Gods of Jade and Shadow: NetGalley Review

 

Title: Gods of Jade and Shadow
Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Sci-fi/Fantasy
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2019

eARC provided by publisher through NetGalley. All Opinions are my own.

Synopsis: “The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

“Simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a wondrous and magical tale about choosing our own path.”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

My Review: 

I was really excited to dive into this book because of its take on Mexican folklore. It is an uncommon one to be written about. It also being in the Jazz Age was another plus for me! If those two things haven’t convinced you then look at that gorgeous cover! The colors are everything.

The plot, of course, is full of Mexican folklore that weaves itself into a unique and attention grabbing fantasy. The main character, Casiopea, is on a quest to help the god of death take back his throne from his brother.

Casiopea is far from being a pushover and even when certain circumstances arise with Hun-Kamé (god of death), she still holds her ground and does it the way she wants to. I loved her character and the attitude she brought along with teaching him a thing or two about human emotions. As for Hun-Kamé, he is stubborn, hard-headed, and sometimes just doesn’t get it. I mean, he is a a god after all. He grows on you throughout the course of the book and I loved his character development.

The romance in this book was one that I found myself enjoying because it didn’t just occur out of the blue. There was build-up and that is something I tend to need to make it more believable.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and hope others will enjoy it as much as I have! If you are a fan of folklore, definitely check this one out!

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