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elizlizabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
fast-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
4.5
This is my first book by SMG and I'm in love with the way she writes, this is exactly what I would've wanted to read as a teen obsessed with urban fantasy. It's obvious and appreciated that the author did her research before writing, plus the love story is woven so beautifully with the actual plot that it's compelling without taking over the action. The ending is bittersweet but so, so satisfactory and the characters and character growth is beyond anything I've read in a while. 5 stars!
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Revisiting after a recent re-read (2022): It is a brilliant story and I love the ending, although the timeline and flow of the story could've done with some editing to make it run seamlessly.
As for the romance, I still think there's something there but at times it can feel forced especially because it tends to fade to the background when not needed for plot purposes. I also think it tends to conflate love with lust but eh that's just me being nitpicky.
I would still recommend it and think it's great for people who like urban fantasy but would like to see other mythologies represented.
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Revisiting after a recent re-read (2022): It is a brilliant story and I love the ending, although the timeline and flow of the story could've done with some editing to make it run seamlessly.
As for the romance, I still think there's something there but at times it can feel forced especially because it tends to fade to the background when not needed for plot purposes. I also think it tends to conflate love with lust but eh that's just me being nitpicky.
I would still recommend it and think it's great for people who like urban fantasy but would like to see other mythologies represented.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
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, Gore, and Misogyny
shadereads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Blood
giulia___771's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Suicide, and Blood
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Death of parent
crystalisreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno Garcia is a beautiful story, full of duality. Both bitter and sweet, fully fantastical, and yet firmly grounded in reality, full of Mayan deities and Jazz age Mexican humans, demons and magical creatures and tedious chores and impossible dreams. Moreno-Garcia allows us to hope impossible dreams along with the gods and humans who dream them, even though we know we cannot have them, and to break our hearts a little with theirs when we cannot have them. I’ve struggled to read consistently in this year of our pandemic 2020, but read this pretty consistently once I started, and found myself fully engrossed every time I picked it back up.
The world building is rich yet not tedious. The author manages to introduce readers to Mayan mythology and Jazz Age Mexico in vivid, rich detail that never bogs down or bores, never dumps lengthy passages of information on the reader. Instead, we learn as we are are compelled to follow, much like the practical dreamer Casiopea is, one of the twin Mayan gods of Death, Hun-Kame, as he seeks to reclaim his stolen throne in the Underworld. Along the way we experience both rural and urban Jazz Age Mexican culture, and see the effects of American culture on it, with flappers and music and technology. We meet demons and undead and monsters and flawed humans. Everyone is flawed and complex in this story, from Casiopea’s cruel and selfish family, to undead seductresses, to corrupt wizards, to friendly demons, to traitorous deities, to Casiopea herself. No one is perfectly good or perfectly evil, and the story is richer for it.
The relationship that builds between Casiopea and Hun-kame is electrifying and beautiful and sweet and sad. No human can truly love the god of death, can they? Nor can a god of death return that love. And yet we hope, because their relationship is so beautiful and so real. I feared the ending of this story, because bittersweet stories aren’t my usual preference, but like the rest of this book, the ending was perfect, everything it should be, deeply satisfying and perfectly aligned with the rest of the story.
In a year when I struggle to read, and often find myself underwhelmed by even much-anticipated books, Gods of Jade and Shadow stands out from the crowd as a fantastic book. Effortlessly diverse, beautifully written, deeply emotional, and always engaging. I am extremely grateful to #NetGalley and Random House Publishing for sharing a free digital #advancedcopy of #GodsofJadeandShadow with me in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Violence, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent and Colonisation
crazycatgrrl's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Blood
dariaklind's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.25
I liked the premise but unfortunately did not enjoy the books as much as I was meaning to. I liked the main character but I wish we got more of the side characters because it felt like they didn't have enough depth to me. Also, wasn't the biggest fan of the romance. Usually I like "the Death and the Maiden" trope but here it felt underwhelming and developed too fast. Nonetheless, I liked the mythological aspect and it was a fun adventure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Sexism
tallismarlowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.5
Loved this book; it got me out of my post-graduation reading slump. The backdrop is spectacular, and the character's voices shine through so perfectly. The action starts early on, but goes a little slow, and the stakes are a little off kilter, but I adored how subtle and complex the writing was, and the prose was amazing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Blood
hanz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
slow-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: Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, and Blood
236girls's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.75
silvia moreno-garcia you have done it again
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood