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hyperashley's review
adventurous
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
4.0
bookwolfash_13's review
4.0
My rating system
5- Gush/Absolutely Loved
4- Low Love/High Like
3- Like
2- Meh
1- Dislike/Hate
If it is a .5 star I round up
4 Stars
Second book in the Tales of Akatsuki series slightly liked Kitsune more.
Yuki is a wonderful retelling of Snow White that takes place in Feudal Japan. Yuki is the heroine considered to be a wild child and also very strange. Hotaru was first seen in Kitsune and is Hikaru's younger brother. Hotaru has taken over as the clan elder and now needs to marry to strengthen his clan with the impending war. After Yuki's father falls in and dies suddenly her brother is all that she has left in this world, but he is ill with the mysterious sickness that killed their father and fading faster. Yuki swore that she would never marry if it's not without love but maybe Hotaru will get past her defenses.
Recommend this for anyone that enjoys Japanese Mythology (with romance), fairy tale retellings, anime or manga.
5- Gush/Absolutely Loved
4- Low Love/High Like
3- Like
2- Meh
1- Dislike/Hate
If it is a .5 star I round up
4 Stars
Second book in the Tales of Akatsuki series slightly liked Kitsune more.
Yuki is a wonderful retelling of Snow White that takes place in Feudal Japan. Yuki is the heroine considered to be a wild child and also very strange. Hotaru was first seen in Kitsune and is Hikaru's younger brother. Hotaru has taken over as the clan elder and now needs to marry to strengthen his clan with the impending war. After Yuki's father falls in and dies suddenly her brother is all that she has left in this world, but he is ill with the mysterious sickness that killed their father and fading faster. Yuki swore that she would never marry if it's not without love but maybe Hotaru will get past her defenses.
Recommend this for anyone that enjoys Japanese Mythology (with romance), fairy tale retellings, anime or manga.
ewil6681's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
briarrose1021's review
5.0
Hotaru's clan needs an alliance, so he travels to another clan to arrange an alliance through marriage. Yuki has no intention of ever getting married, though she may not have a choice if her clan is to be saved. At first intent on driving Hotaru away, Yuki has her tanuki friends play tricks on him. But Hotaru proves to be determined, which turns out to be a good thing because someone is trying to kill Yuki.
This was a really interesting retelling of Snow White. All the basic elements from the original fairy tale are there, but their placement within an ancient Japanese clan culture was interesting, as was the inclusion of elements from Japanese mythology. Though I did get a little frustrated by the back and forth that Yuki and Hotaru go through - it would be so much better if people would just talk to each other! - it wasn't terrible. And the tricks played by the tanukis, who clearly loved Yuki and wanted her to be happy, made for some great comedic relief.
Listening to the audiobook, narrated by Joanna Roddy, also enhanced my enjoyment of the book, as Roddy's performance was very good. Her voice work was good, and it was always easy to tell who was speaking the dialogue. Given the option, I would enjoy listening to Roddy read the other two retellings that Andrews has written. I also look forward to reading them. Especially the Little Mermaid retelling with a kitsune instead of a mermaid.
This was a really interesting retelling of Snow White. All the basic elements from the original fairy tale are there, but their placement within an ancient Japanese clan culture was interesting, as was the inclusion of elements from Japanese mythology. Though I did get a little frustrated by the back and forth that Yuki and Hotaru go through - it would be so much better if people would just talk to each other! - it wasn't terrible. And the tricks played by the tanukis, who clearly loved Yuki and wanted her to be happy, made for some great comedic relief.
Listening to the audiobook, narrated by Joanna Roddy, also enhanced my enjoyment of the book, as Roddy's performance was very good. Her voice work was good, and it was always easy to tell who was speaking the dialogue. Given the option, I would enjoy listening to Roddy read the other two retellings that Andrews has written. I also look forward to reading them. Especially the Little Mermaid retelling with a kitsune instead of a mermaid.
roshreviews's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
In a Nutshell: A retelling of Snow White with a Japanese folklore twist. Mostly predictable (as we all know the original story) but so much fun! Enjoyed it.
Story:
Hotaru has unexpectedly become the clan leader after his elder brother abdicated the post for love. But this abdication led to some political upheavals and war with the powerful Fujikawa clan looms on the horizon. To boost his position, Hotaru needs to marry into the clan who resides in the mysterious forest. The leader of this clan has been sickly, and he too desires his sister Yuki to be married before it is too late. Yuki however has no intention of marrying, least of all to a person who seeks a political alliance than love. With time running out for both of them, how will Hotaru save his clan, and how will Yuki ensure that she doesn’t compromise on her ideals?
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective.
Where the book worked for me:
🌹 Snow White is a fairy tale that we all know. To provide surprises within a known story is a tough task. The author takes some dark elements of the original German tale, intermingled with some elements from the Disney version and adds her own twists. This retelling thus provides a refreshing experience of Snow White.
🌹 I loved how smoothly the setting has been transferred to Japan. The Japanese setting is very well used, not just with the locational details but also with folklore characters such as tanuki and yokai having a strong role to play in the narrative.
🌹 Historical marriages among the nobility was mostly to ensure a strategic alliance among the male rules. But in this story, Yuki has a strong and independent role to play. She isn’t written as a typical historical/fairy tale heroine, waiting for someone to come and rescue her. Quite the opposite, in fact. She holds her own, is outspoken and fiesty and loyal. She makes for a much better fairy-tale heroine as she is not the typical Ms. Goody Two Shoes.
🌹 Hotaru is an interesting character. He begins as a cocky “What girl can resist me?!” kind of fellow but soon shows his sensitive side that he is forced to keep hidden for the sake of appearance. The growth in his character is most enjoyable.
🌹 We know how, in the original fairy tale, Snow White is rescued from her eternal sleep by a kiss from the Prince. (Consent be darned!!) I won’t tell you what happens in this story but whatever happened was so perfect! I really loved that turnaround.
🌹 The writing is pretty quick-paced and there was enough action to keep me engrossed from start to end.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ There are minor language-based/writing-based errors and becomes slightly repetitive midway. This wouldn’t affect most readers but I am a bit of a grammar fanatic, so I can’t ignore these. But as this is an indie work, I am not going to deduct stars for this issue.
⚠ You already know who the villain is if you know the original. I liked the build-up to her evil deeds, which are very clear to us readers though no one in the story knows who it is. However, the scene where she gets her due is too short and over before it even begins. This was the only real disappointment in the book.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 5 hrs 14 min, is narrated very well by Joanna Roddy. She provides the right inflections and character voices without resorting to clichéd Japanese accents. I enjoyed her performance and would definitely recommend the audio version.
Overall, I loved this retelling. While staying true to the original, it adds enough of novelty to ensure an entertaining experience. I want to read the rest of the series for sure.
Recommended for older teens (15+) and those looking for an unusual fairy tale retelling.
4.25 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.
Story:
Hotaru has unexpectedly become the clan leader after his elder brother abdicated the post for love. But this abdication led to some political upheavals and war with the powerful Fujikawa clan looms on the horizon. To boost his position, Hotaru needs to marry into the clan who resides in the mysterious forest. The leader of this clan has been sickly, and he too desires his sister Yuki to be married before it is too late. Yuki however has no intention of marrying, least of all to a person who seeks a political alliance than love. With time running out for both of them, how will Hotaru save his clan, and how will Yuki ensure that she doesn’t compromise on her ideals?
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective.
Where the book worked for me:
🌹 Snow White is a fairy tale that we all know. To provide surprises within a known story is a tough task. The author takes some dark elements of the original German tale, intermingled with some elements from the Disney version and adds her own twists. This retelling thus provides a refreshing experience of Snow White.
🌹 I loved how smoothly the setting has been transferred to Japan. The Japanese setting is very well used, not just with the locational details but also with folklore characters such as tanuki and yokai having a strong role to play in the narrative.
🌹 Historical marriages among the nobility was mostly to ensure a strategic alliance among the male rules. But in this story, Yuki has a strong and independent role to play. She isn’t written as a typical historical/fairy tale heroine, waiting for someone to come and rescue her. Quite the opposite, in fact. She holds her own, is outspoken and fiesty and loyal. She makes for a much better fairy-tale heroine as she is not the typical Ms. Goody Two Shoes.
🌹 Hotaru is an interesting character. He begins as a cocky “What girl can resist me?!” kind of fellow but soon shows his sensitive side that he is forced to keep hidden for the sake of appearance. The growth in his character is most enjoyable.
🌹 We know how, in the original fairy tale, Snow White is rescued from her eternal sleep by a kiss from the Prince. (Consent be darned!!) I won’t tell you what happens in this story but whatever happened was so perfect! I really loved that turnaround.
🌹 The writing is pretty quick-paced and there was enough action to keep me engrossed from start to end.
Where the book could have worked better for me:
⚠ There are minor language-based/writing-based errors and becomes slightly repetitive midway. This wouldn’t affect most readers but I am a bit of a grammar fanatic, so I can’t ignore these. But as this is an indie work, I am not going to deduct stars for this issue.
⚠ You already know who the villain is if you know the original. I liked the build-up to her evil deeds, which are very clear to us readers though no one in the story knows who it is. However, the scene where she gets her due is too short and over before it even begins. This was the only real disappointment in the book.
The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 5 hrs 14 min, is narrated very well by Joanna Roddy. She provides the right inflections and character voices without resorting to clichéd Japanese accents. I enjoyed her performance and would definitely recommend the audio version.
Overall, I loved this retelling. While staying true to the original, it adds enough of novelty to ensure an entertaining experience. I want to read the rest of the series for sure.
Recommended for older teens (15+) and those looking for an unusual fairy tale retelling.
4.25 stars.
I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the author through ‘StoryOrigin’ and these are my honest thoughts about it.
prairiemountaingirl's review
5.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway and I loved it! I love fairy tale retellings. This is tagged as a Snow White retelling, but the main character Yuki also has the personality of Disney's Merida and the strength of Mulan. The prince is a classic "all ladies love me and quickly swoon" character who is confused as to why Yuki is so hard to win over. The writing quickly moves the story along. Although it is predictable, it is a fun read.
ravenmoon's review
4.0
This story is book two in the Tales of Akatsuki. I read the first book Kitsune when it was released and loved it. So I was excited to read this next tale in the series. So my honest opinion is that while I like Hotaru I didn't like Yuki so much. She was way too headstrong and seemed super against marriage without love. But back in the day marriages were mostly political and arranged without the woman's consent most of the time Poor Hotaru had to deal with her shitty attitude and to top it off he had to deal with the stepmother trying to seduce him almost every time he turned around. I really like that the author blended the Disney version of the story with the original fairytale while putting her own spin on the tale.
That being said I did enjoy this story and I'm looking forward to reading Okami when it's released soon.
That being said I did enjoy this story and I'm looking forward to reading Okami when it's released soon.
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