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emilyrandolph_epstein's review
4.0
The prose are lush and gorgeous and conjure fantastic imagery and the tone is at once mythical and intimate. I loved the characters to bits. However, I found it a bit difficult to get into the story. The use of second person viewpoint didn't entirely make sense to me and I think I old have liked it better in 1st or 3rd. That said, I would definitely recommend to lovers of epic fantasy with an lgtbq+ twist.
paperbookmarks's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
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? No
3.5
I absolutely lovely the narrative framing for this book and will be continuing the series. I have read some own-voices reviews that criticise the way the author utilises Asian influences for her story so I encourage anyone to read on this.
ponyoplant's review
adventurous
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
4.75
aaixhi's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
DNF- too slow
vitaminemgee's review
3.0
I have problems with this (and I think there are very legitimate problems too), but I still enjoyed it for what it was overall.
lizzielikesfrogs's review
3.5
i really enjoyed the format of the book & the story being told through one long letter. the emphasis on the characters was nicely done & i liked the way it played out. i do wish that the plot line with the demons would've been more expanded on, that felt a little superficial without going into more depth. for the book to be better, i would've preferred less repetition & a more considered world-building & plot-line. i also found the ending to be quite rushed when the rest of the book was very slow. the author doesn't expand upon much other than the two main characters, and while i enjoyed their romance, i do wish we got to see more of the other characters.
effitsfranki's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
ubecrinkle49's review
2.0
Like so many others, I wanted to like this book as well. It was an East-Asian, Lesbian Romance/Adventure! I didn't hate it, or I wouldn't have finished it, but honestly, it wasn't even good.
My main gripes with it were the laziness of the world building and elements of the romance.
The world felt too mixy-matchy. Hokkaro is a superficially Japanese-inspired empire, with Chinese trappings. My knowledge of Japanese and Chinese history is limited, but I know enough to see that some elements were simply super imposed onto each other. Which is lazy, and honestly fairly racist.
The lack of plot didn't bother me as much, but of course, that meant that this was really a love story and not an adventure story. The description on the back of the book was fairly misleading though, so I feel bad for people who thought this was gonna be an epic fantasy adventure, and instead got a fantasy romance LOL. Of course, I can see why this would disappoint some people. Unless the relationship is compelling enough, then there isn't much to really sink your teeth into.
The author doesn't really make clear WHY Shefali and Shizuka loved each other so fiercely, only that they did, and from such young age. I liked them together sometimes, but it also felt like there wasn't enough. Perhaps that's just personal taste though.
In any case, I feel like this was meant to be some transcendent love-story, almost like a fairytale or an old legend, but it didn't quite hit the mark.
My main gripes with it were the laziness of the world building and elements of the romance.
The world felt too mixy-matchy. Hokkaro is a superficially Japanese-inspired empire, with Chinese trappings. My knowledge of Japanese and Chinese history is limited, but I know enough to see that some elements were simply super imposed onto each other. Which is lazy, and honestly fairly racist.
The lack of plot didn't bother me as much, but of course, that meant that this was really a love story and not an adventure story. The description on the back of the book was fairly misleading though, so I feel bad for people who thought this was gonna be an epic fantasy adventure, and instead got a fantasy romance LOL. Of course, I can see why this would disappoint some people. Unless the relationship is compelling enough, then there isn't much to really sink your teeth into.
The author doesn't really make clear WHY Shefali and Shizuka loved each other so fiercely, only that they did, and from such young age. I liked them together sometimes, but it also felt like there wasn't enough. Perhaps that's just personal taste though.
In any case, I feel like this was meant to be some transcendent love-story, almost like a fairytale or an old legend, but it didn't quite hit the mark.
yeoman014's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Fantastic world-building, and well-done; all is revealed not through pages of exposition but as it becomes relevant to the story. Rich in cultural and linguistic aspects.
This is the kind of book that I immediately want to go back and re-read from the start to catch everything that laid the groundwork for later events. (Admittedly, this is partly because my reading of it was unfortunately stretched out over months, so my memory...) I'll also be buying the sequels right away.
Highly recommend. I even told my best friend (before I was even halfway through the book!) that I was going to loan it to her as soon as I was done.
This is the kind of book that I immediately want to go back and re-read from the start to catch everything that laid the groundwork for later events. (Admittedly, this is partly because my reading of it was unfortunately stretched out over months, so my memory...) I'll also be buying the sequels right away.
Highly recommend. I even told my best friend (before I was even halfway through the book!) that I was going to loan it to her as soon as I was done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Eating disorder, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Torture, Sexual content, Animal death, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment