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lady_valhella's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Colonisation, Blood, Classism, Death, Violence, Animal death, and Gaslighting
There is a rivalry between twin brothers and something like a rivalry between a female and male cousin. There is business partnership that is maybe a little toxic. Ok a lot toxic.fruitbatflora's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Sexism, Death, Animal death, Emotional abuse, and Violence
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.
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
libraryofmoss's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is quickly winning a position among my favorite contemporary authors. I love how she writes strong, curious, and caring women leads and how I feel immersed in the environment she creates. I went in not knowing much about Mayan culture or stories and enjoyed going along for the ride. Adventurous and emotional but manages to stay light and hopeful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Suicide
margaret_k30's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Suicide, Misogyny, Self harm, Animal death, Bullying, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Death of parent
toopunkrockforshul's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This book had a lot of potential in concept but just really failed to execute on anything. Truly not sure what the point of it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Animal death, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
kterbo99's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Animal death, Suicide, Blood, Body horror, and Bullying
shelbyslifer's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, and Death
nightmarebees's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
HOLY CRAP. i was not expecting this book to hit me in the heart the way it did. it sucked me in so quickly and i only slowed down in the last 100 pages because i knew it was going to break my heart. and i was right; i can’t remember the last time i cried over a book, but there were tissues and actual snot involved here.
the setting of post-revolutionary mexico was perfect for this story. casiopea’s circumstances as the half-Indigenous “poor relation” of the family serve to examine post-Porfiriato social hierarchy that exists in the background of what is otherwise basically a Mayan fairytale.
don’t get me started on the relationship between casiopea and hun-kamé. i’ll be recovering from this one for weeks. “he’d fallen in love slowly and quietly, and it was a quiet sort of love, full of phrases left unsaid, laced with dreams.” the dynamic reminds me of the last unicorn, of an inextricable connection of love to mortality, how it is the fact that something has an ending that makes it all the more precious.
when i say i cried, it's not an abrupt tragic ripped-your-heart out kind of ending. it’s a quiet and inevitable sadness, a deep ache. it’s holding onto something beautiful that did happen, but it's just over now, and is all the more beautiful for the fact that it could only happen once.
tl;dr this book fucked me up.
the setting of post-revolutionary mexico was perfect for this story. casiopea’s circumstances as the half-Indigenous “poor relation” of the family serve to examine post-Porfiriato social hierarchy that exists in the background of what is otherwise basically a Mayan fairytale.
don’t get me started on the relationship between casiopea and hun-kamé. i’ll be recovering from this one for weeks. “he’d fallen in love slowly and quietly, and it was a quiet sort of love, full of phrases left unsaid, laced with dreams.” the dynamic reminds me of the last unicorn, of an inextricable connection of love to mortality, how it is the fact that something has an ending that makes it all the more precious.
when i say i cried, it's not an abrupt tragic ripped-your-heart out kind of ending. it’s a quiet and inevitable sadness, a deep ache. it’s holding onto something beautiful that did happen, but it's just over now, and is all the more beautiful for the fact that it could only happen once.
tl;dr this book fucked me up.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death and Sexism
laurasullivan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Death
Minor: Death of parent and Animal death