Gods of Jade and Shadow – Silvia Moreno-Garcia

A darkly beautiful fairy tale set in 1920s Mexico, Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Gods of Jade and Shadow melds fantasy with Maya mythology in a gorgeous story of quiet dreams, unexpected adventure and fratricidal gods. Living a quiet life of drudgery tending to the needs of her unkind grandfather in a drab, nowhere town, young Casiopea Tun keeps her hopes and dreams pragmatically simple. That all changes when she accidentally frees Hun-Kamé, the dethroned Mayan god of death, from where his spirit has been kept prisoner for decades. With her life bound to Hun-Kamé, the two of them embark on a quest to retrieve the dark and brooding god’s throne from his brother, an adventure that takes them from rural Yucatán to Mexico City and beyond.

After a few slightly slow, rather grim early chapters that introduce Casiopea’s unhappy existence like the setup to a fairy tale, complete with bitter grandfather and vicious, bullying cousin Martín, the plot kicks into gear at the appearance of Hun-Kamé. In their quest to reclaim several items of importance to him – mostly lost body parts – the mismatched pair of taciturn god and bewildered, slightly reticent teenager visit Veracruz at Carnival time, meet demons, spirits and other gods, and forge a bond that starts off based solely on need before developing into something closer and deeper. Their adventures take them far and wide, exploring elements of Mexican culture and folklore as magic and mythology intersect with the vivid realities of everyday Mexican life.

Casiopea makes for an engaging and deeply sympathetic protagonist, equal parts learned pragmatist and deep-seated dreamer, at once nervous and yet impulsive. Conflicted between ingrained caution of getting caught up in anything that might be considered improper and the opportunity for unexpected adventure – an opportunity she might never have had without Hun-Kamé – her curiosity inevitably wins out, despite her travelling companion being a very dangerous person to be around. Their partnership is founded on a god’s need for mortal assistance, which he essentially forces Casiopea to provide, and their journey puts both of them at considerable risk. Despite this, their relationship proves to be a heartwarming foundation to this story of myths, magic and identity.

This is as much a modern(ish) fairy tale as it is a straight-up fantasy story, the magical elements taking a back seat to beautifully developed character arcs which effortlessly integrate all the gods, spirits and magic into a believable story. All the fascinating Maya mythology, from Hun-Kamé and his brother to the dreamlike geography of Xibalba, the Maya underworld, is bound up in a very human tale of taking control of your life and making it your own. Moreno-Garcia’s beautiful prose brings her world and the characters who populate it to vivid, vibrant life, with imagination positively bursting from every page, and the whole thing is imbued with an abiding sense of hope despite the darkness is often portrays. Anyone looking for a beautiful story with a gripping quest, memorable characters and lashings of evocative mythology is likely to find much to enjoy in the pages of this book.

See also: all of the Silvia Moreno-Garcia reviews on Track of Words

Gods of Jade and Shadow is out now from Jo Fletcher Books – click the links below to order* your copy:

If you enjoyed this review and would like to support Track of Words, you can leave me a tip on my Ko-Fi page.

*If you buy anything using any of these links, I will receive a small affiliate commission – see here for more details.