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Gods of Jade and Shadow

A Sweeping, Romantic Fairytale Inspired By Mexican Folklore

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Gods of Jade and Shadow

By: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Narrated by: Yetta Gottesman
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About this listen

 'This is historical fantasy at its best' S.A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass

Casiopea Tun is too busy scrubbing floors in her wealthy grandfather's house to do anything more than dream of a life far from her dusty, small town in southern Mexico. A life she could call her own.

Until one day, when Casiopea opens a curious chest in her grandfather's room and accidentally frees an ancient Mayan god of death. He offers her a deal: if Casiopea helps him recover his throne from his treacherous brother, he will grant her whatever she desires.

In the company of the alluring god and armed only with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City and deep into the darkness of Xibalba, the Mayan underworld.

A magical, wildly imaginative coming-of-age tale for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik and Helene Wecker.

Readers adore Gods of Jade and Shadow
'Delicious novel with Maya mythology seamlessly interwoven into a Jazz Age love story adventure' - Goodreads review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This Mayan death god myth-making tale was perfect' - Goodreads review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This book is highly addictive' - Goodreads review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐©2019 Silvia Moreno-Garcia Fantasy Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Magical Realism Latin America Mexico Maya Civilisation Dream Ancient History

Critic Reviews

A moving description of a young girl's coming of age and a seamless fusion of the real and the magical
Silvia Moreno-Garcia writes with verve and the Mayan mythology she draws on is fascinating
Set in a lushly rendered and gorgeous world, this is historical fantasy at its best: a fresh, feminist coming-of-age tale that lets the ancient and the new meld and clash in a tale you can't put down
An evocative and moving fairy-tale about a downtrodden girl and the Mayan God of Death and how they both find each other and their humanity together . . . Loved it. Highly recommend
A lush, bittersweet tale of courage, love and carving your own place in the world . . . Silvia Moreno-Garcia's evocative prose will take you on an adventure for the mind and the heart
A beautiful work that will draw you in and keep you transfixed and reading far too late. It blends the 'real' and the mythic seamlessly, and the clear-sighted heroine is a joy to read about. It's the sort of book that will leave you with beautiful after-images for weeks to follow, and going back to re-read favourite sections
Silvia Moreno-Garcia's prose is like the best kind of fairytale - dark, enchanting, and makes you wish that you could live within its pages. Casiopea's journey belongs on every bookshelf
An elegant and immersive tale, Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Gods of Jade and Shadow opened my eyes to the Mayan Underworld and took me on an adventure with a strong-willed, practical heroine and a prickly fallen god that I never wanted to end. It feels like a modern classic, and is absolutely unforgettable
The fundamentals of storytelling have been, and will always be, a distinctive setting and well-drawn, memorable characters. Gods of Jade and Shadow has both these elements in droves . . . One of the more appealing and defiant heroines in recent fantasy
Well worth checking out
A coming-of-age fairy tale of haunting shadows commingled with vibrant life
A magical fairy tale about identity, freedom, and love, and it's like nothing you've read before
Silvia Moreno-Garcia beautifully weaves the glamour and possibility of the Jazz Age with Mexican folklore, crafting a lush, enthralling coming of age fairytale . . . A hopeful and bittersweet tale, with a whip-smart, practical protagonist, and will appeal to fans of S.A. Chakraborty, Naomi Novik, and Katherine Arden
Simultaneously heartbreaking and heart-mending, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a wondrous and magical tale about choosing our own path. I felt weepy and happy and hopeful when I finished - everything you want to feel at the end of a great story
All stars
Most relevant
YA immortals meet mortals period travelogue, drawing on American Gods but without the narrative punch to elevate the story above mediocrity. The Mayan mythology and 1920's Mexico setting are wonderful, and the narrator does an excellent job with the pronunciations. However these good points aren't enough to push this one from an average to a great read, for me.

Setting elevates this novel

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I loved this book. Sent me down a mythology rabbit hole. 10/10 for plot/characters. Cassiopeia is believable and there are some truly beautiful moments scattered throughout the story. It's not over-the-top sweetness and the characters who need redemption don't find it immediately but they do start their journey towards it. The ending made me incredibly happy.

Not your usual fairytale

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I really enjoy the world's Silvia manages to spin in her books. I could imagine exactly where it was taking me. The narration style was one of my favourites.

Loved the narration!

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I really enjoyed the adventure in this book & it’s basis in Mexican mythology. The journey was enthralling & the ending satisfying. Thought the performance did the writing justice too!

Wonderful, imaginative adventure!

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Entirely evocative and charming. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. Wonderful hearing a story from a different cultural perspective.

Beautiful story, highly recommended

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