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lulabelll's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
kinghungry's review against another edition
3.0
This book was a difficult read because I was constantly back and forth on whether I wanted to finish it (especially in the first ~40%). The first half was a solid 2/5 but second half was a 3.5/5. I don’t enjoy “the chosen one” main character tropes, leaving me very frustrated with both main characters and some of the plot elements, but the pacing and allure of qi magic kept me hooked enough that I did finish.
Not an organized review by any means but moreso a collection of thoughts while reading this book:
• “The chosen one” main characters omg - MC’s mom has sealed within her this magic so powerful and special that other powerful figures have risked their lives to protect (eyeroll) the explanation at the end made this just a biiit more bearable
• The male MC is not spared this trope either - “oh i must shoulder this it is my destiny” like no, why would you not tell your master about this world ending plan (though despite that I did enjoy his POV chapters more than Lan’s.. is that my toxic trait??)
• There’s way too many dark/black-related adjectives for Zen - shadow, ink, etc like ok I get it this man has black hair and eyebrows and eyelashes and wears a lot of black and owns a lot of black things
• Villains are not original - why are they whitewalkers.. and the highest ranking ones are called Alloys??? Because they wield more metals??
• Why did the 4 heavenly beasts have to be demonic :(((
Things I liked:
• qi as musical notes was a cool concept
• Zen being so gentle with Lan because of her song girl history ugh what a sweetheart (the bar is so low I know)
Spoiler
Not an organized review by any means but moreso a collection of thoughts while reading this book:
• “The chosen one” main characters omg - MC’s mom has sealed within her this magic so powerful and special that other powerful figures have risked their lives to protect (eyeroll) the explanation at the end made this just a biiit more bearable
• The male MC is not spared this trope either - “oh i must shoulder this it is my destiny” like no, why would you not tell your master about this world ending plan (though despite that I did enjoy his POV chapters more than Lan’s.. is that my toxic trait??)
• There’s way too many dark/black-related adjectives for Zen - shadow, ink, etc like ok I get it this man has black hair and eyebrows and eyelashes and wears a lot of black and owns a lot of black things
• Villains are not original - why are they whitewalkers.. and the highest ranking ones are called Alloys??? Because they wield more metals??
• Why did the 4 heavenly beasts have to be demonic :(((
Things I liked:
• qi as musical notes was a cool concept
• Zen being so gentle with Lan because of her song girl history ugh what a sweetheart (the bar is so low I know)
project_moonlark027's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
- 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? Yes
5.0
this book is the whole reason i know what an ocarina is. also i might’ve fallen in love with Zen.
kat42's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There's a severe lack of dragons considering there's a dragon on the cover :/ (not completely devoid, but not enough).
Everything in this book was just aggressively average to me. The characters, the plot, the world building. I did like the magic system, though, and the exploration of colonization in a fantasy setting. Also it seems to be setting up for a quest in the sequel, which is exciting.
Everything in this book was just aggressively average to me. The characters, the plot, the world building. I did like the magic system, though, and the exploration of colonization in a fantasy setting. Also it seems to be setting up for a quest in the sequel, which is exciting.
allivenger's review against another edition
5.0
This book hit all the right notes for me. It had a girl with a secret, a mysterious boy tasked with his own secret mission, and an evil empire out to destroy them both. The almost lyrical way this book was written made it feel like I wanted to snuggle in and read it for hours. Which I did on more than one occasion.
Lan just wants to live her life under the radar. But with the Elantian’s harsh rules, it’s hard for a girl like her to do so. Especially with a mysterious mark on her arm that she’s desperate to know the meaning of. The only issue? She’s the only one who can see it. Until she isn’t. Zen is a magical practitioner of arts that have been outlawed by the colonizing Elantian’s, and so, he discovers, is Lan. Together they have to escape being captured so Zen can bring her to his home, where Lan just might find the answers she seeks. But both have deep secrets that threaten everything they hold dear.
To say I loved this book is an understatement. I cannot wait to read this sequel and see where this path leads Lan and Zen. Their story is one of the best ones I’ve read. Dont hesitate to pick this book up! It’s well worth it.
Lan just wants to live her life under the radar. But with the Elantian’s harsh rules, it’s hard for a girl like her to do so. Especially with a mysterious mark on her arm that she’s desperate to know the meaning of. The only issue? She’s the only one who can see it. Until she isn’t. Zen is a magical practitioner of arts that have been outlawed by the colonizing Elantian’s, and so, he discovers, is Lan. Together they have to escape being captured so Zen can bring her to his home, where Lan just might find the answers she seeks. But both have deep secrets that threaten everything they hold dear.
To say I loved this book is an understatement. I cannot wait to read this sequel and see where this path leads Lan and Zen. Their story is one of the best ones I’ve read. Dont hesitate to pick this book up! It’s well worth it.
celadore's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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? Yes
4.25
acting_author_avatar's review against another edition
4.5
It was so good! I would definitely read it again.
The whole Demon Gods thing was so cool!
The Demon God's names were cool, with the Azure Tiger, Black Tortoise, Silver Dragon, and Crimson Phoenix.
The whole Demon Gods thing was so cool!
The Demon God's names were cool, with the Azure Tiger, Black Tortoise, Silver Dragon, and Crimson Phoenix.