Gods of Jade and Shadow

Instead of being Yet Another Mythology Retelling where an author picks apart Greek mythology with a female protagonist, we get something a bit more inspired from a reputable author. The result is kind of a fairytale-esque story written using figures from Mayan mythology in a 1920s Mexico historical setting. It sounds like a mishmash of concepts, but I thought it worked well together.

Casiopea works as a servant in her grandfather's house, a glorified floor scrubber and errand runner for the household in a small town in Mexico. But when she accidentally frees the spirit of the Mayan god of Death, she's given the opportunity to finally see the larger world and all the things she's only dreamed of. But it's a dangerous journey she's about to go on with many opposing forces trying to keep the two of them from reaching its end.

I thought it was a really sweet story. There's a bit of romance here between Casiopea and Hun-Kame, but done in a hesitant way since the two of them realize that their situation isn't permanent. I liked that we get to see a lot of personal growth in both Casiopea and Hun-Kame from the journey as well, and some introspection about how the journey changes a person. The setting in Mexico is beautiful, and I loved the descriptions of the different cities they visit along the way, with the author taking care to make them feel distinctive.

I will say that, because of the way the story is intended, the ending is a bit predictable. Ending spoilers here: it never really feels like Casiopea is in danger from anything she's asked to do, despite the warnings she's given, and it does take you a bit out of the story when you realize the thickness of her plot armor. But if you enjoy a journey more than the ending, there's a lot here to like.