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A review by angel_kiiss
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
adventurous
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
It's a great concept but executed rather poorly. This American Gods but make it Mexican and Indigenous sounds like an interesting concept and it's enough to get you to pick up the book, but personally, I wasn't drawn in by the Cinderella lifestyle the main character was living and couldn't get behind the way the plot influenced her and not how she influenced the plot. Our protagonist, Casiopea, is pushed around by the plot and is only there as a prop to help in the god's adventure until the very end when she finally gets some agency of her own and makes a decision that actually affects the story. Up until that point, which is about 85% into the book, none of her actions actually have an effect on what is happening. In the end, her stubbornness and courage allow her to overcome, but up until then, this could literally have been any other girl with enough luck to get out of her oppression. Casiopeadoesn't run away and then find a god, she goes about daily life and is suddenly thrust into a god's path. "You have to come with me," he says. She has to bend so the plot can continue. Not the other way around.
I also was not a fan of the romance aspect. I think some authors forget that not all stories need romance, and this one definitely didn't. The romance between Casiopea and Hun'Kaman felt forced and as if the only reason they fell for each other was that their lives were now connected. Not once did I feel like there was anything actually there for her to fall in love with. We get told she's falling in love. In fact, we almost get told everything. This book is mostly telling not showing and the historical aspects felt shoved in rather than intertwined with the historical setting. We just happened to be in 1920s Mexico, but really it could have been any decade in some part of Southern Mexico. The time period only added to act as some filler in between plot events.
I also was not a fan of the romance aspect. I think some authors forget that not all stories need romance, and this one definitely didn't. The romance between Casiopea and Hun'Kaman felt forced and as if the only reason they fell for each other was that their lives were now connected. Not once did I feel like there was anything actually there for her to fall in love with. We get told she's falling in love. In fact, we almost get told everything. This book is mostly telling not showing and the historical aspects felt shoved in rather than intertwined with the historical setting. We just happened to be in 1920s Mexico, but really it could have been any decade in some part of Southern Mexico. The time period only added to act as some filler in between plot events.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Racism
Minor: Blood, Drug use, Grief, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry