You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
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.
Not anything particularly wrong with it, just wasn't too interested in the plot or characters. Was hoping for the mythology and magic to be more center stage.
adventurous
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
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:
No
The setting of this book is unmatched! Flapper era Mexico was described so beautifully and vividly. I loved the setting and the folklore.
Casiopea was a good YA main character, pretty typical in some sense (she’s actually really pretty but she doesn’t know it) but it was less in your face throughout the book. I liked that she was so consistent as a character and she made choices that made sense to her personality.
Hun-Kamé was pretty boring though, but I get it. It served his story.
The love story was a bit unnecessary but it was such a slow burn and so mild that I can pretend it wasn’t there lol.
My biggest issue is her coming back to life. Her sacrifice was so meaningless that it kind of ruined the ending for me. I understand that sacrifices were a big part of the book but if you were just going to bring her back, why not tell her to do that in the first place? I think it would have been much more meaningful if she had stayed dead and if her death meant something.
All in all an enjoyable YA read, ESPECIALLY since it’s a standalone novel!
Casiopea was a good YA main character, pretty typical in some sense (she’s actually really pretty but she doesn’t know it) but it was less in your face throughout the book. I liked that she was so consistent as a character and she made choices that made sense to her personality.
Hun-Kamé was pretty boring though, but I get it. It served his story.
The love story was a bit unnecessary but it was such a slow burn and so mild that I can pretend it wasn’t there lol.
My biggest issue is her coming back to life. Her sacrifice was so meaningless that it kind of ruined the ending for me. I understand that sacrifices were a big part of the book but if you were just going to bring her back, why not tell her to do that in the first place? I think it would have been much more meaningful if she had stayed dead and if her death meant something.
All in all an enjoyable YA read, ESPECIALLY since it’s a standalone novel!