a world I knew nothing about before this. I’m not talking about Mexico City, Yucatan, and Baja but the Mayan underworld of Xilbalba. While reading the story I decided to look further into Mayan mythology which is fascinating and it really helped me understand the significance of certain figures, places and parts of the story.

Casiopea feels she is caught in a miserable existence, with her extended family treating her not much better than a maid. One day she finds a chest containing human bones and, while investigating it, brings the individual back to life. From then it is a non-stop adventure of the highest order. Moreno-Garcia’s language skilfully brings the time period, mythology, and unforgettable cast of characters to life. It left me wanting so much more, not because of the lack of closure, but because I had fallen so much in love with the characters that I did not want to say goodbye.  I hope she will revisit the world again in a sequel of some sort.

I've been anticipating "Gods of Jade and Shadow" ever since learning that it was coming out this year. Unfortunately, this novel just didn't meet my expectations. The characters felt underdeveloped, especially the romantic relationships felt rather out of place. The plot itself was interesting enough, but the writing style just didn't do it for me.

I love reading mythology from different parts of the world, so I was very excited to hear this book was based on Mayan folklore that I've been so curious to read about since ages!
Set in Mexico of the 1920s Jazz era, the story follows the cinderella-like Casiopea Tun, who sets free the Mayan god of Death and embarks on a journey to help him get his throne back.
While all this sounds good, the book ultimately didn't work for me. The prose read very middle-grade and the content itself was very YA. While I have nothing against middle-grade or YA books, the fact that the book is being marketed as adult, put me off. The writing is over-simplistic and meant to sound like a fairytale, but there was something missing that made me feel completely detached from the story.
Overall would recommend this to someone looking for a middle-grade mythological read.

In small-town Mexico during the Jazz Age, Casiopea Tun is trapped in a life of drudgery, carrying out endless chores in her wealthy grandfather’s house. She dreams of escaping to the city where she can live her own life, but she seems doomed to live out all her days in the same place. Escape is forced upon her when her destiny becomes entwined with that of Hun-Kamé, a Mayan god of death. Together they journey across Mexico, meeting various gods, spirits and mortals along the way. Casiopea is bombarded with new sights and experiences but has little time to take them in as she is pushed onwards to the final destination of Xibalda, the Mayan Underworld.

I loved this book. I found the historical Mexican setting really interesting and the various cities that Casiopea and Hun-Kamé visit are vividly described. Xibalda is particularly dark and enchanting, with amazing imagery. The elements of Mayan mythology were fascinating and gave insight into a rich and varied culture I knew little about. I liked the idea of the old alongside the new; forgotten gods and a country slowly emerging into a new age, with changes to music, fashion, and values.

I enjoyed the sense of a personal journey for Casiopea as she physically journeyed across the country she had seen so little of. She starts off quite naïve but finds a strength she didn’t know she had as she is thrust into a strange and mesmerising adventure. I also really enjoyed the complexities and development of Hun-Kamé’s character; an ancient god who is confronted with a world and with feelings he has not known before. The supporting cast of gods, spirits and magic-wielding mortals are really interesting and memorable.

My favourite aspect of the novel is the chemistry and changing dynamics between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé as they race towards their journey’s end. Two strong and stubborn characters thrown together by necessity, they both become stronger as a result of their time together.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fantasy, myths, adventure, and wonderful character chemistry.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

I was very excited to read this as I adore mythology, and know little of Mexican mythology. I enjoyed the story, however felt disconnected to the style of writing which made it take a long time to finish. The characters were colorful ( I loved Hun-Kame) and there were some fun elements. Overall I would recommend it to someone wanting to read more mythological inspired fiction.

This is the sort of gorgeous historical mythology based fantasy novel that was clearly meant for me and like-minded readers and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations. I've loved the likes of Madeline Miller's 'Circe' and Katherine Arden's 'Winternight Trilogy' and I'd happily place this next to them on my favourites shelf. I really enjoyed the Mexican 1920s setting and Mayan mythology and hope the author continues the story, the ending was perfectly bittersweet and right but with a lovely hint of further adventures to come.

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

I was super excited when I received a review copy of this book from NetGalley. I really love reading about myth and legend from different cultures interwoven into new stories, and I am fascinated by Mayan history. This sounded like it would have been a perfect blend, but for some reason it fell a little short for me.

I really liked the mythical elements that were seamlessly incorporated into the story. The 1920’s Mexican setting was the perfect back drop for the story that the author was telling and as she clearly had researched the time/place, and has a knowledge of Mayan culture, the setting and mythology held true throughout the narrative. While the story was magical and featured non-reality based Gods and themes, it held up flawlessly under it’s own logic and was easy to follow and understand as someone who is not from or has never visited the region. The author also incorporated local place names, shortenings, and words that are synonymous with the region without losing understanding or complexity (and has included a glossary at the back if anything should slip under your comprehension).

I enjoyed the battle between the Gods/brothers that fuelled the plot. They were a great example of a protagonist and antagonist being two sides of the same coin. Their wants and hopes are pretty much identical, and it really illustrated the idea that no matter how good or bad a character seems to the reader, they are always the hero of their own story. I liked that the author didn’t shy away from pitting them against each other and showing the reader that they were seeking identical things, just in completely different ways. I did like their relationships with the other characters to a degree, but felt like they were the strongest characters in the book.

I didn’t love the main character Casiopea, and as much of the plot tracks her and Hun-Kamé’s battle to stop Vucub-Kamé, it was a bit of a shame. The God was constantly telling us how brave and heroic the young woman was, but as he had literally impaled her with a piece of bone to suck her life force, it felt a little like she was a passenger in her own story and didn’t actually have the power or bravery that we were being told she had. I found her family dynamic unpleasant and as such didn’t like the interactions with her family members, especially her cousin, very enjoyable to read. I know this was probably a point the author was making, but I didn’t feel like it added much. The same goes for the romantic element to the relationship, which I felt was needlessly added and detracted from the ending of the book.

My main sticking point was the seemingly long time the book took to read. I know it was written in the style of translated mythology, and I admire the author’s attempt at doing this, but for me it dampened a book that was full of action into something that seemed to drag a lot. I really enjoyed elements of the story and the characters, so feel like the writing style was the element I didn’t like. It isn’t bad, it just slowed the story, but as it is a nod to the translation style and culture, I still think it somewhat works with the book.

I feel unusually unattached to this book. I probably would still recommend it because I did ultimately like sections of it, but I’d be wary about who I recommended it to. I enjoyed being able to read a book about Mexican and Mayan culture/history from someone from and raised in that region, and feel like it is a great example of the region from someone completely outside. It was what it said it would be, it didn’t exceed any expectations, but it remains a beautiful looking book containing a new fresh, if a little slow, story.

Gods of Jade and Shadow ha sido, para mí, toda una sorpresa. De Silvia Moreno-Garcia ya había leído su novela corta de ciencia ficción Prime Meridian (que ya tarda en publicarse en español), pero aquí cambiamos totalmente de tercio. Gods of Jade and Shadow es una novela de fantasía, de viajes, de amistad, amor y oscuridad, repleta de elementos de la mitología maya que, en mi caso, desconocía.

En este sentido, una de las cosas que más me ha entusiasmado ha sido el mundo que Moreno-Garcia presenta. Recorremos el México de los años 20 de la mano de Casiopea y el dios Hun-Kamé; es un México luminoso, lleno de vida, de pasión, de distintas personalidades. Y, a la vez, gracias a Vucub-Kamé descubrimos Xibalba, el mundo de los muertos, donde la oscuridad es reina y señora, donde la sangre es la moneda de cambio y donde las almas y los animales más terroríficos que puedas imaginar pasean a sus anchas.

Sin embargo, son los personajes lo que han hecho que ame esta novela. Casiopea, desde su nombre hasta su destino, destaca como la constelación más brillante del firmamento. Creo que se ha convertido en una de mis protagonistas favoritas, y con razón. No quiero destriparle el libro a nadie, pero su final me ha dejado toda la noche rumiando. ¡Qué ganas de comentar este libro!
Si tengo que ponerle un punto negativo a la novela, son los capítulos protagonizados por Martín y Vucub-Kamé. Entiendo que aportan detalles muy importantes a la ambientación y a la trama, pero a mí se me han hecho un poco cuesta arriba. Cabe destacar que la evolución del personaje de Martín me ha maravillado. Cuesta hacer un personaje tan lleno de matices grises, oscuros y luminosos, y eso Moreno-Garcia lo ha clavado a la perfección.

En definitiva, si os gustan las novelas fantásticas de viaje, pausadas y sopesadas, leed Gods of Jade and Shadow. Sus personajes y su ambientación no os dejarán indiferentes. Por mi parte, ya tengo un regalo para mi pareja, que quiere volver a visitar México algún día.

Really enjoyed this colourful book! Full of Mexican culture and Mayan mythologie. Loved to see how Casiopea is getting to know herself and the world. Loved the relationship between Casiopea and Hun-Kame.

Inspired by thePopol Vuh, Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow is a dazzling coming of age/ alchemic transformation story steeped in the rich mythology of the ancient Maya.

Casiopea Tun and her ma live in virtual servitude to her grandfather. Unlike her ma, Casiopea bridles against the strict rules, and the disrespect of the family, especially of her cousin Martín. When Martín conspires to get Casiopea stuck at home, alone, while the rest of the family go to a local cenote famed for having sacred healing waters, she stumbles upon a coveted key her grandfather always kept close. A key to a mysterious chest no one was allowed to mess with. Thinking it full of coins, Casiopea decides to take some and flee to Merida, a bigger city than her village of Uukumil. Instead, the chest contains a dusty old skeleton. While rooting around, she gets stabbed by a bone shard, which buries under her skin. And resurrects the skeleton. After fifty years, Hun-Kame, a Lord of Xibalba is free of his prison. With Casiopea's help, the pair must collect Hun-Jame's missing eye, ear, and finger so that he may reclaim his proper place as Supreme Ruler of Xibalba. With no real choice in the matter, Casiopea sets off on an adventure spanning Yucatán, up into the US, and into the shadowed depth of Xibalba itself.

I adored this book! I have copies of both the Popol Vuh and the Chilam Balam. As an archaeologist, and a lover of mythology, this was perfect! Hun-Kame was my favourite character by far. I loved seeing him change as he begins absorbing human traits from his link with Casiopea. His cold aloofness begins to give way to human emotions. I also really liked Loray, who reminded me in some ways of Crowley from Neil Gaiman's Good Omens. To be fair, the entire story is reminiscent of Gaiman's works.

This is a story of family and forgiveness, of sacrifice, loyalty, and honour. Despite everything that happened between Hun-Kame and Vucub-Kame, between Casiopea and Martín, Casiopea found forgiveness for her cousin, and whether it was through example, blood influence, or both, Hun-Kame found forgiveness for his brother. Things changed for all, in a manner none had expected, and definitely for the better.

My favourite parts by far were when we got to see Xibalba. This has long been a mythic place that fascinates me. Moreno-Garcia does a magnificent job of bringing it to life. I do wish a pronunciation guide had been included. Many of the Mayan words, Xibalba prominent among them, are unusual. Highly recommended!!

***Many thanks to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

When I read about this one, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. I was extremely luck to get an e-ARC on NetGalley too! A book that’s awash with Mayan folklore in 1920s about a girl who has suffered a lot in her life but is swept away on an adventure like nothing she’s imagined in her life.

The book starts with Casiopea working for her family, her mother hoping for the money that her father promised her to start a new life for the both of them and a family which has no plans to release the mother and daughter into the world. Casiopea’s father was a dreamer and a lover of myths and folklore, he died almost penniless and that’s how Casiopea ended up in the situation she’s in at the beginning of the book. It all sounds rather Cinderella-esque but somehow while I was reading it, it all felt rather real and plausible. Isn’t that the worst feeling?

Casiopea dreams of earning enough money & leaving the whole family behind to live freely one day but while she’s with her relatives, she suffers verbal abuse from her grandfather and her cousin. However all that changes when she opens an old, forbidden chest and releases the God of Death into the world.

She’s tied to the god because her depends on his continued survival and vice versa. That’s how the journey into the unknown starts for Casiopea, a quest for revenge for the God of Death and a chance for Casiopea to see a little more of the world. The author really worked wonders in showing the times and the culture of Yucatan in the 1920s. It isn’t just a retelling of Death and the Maiden, it is more seeing the political and more importantly social reality of the times, of the lack of agency young women faced everywhere. How there were certain ideas about people and if they didn’t fit in, their lives were made infinitely harder in many ways. Casiopea’s own struggle with her religion and her acceptance / opening up of her own mind to a far wider and wilder world was such a treat to read.

There’s all sorts of people she meets while she’s on her quest, there are demons, ghosts, gods, witches, powerful and strange beings. And it is all amazing to read about. My knowledge of the Mayan folklore is rather limited but it didn’t hinder me here. Initially I looked up the gods and the general folklore but then started getting my answers within the plot narratives and that was brilliantly done. IT’s not just the magical writing and the amazing folklore that makes this book, it’s the character growth and depth of not only Casiopea but also her cousin and his complexity that made this one a hit for me. To say nothing of the God of Death, he was so wonderfully written and I really started to appreciate the way he was written as the plot progressed.

Overall, this is a book for you if you like mythology and folklore, if you truly appreciate solid characters with depth and growth and amazing writing in general. I couldn’t put it down and I hope you find it hard too.

A beautiful, rich tapestry of 1920's Mexico, a growing California, and the almost forgotten myths and magic of the Maya. The writing is so evocative that you can almost smell the ocean, the dust, the sweetness of oranges and champagne. When the choices, chances, fear, hope, and simple joys of humanity meet the endlessness of divine power, it will take a heart as strong as that of Casiopea Tun to survive.
Beautiful, and bittersweet.

4.5 star constellations out of 5

Casiopea lives with her abusive grandfather and the rest of her family, who have her and her mother doing chores for them. She dreams of moving to the city. Upon opening a chest in her grandfather's bedroom, she unleashes a god of death, and he is bound to her. And then the story ensues.

This started off so well for me, I thought it might end up being a 5 star read. It drew me in right from the very first sentence. And I will say overall, this book is beautifully written, and very atmospheric. But unfortunately, it ended up being too dense for me to fully be able to enjoy the story.

Usually, I only encounter mythology in middlegrade, and it's hardly ever Mayan mythology. So it's very refreshing to see this represented in an adult novel, and I thought it was very interestingly done. I also liked Casiopea as a main character: she's bold and she isn't easily intimidated, and she takes no shit. But because the story moved so slowly, I found it hard to keep paying attention, and the book lost me about halfway through. On top of that, I found the romance to be quite unnecessary.

All in all, I find it a little hard to rate this book, because I definitely think it's well written and I did enjoy it for the most part, but at the same time, it was just a little too dense and too slow for me to really love it.

CWs: past death of a parent, abusive grandparent, colorism, misogyny, alcohol consumption

I feel like I can only describe this story in one single word: wow. It was completely beautiful, I was captivated by all of it. Before starting this book, I knew basically nothing about Mayan mythology and I might have been a little lost at the beginning but I quickly learned so much about the mythology and it was like I always knew it? I didn't even know there was a glossary at the end because for most of it, I understood the meaning and everything thanks to Silvia Moreno-Garcia's writing. It did help me at the end, but more like an afterthought "oh so that's what this word means exactly" because the explanation was in the text. It's like with English, which is not my native language, when I see a word and I know what it means without knowing the exact translation or definition. If you want to know more about Mayan mythology definitely start with this book because I will still think about it in ten years and be amazed. All the writing, the description made me feel like I was there too, and it felt magical but it also felt so real and I'm in love with the setting. I'm also incredibly in love with Casiopea she's such a wonderful character? So strong and dreaming better for herself and the journey she takes in this story, you have to meet her and love her.

Thanks to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the Advance Review Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I reaaaaaally loved this one. Mayan Mythology,  the Jazz Age and a plucky heroine? Yes please. I'm slightly miffed I've never come across this author before though. I assumed this was a debut but I went to look at her Goodreads author page and she's written loads! Publishers, can we have more money pumped into promoting authors like this please?

Casiopea (is this the Spanish translation of Cassiopeia? Her name was the only thing that irked me about the book as I kept pronouncing it as Casio- Pea) is a young woman living in a dead end town in Southern Mexico. She lives her life as a Cinderella type figure, doing chores for her generally awful family. An encounter with a forbidden chest belonging to her grandfather leads to her escape from her mundane existence and leads her on a journey from the Yucatan peninsula across Mexico to Baja California.

The setting of this book is really cool and unique. My knowledge of 1920s Mexico is precisely nada but the author weaves in real historical and culture events into the more fantastical elements of the story. The changing times of the Jazz Age, the emergence of the Art Deco movement, freedoms for women (and the accompanying misogyny...) and economic regeneration illustrate a culture in transition and the conflicts between the old world and the new. The story takes us from the lushness of the Yucatan peninsula with its jungle and cenotes through to prohibition era California.

Mayan gods and beliefs also play a huge part in this story and the evocative and lyrical descriptions of these gods and their abodes really brought them to life. I liked how it wasnt simply 'this god is bad and this one is good' as can so often be found in other similar stories. The dichotomy between the old gods and the new reminded me a little of some of the themes in Neil Gaiman's American Gods and the question of what keeps gods alive? I'm being deliberately vague about who the actual gods are because I had so much fun discovering them and you should too.

I also got a bit of a Dante's Inferno/Odysseus vibe from it at some points (yeah, you're interested now!) which was a nice nod to the central themes around myth and Casiopea's love of mythology.

The romance is a mega slow burn which I really enjoyed. It felt really grown up and the motivations and decisions made by the central characters felt very credible and mature. There's humour, love, forgiveness but also bittersweetness and not gonna lie, I was blubbing like a baby at the end.

"Dreams are for mortals."

"Why?"

"Because they must die."

Suffice to say I loved this one. I'm off to the Goldsboro website to buy their limited edition so I can enjoy this one again.

Gods of Jade and Shadow had my full attention the very moment I became aware of its existence. The blurb promised so many beautiful and enjoyable things, and I’m very happy to say that the book delivered.

In this coming-of-age story, Casiopea is a Cinderella-like figure: her mother’s family is treating her like a maid, while she’s dreaming of cars and dancing. It’s the Jazz age in Mexico and she’s restless and angry. So, when an arrogant God of Death enters her life and needs her in a quest to regain his power and defeat his treacherous brother, she’s on board (she also doesn’t have a lot of choice in the matter, but she’s mostly excited about the adventure).

And what an adventure it is! A rags-to-road-trip-with-a-god journey, that takes them through post-revolution Mexico, with all the changes and uncertainty it entails. This mirrors Casiopea’s own internal quest towards growth and self-discovery.

Casiopea is such a compelling character. She’s proud and determined but also, in a lot of ways, still a wide-eyed young girl who’s lost and overwhelmed. Funnily enough, it’s a similar kind of duality we find in Hun-Kamé, the God of Death. Inoculated with a sliver of humanity that dulls his powers, his haughtiness and majesty are soon mixed with fluster and uncertainty.

Sparks fly between these two, a sometimes touching, sometimes stirring, other times hilarious give-and-take between an entitled immortal and a spine-of-steel mortal. I love how Moreno-Garcia wrote their relationship. It’s a tricky trope to pull off – the natural imbalance of power between a human and a God can make it extremely problematic, but it’s not at all the case here.

The quest takes them all across Mexico, and we get to see the country buzzing with energy. But hovering over the celebrations and the glamour of the Jazz age, there’s the stench of colonialism – and its legacy of classism and racism. I’m looking forward to reading what own-voice bloggers have to say about this aspect of the story. As someone from a country that has known centuries of European influence in one form or another, I recognised some common colonialism “leftovers”. It was subtle, and deftly presented.

I knew nothing of Mayan myths before picking up the book. Not to reduce these stories, characters, symbols to a question of aesthetics, but it honestly captured my imagination in Gods of Jade and Shadow. The harsh and cruel beauty of Xibalba, Hun-Kamé’s domain, in particular, was enthralling to read about.

I also loved how the antagonists of the story had understandable (albeit hardly laudable) motives. Greed and pride, fear of irrelevance – no agents of random chaos here. Their arcs are often as engrossing to follow as the protagonists’.

There’s so much to love in this story, and I have no doubt a lot of readers are going to enjoy it as much as I did.

This was an amazing read!
It was different and fresh to dive into Mayan mythology and the setting in the 20s. I didn't mind the "Cinderella" reference at all and I'm a big fan of the almost delicate romance throughout the book. It almost reads like a fantasy-fairytale with all the trials and the journey.
I can recommend this book to anybody who's looking for something out of the ordinary.

Thank you so so much for providing me with a copy of this book. I can't wait to hear and read more of the author.

I adored this book, it is as colourful as the cover suggests and I loved the mythology! The writing is beautiful and you really get invested in the characters. No doubt I will be re-reading this book again in the future.
I'll be on the look out for more from this author.
Spectacular read :)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. I’ve voluntarily read and reviewed this copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a story about a girl, Casiopea who isn’t treated right by her family and dreams of having adventures outside of her town. When opening a box of her Grandfather, she accidentally releases Hun-Kamé, the Mayan God of Death. Together they go on a quest to restore Hun-Kamé to power and for Casiopea to realize her dreams of adventure.

Gods of Jade and Shadow is a beautifully written story filled with rich mythology and deeply layered characters. The setting and premise of the story really drew me in and Silvia Morena-Garcia absolutely delivered a refreshing tale.

The interactions between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé were so real, funny and sincere. It made for a great slow burn and I was rooting for them til the end.

The first few chapters were a bit confusing and at times the pacing felt a bit slow, but other than that a highly recommendable and enjoyable read!