Gods of Jade and Shadow
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Synopsis
When Casiopea Tun accidentally releases the Mayan god of death from imprisonment, she is drawn along with him in his search for the stolen pieces of himself so he can reclaim his rightful throne from his insidious twin brother.
- Pacing: The pace starts out languidly, setting the location in 1927 Mexico. Once the magic appears, the pace starts to pick up, but it's still rather slow, allowing us to enjoy the colorful writing and immerse ourselves in the time and place.
- Characterization: There is a clear difference between Casiopea and the rest of her family, setting her as the good guy and the others as the "bad" guys, or at least the antagonists. When Hun-Kamé, the god of death, appears, we're not sure if he's a good guy or a bad guy and that uneasiness continues for quite a while.
- Storyline: The plot revolves around Casiopea being drawn into a quest with Hun-Kamé, searching for magical items (pieces of the god to restore him to full power) and encountering other magical beings and situations. She eventually sees the quest as a way to break away from her mundane life, even if it is against her will.
- Tone/Mood: The tone is generally optimistic, though Casiopea struggles with a life that doesn't look to change. She does her best to continue to dream and not allow her family members to drain her of her ambitions.
- Style/Language: The language is highly descriptive, giving us a good sense of the worlds in which Casiopea and the god of death move. Casiopea's is at the same time a dreary and dusty world that nonetheless is brightened by descriptions of exotic Mexican locales and situations. Hun-Kamé's realm of Xibalba, the Underworld, is presented in flowing language and rich details.
- Setting/Frame: The setting is 1927 Mexico, with the story starting in the Yucatan peninsula and travelling across the country to Mexico City and other places, including Xibalba. The setting is drawn from Mexican and Mayan mythology, blending the myth with history in a dark fairy tale.
- "The Ten Thousand Doors of January" by Alix E. Harrow
- "Magic for Liars" by Sarah Gailey
- "The Starless Sea" by Erin Morgenstern
- "The Kingdom of Copper" by S. S. Chakraborty
Personal Note
This fits into the low fantasy mode of fantasy novels. In low fantasy, the magical world can be reached somehow, however far-fetched a method, from our world (e.g., getting to Oz in "The Wizard of Oz," to Narnia in the Chronicles, or to Hogwarts in the Harry Potter series). In high fantasy, the magical world is not connected to our world at all and exists independently (e.g., Middle-earth in "The Lord of the Rings," the worlds in "The Belgariad" or "The Sword of Truth" series). Low and high modes do not have to do with quality, but with the status of the magical realm. Here, the magic of the god comes directly into our world and interacts with Casiopea within her real-world reality in Mexico and the Underworld is accessible.
While I like the story, setting, and characters, the text could have used a more judicious editor, as there is far too much telling of what's going on rather than showing.
While I like the story, setting, and characters, the text could have used a more judicious editor, as there is far too much telling of what's going on rather than showing.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteDon
ReplyDeleteIt was great to hear your review on this book. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, however I liked the last one I read so much I am listening to the next one- one of your read alikes, The Kingdom of Copper!
This sounds like a unique and interesting novel! I think you did a good job laying out clearly how this novel fits into the characteristics of the fantasy genre. It's too bad that you felt that the book had too much telling rather than showing as far as what was going on, because I think especially in a genre like fantasy that would really hurt the quality of the book.
ReplyDeleteLaura,
DeleteThe narration really hurt the book. I would have really enjoyed it as it was immersive, but the constant recapping of what had just happened broke the spell of the writing.
I couldn't agree more with your personal note! I don't think I realized what was missing when I read it, but you hit the nail on the head! The setting and plot are exquisite, but there is too much telling. Excellent insight! Also, great job describing the high and the low aspects! Excellent annotation as always. Full points!
ReplyDelete