A review by elwirax
Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

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

3.0

"Look at you, like the dawn. You can't understand, of course, but one day you'll want to be new again. You'll wish to return to this moment of perfection when you were the embodiment of all promises."

I was enjoying the first 25% a lot after that point, not so much. Things were a bit too convenient and abrupt at times but I suppose this was because it was quite a short book. I was hoping Gods of Jade and Shadow was going to be my first 4 star book of 2022, alas, it was not. 

The writing was slightly choppy (well written at times not so much in others).However, when it was well written I was enthralled by the worldbuilding. The mythology was refreshingly intriguing and it was definitely the best part of this book. I thought that the setting of 1920’s Mexico was great, the author's descriptions were vivid which helped with visualising scenes. I also enjoyed the quest element and interactions with different mythological beings which made for an interesting plot. 

I can't say I cared for the romance or any of the main characters nearly as much. However, I did like how strong Casiopea was both physically and emotionally, it was great seeing a character who wasn't a damsel in distress waiting to be saved. Lord Hun-Kamé felt very flat. I know that he was meant to be distant to differentiate his character from Casiopea's mortality, but even when he was slowly becoming more mortal he didn't possess anything that warranted any strong emotions towards him. In the end, I wasn't particularly invested in any of them. 

Overall, slightly dissapointed in myself for not enjoying this book as much as I'd hoped to but it definitely wasn't the worst thing I've ever read. This was a solid read.
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