Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Thank you to Net galley and Bloomsbury for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2019 but unfortunately, it just fell flat for me.
The Girl King is the first book in a young adult fantasy series which is marketed as an Asian fantasy.
It started off fairly well but I quickly got bored - the characters and world lacked depth for me and there are so many YA tropes in this book. Also, other than the character names and the clothing style, I personally couldn't see anything Asian about this fantasy - if you'd replaced Lu and Min with Kate and Emma then it would have read like most other fantasies.
The writing style also just didn't engage me - I read continued reading this only because all my physical books are packed and I think that if I wasn't moving and had other options, then I would have put this down and picked up something else.
The series has potential to improve in the next book but I probably won't be picking it up as there are so many other books that I would like to read first.
This was one of my most anticipated books for 2019 but unfortunately, it just fell flat for me.
The Girl King is the first book in a young adult fantasy series which is marketed as an Asian fantasy.
It started off fairly well but I quickly got bored - the characters and world lacked depth for me and there are so many YA tropes in this book. Also, other than the character names and the clothing style, I personally couldn't see anything Asian about this fantasy - if you'd replaced Lu and Min with Kate and Emma then it would have read like most other fantasies.
The writing style also just didn't engage me - I read continued reading this only because all my physical books are packed and I think that if I wasn't moving and had other options, then I would have put this down and picked up something else.
The series has potential to improve in the next book but I probably won't be picking it up as there are so many other books that I would like to read first.
3.5/5 stars
The first 200 pages moved super slowly for me, but after that, things picked up and I started enjoying the story a lot more. The last 100 pages had me absolutely enthralled and I definitely want to read the next installment in this series.
The first 200 pages moved super slowly for me, but after that, things picked up and I started enjoying the story a lot more. The last 100 pages had me absolutely enthralled and I definitely want to read the next installment in this series.
Can quite put my finger on what it is I don't like, but I just found it to be boring
This was sadly not for me. It sounded so good but mostly I was just bored.
We get to meet three main characters Lu, Nokhai and Min but Lu is the secret main main character who gets the most chapters. Sadly I did not connect to the characters at all, especially Lu who was so onedimensional in my opinion. The story centers on Noks and Lus journy through the country to get an army and let me tell you nothing really happens. Sadly I was just bored. I could not care less about the romance. The shining star of this book is Min (without her I would not have made it through). Her chapters (sadly not that many) were very interesting. This is a story I want to read about: girl gets pushed around by everyone, gets used for power, everyone thinks she is stupid and shy but girl gets tired of it (she reminded me a bit of Sansa Stark whom I love). Min gets the only character development I cared about in this book.
Sooo sadly not for me. But it was not badly written I think I just have to say it was not for me but for another person this could be a great book.
We get to meet three main characters Lu, Nokhai and Min but Lu is the secret main main character who gets the most chapters. Sadly I did not connect to the characters at all, especially Lu who was so onedimensional in my opinion. The story centers on Noks and Lus journy through the country to get an army and let me tell you nothing really happens. Sadly I was just bored. I could not care less about the romance. The shining star of this book is Min (without her I would not have made it through). Her chapters (sadly not that many) were very interesting. This is a story I want to read about: girl gets pushed around by everyone, gets used for power, everyone thinks she is stupid and shy but girl gets tired of it (she reminded me a bit of Sansa Stark whom I love). Min gets the only character development I cared about in this book.
Sooo sadly not for me. But it was not badly written I think I just have to say it was not for me but for another person this could be a great book.
2.5 stars because I still adore the cover and the title, even though it didn’t live up to my hopes
I wanted to love this more than I did, but I’m sadly just. Failing to find anything that made it stand out, and kept me voraciously reading. And I kind of hate that, a lot? The characters weren’t particularly memorable, and felt like they could easily have been switched out with any number of characters from YA fantasy (princess who needs to regain her throne, spurned “sister” left behind, token hot guy to ship with the princess), and the plot was a liiiiittle too much Journey Across Fantasy World for even me, an unashamedly loyal lover of fantasy books.
The stakes just...never felt that high, and it made it impossible for me to ever start caring enough about the characters.
It also probably didn’t help that I set this aside to read not one, but two of my most anticipated 2019 titles, but it was quite telling when I came back to this one and still had no problems setting aside to do other things. And I’m not sure if it was my general chronic fatigue, or the book, but I nodded off...several times whilst reading... Like, y’know when you’re not fully asleep but definitely not quite awake either? And you continue doing what you were doing whilst fully awake even though you are not awake? That’s how I read most of this book... and I don’t think I actually missed much.
Again, I wanted to love this more. But I just didn’t, and I’m not sure I’ll be inclined to pick up the sequel.
I wanted to love this more than I did, but I’m sadly just. Failing to find anything that made it stand out, and kept me voraciously reading. And I kind of hate that, a lot? The characters weren’t particularly memorable, and felt like they could easily have been switched out with any number of characters from YA fantasy (princess who needs to regain her throne, spurned “sister” left behind, token hot guy to ship with the princess), and the plot was a liiiiittle too much Journey Across Fantasy World for even me, an unashamedly loyal lover of fantasy books.
The stakes just...never felt that high, and it made it impossible for me to ever start caring enough about the characters.
It also probably didn’t help that I set this aside to read not one, but two of my most anticipated 2019 titles, but it was quite telling when I came back to this one and still had no problems setting aside to do other things. And I’m not sure if it was my general chronic fatigue, or the book, but I nodded off...several times whilst reading... Like, y’know when you’re not fully asleep but definitely not quite awake either? And you continue doing what you were doing whilst fully awake even though you are not awake? That’s how I read most of this book... and I don’t think I actually missed much.
Again, I wanted to love this more. But I just didn’t, and I’m not sure I’ll be inclined to pick up the sequel.
DNF page 293
I'm just not invested enough in this story to want to keep going. It's taken me almost a month to get this far in, and I don't think I can be arsed bothering with the rest.
I'm just not invested enough in this story to want to keep going. It's taken me almost a month to get this far in, and I don't think I can be arsed bothering with the rest.
Quick paced super fun fantasy series. Honestly cannot wait for the second book.