Gods Of Jade And Shadow By Silvia Moreno Garcia [Review]

RELEASE DATE: July 23th 2019 
AUTHOR: Silvia Moreno Garcia
GENRE:     Adult,   Fantasy, Adventure, Mythology.
PUBLISHER: Del Rey
SUMMARY:

Here we shall begin to tell a story: a tale of a throne lost, of monsters and magic. A tale of gods and of the shadow realm. But this, our story, it begins in our world, in the land of mortals.

It begins with a woman. For this story, it is her story. It begins with her.

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.

Mixing the excitement of the Roaring Twenties with Prehispanic mythology, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a vivid, wildly imaginative historical fantasy.

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

I liked Silvia Morena’s Certain Dark Things, but honestly it isn’t one of my favorite Vampire books. When I heard about her new release which was inspired by Mayan Mythology, I was very much intrigued. I absolutely loved that gorgeous cover. It’s so artsy and colorful. So, What do I think about this book? Well, It was a wonderful journey. I’ve zero knowledge about Mayan History and their culture but I absolutely enjoyed reading this book and I didn’t want it to end. Besides the amazing world building, the characters were definitely the best thing. I loved both Casiopea and  Hun-Kamé. They’re amazing!

“Fear is generous and does not exclusively lodge in the hearts of mortals.”

The story follows Eighteen Year Old Casiopea Tun who accidentally releases the Mayan God of death Hun-Kamé who’s also the rightful ruler of the Underworld Xibaba. The newly awakened god is weakened because of his long time imprisonment. To get back his strength, Hun Kame needs Casiopea’s help. Casiopea is reluctant to help the arrogant God but denying him will result in her death. She was always treated as a servant in her grandfather’s house, so with this new opportunity she would make her own life by helping the god reclaim his throne. During their Journey, Hun-Kamé starts to show human emotions which he’s unfamiliar with. If he doesn’t get back his powers in time, he might turn into a human forever.

“Anyone who expects sweetness from the grave is a fool…”

Casiopea Tun is a pretty tough character who’s brave, stubborn, smart, and fierce. She was raised like a servant in her grandfather’s house and often abused and bullied by her cousin Martin. Her character might remind you of Cinderella but she’s definitely not that. I absolutely loved her journey with the death god. If you like Sassy heroines then you’ll definitely like her. Hun-Kamé is an arrogant god who thinks Humans are beneath him but he was not a cruel being. I loved his arrogance and his mysterious personality. The relationship between Casiopea and Hun-Kamé was a slow burn and well developed. I enjoyed their every heartfelt conversations. Romance isn’t really the central focus in this book, but I still had fun reading it. I quite enjoyed their journey till the end. The secondary characters were also interesting.  We have Casiopea’s cousin Martin, and Hun-Kamé’s twin brother who betrayed him. Besides the main characters, I also enjoyed reading the story from their perspectives.

“Mortals have always been frightened of the night’s velvet embrace and the creatures that walk in it, and yet they find themselves mesmerized by it.”

The plot was compelling and engaging. It has a slow start, but things get interesting after Casiopea releases the death god. This whole book is all about their adventures and quests. It’s not an action packed read but it’ll keep you hooked till the end. It overall felt like a fairytale read with mythical elements and I enjoyed every part of it. The pacing was perfect and I loved the author’s beautiful writing style. It was vivid and easy enough to understand. The multiple perspectives brought more insight to the story. The world building was fantastic. The story was set in 1920’s Mexico city (Jazz Era) incorporated with Mayan mythology and folklore. The author’s words brought life to this tale. It was easy to imagine the world, the culture, and the atmosphere she had built. I also enjoyed exploring the underworld of Xibabwa.

“She was but a girl from nowhere. Let the heroes save the world, save kings who must regain their crowns. Live, live, she wanted to live, and there was a way.”

Overall, this was a great stand-alone read! The ending left me a little bit sad but I also feel that it was a perfect ending because it was very much realistic. It’s a stand-alone read but I wish we had more stories from this world. Anyways, I’ll look forward to the author’s next magical read.

Recommend it?
YES

I highly recommend this book if you’re into adult fantasy books filled with adventure, mythology, quests, and a dash of romance. I think it is also suitable for younger readers who are above 16+

MY RATING:

[4/5 Stars]

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