Gods of Jade and Shadow

Gods of Jade and Shadow

Paperback
3.610

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Beschreibung

The Mayan god of death sends a young woman on a harrowing, life-changing journey in this dark, one-of-a-kind fairy tale inspired by Mexican folklore.

“A spellbinding fairy tale rooted in Mexican mythology . . . Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical fairy tale about identity, freedom, and love, and it's like nothing you've read before.”—Bustle

NEBULA AWARD FINALIST • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • Tordotcom • The New York Public Library • BookRiot

The Jazz Age is in full swing, but Casiopea Tun is too busy cleaning the floors of her wealthy grandfather’s house to listen to any fast tunes. Nevertheless, she dreams of a life far from her dusty small town in southern Mexico. A life she can call her own.

Yet this new life seems as distant as the stars, until the day she finds a curious wooden box in her grandfather’s room. She opens it—and accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Failure will mean Casiopea’s demise, but success could make her dreams come true.

In the company of the strangely alluring god and armed with her wits, Casiopea begins an adventure that will take her on a cross-country odyssey from the jungles of Yucatán to the bright lights of Mexico City—and deep into the darkness of the Mayan underworld.

Praise for Gods of Jade and Shadow

“A dark, dazzling fairy tale . . . a whirlwind tour of a 1920s Mexico vivid with jazz, the memories of revolution, and gods, demons, and magic.”—NPR

“Snappy dialog, stellar worldbuilding, lyrical prose, and a slow-burn romance make this a standout. . . . Purchase where Naomi Novik, Nnedi Okorafor, and N. K. Jemisin are popular.”—Library Journal (starred review)

“A magical novel of duality, tradition, and change . . . Moreno-Garcia’s seamless blend of mythology and history provides a ripe setting for Casiopea’s stellar journey of self-discovery, which culminates in a dramatic denouement. Readers will gladly immerse themselves in Moreno-Garcia’s rich and complex tale of desperate hopes and complicated relationships.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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Paperback
Seitenzahl
384
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Beiträge

6
Alle
4

„Words are seeds, Casiopea. With words you embroider narratives, and the narratives breed myths, and there’s power in the myth. Yes, the things you name have power.“ Casiopea lebt im Haus ihres Großvaters in einem kleinen Dorf in Mexico. Ihre Tage sind gefüllt mit Hausarbeiten, Besorgungen für die Familie und den Launen ihres Cousins. Aber auch mit Tagträumen eines glanzvolleren Lebens, in dem sie selbstbestimmt die Welt entdecken kann. Als sie versehentlich den Maya-Gott des Todes erweckt und aus seiner Gefangenschaft befreit, beginnt für sie ein Abenteuer jenseits ihrer kühnsten Vorstellungen. Die Handlung wirkt erstmal sehr klassisch - coming-of-age, mystischer Bad Boy (hier in Form eines Gottes), abenteuerliche Reise gespickt mit diverse Hindernissen, die überwunden werden müssen. Kennt man irgendwie. Und doch fesselt das Buch ungemein, wartet mit einem bildgewaltigen Setting im Mexico der 1920er auf und berührt mit einer eher ruhigen, gefühlvollen Geschichte. Besonders mochte ich die Bezüge zu Mytholohie, Folklore und Traditionen, die hier mit der schillernd-swingenden Moderne der damaligen Zeit verwoben werden. Von mir gibt es eine klare Leseempfehlung.

5

Absolutely beautiful and captivating!

No unnecessary sugar coating, I really really loved it through and through. Couldn't put it down because I was so in the story with Casiopea and also didn't want to finish too soon. I absolutely recommend this book if you love fairy tales with a kind of bittersweet ending.

2

2.5 This wasn't what I hoped for. I lost interest in the story after very few chapters and unfortunately, this didn't change for the rest of the book. It felt like the draft of a story that could have potential, with a unique setting and the promise of something different. I never read or even heard of a book based on Mayan mythology before. One reason for why I didn't like it in spite of this: the writing style. The author tried to tell the story, thinking of old stories and fary tales that most of us listened to when we were younger. I always loved these stories, but in this case the concept did not work for me. It felt like nothing happened and even though I just finished reading the book, I mostly remember that they were usually tired and they often took the train. Therefore, it was also hard to understand the character's motivation. Casiopea may have waited for a chance to take a leave and be free from her oppressive family. However, even she could have taken a second to process that some god just materialized in her grandfathers bedroom claiming she had to help him or die. Obeying without second thought is not what I expected from an allegedly though and witty protagonist. All in all, this just wasn't for me. I wanted it to be good, but I in the end I was happy to turn the last pages and be done with it.

5

Absolutely beautiful and captivating! No unnecessary sugar coating, I really really loved it through and through. Couldn't put it down because I was so in the story with Casiopea and also didn't want to finish too soon. I absolutely recommend this book if you love fairy tales with a kind of bittersweet ending.

5

A great, light modern myth or fairytale with a strong narrative voice. If you like these kinds of stories, this book is for you.What I loved- The setting: 1920s Mexico and Mayan mythology.- All the classic fairytale elements: mean non-humans (and not-so-mean ones), a protagonist coming into her own, a rags-to-riches story, quests, humans coming in contact with a mythlogical world etc.- The writing and narrative voice fit the mythological/fairytale theme very well.- The fact that the classic fairytale elements were modernized.- The heroine. I thought she was a believable and likeable character in a fairytale story.- I had a feeling for how the story would end in general, but I kept guessing how they would get there, which I consider a plus.- The ending. I suspect some people will not like it, but I loved it. Here's why: The gods are clearly depicted as not caring about humans and a happy end for the blossoming romance between Casiopeia and Hun-Kamé would have been her exchanging one bad master for another. I even think it is made pretty clear throughout the book that this would not be a happy ending for her. I love that the book ends with her out on her own, not with a lover, in the comapny of a colourful character that might become her friend, off on a road trip. That's a great, optimistic ending for me.

4

Casiopea is great but the god of death is kinda boring huh

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