Gods of Jade and Shadow
Books | Fiction / Fantasy / Historical
4.1
(1.8K)
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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.“A spellbinding fairy tale rooted in Mexican mythology . . . Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical fairy tale about identity, freedom, and love, and it's like nothing you've read before.”—BustleNEBULA AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Tordotcom • The New York Public Library • BookRiot 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.Praise for Gods of Jade and Shadow“A dark, dazzling fairy tale . . . a whirlwind tour of a 1920s Mexico vivid with jazz, the memories of revolution, and gods, demons, and magic.”—NPR“Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, lyrical prose, and a slow-burn romance make this a standout. . . . Purchase where Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor, and N. K. Jemisin are popular.”—Library Journal (starred review)“A magical novel of duality, tradition, and change . . . Moreno-Garcia’s seamless blend of mythology and history provides a ripe setting for Casiopea’s stellar journey of self-discovery, which culminates in a dramatic denouement. Readers will gladly immerse themselves in Moreno-Garcia’s rich and complex tale of desperate hopes and complicated relationships.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Fantasy
Coming Of Age
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More Details:
Author
Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Pages
384
Publisher
Random House Worlds
Published Date
2019-07-23
ISBN
0525620761 9780525620761
Ratings
Google: 5
Community ReviewsSee all
"Classic adventure meets whirlwind teen romance in this delightful read! The book shifts between a few POVs letting us see into the mind of our strong willed lead and her cousin that is just dripping with machismo. I don't even know who I enjoyed reading the perspective of more. Honestly, my only complaint is that there is no sequel"
Lize
"I read somewhere that this is a book feels told rather than read and I think that’s very appropriate. Additionally, while not a YA book, it felt at least borderline YA to me. It was good. If you like rich descriptions of clothing and historical details with a dose of romance to go along with your Mayan mythology, this will be great for you. I usually go for books with more meat than this one offered, so while I loved our protagonist, this book was just okay for me at the end of the day."
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CaitVD
"Normally this genre is not my thing, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Unique plot, great character and world building, and overall a captivating read. I especially love the nods to Mayan culture, makes you interested in learning more. The cover of this book is beautiful as well.
I’d definitely love to see a movie adaptation of this, I feel like the visuals would be incredible if done right!"
Sara SoDeezy
"Solid fantasy. The ending is what it needs to be. Very satisfying. "
Ruby
"I DNFed at like page 150,the writing style just wasn’t good and every character felt so flat and annoying."
Spook
"😮💨😮💨😮💨 “Grant me a name and it will be yours and mine alone” 😭😭💖"
Maribel
"The myth-tale in a modern setting. Great blend! "
I
Ireland
"I had never read anything quite like this, the blend of historical fiction and Mexican mythology was fantastic! "
J G
Joanna Gomes
"Loved the suspense and love story"
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Danielle
"I feel like the book was actually read like a YA novel at times and sometimes the reactions of Casiopea were not in proportion to what was happening. I think she reacted and complained less about being tethered to a God who was slowly killing her via a bone shard in her hand than she did about cutting her hair for a ritual mid-way through the book. Especially towards the beginning a lot of it felt like 'this might as well be happening' kind of energy.
That being said, towards the end, I can't say I didn't care about Hun-Kamé and Casiopea. Just not as much as I thought I should."
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Charlie Coward
