I am a massive fan of mythic retellings. I mean, I enjoy myths in their original tellings but I’m a sucker for a good revamp of a god or two. So, when I spotted this book dealing with a jazz age retelling of Mayan myths, I was immediately in. Mayan mythology is new to me, so I was also excited to dive into a different set of gods. Part myth, part historical fiction, Gods of Jade Shadow is a must-read and perfect for the summer!
Gods of Jade and Shadow, Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.
Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.
In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.
Why You Should Read This…
I will say up front- I wasn’t familiar with Mayan mythology so I did do some Googling throughout because I am interested in it. However, not knowing the mythology will not affect reading it at all! Moreno-Garcia includes a glossary at the end of the book, and things are also explained as you read on.
Jazz age Mexico is a very new setting for me, and I thought it was a brilliant choice. Moreno-Garcia’s writing style is evocative and encompassing, and I truly felt like I was there with Casiopea- a rare feat for me as a reader. Maybe it is from living on the prairies for decades, but I could feel the dust as I was reading.
And above all else- I could not put this book down. She has done such a fantastic job of making you care about these characters, even a god of death who you theoretically should hate. Their story and journey is winding and treacherous, but also exhilarating to follow.
If you want more mythological retellings, I would recommend my Hadestown reading list!
Is God of Jade and Shadow on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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