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sparrowhearted's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Might return to this review when it's not five in the morning.
- Biggest gripes are the writing choices as far as tone is involved (inconsistent, shifts occasionally so jarring it made me laugh in places i really shouldn't have).
- I usually struggle a lot with first person perspectives and while, from a technical standpoint, the writing is really inconsistent and muddy in that regard (are we looking at the world from Sai's perspective? Why do we suddenly know this particular little piece of information??) I had almost no issues with the perspective.
- Nothing overwhelmingly novel or groundbreaking, but sweet and a very easy read.
- Also, yes, largely predictable. One particular minor plot beat caught me off guard, but not in a way that had me reeling.
- Definitely for a target demographic younger than me, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun I got out of the book all the same.
- The protagonists are a little flimsy, but mostly likeable all the same.
- Cheesy and cartoonish in places but all that considered I would probably recommend this book if someone were looking for an easy read that doesn't take up much brain space and comes with a fun xianxia coat of paint.
- Don't know if I would reread it, but I had fun with this.
- Biggest gripes are the writing choices as far as tone is involved (inconsistent, shifts occasionally so jarring it made me laugh in places i really shouldn't have).
- I usually struggle a lot with first person perspectives and while, from a technical standpoint, the writing is really inconsistent and muddy in that regard (are we looking at the world from Sai's perspective? Why do we suddenly know this particular little piece of information??) I had almost no issues with the perspective.
- Nothing overwhelmingly novel or groundbreaking, but sweet and a very easy read.
- Also, yes, largely predictable. One particular minor plot beat caught me off guard, but not in a way that had me reeling.
- Definitely for a target demographic younger than me, but I was very pleasantly surprised by how much fun I got out of the book all the same.
- The protagonists are a little flimsy, but mostly likeable all the same.
- Cheesy and cartoonish in places but all that considered I would probably recommend this book if someone were looking for an easy read that doesn't take up much brain space and comes with a fun xianxia coat of paint.
- Don't know if I would reread it, but I had fun with this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Blood
sydneyd05's review
5.0
I've read this authors debut and loved it so I was excited to read this even though it's so different. I was hooked on this from the very beginning. I wanted to know more about their love story so badly. Jyn had been through so much alone, just waiting for the chance to be with him. I loved this.
mischiefalwayswinsthewar's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
This was a fun read with a kind of goofy protagonist and an imaginative world rooted in Chinese folklore.
Sai: struggling teahouse owner, caretaker to his ailing mother, overall silly goose, and oh yeah, he can see the red threads of fate that connect two souls. Even if his thread is grey and his chances of finding his Fated one are slim to none. When he's given green dragon scales as a form of medicine for his mother, no one is more surprised than he when it actually works. Except it lands him in the dungeons of the emperor, who gives him the choice to set out on a quest to find this elusive dragon and bring it back to him or, well, die. What Sai doesn't know is this quest will alter the quiet life he knew and bring him closer to his Fated one than he's ever been, except it might also be the most dangerous thing for both of them.
I really enjoyed this story, especially because I'm a big fan of any stories having to do with soulmates, fated mates, all of it to be honest. The idea that souls can be reincarnated and destined for each other over and over was written really quite beautifully into this book. I also have a special place in my heart for when folk tales are written into books; I loved the story of the three dragons and how it played into Sai and Jyn's fate.
I did think at times that Sai was a bit TOO theatrical and I had a hard time taking him seriously. At times it made the book fun, but there were definitely moments where I was kind of going "read the room!" in my head.
Overall would recommend if you're looking for a light, diverse read with a heartfelt story at its core - at 309 pages, I got through this quickly.
Sai: struggling teahouse owner, caretaker to his ailing mother, overall silly goose, and oh yeah, he can see the red threads of fate that connect two souls. Even if his thread is grey and his chances of finding his Fated one are slim to none. When he's given green dragon scales as a form of medicine for his mother, no one is more surprised than he when it actually works. Except it lands him in the dungeons of the emperor, who gives him the choice to set out on a quest to find this elusive dragon and bring it back to him or, well, die. What Sai doesn't know is this quest will alter the quiet life he knew and bring him closer to his Fated one than he's ever been, except it might also be the most dangerous thing for both of them.
I really enjoyed this story, especially because I'm a big fan of any stories having to do with soulmates, fated mates, all of it to be honest. The idea that souls can be reincarnated and destined for each other over and over was written really quite beautifully into this book. I also have a special place in my heart for when folk tales are written into books; I loved the story of the three dragons and how it played into Sai and Jyn's fate.
I did think at times that Sai was a bit TOO theatrical and I had a hard time taking him seriously. At times it made the book fun, but there were definitely moments where I was kind of going "read the room!" in my head.
Overall would recommend if you're looking for a light, diverse read with a heartfelt story at its core - at 309 pages, I got through this quickly.
magneto's review against another edition
This book was a struggle to read between the middle grade level writing and the unlikeability of both the MC and the love interest. I paused reading this multiple times thinking I just wasn't in the mood but apparently the mood was never right so I finally gave up.
blondofondo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? It's complicated
5.0
A beautiful, perfect ending that had me tear up. A story of love over lifetimes. A story of great adventure, with appearances from many different creatures of myth. This was a great read. The end got a bit intense as we reached the climax (it’s rough to see beloved characters subjected to great pain and loss), but there is a happy, beautiful ending. Quite an epic. Such an emotional journey.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Violence, and War
shikaman's review
2.0
Putting this as more of a 2.5 star rating. The premise was nice but ultimately there was a lot of unrealized potential that I would have loved to read in more detail about. Characters and setting fell flat for me. I had to check a few times to see if this was labeled as an adult book because the writing sometimes felt middle-grade. A tame read overall, almost DNF halfway, but I'm glad I powered through because it gets a little more interesting towards the end.
Just not for me, although the recurring instances of was super fascinating and I wish was made more of a plot point than it was.
Just not for me, although the recurring instances of
Spoiler
cannibalizing their loved ones in order to gain power/heal injuries, sicknesspiroulina's review
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It was a fun adventure to follow! Very black and white, and the romantic scenes were sometimes a little too saccharine for me, but the story was engaging, and the characters were fun. It reminded me of Chinese light novels (with its sudden gore and tragedies).
Spoiler-ish?
My goodness, don't give honey to newborn babies!!!
Spoiler-ish?
My goodness, don't give honey to newborn babies!!!
liveejane's review
3.0
Quick, sweet read. I felt like we really only got sketches of the characters and world, so in that way it was more fairytale-esque. But I did appreciate that Sai wasn't a stereotypical romantasy main character and I'm a sucker for a temporally sweeping love story, so I generally enjoyed this.
bookreqst's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0