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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I am not sure yet how I feel about this book. I am a little disappointed in the story line and character arc and development. Some things seem forced, and a little predictable. I felt like the end was a bit of a let down, but perhaps that is because it is preparing for a second book. As I was reading, I was drawn in by the story, and appreciated the magical elements. The purpose for the characters seems lacking. I want to read the next book to see if it helps to make sense of things.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An interesting fantasy debut!
The Girl King is an epic fantasy that centers on two sisters: Lu and Min. Lu is older and an extremely headstrong and dedication girl. She's known she'll be the first female emperor once her father steps down. Min doesn't really know what she wants, besides to step out of Lu's shadow. But when their father names their cousin, Set, the heir, the two are forced onto different paths.
I did generally enjoy this book. Lu was the archetype that I love: girls with swords who are assertive and know what they want. I was rooting for her through everything, I want to see Lu crowned Emperor and succeed where everything told her that she couldn't. We also alternate POVs with Nokhai, the last wolf shapeshifter left. His people were murdered by Lu's grandfather and he definitely carries a grudge. I loved the dynamic between these two. I was so fascinated by how their world views were so different. It was interesting to see how they reconciled these differences.
The main thing I struggled with was Min. Min discovers she has forbidden magic and then basically does everything she can to help Set become Emperor. She really grated on my nerves because if she wasn't trying to please her mother, she was trying to please Set and I just want her to develop a personality that separate from either of them. I want her to choose a path because it's what she WANTS, not what she thinks she should do bc of other people.
There was a lot of brutal colonisation in this book and at times it was hard to read. I know these things happen, but I definitely was not prepared for it to be such a huge topic in this book. I do want to know how this series concludes, so I will pick up the sequel eventually. It's not a priority though.
Rep: East Asian coded cast, cishet male MC with PTSD, two cishet female MCs.
CWs: Abandonment, blood, body shaming, colonisation, death, death of parent, drugging of MC without her consent, emotional abuse (mother to child), fatphobia, past mentions of genocide and work/slave camps, grief, homophobia/homomisia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder, sexism, toxic relationship (romantic and familial), violence, xenophobia. Moderate: Infertility of MC, kidnapping, medical content and experimentation without consent, mental illness (PTSD), police brutality, racism (towards shapeshifters), attempted rape by a soldier, torture, war.
The Girl King is an epic fantasy that centers on two sisters: Lu and Min. Lu is older and an extremely headstrong and dedication girl. She's known she'll be the first female emperor once her father steps down. Min doesn't really know what she wants, besides to step out of Lu's shadow. But when their father names their cousin, Set, the heir, the two are forced onto different paths.
I did generally enjoy this book. Lu was the archetype that I love: girls with swords who are assertive and know what they want. I was rooting for her through everything, I want to see Lu crowned Emperor and succeed where everything told her that she couldn't. We also alternate POVs with Nokhai, the last wolf shapeshifter left. His people were murdered by Lu's grandfather and he definitely carries a grudge. I loved the dynamic between these two. I was so fascinated by how their world views were so different. It was interesting to see how they reconciled these differences.
The main thing I struggled with was Min. Min discovers she has forbidden magic and then basically does everything she can to help Set become Emperor. She really grated on my nerves because if she wasn't trying to please her mother, she was trying to please Set and I just want her to develop a personality that separate from either of them. I want her to choose a path because it's what she WANTS, not what she thinks she should do bc of other people.
There was a lot of brutal colonisation in this book and at times it was hard to read. I know these things happen, but I definitely was not prepared for it to be such a huge topic in this book. I do want to know how this series concludes, so I will pick up the sequel eventually. It's not a priority though.
Rep: East Asian coded cast, cishet male MC with PTSD, two cishet female MCs.
CWs: Abandonment, blood, body shaming, colonisation, death, death of parent, drugging of MC without her consent, emotional abuse (mother to child), fatphobia, past mentions of genocide and work/slave camps, grief, homophobia/homomisia, injury/injury detail, misogyny, murder, sexism, toxic relationship (romantic and familial), violence, xenophobia. Moderate: Infertility of MC, kidnapping, medical content and experimentation without consent, mental illness (PTSD), police brutality, racism (towards shapeshifters), attempted rape by a soldier, torture, war.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Torture, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, War
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In fact, I wanted to love The Girl King. Sisters! Rivals! Betrayal! Family! War! Mimi Yu's debut smells of an action-packed adventure with sibling rivalry, magic and court politics that would be hard to put down. Bonus points for #OwnVoices.
Bookwyrms, much disappointment has indeed occurred. I spent loads of time deciding if I should continue trekking my way through The Girl King or calling it quits. Eventually, at 50% through, I decided to call it a day because we don't have time for books that aren't enjoyable.
"Slipskin" feels awfully weird for a shifter/werewolf influence, bookwyrms. Sure, it's "slipping" out of one's "skin" and into another "slipping" into another "skin." But is it just me, or do I think of something gross and slimy at the thought? 🤔
And let's not get started with "pink." I legit thought of newly born babies.
Vicky from Vicky Who Reads has this covered in more detail in her review. (I guarantee you her post is 100x more professional.)
Sure, I went to at least halfway through the book, but it was a whole lot of back and forth reading between this book and another one. I didn't care about the storyline or the world, even though I could relate to some of the cultural influences included. Despite enjoying Lu's fierceness, I ultimately didn't care about Lu or any of the other characters involved. I found myself interested in continuing the book at some points, but at the same time, I didn't really care.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
I wanted to like this book.
In fact, I wanted to love The Girl King. Sisters! Rivals! Betrayal! Family! War! Mimi Yu's debut smells of an action-packed adventure with sibling rivalry, magic and court politics that would be hard to put down. Bonus points for #OwnVoices.
But much disappointment has occurred.
Bookwyrms, much disappointment has indeed occurred. I spent loads of time deciding if I should continue trekking my way through The Girl King or calling it quits. Eventually, at 50% through, I decided to call it a day because we don't have time for books that aren't enjoyable.
We're not going to talk much about the problems involved.
"Slipskin" feels awfully weird for a shifter/werewolf influence, bookwyrms. Sure, it's "slipping" out of one's "skin" and into another "slipping" into another "skin." But is it just me, or do I think of something gross and slimy at the thought? 🤔
And let's not get started with "pink." I legit thought of newly born babies.
Vicky from Vicky Who Reads has this covered in more detail in her review. (I guarantee you her post is 100x more professional.)
I didn't connect with anything in The Girl King.
Sure, I went to at least halfway through the book, but it was a whole lot of back and forth reading between this book and another one. I didn't care about the storyline or the world, even though I could relate to some of the cultural influences included. Despite enjoying Lu's fierceness, I ultimately didn't care about Lu or any of the other characters involved. I found myself interested in continuing the book at some points, but at the same time, I didn't really care.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
Probably a 3.5. Solid start to a series. Definitely picked up later in the book and I think that pacing fit the story better. Lu is a strong lead, and I look forward to where her story goes.