Hello, I'm planning a trip to the Yucatan peninsula and was hoping to get some book recommendations for novels that preferably feature Mayan mythology or that are set within the Yucatan region.
I've already read the gods of jade and shadow and Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia which I absolutely loved.
I tend to read more of the fantasy genre but I'm open to anything that fits the theme.
Additionally if you have any good recs for non-fiction mythology or historical that would be much appreciated.
Thank you in advance!
by amethyst_skylight
1 Comment
You might want to check out “The Seventh Sun” by Lani Forbes – it’s got this really cool Mesoamerican-inspired fantasy world with tons of mythology woven in. Not specifically Mayan but definitely scratches that itch if you loved Moreno-Garcia’s work.
For something more grounded, “The Maize God” by Rebecca Roanhorse pulls heavily from indigenous mythology and has some beautiful world-building. If you’re cool with going a bit older, “Jaguar Sun” by Martha Cerda is set right in the Yucatan and dives deep into the cultural clash between ancient beliefs and modern life.
On the non-fiction side, “Breaking the Maya Code” by Michael Coe is fascinating if you want to understand how we even learned to read Mayan glyphs in the first place. Perfect trip prep material since you’ll probably be staring at hieroglyphs on temple walls wondering what they say.