Gods of Jade and Shadow — Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Gist
An independent young woman who wants to see the world accidentally awakens a Mayan god of death and is forced to team up with him to reclaim his underworld kingdom.
Read if you like
Mexican Gothic also by Silvia Moren-Garcia
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Cinderella retellings
Star-crossed romances
The Verdict: Read it, but borrow it
Casiopea Tun has big plans to see the world she has read so much about in her books. She looks forward to the day she’s no longer treated like a servant in her grandfather’s house or tormented by her spoiled and jealous cousin Martín. But the future she dreams of continues to feel out of reach until she accidentally unleashes and binds herself to a Mayan death god, Hun-Kamé, whom her grandfather has been keeping locked in a chest in his room for decades. Hun-Kamé persuades Casiopea to accompany him on his quest to find his missing body parts that his treacherous twin brother has left in the hands of sorcerers, demons, and other Mayan gods and take back his kingdom, Xibalba. While it’s easy to become invested in Casiopea and Hun-Kamé’s quest, it is predictable at times. However, as always, Moreno-Garcia expertly creates a vibrant world set in the Jazz Age and a fast-paced plot Her characters are thoughtfully crafted to balance one another and allow Moreno-Garcia to explore the nuances that make us human.
