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emherrick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The main plot is overall a little cliche, with a love plot that you can see from the very beginning but you are rooting for them. However, there is an interesting twist at the end, making you rethink who the real enemy is.
During the main character's mission, you get a sense that she is able to use not only her beauty but also her cleverness to her advantage. However, in my opinion, she does everything almost too easily. Besides a couple moments that I don't want to spoil, she does not really struggle with any of the challenges presented to her.
During the main character's mission, you get a sense that she is able to use not only her beauty but also her cleverness to her advantage. However, in my opinion, she does everything almost too easily. Besides a couple moments that I don't want to spoil, she does not really struggle with any of the challenges presented to her.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Alcohol and Classism
kbrinkman25's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was frustrated by this book because the sense of timing and investment in characters just seemed off. Maybe the timing was deliberate, as in Xishi is a legend because she was able to entirely retrain her mind, manners, and facial expressions in a little more than two months. But the writing seems to invite you to see Xishi as a whole, flawed, relatable person in spite of her beauty. So is she a superhuman legend, or a regular person in extraordinary circumstances? I'm not sure.
All of Xishi's relationships were also hard to believe because we didn't spend enough time with them. (Spoilers ahead)
All of Xishi's relationships were also hard to believe because we didn't spend enough time with them. (Spoilers ahead)
- Zhengdan seemed set up to be her best friend within the Wu palace,
but she did not do much and then she died in an incredibly anticlimactic way. - Every ally she made in the Wu palace seemed very ill thought out. Counting on the loyalty of people you hardly know,
let alone who tried to poison you, seems like the naive thinking of someone who only received ten weeks of training.Then again, they all did exactly as she wanted them to with an astonishing lack or suspicion. - Fanli is tricky because he did seem like a somewhat fleshed out character, just one we spent no time with.
There were a lot of elements to explore in this story about loyalty, war, suffering, and love. For me it boiled down to a lack of space to give all of those elements the nuance they deserved. But I was genuinely surprised by the ending and thought it was done well, so I'm willing to see where this author goes in the future!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Torture, War, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism
mcbadger's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow.
The portrayal of the politics of war and many sides of it was incredible. The intricacies of the Wu Court and it's affect on Xishi marvelously described. I felt as Xishi felt, the dread and hope, hate and guilt.
I love Zhengdan and Xiaomin so much.
The portrayal of the politics of war and many sides of it was incredible. The intricacies of the Wu Court and it's affect on Xishi marvelously described. I felt as Xishi felt, the dread and hope, hate and guilt.
I love Zhengdan and Xiaomin so much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, and War
Moderate: Grief and Classism
booksemmahasread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and War
Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Grief and Injury/Injury detail
laurenlolson's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Chronic illness, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Sexual content
baileybeloved's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Loved the world building, the characters, & the ending.
As with a lot of historical fiction/retellings, you could see where the story was going the entire time & I knew, basically beat for beat, what was coming next, but it didn’t take away from the emotions of it.
Everyone got the ending they were always going to have & I respect that. I think Liang has excellent characterization skills, which really aids in making the plot both believable and predictable - not that that is a bad thing. Knowing the characters so well that I can predict their thoughts/motivations just means (to me) that you’ve created some very well fleshed out characters.
A small thing I really liked - up until the end - is that we see a lot of moments where Xishi is forced to face that people, regardless of kingdom, are just people. Everyone loses family in wars regardless of side, every kingdom has a king who is selfish, every court is made up of individuals with their own tragedies & losses, & every mountain can be stunning, regardless of the earth it resides on. Though Xishi sort of acknowledges this through noting her surprise (thinking specifically of the line”you call the Yue monsters?” ), it is kept in the background. It does not change Xishi’s mind or her mission, which I liked for her character. Then at the end, you have another character kind of bring that point home for her, which I thought was kind of unnecessary for the story. Like it is understandable that that is that character’s belief, but I just felt like that being the catalyst for Xishi’s next actions, & the ultimate climax of the book, was a little bit unnecessary.
Overall, I liked this story a lot. The book itself is also stunning (I have the hardcover with the art on the front (sword) & back (hairpin) beneath what is already a beautiful cover).
As with a lot of historical fiction/retellings, you could see where the story was going the entire time & I knew, basically beat for beat, what was coming next, but it didn’t take away from the emotions of it.
Everyone got the ending they were always going to have & I respect that. I think Liang has excellent characterization skills, which really aids in making the plot both believable and predictable - not that that is a bad thing. Knowing the characters so well that I can predict their thoughts/motivations just means (to me) that you’ve created some very well fleshed out characters.
A small thing I really liked - up until the end - is that we see a lot of moments where Xishi is forced to face that people, regardless of kingdom, are just people. Everyone loses family in wars regardless of side, every kingdom has a king who is selfish, every court is made up of individuals with their own tragedies & losses, & every mountain can be stunning, regardless of the earth it resides on. Though Xishi sort of acknowledges this through noting her surprise (thinking specifically of the line
Overall, I liked this story a lot. The book itself is also stunning (I have the hardcover with the art on the front (sword) & back (hairpin) beneath what is already a beautiful cover).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism
spellbindingtomes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
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? It's complicated
5.0
𝘐𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘴 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘢𝘳.
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of ancient China's Four Beauties, this novel follows a young woman's journey as she becomes a spy to save her kingdom. Trained by military advisor Fanli, Xishi infiltrates the rival Wu palace to seduce & weaken their king. As she navigates court politics & her growing feelings for Fanli, Xishi must maintain her cover or risk the destruction of both kingdoms.
•
•
•
Ann Liang's retelling of Xishi's legend is a breathtaking journey through ancient China's political landscape. Her writing paints such a vivid world, bringing to life the struggles of women in a male-dominated society.
The intricate dance of courtly politics & espionage was brilliantly executed, contrasted with the forbidden romance & pining between Xishi & Fanli added so much more to this already emotional story.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦.
This isn't just historical fiction; it's a captivating experience that will resonate long after the final page. Prepare for a harrowing odyssey through love, duty, & self-discovery.
Fair warning: it's emotionally intense and gut-wrenching at times. I have not fully recovered as of posting this review ❤️🩹 but Ann has truly elevated her craft, cementing her status as a must-read author of mine.
If you loved I Hope This Doesn't Find You, prepare for something totally different but equally amazing ✨
Read if you love:
🏮 ancient Chinese legend retelling
🪷 strongly written FMCs
🏮 forbidden romance
🪷 star-crossed lovers
🏮 espionage
𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐢 𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:
Inspired by the legend of Xishi, one of ancient China's Four Beauties, this novel follows a young woman's journey as she becomes a spy to save her kingdom. Trained by military advisor Fanli, Xishi infiltrates the rival Wu palace to seduce & weaken their king. As she navigates court politics & her growing feelings for Fanli, Xishi must maintain her cover or risk the destruction of both kingdoms.
•
•
•
Ann Liang's retelling of Xishi's legend is a breathtaking journey through ancient China's political landscape. Her writing paints such a vivid world, bringing to life the struggles of women in a male-dominated society.
The intricate dance of courtly politics & espionage was brilliantly executed, contrasted with the forbidden romance & pining between Xishi & Fanli added so much more to this already emotional story.
𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘠𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦.
This isn't just historical fiction; it's a captivating experience that will resonate long after the final page. Prepare for a harrowing odyssey through love, duty, & self-discovery.
Fair warning: it's emotionally intense and gut-wrenching at times. I have not fully recovered as of posting this review ❤️🩹 but Ann has truly elevated her craft, cementing her status as a must-read author of mine.
If you loved I Hope This Doesn't Find You, prepare for something totally different but equally amazing ✨
Read if you love:
🏮 ancient Chinese legend retelling
🪷 strongly written FMCs
🏮 forbidden romance
🪷 star-crossed lovers
🏮 espionage
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Classism