Written by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (The Beautiful Ones), Gods of Jade and Shadow follows Casiopea as she finds herself bound to a god of death and trying to help him restore his powers.
A few notes, this was a book club book and I honestly just dove in blindly without knowing anything about it. I also didn’t realize that this is novel is written by the other of one of my Hands Down favorite novels The Beautiful Ones. A single tear is escaping my eye due to how sad that is, that I didn’t realize.
Alright, on to the book!
This was such a good novel. The writing was story-telling style (think The Bear and the Nightingale) and captivated me from the get go. What is nice about this method, is it really places a focus on the characters and the action and things that are mentioned end up coming back again.
The characters were deep, and interesting, and imperfect. Everyone had their flaws, and those flaws didn’t always turn out to be bad things.
Yes, I know, no details. But I don’t want to give a lot of details. This is a novel that stands on its own, and brings to light a sector of mythology that we honestly don’t read a whole lot about outside of history classes. And now I want to go find more fiction that insinuates itself into this mythology.
The other thing is that, while Mexico breathes off of the page, if it wasn’t for the constant reminders I wouldn’t really know this was set in the Jazz age. The story is timeless and feels like a quest of old, and only the occasional reminders lift that veneer away. I think the author was going for this, given the writing style and all.
I also kind-of want another book that gives me a less realistic ending, because, while terribly fitting and honest, it is also so bitter sweet.
If you enjoyed The Bear and the Nightingale, give this novel a shot. You will probably adore it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
