Reviews with content warning for Racism - Gods of Jade and Shadow

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

38 reviews

wooblatoober's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

so glad i read this. i enjoyed it so much & it had an ending that i had wanted to see in a novel for quite some time, which makes it very special. i wasn’t sure about, then eventually loved, the semi-omniscient narration. i thought it was interesting and different, yet wasn’t distracting, & helped to make certain moments more impactful. i felt like something was missing in regards to the romance as i read, but that’s likely purely personal since i couldn’t tell you what it was that i felt was missing. i definitely loved the climax of the story.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

the race through the black road & what happens on it kept me on the edge of my seat. moreno-garcia did an amazing job of writing cassiopea’s descent into irrationality on the black road, & her descent into thinking she’s old, when she “strays” from the path. VERY well-written, as its seamlessness reminded me of my own descents into psychosis that i’ve had. i REALLY appreciated that she chose not only to do the right thing (go to the black road), but ALSO to live her life after. after an entire romantic buildup, an ending where it just simply doesn’t happen, and where the life she’s about to live independently is more romantic than the relationship she would have had, is very special to me. i also like that the reader is unsure whether she’ll be able to be with him after her death, or, better put, after her life. i almost like to think it won’t happen, & that that’ll be okay. but i also like the idea of him watching her fall deeper in love with life, while falling deeper in love with her. but i think i like the first one more. it’s melancholy & beautiful.

Content Warnings

alex_wordweaver's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional informative lighthearted reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! These two are so stinkin' cute!!! *squishes Casiopea and Hun-Kame's faces together*

Hun-Kame gives me suuuuuuuuuuch death god vibes. I mean, I know he is one, but he just radiates death god energy (death gods can be such secret squishy lovey sexy nerds sometimes behind that aloof exterior). Martin deserved a chancletazo at the beginning, but his sad-sackness at the end earned him a reprieve. Vucub-Kame... *gestures at him vaguely* He's a decent villain, cool looks--he's definitely a Sesshomaru--can see him having possible redemption arc if ever there's a sequel, or if not redemption, at least some on-the-heroes' side anti-heroics. Even with all the stuff you learn about him in the book in his sections, still feels like there's a lot unknown about him. Which is great! Makes me want more. I'm just less inclined to squish his face. I will hug each and every one of his owls, though; they deserve pets for being such good messengers and Huracán especially for having to carry Martin.

Content Warnings

jilljilljill's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

lilacerie's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

"Mythmaking. It's greater than you or I, this tale. Maybe she was not a hero with a shield and divine provenance, but it's the symbolism that matters✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊🔮🗡️🐍✧"

Ok wow, reading this was magical! It was fast-paced and easy to get into and I felt this specific flavour of giddiness I only really felt while reading Percy Jackson books as a kid, just utterly entranced by everything. Casiopea's a compelling protagonist and the way the author weaves myth into the painful relationship between her and her family members was so well-done. The premise of setting an epic quest in Jazz-age Mexico was so cool and I really enjoyed how Moreno-Garcia brought both the characters and setting to life. For some reason I didn't realise that this book would involve a romantic subplot but I ended up loving it. The romance was so so beautiful and bittersweet and was really delicately built up and laced into the narrative. It made the story even richer instead of feeling tacked-on and unnecessary like a lot of romantic subplots tend to in this genre. I totally agree with people describing this as a 'fairytale' because at times it really embodied the cadence of a myth or folktale that someone could've recited to me as a kid. One that's equal parts grim with twisted scheming and sparkling with life and enchantment. The kind of story that leaves me happy with the thrill of the world I'd been drawn into, but nursing an ache that comes with its bitterness.

Content Warnings

dreadspawn's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

Content Warnings

audreyxine's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I love the premise of this book so much but sadly I think I ended up wanting to enjoy it a bit more. The writing style is very direct and I didn't feel much connection to the supporting characters. That being said, I had lots of fun with the setting of jazz age Mexico and the cultural/historical elements brought a lot of richness to the story.

Content Warnings

liesthemoontells's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Thoughtful, lyrical, and charming. A beautiful fantasy infused with a cultural background and mythology that many western readers may not be aware of, but written in a way that was engaging and accessible to newcomers, and with a gorgeous ending. A very welcome entry into the "reimagined Death God" subgenre.

Good for fans of The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, or Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Content Warnings