Tuesday, June 04, 2019

2019/59: Gods of Jade and Shadow -- Silvia Moreno-Garcia

“... it is a good thing I rescued you,” Hun-Kamé said.
“You did not rescue me,” Casiopea replied. “I opened that chest. Besides, I wasn’t a princess in a tower. I knew I’d get away one way or another, and I was not waiting for a god to liberate me." [loc. 720]

Casiopea Tun refuses to think of herself as a Cinderella figure: she's not a romantic. She's eighteen years old, and lives in the house of her bitter, ailing grandfather, who is punishing his daughter (and her child) for the crime of marrying an indigenous man. Now Casiopea's father is dead, and she and her mother are little more than slaves in the family house, tyrannised by the old man and by Casiopea's cousin Martín.

Then Casiopea opens the chest at the foot of her grandfather's bed, discovers a heap of white bones, and discovers that she has freed a long-imprisoned Mayan deathgod. Hun-Kamé was imprisoned by his wicked brother Vucub-Kamé, and he's determined to regain his kingdom. But first he must collect the missing parts of himself -- and Casiopea, whose blood sustains him, must accompany him on his quest.

In the small town of Uukumil, in the Yucatan peninsula, it might as well be 1807 -- but the outside world is changing. It's 1927, the Jazz Age is in full swing, and Mexico is in the grip of social, religious and political revolutions. And as for America ...

I found the style of this novel somewhat distancing. The narrative is consciously telling a story, describing the emotions of the characters and the broader context of their actions rather than presenting them as the characters' experiences. Casiopea is a likeable heroine, though, with dry wit and a pragmatic sensibility. The gradual humanisation of Hun-Kamé was delicately sketched, and the finale very satisfactory.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a free advance copy in exchange for this review!

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