Reviews

Omg this book was an absolute masterpiece!!

The story/plot was intriguing and pulled you in and kept you invested in every way possible! The magic system was very unique. There were so many plot twists that I never saw coming. I will admit that the romance aspect with the prince was rather predictable as well as the whole exam thing as I’ve read other books with this premise (daughter of moon goddess and magic steeped in poison).

HOWEVER, each one of them was still unique and well-crafted with its own aspects with the political aspects and overall plot.

One issue I had is that I wish the other characters were a bit more fleshed out and developed as Zhilan was.

ALSO CAN I JUST SAY I seriously appreciate a plot setting that actually mentions Southern China regions (Guangzhou). As someone who speaks Cantonese, I’m glad to finally see this type of representation for Chinese characters!!

evilelsa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It took me a few chapters to be intrigued with the setting and the story, but around the 20% mark I was invested and read the rest of the book in one sitting.🥰

bookheathens's review against another edition

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4.5

Easily like 4.5 or 5 stars.

I was so invested! The audiobook narrator was incredible. I'm sure I missed some things because I could not translate some of the words or small pieces of conversation, but it wasn't so big that I felt disconnected or like I was in some linguistics lesson.

It's set in an alternate version of the Tang dynasty, and I've found in the past that I struggle to stay interested or connect with Asian fantasy novels. NOT THIS ONE. I'm not sure if Baker put crack in this story or what, but I didn't want to put it down. I was invested in the alchemy, the court/empire's dynamic, and how all these little morsels of information we're given come together in the end.

Book two hasn't been published yet, but I was ready to pick it up immediately! I'll be watching for it, without a doubt.