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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Petition to make this into a TV show IMMEDIATELY.
This was an extremely fun read. It's kind of a mix between contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance, sort of like Shadowhunters but xianxia-inspired and for adults. It's also sort of reminiscent of the early 2010s paranormal YA, with immortals and interesting magic systems. But it makes so much more sense to me to read about immortals in adult fiction, since you know, if you're over 100 years old, why are you falling in love with a teenager. So this was really refreshing and something I'd very much like to see more of.
This was an extremely fun read. It's kind of a mix between contemporary fantasy and paranormal romance, sort of like Shadowhunters but xianxia-inspired and for adults. It's also sort of reminiscent of the early 2010s paranormal YA, with immortals and interesting magic systems. But it makes so much more sense to me to read about immortals in adult fiction, since you know, if you're over 100 years old, why are you falling in love with a teenager. So this was really refreshing and something I'd very much like to see more of.
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-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:
No
This book had me hooked right away with great characters, interesting world building, and a fast-paced intrigue filled plot. The it lost me with an unforgivable trope about 80% through.
The romance and characters were enough to make me finish but I am really super disaapointed in the direction they went.
It's still worth a read and I'll definitely check out more from this author.
The romance and characters were enough to make me finish but I am really super disaapointed in the direction they went.
It's still worth a read and I'll definitely check out more from this author.
challenging
emotional
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
slow-paced
A solid 3. I liked it, but didn’t love it. I loved the world, the magical beings, and the magic spy society. I didn’t like the pace, it felt slow-probably because there was quite a bit of world building at the beginning.
I’m not a big friends to lovers fan, but the romance was sweet and the spicy scenes were spicy.
I’m not a big friends to lovers fan, but the romance was sweet and the spicy scenes were spicy.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
-Thank you to Net Galley and Tachyon Publications for an ARC of this title - this was published on 3/14 so give it a try!!-
The cover makes you think fantasy/romance but this really should be classified as an urban fantasy/romance which caught me very off guard. I loved the variety of influences for this - the fae vs. traditional Chinese medicine gods and the variety of power in this was fairly expansive. The pacing was a little off for my taste - but I'm likely to put that on the ARC rather than the finished product. This novel has a little bit of everything - friends-to-lovers, generational trauma, abuse of power, some pretty darn good spicey scenes, and even what I would call a Romeo & Juliet inspired ending.
I keep trying to think of how to explain this title because it feels at once familiar and so fresh - almost like how Becky Chambers would write urban fantasy because it so character driven but I loved being able to sink into the magic systems at play. I would like a series or something like a cycle that would follow different characters and storylines within this world because there is soooo much room to play within the world that Mai Tsai created. As a debut? This was great.
The cover makes you think fantasy/romance but this really should be classified as an urban fantasy/romance which caught me very off guard. I loved the variety of influences for this - the fae vs. traditional Chinese medicine gods and the variety of power in this was fairly expansive. The pacing was a little off for my taste - but I'm likely to put that on the ARC rather than the finished product. This novel has a little bit of everything - friends-to-lovers, generational trauma, abuse of power, some pretty darn good spicey scenes, and even what I would call a Romeo & Juliet inspired ending.
I keep trying to think of how to explain this title because it feels at once familiar and so fresh - almost like how Becky Chambers would write urban fantasy because it so character driven but I loved being able to sink into the magic systems at play. I would like a series or something like a cycle that would follow different characters and storylines within this world because there is soooo much room to play within the world that Mai Tsai created. As a debut? This was great.
didn't work for me. magic was not explained at all, side characters and the main characters backstories were undeveloped.
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
This was so good! When it first started I was unsure but soon the pacing sped up and it took off!
This is a perfectly enjoyable magical realism type story. The lore involved in this is so interesting and I have no complaints. It felt “real” for a fantasy type story and it was easy to keep up with the characters once the story got going. The build to get there was a bit much but in the end, this is definitely a novel worth your time!
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!