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3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
Casiopea Tun is one of the most fierce and yet humble female characters I have encountered in a long time and I absolutely loved her for it. She was so spunky and sharp tongued, even in the face of gods, and yet seemed to have no idea just how much worth she had. She was a beautiful soul who cared for others so much that she was willing to sacrifice her own happiness for the overall good of the world.
Her fire was a good contrast to the ice that was Hun-Kame and seeing how much they both could learn from one another was so interesting. Casiopea was bright, kind, and quietly defiant, while Hun-Kame was pensive, dark, and confidently controlling. They complemented each other well, and I loved watching their relationships grow, not only as friends but as romantic interests, and when their separate strengths combined, there was nothing that could stand in their way.
As the story progressed the challenges they faced became darker with more blood being shed as they went along. I felt myself connecting to Casiopea most in these moments because we both hurt at the sight of final punishments even if in some cases it seemed deserved. She, like me, believed strongly in the power of forgiveness and in turn taught that lesson to all those around her, which ultimately influenced the final outcome of this story.
It broke my heart when I realized this would be a forbidden love story, and I was moved when they said their final goodbyes to one another. They had grown so close and learned so much it was heartbreaking watching them be torn apart.
Surprisingly, though, I loved how the book ended. It seemed more like a beginning than an end, and I really wish there could be some sort of sequel that showed Casiopea and Loray’s adventures around the world. It’s certainly something that would be an automatic buy for me if it ever came to be.
Her fire was a good contrast to the ice that was Hun-Kame and seeing how much they both could learn from one another was so interesting. Casiopea was bright, kind, and quietly defiant, while Hun-Kame was pensive, dark, and confidently controlling. They complemented each other well, and I loved watching their relationships grow, not only as friends but as romantic interests, and when their separate strengths combined, there was nothing that could stand in their way.
As the story progressed the challenges they faced became darker with more blood being shed as they went along. I felt myself connecting to Casiopea most in these moments because we both hurt at the sight of final punishments even if in some cases it seemed deserved. She, like me, believed strongly in the power of forgiveness and in turn taught that lesson to all those around her, which ultimately influenced the final outcome of this story.
It broke my heart when I realized this would be a forbidden love story, and I was moved when they said their final goodbyes to one another. They had grown so close and learned so much it was heartbreaking watching them be torn apart.
Surprisingly, though, I loved how the book ended. It seemed more like a beginning than an end, and I really wish there could be some sort of sequel that showed Casiopea and Loray’s adventures around the world. It’s certainly something that would be an automatic buy for me if it ever came to be.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This book was beautiful! Cried at the end. I wish there was more of a romance tied up but I appreciate the realness between god and mortal. The interweaving of history was really interesting. I appreciated the context with the fiction of the story. I love a quest and I liked reading multiple POV.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Casiopea was born to a mother who ran away from her rich family to be with her love. However, following his death, her mother returned to her family, Casiopea in tow.
Due to the circumstances of her birth and their return in financial need, the rest of the family treats the two as lesser, especially Casiopea. She's relegated to the role of a servant, tasked with cleaning, laundry, running errands, and caring for her grandfather.
Her cousin makes it worse by projecting his resentment of her intelligence and refusal to capitulate willingly into rough behavior toward her.
Of course Casiopea can't wait to escape.
One day she's left behind in the family home as the rest go on a trip. Her curiosity leads her to open a mysterious trunk in her grandfather's room and mistakenly release an ancient god of death.
And thus starts a fantastic journey wherein Casiopea experiences freedom, new places, new things, and a bit of love.
The story didn't end exactly how I wanted it to, but it probably better suits Casiopea's story anyway.
Due to the circumstances of her birth and their return in financial need, the rest of the family treats the two as lesser, especially Casiopea. She's relegated to the role of a servant, tasked with cleaning, laundry, running errands, and caring for her grandfather.
Her cousin makes it worse by projecting his resentment of her intelligence and refusal to capitulate willingly into rough behavior toward her.
Of course Casiopea can't wait to escape.
One day she's left behind in the family home as the rest go on a trip. Her curiosity leads her to open a mysterious trunk in her grandfather's room and mistakenly release an ancient god of death.
And thus starts a fantastic journey wherein Casiopea experiences freedom, new places, new things, and a bit of love.
The story didn't end exactly how I wanted it to, but it probably better suits Casiopea's story anyway.
Very interesting fantasy read, especially as the Mayan culture references were all new to me. The character and world building were fantastic! The only thing holding me back from 5 stars is the slow pace.
This was an enjoyable read, but it took me nearly a month to read it, and I'm not usually this slow with books like this.
Though I loved the concept, the characters, the plot, the world building and the general feel of this book, there was something lacking which made me hesitate when I was deciding on the rating.
Initially CAWPILE had this at a 3 star rating. A high 3 star, but still. I decided to up it to a 4 star on further reflection, as I did genuinely enjoy this, and I feel only a couple of minor things held it back.
One drawback was the writing style; a lot of Casiopea's chapters started with long descriptions of what she was seeing, and while I did appreciate this on one level (and understood that it was to help us see the world as she was seeing it as someone who had just left her very sheltered life behind), I did realise that it was slowing down my reading experience by having a huge world building descriptive info dump at the start of many chapters.
The other drawback was the distance I felt from the characters. While I sympathised with Casiopea, and wanted her and Hun-Kame to succeed, I also felt somewhat distant from all the characters, and I can't really put my finger on why that was.
That being said, I did really enjoy many other aspects of this book, such as the general story of the god of death and his quest for revenge, and Casiopea's quest for freedom, along with the characters themselves. I liked how Casiopea developed and grew stronger as the novel progressed, and how Hun-Kame became more and more human as the novel progressed. And despite my earlier comment about how the descriptions at the start of the chapters slowed down the pacing, I did really enjoy visualising the places the author describes, and I even looked up a few of the places mentioned on Google Maps.
I'm definitely a fan of this author's writing now, having read this and Mexican Gothic and enjoyed both. Next up is Certain Dark Things. Oh, and before I finish this review, one other thing I really like about the author's writing is how her books never seem to fit fully in one genre. This is a blend of mythology, historical fiction, fantasy and with a hint of romance. It's really good, and I would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for something a bit different.
Though I loved the concept, the characters, the plot, the world building and the general feel of this book, there was something lacking which made me hesitate when I was deciding on the rating.
Initially CAWPILE had this at a 3 star rating. A high 3 star, but still. I decided to up it to a 4 star on further reflection, as I did genuinely enjoy this, and I feel only a couple of minor things held it back.
One drawback was the writing style; a lot of Casiopea's chapters started with long descriptions of what she was seeing, and while I did appreciate this on one level (and understood that it was to help us see the world as she was seeing it as someone who had just left her very sheltered life behind), I did realise that it was slowing down my reading experience by having a huge world building descriptive info dump at the start of many chapters.
The other drawback was the distance I felt from the characters. While I sympathised with Casiopea, and wanted her and Hun-Kame to succeed, I also felt somewhat distant from all the characters, and I can't really put my finger on why that was.
That being said, I did really enjoy many other aspects of this book, such as the general story of the god of death and his quest for revenge, and Casiopea's quest for freedom, along with the characters themselves. I liked how Casiopea developed and grew stronger as the novel progressed, and how Hun-Kame became more and more human as the novel progressed. And despite my earlier comment about how the descriptions at the start of the chapters slowed down the pacing, I did really enjoy visualising the places the author describes, and I even looked up a few of the places mentioned on Google Maps.
I'm definitely a fan of this author's writing now, having read this and Mexican Gothic and enjoyed both. Next up is Certain Dark Things. Oh, and before I finish this review, one other thing I really like about the author's writing is how her books never seem to fit fully in one genre. This is a blend of mythology, historical fiction, fantasy and with a hint of romance. It's really good, and I would definitely recommend it to people who are looking for something a bit different.
High four! Silvia Moreno-Garcia does it again. I was just so entranced in the book and idk if this makes sense but I find myself drifting into the world of the book? like when I'm not actively reading it I'm still thinking about it and when I can get back to reading it. Now this could be on me but I felt like the end part moved a little fast, and I was slightly unclear on the mechanics of what exactly happened. I'm a sucker for a bit of romance tho! As usual, I recommend.