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mrhslibrary's review against another edition
2.0
I found it difficult to enjoy this novel. The writing seemed flat to me and the characters did little to engage my interest or curiosity.
athiker10's review against another edition
4.0
Very neat story that draws you in. I felt like the love relationship between the two main characters was not as fleshed out as it could have been. The lead male felt very flat.
aimee70807's review
5.0
This is probably about a 4.5 star book, with half a star docked for not quite living up to its worldbuilding potential. But I'm rounding up because it read well and hooked me despite the teenage protagonist. In a way, it reminded me of the Westmark Trilogy, but quieter and more introspective. At first, I thought the ending was flawed, but then I figured out how we could have gotten there. Definitely left me with a sweet but melancholy taste in my mouth.
prationality's review
This is a DNF for me. Despite loving Sharon Shinn, the asian backdrop and influence and interesting premise (certain gateways lead to other worlds because they are fixed points in time/space) I could not get into this. It was something of a yawn fest for me actually.
darlenemarshall's review
4.0
Another excellent fantasy YA novel about young people making difficult choices. It was also enlivened by having an Asian-American heroine, something we don't see often enough in a largely white-bread genre.
singinglight's review
3.0
Opening line–”Daiyu looked over the assortment of jewelry at the old woman’s booth and didn’t see anything she liked.”
First of all, I loved the cover. The designer had obviously read the book, or knew enough about it to be true to details like the color of Kalen’s hair. It had just the right feel, and it made me happy.
I liked the book itself. It felt very sold, well-written, well thought out. I liked the fact that it was multi-cultural without that feeling forced. The idea of an alternate universe where the equivalent of China is the dominant culture was fascinating, although I’m not entirely sure that I bought the interaction between the different groups in that world.
If this sounds a little lukewarm, I guess that’s because it is. I did like it. I found it an enjoyable read. And yet, I was never wowed, never blown away by the writing or the setting. The characters never made me really fall in love with them. I did very much like the fact that Daiyu takes the time to consider whether the people she finds herself with are trustworthy or not, instead of blindly following whatever they tell her to do.
I think part of my…problem is too definite a word…difficulty? with the book was that I didn’t buy into the romance. It seemed just a little forced, like it was there because it was supposed to be, somehow.
Final verdict? Interesting, well-written book, with a nicely done inclusion of other cultures.
Book source: public library
Book information: Viking, 2009
First of all, I loved the cover. The designer had obviously read the book, or knew enough about it to be true to details like the color of Kalen’s hair. It had just the right feel, and it made me happy.
I liked the book itself. It felt very sold, well-written, well thought out. I liked the fact that it was multi-cultural without that feeling forced. The idea of an alternate universe where the equivalent of China is the dominant culture was fascinating, although I’m not entirely sure that I bought the interaction between the different groups in that world.
If this sounds a little lukewarm, I guess that’s because it is. I did like it. I found it an enjoyable read. And yet, I was never wowed, never blown away by the writing or the setting. The characters never made me really fall in love with them. I did very much like the fact that Daiyu takes the time to consider whether the people she finds herself with are trustworthy or not, instead of blindly following whatever they tell her to do.
I think part of my…problem is too definite a word…difficulty? with the book was that I didn’t buy into the romance. It seemed just a little forced, like it was there because it was supposed to be, somehow.
Final verdict? Interesting, well-written book, with a nicely done inclusion of other cultures.
Book source: public library
Book information: Viking, 2009
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