gilda_elise

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

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.

Very much a fairy tale, though along the lines of a Grimm fairy tale, but not the Disneyfied versions. Though ostensibly a quest to return items stolen, the story takes the reader along on a journey of self discovery, for Casiopea, and for Hun-Kamé, the god of death she accompanies. It is fraught with danger, both physically and spiritually.

Though having lived a sheltered life, Casiopea is nevertheless feisty. She may be little more than a servant in her grandfather’s house, but she has dreams. This makes her a match for Hun-Kamé, who is dealing with being part human through his link with her.

As their quest progresses, so does their relationship. And though the ending is inevitable, I could have wished it otherwise.