This is a beautifully written and inventive fantasy novel, based on Mayan mythology and set in the Jazz Age in Mexico.
A spunky Cinderella-esque heroine is forced to accompany the deposed God of the Dead on his quest to regain his throne, and slowly realizes that his quest offers her a chance to escape her tiny village and experience the world she’s only dreamt of seeing. She comes into her own as she pits her wits against a variety of human and inhuman opponents.
I loved it so much, I re-read it as soon as I finished.
'This is historical fantasy at its best' S.A. Chakraborty, author of The City of Brass
Inspired by Mexican folklore, Gods of Jade and Shadow is a magical, wildly imaginative coming-of-age tale for fans of Katherine Arden, Naomi Novik and Helene Wecker.
The Jazz Age is in full swing, but it's passing Casiopea Tun by. She's too busy scrubbing floors in her wealthy grandfather's house to do anything more than dream of a life far from her dusty, small town in southern Mexico. A life she could call her own.
This dream is impossible, distant as the stars - until the…
Engaging work of historical fiction with a supernatural element, featuring a strong black heroine living in Washington DC during the 30s.
Clara was born with the ability to see spirits and speak to them, and the main plot is about her quest – accompanied by other Gifted people – to fight a major threat from “the Over There.” The author brings in West African diaspora religions as well as historical persons, places, and events (I spent a lot of time Googling to find out more!). She deftly handles the constant fear that a person of color lives with as a fact of life, and the love story is believable and satisfying.
"[P]itch perfect, with wit, romance, and a lovable found family." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes!" ―T.L. Huchu
NPR Best Book of 2022! Paste Best Fantasy Book of 2022!
"Never make a deal with shadows at night, especially ones that know your name.”
Washington D. C., 1925: Clara Johnson can talk to spirits—a gift that saved her during her darkest moments, now a curse that’s left her indebted to the cunning spirit world. So when a powerful spirit offers her an opportunity to gain her freedom, Clara seizes the chance,…
Neil Gaiman says this book is "pretty much perfect" and I don’t disagree.
McKinley has created a world still reeling from a nearly-apocalyptic war against the Others (vampires, demons, etc.). Nearly everyone has PTSD from the war, and the Others are still a constant threat. The heroine has powers, but they bring her no sense of security because they mean she must confront evil when all she wants to do is run and hide.
Many intriguing secondary characters, and the heroine’s day job is baking for a coffeehouse that I wish was real and I could go sit in. Another book I re-read the minute I was finished.
From award-winning and national bestselling author, Robin McKinley, comes this dark, sensual vampire fairy tale. "A gripping, funny, page-turning, pretty much perfect work of magical literature."--Neil Gaiman
"Sunshine" is what everyone calls her. She works long hours in her family's coffeehouse, making her famous "Cinnamon Rolls as Big as Your Head," Bitter Chocolate Death, Caramel Cataclysm, and other sugar-shock specials that keep the customers coming. She's happy in her bakery-which her stepfather built specially for her-but sometimes she feels that she should have life outside the coffeehouse. One evening she drives out to the lake to get away from her…
In Jane Eyre’s Sisters: How Women Live and Write the Heroine’s Story, cultural mythologist Jody Gentian Bower looks at novels by women—and some men—that tell the story of the wandering heroine. Bower gives examples from works spanning the centuries, arguing that the wandering heroine is an archetypal character that has received surprisingly little scholarly recognition despite her central role in many of the greatest works of Western fiction. She also looks at biographies of famous women that follow the same plot and concludes that the wandering heroine story shows us how a woman can attain a full and free life despite the obstacles family and society place in her way.
