Scan barcode
divine529's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I had a hard time with this book. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. The best word I can use to describe my feelings for this book is apathy.
I read another Garcia book awhile ago and I loved that one a lot, but this one gave me a hard time, which surprised me.
This is a dual perspective book and follows our protagonists Casiopea (our main protagonist) and her cousin Martin. Casiopea accidentally awakes the Mayan god of death, Hun-Kame and gets a bone shard embedded in her hand, and if she wants to live, they have to embark on a quest to get him back on his throne and defeat his brother who did this to him. Along the way they encounter many different demons and ghosts and gods and things go from there.
Generally, I wasn't connected to any part of this book. The writing was good, the plot was ok and the characters were just not relatable to me and I didn't emotionally connect to them. I liked the historical and mythological aspects of the book the most I think.
The last 5-6 chapters were absolutely fantastic and I was fully engaged and invested in them, I just wish more of the book was that way for me.
All in all, a bit disappointing, but would recommend people try it anyway.
I read another Garcia book awhile ago and I loved that one a lot, but this one gave me a hard time, which surprised me.
This is a dual perspective book and follows our protagonists Casiopea (our main protagonist) and her cousin Martin. Casiopea accidentally awakes the Mayan god of death, Hun-Kame and gets a bone shard embedded in her hand, and if she wants to live, they have to embark on a quest to get him back on his throne and defeat his brother who did this to him. Along the way they encounter many different demons and ghosts and gods and things go from there.
Generally, I wasn't connected to any part of this book. The writing was good, the plot was ok and the characters were just not relatable to me and I didn't emotionally connect to them. I liked the historical and mythological aspects of the book the most I think.
The last 5-6 chapters were absolutely fantastic and I was fully engaged and invested in them, I just wish more of the book was that way for me.
All in all, a bit disappointing, but would recommend people try it anyway.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Self harm, Sexism, Bullying, Animal death, Murder, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Suicide attempt
nicnevin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
A mesmerising blend of myth and magic set in 1920s Mexico. It felt alive, bold and vivid depictions of different places both real and not.
Sometimes I struggled with the main character in terms of her own agency but it blooms near the end. It did not end how I thought bit felt the better for it.
Sometimes I struggled with the main character in terms of her own agency but it blooms near the end. It did not end how I thought bit felt the better for it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Grief, Torture, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Violence
jessicaludden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Unlucky Casiopea, born under a bad star, could not prevail.”
“Death, she walked next to Death, and Death wore the face of a man. So she spoke to Death like a man, raised her voice to him, she might even defy him, but of course he was no man.”
I loved everything about this book. The magic was super refreshing and the mythology and folklore was so interesting. I loved the romance obviously. The tension building up the entire time was so good. Hun-Kamé was so funny. I don’t even know if he was supposed to be funny but everything he said was so blunt and the way he didn’t get sarcasm at all was the best. I loved his dynamic with Casiopea and how we slowly got to see them fall in love as he became more mortal and slowly saw him start to joke and laugh with her. There was a really cool detail about reflections that was brought up a few times. Casiopea had walked in upset while Hun-Kumé was very stoic and calm and she was confused as to why he wasn’t reflecting her emotions. Later, her fear of losing her freedom was brought up and Hun-Kamé reflected her feelings by showing her sympathy and telling her he feels the same. I just loved getting to see them relate to each other. Reflections were also brought up with Hun-Kumé’s eyes. As he became more human, his eyes started having reflections.
“She was rendered in most vivid colors… his vision was already too clouded by Casiopea. When she’d spoken and he’d turned his head, his pupil reflected her and washed away the rest of the room.”
I like how Casiopea was really just a normal girl and she stayed a normal girl. She wasn’t some chosen hero, she was just a girl who opened a box and chose to be brave. I also liked the recurring idea of sacrifices. At the beginning of the book her mother had said, “Perhaps one day you will learn what it is to make sacrifices” and that’s exactly what happened for the rest of the book. Casiopea was constantly sacrifices things for Hun-Kamé and while it wasn’t her first choice to solve their problems, she learned that sacrifices came naturally to her when she cared about the person, or even the entire world. The ending threw me for a loop. I wasn’t expecting her to kill herself and I’m not entirely sure how that resulted in her winning the race but I’ll just say it was because of magic. I like how throughout the whole book Casiopea remained a kind and just person. She never wanted to cause harm to anyone else, even those who would’ve deserved it, and it was nice to see that rub off on Hun-Kamé. I was so sad when he became a god again, but the way his heart shriveled up and his love for her remained a part of Xibalba was so beautiful. Overall, I appreciated how she was able to feel that love, remember it, and go off to live her own dreams.
Favorite Quotes:
“…often the gods exist in a state of placid indifference. Their laughter, when it surfaces, is not born in the heart, but the head. Hun-Kamé’s laughter, however, had been cooked in the furnace of his heart. It was bright and vigorous.”
“She smiled. In return, he gave her a smidgen of a smile, so tiny she felt she might have to cup it in her hands to keep it safe, or the wind might blow it away.”
“‘I’m not useless,’ she assured herself more than him. ‘I can be brave.’”
“‘It is not that I think you a coward, Lady Tun, it is that I wish you no harm.’”
“The train pressed forward and the glasses tinkled and he looked at her as if he’d not truly seen her before. And maybe, he had not.”
“I’d like to count stars with you. I don’t know where I even got this idea, but it’s there.”
“He was afraid, like when he’d been a small child and thought monsters lurked under his bed; only now they did, and he assisted them.”
“You are gracious. I will be gracious, for your sake.”
“I like your daydreams, dear girl.”
“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.”
“But mortals descend into paroxysms quite often. And what was Hun-Kamé now but half a fool, his voice young, his eye almost bereft of shadows? He sighed and he yearned, and in that yearning lay a weakness to exploit.”
“I deal in illusions. It is my gift. But it’s not an illusions Who I am right this second with you. Do you understand? I cant say it any better. Remember me like this, if you choose to remember me at all.”
“I wish we could keep dancing too.”
“Give me a name and it will be yours and mine alone.”
“Gods don’t die and yet, at times, when I’ve sat next to you I thought I’d die, this pain in my chest that I can hardly understand except it’s you, caught there… Have you ever felt anything like that?”
“I want to dance with you, to the fastest music possible. I want to learn the names of stars. I want to swim in the ocean at night. I want to ride next to you in one of those automobiles and see where the roads go.”
“I wish you were a coward instead of a hero.”
“…as if demonstrating for Hun-Kamé what he could no longer demonstrate, so that Casiopea, instead of observing the cold face of a stranger as he’d warned her, beheld instead the appearance of the red flowers, like the ink of a love letter. The stars, when traced by the human eye, formed constellations, and the flowers, linked together, spoke to her, they said, ‘My love.’”
“Death, she walked next to Death, and Death wore the face of a man. So she spoke to Death like a man, raised her voice to him, she might even defy him, but of course he was no man.”
I loved everything about this book. The magic was super refreshing and the mythology and folklore was so interesting. I loved the romance obviously. The tension building up the entire time was so good. Hun-Kamé was so funny. I don’t even know if he was supposed to be funny but everything he said was so blunt and the way he didn’t get sarcasm at all was the best. I loved his dynamic with Casiopea and how we slowly got to see them fall in love as he became more mortal and slowly saw him start to joke and laugh with her. There was a really cool detail about reflections that was brought up a few times. Casiopea had walked in upset while Hun-Kumé was very stoic and calm and she was confused as to why he wasn’t reflecting her emotions. Later, her fear of losing her freedom was brought up and Hun-Kamé reflected her feelings by showing her sympathy and telling her he feels the same. I just loved getting to see them relate to each other. Reflections were also brought up with Hun-Kumé’s eyes. As he became more human, his eyes started having reflections.
“She was rendered in most vivid colors… his vision was already too clouded by Casiopea. When she’d spoken and he’d turned his head, his pupil reflected her and washed away the rest of the room.”
I like how Casiopea was really just a normal girl and she stayed a normal girl. She wasn’t some chosen hero, she was just a girl who opened a box and chose to be brave. I also liked the recurring idea of sacrifices. At the beginning of the book her mother had said, “Perhaps one day you will learn what it is to make sacrifices” and that’s exactly what happened for the rest of the book. Casiopea was constantly sacrifices things for Hun-Kamé and while it wasn’t her first choice to solve their problems, she learned that sacrifices came naturally to her when she cared about the person, or even the entire world. The ending threw me for a loop. I wasn’t expecting her to kill herself and I’m not entirely sure how that resulted in her winning the race but I’ll just say it was because of magic. I like how throughout the whole book Casiopea remained a kind and just person. She never wanted to cause harm to anyone else, even those who would’ve deserved it, and it was nice to see that rub off on Hun-Kamé. I was so sad when he became a god again, but the way his heart shriveled up and his love for her remained a part of Xibalba was so beautiful. Overall, I appreciated how she was able to feel that love, remember it, and go off to live her own dreams.
Favorite Quotes:
“…often the gods exist in a state of placid indifference. Their laughter, when it surfaces, is not born in the heart, but the head. Hun-Kamé’s laughter, however, had been cooked in the furnace of his heart. It was bright and vigorous.”
“She smiled. In return, he gave her a smidgen of a smile, so tiny she felt she might have to cup it in her hands to keep it safe, or the wind might blow it away.”
“‘I’m not useless,’ she assured herself more than him. ‘I can be brave.’”
“‘It is not that I think you a coward, Lady Tun, it is that I wish you no harm.’”
“The train pressed forward and the glasses tinkled and he looked at her as if he’d not truly seen her before. And maybe, he had not.”
“I’d like to count stars with you. I don’t know where I even got this idea, but it’s there.”
“He was afraid, like when he’d been a small child and thought monsters lurked under his bed; only now they did, and he assisted them.”
“You are gracious. I will be gracious, for your sake.”
“I like your daydreams, dear girl.”
“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.”
“But mortals descend into paroxysms quite often. And what was Hun-Kamé now but half a fool, his voice young, his eye almost bereft of shadows? He sighed and he yearned, and in that yearning lay a weakness to exploit.”
“I deal in illusions. It is my gift. But it’s not an illusions Who I am right this second with you. Do you understand? I cant say it any better. Remember me like this, if you choose to remember me at all.”
“I wish we could keep dancing too.”
“Give me a name and it will be yours and mine alone.”
“Gods don’t die and yet, at times, when I’ve sat next to you I thought I’d die, this pain in my chest that I can hardly understand except it’s you, caught there… Have you ever felt anything like that?”
“I want to dance with you, to the fastest music possible. I want to learn the names of stars. I want to swim in the ocean at night. I want to ride next to you in one of those automobiles and see where the roads go.”
“I wish you were a coward instead of a hero.”
“…as if demonstrating for Hun-Kamé what he could no longer demonstrate, so that Casiopea, instead of observing the cold face of a stranger as he’d warned her, beheld instead the appearance of the red flowers, like the ink of a love letter. The stars, when traced by the human eye, formed constellations, and the flowers, linked together, spoke to her, they said, ‘My love.’”
Content Warnings
Minor: Gore, Death, and Blood
abominablesnowaro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Sexism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Cursing, Classism, Bullying, Blood, and Animal death
Minor: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, and Alcohol
amandaquotidianbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The main characters weren’t as complex as I would have liked. It was a formulaic and episodic plot. I would have preferred no romance element. I liked the ending!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
Minor: Violence and Gore
f18's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Animal death, Death, and Violence
Minor: Racism, Sexism, Suicide, and Gore
gabbadabbadoo's review
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexism
tessaaaa_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes so wonderfully. The slow burn of the first third of the book is so worth the rush of the rest of it. Moreno-Garcia has such a fantastic sense of pace. I love the mythology in the book, it introduced me to something new, and something I want to read more of! The characters are wonderful, the vibes are wonderful, I highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore
rebecacelest's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide and Gore
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
leah_j's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
perfect perfect perfect!!!! very bittersweet by the end of it but oh my gosh. it was written so well, and it was something so new to me. i feel i’ll be recommending this one for a long time coming. but ouch if it didn’t break my heart
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, and Gore