Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Gods of Jade and Shadow

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Urban Fantasy

Format: Physical Purchase

Publish Date: July 2019

Read: July/August 2024

Favorite Quote: Fear is generous and does not exclusively live in the hearts of mortals.

Story Synopsis: In 1920s Mexico, Casiopea Tun serves her family by scrubbing floors, running errands, and doing laundry for her grandfather, who runs the family with an iron fist. She longs for freedom and adventure but fears she’ll be stuck in her ancestral home forever. Her cousin, Martin, is set to inherit everything from her grandfather, and Martin is even more unkind.

One day, when Casiopea is punished for “talking back” to Martin, she decides to open a locked trunk in her grandfather’s room. She finds human bones, that magically come together to form Hun-Kame, one of the lords of death from her Mayan ancestors. Now linked to Hun-Kame, Casiopea agrees to help him on his quest to retrieve parts of him scattered across the country and reclaim his rule over Xibalba, the realm of the dead.

Why does this book beguile? I read Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic a while back and really enjoyed it. I was excited to find this in my local bookstore as I’m always looking for a short(ish), standalone novel. I didn’t love Gods of Jade and Shadow, but it was enjoyable. The Mayan mythology was fun and interesting. While Casiopea and the Cinderella retelling didn’t get me going at first, I really enjoyed Hun-Kame and his character progression.

Rating: 3/5

Link*: Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

If you’re interested in this, read*: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia