Reviews tagging 'Murder'

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

23 reviews

yourbookishbff'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? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed this, and plan to reread it at some point in print, as I think I would have enjoyed it even more in a different format (I read via audio). This is a dark fairytale blend of Mayan mythology and Jazz age flamboyance with a (kind of surprising?) romantic sub-plot and a lot of Cinderella-esque family drama. I appreciated the clear discussion of the racial caste system these characters are operating within and against, and the examination of anti-Indigenous racism. I most enjoyed this story in the third act, when it gets truly dark (not sure what that says about me, but I loved the drama and all of our new mythical creatures!). 

Honestly my only struggle in this was the narration - I couldn't always distinguish character voices (and there were a few times it felt like one character voice carried over into another's dialogue? I had to replay scenes several times) and Casiopea felt so young to me because of how she's narrated that I was genuinely caught off guard by the romantic throughline. Again, I think in another format this would have been an even more enjoyable read, and I'm excited to read more by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia (this was my first!). 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

md3's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Racism, Bullying, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent

town_scar's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

This was a beautifully written myth and tale. It's use of prose was outstanding and it painted beautiful (and delightfully horrifying) images in my mind.

My main struggle was that some of the time transitions were jarring enough that I fell out of the story and got confused as to what was going on. This was largely in the first third of the book. 

Nonetheless, it was a riveting story and a fantastic tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has given me a far deeper appreciation of Mexico and it's many indigenous cultures. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Blood, Child abuse, Colonisation, Sexism, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Classism, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy

scarroll178's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.5

I like the main character. Life has forced her to be very practical-minded. I enjoy how matter-of-fact she is when faced with challenges along her journey. She and the other main character have great chemistry. 

I have mixed feelings about the ending, but overall a great book if you're in the mood for something adventurous/romantic.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Gore

boop123's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

 I'm not gonna lie to you, i kind of got bored towards the latter half of the book but I soldiered on and finished it since I've already gotten so far. Don't get me wrong, the whole Mayan universe and mythology was very interesting and I applaud the author because it seems like she really did her research just basing from how well-detailed it was. 

Also, the journey leading to the third act was very passive. Although they encountered many creatures against them, most of the time they were just negotiating and maybe a tiny bit of violence. Not that it needs violence to be good, I just expected more since because the male MC literally wants to gain his throne back. Nevertheless, the I commend the author for her vast knowledge and research on the Mayans, but I liked Silver Nitrate better. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

cassielaj's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Silvia Moreno-Garcia crafts this story with magnificent prose. The settings, both of 1920s Mexico and the dark underworld of Xibalba, really come to life, and the characters are so vibrant and interesting. This book has a great sense of mythology; it reads like a classic epic. I loved learning more about the Mayan myths that this book draws from. 
It took me a long time to finish it (because of my personal life, not because of the book), so I want to go back to it when I’m in a better place to really dive into the story. Casiopeia is a heroine for the ages, and her escape and adventure with Hun-Kamé makes for some incredible storytelling. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Torture, and Death

allisonmspiers's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Suicide, and Death

Moderate: Stalking, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Physical abuse, Gore, Sexual harassment, Murder, Classism, Child abuse, Bullying, Sexism, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Colonisation, Ableism, Death of parent, Torture, Grief, Sexual content, and Racism

heatherjchin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Murder, War, Blood, Suicide, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, and Death

Moderate: Gore, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Kidnapping, Death of parent, Colonisation, Self harm, and Grief

katewhite77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark inspiring tense medium-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

5.0

I wouldn't normally pick up this kind of thing really enjoyed it. 

This novel is fantasy based on around Mexican Myth of the underworld with elements of fairytale and good old adventure. 

The plot kept me gripped and was tight throughout with a strong Heroine and anti hero. 

This is my first time reading any work of  Silvia Marino Garcia but I want to read more, 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Suicide, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

kappafrog's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Suicide, Sexism, Violence, Racism, Self harm, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Minor: Body horror, Alcohol, Cannibalism, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Misogyny, and Murder