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A review by aprildiamond
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
5.0
AHH I LOVE THIS BOOK
This story is so beautifully written. The descriptions of the underworld as well as Mexico in the 1920s are colorful and gorgeous and detailed and it's the best thing ever. Not to mention that you can SEE the rich culture that the book is based on throughout the whole experience.
The characters? So good. I love Casiopea and her desire to experience life and to be free. Her character brings a humanity to the book even with the gods and supernatural elements. Also, I really enjoyed seeing her find her independence and her inner strength over the course of the story (yay character development).
Speaking of character development, Hun-Kame is also a great example. Arguably he goes through the most change over the course of the novel, but what I love about it is that it feels so natural. If you compare his later character to how he was in the beginning, there's an extreme difference, but while you're reading it's hard to notice.
The antagonists also bring this book full circle. I think it was a great decision to show that while they were bad people/gods and not easily forgiven by Casiopea and Hun-Kame, they still had the potential to change for the better.
Last but DEFINITELY not least, the plot. At the beginning what seemed like a story similar to Cinderella distanced itself and became a whole new thing. I love stories based on mythology (big Rick Riordan fan) and the Maya mythology did not disappoint. The plot kept me hooked the whole time, and that's always a good sign. Even though the ending was a tad bittersweet the overall work was incredible.
10/10 would recommend :)
This story is so beautifully written. The descriptions of the underworld as well as Mexico in the 1920s are colorful and gorgeous and detailed and it's the best thing ever. Not to mention that you can SEE the rich culture that the book is based on throughout the whole experience.
The characters? So good. I love Casiopea and her desire to experience life and to be free. Her character brings a humanity to the book even with the gods and supernatural elements. Also, I really enjoyed seeing her find her independence and her inner strength over the course of the story (yay character development).
Speaking of character development, Hun-Kame is also a great example. Arguably he goes through the most change over the course of the novel, but what I love about it is that it feels so natural. If you compare his later character to how he was in the beginning, there's an extreme difference, but while you're reading it's hard to notice.
The antagonists also bring this book full circle. I think it was a great decision to show that while they were bad people/gods and not easily forgiven by Casiopea and Hun-Kame, they still had the potential to change for the better.
Last but DEFINITELY not least, the plot. At the beginning what seemed like a story similar to Cinderella distanced itself and became a whole new thing. I love stories based on mythology (big Rick Riordan fan) and the Maya mythology did not disappoint. The plot kept me hooked the whole time, and that's always a good sign. Even though the ending was a tad bittersweet the overall work was incredible.
10/10 would recommend :)