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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
3.5/5- "It's just not as nice."
Good things:
-The expansion of the world. I loved getting to know the new gods and goddesses.
-The expansion of the magic.
Medium things:
-The ending was predictable, but satisfying.
-The writing style. It took some getting used to, but there was a disconnect for the majority of time
between myself and the characters. Perhaps it was the barebones style, or it wasn't as refined as it felt like it was in the first book. Some of imagery was confusing as well.
Not Good things:
-There was no tea making until the last half or third of the book. That was the original draw for me, so I was disappointed it took so long to get some magic-tea action going.
-Character motivations were stale and repetitive.
-Exposition was heavy-handed.
-A lot of telling, not showing when it came to character emotions and world-building.
-Kang's POV. In its entirety. What was the point of it? He became the stereotypical brooding prince, and most of what he "discovered" we already knew, so his chapters became very repetitive. I honestly wish his chapters had been taken out so we could have more time with our MC, Ning. Perhaps then there wouldn't have been as much telling of emotions, motivations, and such.
Overall, there was something so unique, whimsical, and magical about the first book that just wasn't present in this one. I still love the first book, but this was a disappointing sequel. Oh well.
Good things:
-The expansion of the world. I loved getting to know the new gods and goddesses.
-The expansion of the magic.
Medium things:
-The ending was predictable, but satisfying.
-The writing style. It took some getting used to, but there was a disconnect for the majority of time
between myself and the characters. Perhaps it was the barebones style, or it wasn't as refined as it felt like it was in the first book. Some of imagery was confusing as well.
Not Good things:
-There was no tea making until the last half or third of the book. That was the original draw for me, so I was disappointed it took so long to get some magic-tea action going.
-Character motivations were stale and repetitive.
-Exposition was heavy-handed.
-A lot of telling, not showing when it came to character emotions and world-building.
-Kang's POV. In its entirety. What was the point of it? He became the stereotypical brooding prince, and most of what he "discovered" we already knew, so his chapters became very repetitive. I honestly wish his chapters had been taken out so we could have more time with our MC, Ning. Perhaps then there wouldn't have been as much telling of emotions, motivations, and such.
Overall, there was something so unique, whimsical, and magical about the first book that just wasn't present in this one. I still love the first book, but this was a disappointing sequel. Oh well.
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
c'était qd même assez prenant mais genre j'ai pas un grand attachement au livre, j'ai l'impression que y avait des plot points qui sont pas vraiment résolus et que la conclusion était très rapide, j'aime qd même bcp Ning et Kang pcq je m'attache facilement aux persos mais j'ai pas non plus un coup de coeur, peut-être j'ai enchaîné trop de livres ambiance politique dans un setting empire à aspiration chinoise mais oui ça m'avait l'air très simple comme livre, mais dans tous les cas j'ai passé un bon moment donc <3
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A dark story that still manages to be a cozy read! I love the characters and wow the descriptions of the food continue to be mouthwatering. Definitely recommend this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Death of parent, War
Moderate: Body horror, Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Child death, Gore, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Classism
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Satisfying conclusion to the story. I hope she writes more books.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes