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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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.

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.

Cassiopea is a girl that doesnt know her place. Forced to come back to her grandfathers house after her father passed, she was always thought of more of a servant than an actual grand daughter. SHe is abused by other members of her family including her cousin Martin. One day when the whole family decides to take a trip to give her grandfather healing waters, Cassiopea decides to find out what is in the chest under his bed. When the chest opens and she only finds bones, which soon turn into a Mayan god of death, things are about to change for her. She is then led on a journey to help the god get is power back, and finally take care of his brother, the usurper once and for all.

What I didnt like about this book:

I really wanted to like this book more but unfortunately for me it didnt really suit my tastes very well. I was hoping for more Waking forest type book rather than semi romancy type book. At times this book really seemed to be about a girls first real romance rather than the adventure that it really started out to be. Of course she would fall in love with the Death god she was traveling with who just happened to be using her essence to keep himself alive. Its a bit stock holm syndromish.

I really wanted this book to focus more on the Mayan folklore and Xibalba in general rather than so much on the relationship between Cassiopea and her family. Its fine that she was the hero of the book but she was always a reluctant hero.

The world building in this book was a bit light as well. It was the 20s, in mexico, and that was about it. There wasnt really too much else introduced. We didnt even really spend much time talking about the Mexico of this time other than talking breifly about how the US jazz scene had influenced the larger cities.

The one thing this book did also have was too much repetition. It seemed like every time you turn around Cassiopea is talking about her family, and her father, but it wasnt new information, it was the same stories over and over. I feel like this is one book that could have honestly been reduced down to a novella to make a more cohesive and better story.

What I liked about this book:

I enjoyed the small glimpse of the Mayan folklore that we got in the book, talking about why the gods are doing what they are in this book was also helpfull. I did want more of this, or something to keep me a bit more interested.

All of the above said the book was pretty well written where I was engrossed by it, especially when it gets to the final climax in Xibalba, and walking the shadow roads.

Overall and ok book. I really wanted more, and in this case that doesnt mean more pages in the book, just more story
3 Stars maybe 3.5

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.