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wooblatoober's review against another edition
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.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jilljilljill's review against another edition
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
Graphic: Gore, Misogyny, and Violence
Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and War
Minor: Racism, Self harm, and Slavery
lilacerie's review against another edition
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.
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
Graphic: Racism and Murder
tamara_joy's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Animal death, Misogyny, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Colonisation and Classism
mariposa517's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Suicide, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and War
yourbookishbff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this, and plan to reread it at some point in print, as I think I would have enjoyed it even more in a different format (I read via audio). This is a dark fairytale blend of Mayan mythology and Jazz age flamboyance with a (kind of surprising?) romantic sub-plot and a lot of Cinderella-esque family drama. I appreciated the clear discussion of the racial caste system these characters are operating within and against, and the examination of anti-Indigenous racism. I most enjoyed this story in the third act, when it gets truly dark (not sure what that says about me, but I loved the drama and all of our new mythical creatures!).
Honestly my only struggle in this was the narration - I couldn't always distinguish character voices (and there were a few times it felt like one character voice carried over into another's dialogue? I had to replay scenes several times) and Casiopea felt so young to me because of how she's narrated that I was genuinely caught off guard by the romantic throughline. Again, I think in another format this would have been an even more enjoyable read, and I'm excited to read more by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia (this was my first!).
Honestly my only struggle in this was the narration - I couldn't always distinguish character voices (and there were a few times it felt like one character voice carried over into another's dialogue? I had to replay scenes several times) and Casiopea felt so young to me because of how she's narrated that I was genuinely caught off guard by the romantic throughline. Again, I think in another format this would have been an even more enjoyable read, and I'm excited to read more by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia (this was my first!).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
md3's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Racism, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent
town_scar's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This was a beautifully written myth and tale. It's use of prose was outstanding and it painted beautiful (and delightfully horrifying) images in my mind.
My main struggle was that some of the time transitions were jarring enough that I fell out of the story and got confused as to what was going on. This was largely in the first third of the book.
Nonetheless, it was a riveting story and a fantastic tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has given me a far deeper appreciation of Mexico and it's many indigenous cultures.
My main struggle was that some of the time transitions were jarring enough that I fell out of the story and got confused as to what was going on. This was largely in the first third of the book.
Nonetheless, it was a riveting story and a fantastic tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it has given me a far deeper appreciation of Mexico and it's many indigenous cultures.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Pregnancy
scarroll178's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
4.5
I like the main character. Life has forced her to be very practical-minded. I enjoy how matter-of-fact she is when faced with challenges along her journey. She and the other main character have great chemistry.
I have mixed feelings about the ending, but overall a great book if you're in the mood for something adventurous/romantic.
I have mixed feelings about the ending, but overall a great book if you're in the mood for something adventurous/romantic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Murder
boop123's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I'm not gonna lie to you, i kind of got bored towards the latter half of the book but I soldiered on and finished it since I've already gotten so far. Don't get me wrong, the whole Mayan universe and mythology was very interesting and I applaud the author because it seems like she really did her research just basing from how well-detailed it was.
Also, the journey leading to the third act was very passive. Although they encountered many creatures against them, most of the time they were just negotiating and maybe a tiny bit of violence. Not that it needs violence to be good, I just expected more since because the male MC literally wants to gain his throne back. Nevertheless, the I commend the author for her vast knowledge and research on the Mayans, but I liked Silver Nitrate better.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Physical abuse and Murder
Minor: Death of parent