A review by goblingirlreads
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

adventurous mysterious 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

5.0

I don't know if I'm an easy 5 or if I have gotten really good at finding and picking up books that I know I'll enjoy immensely. After Mexican Gothic was one of my favorite reads of last year I decided to pick up this one and Moreno-Garcia did not let me down. This was an action-fantasy-adventure book of the same caliber of American Gods except the gods in this book are based in Mayan mythology and the characters journey through Mexico during the Jazz Age with a brief trip into America at one point. I will say there's a lot of advertising surrounding this book that are like JAZZ AGE and I found that to be more set dressing and not hugely important to the story at large. HOWEVER, the writing was excellent, the plot was quick and fun and I found myself moved at the end of the book. There's some controversy about the ending - I loved it! I loved the overarching themes about being the hero in your own story, speaking your intentions into being, and all the symbolism that goes into myth-making. It was an incredibly smart book while not being too heady and feeling like a fun romp through the world of gods and mortals. In the end I can't say I liked it more than Mexican Gothic, which had so many things I specifically crave in a book, but I can't find faults in it either. A blast of a read. I'm ready for anything by this author!
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