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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
i've had this on my shelf for like two years now and I was hesitant to pick it up because of its length and also I could never get past the first page lmao
but!! and this is a big but
I ended up really enjoying it? I've been in a bit of a reading slump since like January but here we are now finishing two 'proper' books in a month so go me.
The Girl King is a bit of a slow burn, like things happen and keep moving the plot forward but considering it was 488 pages not a lot actually happened if you look deeply into it? I also thought this was a standalone so I was like a hundred pages from the end going 'how the fuck is this going to be wrapped up????' but nah it's a duology (I believe).
I really loved the characters, which surprised me. Initially I thought I would be annoyed at Lu and Min because of various character traits, but they ended up being so loveable and there were some bits which I found quite funny which is nice.
If I look too deeply at the romance in it it's a bit odd? Like I can understand why it happens and stuff but there are a few things that make me go 'ummm would he be able to put that behind him just because he's a bit horny??' who knows man, they're young
But I would recommend this book and I wish more people talked about it.
but!! and this is a big but
I ended up really enjoying it? I've been in a bit of a reading slump since like January but here we are now finishing two 'proper' books in a month so go me.
The Girl King is a bit of a slow burn, like things happen and keep moving the plot forward but considering it was 488 pages not a lot actually happened if you look deeply into it? I also thought this was a standalone so I was like a hundred pages from the end going 'how the fuck is this going to be wrapped up????' but nah it's a duology (I believe).
I really loved the characters, which surprised me. Initially I thought I would be annoyed at Lu and Min because of various character traits, but they ended up being so loveable and there were some bits which I found quite funny which is nice.
If I look too deeply at the romance in it it's a bit odd? Like I can understand why it happens and stuff but there are a few things that make me go 'ummm would he be able to put that behind him just because he's a bit horny??' who knows man, they're young
But I would recommend this book and I wish more people talked about it.
This book reminded me of a lot of other stories, and it feels like potential, in the way that debuts sometimes do. There's a feeling of almost-there-ness that makes reading a bit frustrating.
In terms of plot, this book feels like a return to a classic formula- or, at least, a return for me. I'm not sure if there was a departure, or if I've just been reading other things. The scaffold it's built on is familiar- heir to a kingdom denied what they've always assumed was theirs by right, now in exile, magic which has been all but eliminated by an empire that hunts those gifted with it, the overshadowed younger sibling of the heir with darkness growing in their heart, pretender to the throne with a shadow adviser... And while The Girl King doesn't totally subvert or breathe completely new life into the old story, it at least does a good enough job of treading that path.
The main deviation from the traditional recipe I've listed is Lu's gender. In a lot of the stories of this kind that I'm accustomed to (although not all of them) feature a male hero attempting to reclaim his throne. In The Girl King, as the name suggests, Lu is faced with her gender as- if not a barrier, then at least a significant hurdle. While she fully expected to be the heir to her father, the idea of a woman emperor (i.e. a woman playing a role typically only inhabited by men in this world) was not an entirely popular one. "Better him than the Girl King" was a not uncommon reprise throughout the novel. For me this was one of the most interesting parts of the story- the way Lu's cousin, who has taken the throne, feels that, not only is he entitled to it, but that she is not- because of childhood enmity, and because he feels her an unnatural thing, that such ambitions are unnatural in a woman. He at times, seems more obsessed with her lack of right to the throne; than his own right to have it. This insecurity means that even when he could consider himself cemented as emperor; he does not, fixated instead the specter of The Girl King, somehow simultaneously believing her a significant threat to him, and underestimating her in a lot of ways.
While the novel ostensibly has both Lu and Min set up as main characters, according to the synopsis, Lu gets more screen-time, as it were, more focus, and more development. Nokhai's story and Lu's intertwine pretty early on, shortly after Lu and Min's stories diverge from each other, the result being that the reader winds up spending a lot more time with Lu and Nokhai than with Min, getting to know them both through their own eyes, and through each other's, as the narration switches between Lu, Nokhai, and Min.
This might have contributed to my lack of equal investment in the sisters' stories, although it's also possible that I just don't find Min terribly compelling. I'm still trying to decide if the fact that it felt like she was supposed seem like she was gaining agency and coming into herself, without giving me the feeling that any of that had actually happened was on purpose or not. So it is entirely possible I'll appreciate her story line more as the story continues.
The romance between Lu and Nok honestly felt rushed and a bit out of place within the story. I know I'm not very romantic and so possibly a bad judge but just. With so much else going on and also the baggage between them, it just seemed improbable that it would move forward with so little communication having happened?
The other deviation from the traditional formula is the world. There is an opportunity to create a world drawing on other influences. I found that on the world-building front, the structure of the world was vague, I had some sense what it looked like, a sense of a few significant events in it's history, and even some of the traditions of the various peoples. Somehow, though, not really a sense of what the world felt like to be in.There was a little more telling than showing, which took me out of the story a bit.
So much of this story felt like a sketch of a story. Partly because it does tread the lines of familiar archetypes closely, but also because the characters didn't really resonate with me, and the novel didn't really create a strong sense of place. I enjoyed the action scenes, and I really do think that there's a lot of potential as the story finds its feet. Despite the falterings, I still enjoyed reading it, and plan on picking up the sequel, especially with how it ended. The last 10% or so of the story was by far the strongest for me, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!
In terms of plot, this book feels like a return to a classic formula- or, at least, a return for me. I'm not sure if there was a departure, or if I've just been reading other things. The scaffold it's built on is familiar- heir to a kingdom denied what they've always assumed was theirs by right, now in exile, magic which has been all but eliminated by an empire that hunts those gifted with it, the overshadowed younger sibling of the heir with darkness growing in their heart, pretender to the throne with a shadow adviser... And while The Girl King doesn't totally subvert or breathe completely new life into the old story, it at least does a good enough job of treading that path.
The main deviation from the traditional recipe I've listed is Lu's gender. In a lot of the stories of this kind that I'm accustomed to (although not all of them) feature a male hero attempting to reclaim his throne. In The Girl King, as the name suggests, Lu is faced with her gender as- if not a barrier, then at least a significant hurdle. While she fully expected to be the heir to her father, the idea of a woman emperor (i.e. a woman playing a role typically only inhabited by men in this world) was not an entirely popular one. "Better him than the Girl King" was a not uncommon reprise throughout the novel. For me this was one of the most interesting parts of the story- the way Lu's cousin, who has taken the throne, feels that, not only is he entitled to it, but that she is not- because of childhood enmity, and because he feels her an unnatural thing, that such ambitions are unnatural in a woman. He at times, seems more obsessed with her lack of right to the throne; than his own right to have it. This insecurity means that even when he could consider himself cemented as emperor; he does not, fixated instead the specter of The Girl King, somehow simultaneously believing her a significant threat to him, and underestimating her in a lot of ways.
While the novel ostensibly has both Lu and Min set up as main characters, according to the synopsis, Lu gets more screen-time, as it were, more focus, and more development. Nokhai's story and Lu's intertwine pretty early on, shortly after Lu and Min's stories diverge from each other, the result being that the reader winds up spending a lot more time with Lu and Nokhai than with Min, getting to know them both through their own eyes, and through each other's, as the narration switches between Lu, Nokhai, and Min.
This might have contributed to my lack of equal investment in the sisters' stories, although it's also possible that I just don't find Min terribly compelling. I'm still trying to decide if the fact that it felt like she was supposed seem like she was gaining agency and coming into herself, without giving me the feeling that any of that had actually happened was on purpose or not. So it is entirely possible I'll appreciate her story line more as the story continues.
The romance between Lu and Nok honestly felt rushed and a bit out of place within the story. I know I'm not very romantic and so possibly a bad judge but just. With so much else going on and also the baggage between them, it just seemed improbable that it would move forward with so little communication having happened?
The other deviation from the traditional formula is the world. There is an opportunity to create a world drawing on other influences. I found that on the world-building front, the structure of the world was vague, I had some sense what it looked like, a sense of a few significant events in it's history, and even some of the traditions of the various peoples. Somehow, though, not really a sense of what the world felt like to be in.There was a little more telling than showing, which took me out of the story a bit.
So much of this story felt like a sketch of a story. Partly because it does tread the lines of familiar archetypes closely, but also because the characters didn't really resonate with me, and the novel didn't really create a strong sense of place. I enjoyed the action scenes, and I really do think that there's a lot of potential as the story finds its feet. Despite the falterings, I still enjoyed reading it, and plan on picking up the sequel, especially with how it ended. The last 10% or so of the story was by far the strongest for me, and I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next!
"I wasn't made for you at all. I was made for me."
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED JANUARY 9, 2019
4.5 STARS
TW: child abuse, family death, PTSD, animal death, gore, attempted sexual assault, addiction, violence
Listen. If you're going to pit characters in competition for a throne, I am HERE FOR IT. Which of course meant that I had to request The Girl King from NetGalley, and man, imagine my surprise when they actually granted the request! (I never expect to get the ARCs I request, which makes getting them so much better.)
And imagine my surprise when it was even better than I was expecting, when I already had pretty high expectations.
Seriously, this book was a delight. For starters, I loved the setting and the history that propped it up. It gave the world a lived in feel and a sense of long-standing conflict, and it also meant that the descriptions were lush and lively. I loved the comfy but confined air of the palace, the sheer opulence of it. I loved how the city felt expansive and crowded and admittedly a little like Ba Sing Se with its divisions. I loved how the wilderness felt dangerous and overgrown and untamed. I loved how the mountains felt towering and majestic and downright enchanting.
The Girl King does not mess around with setting. Not one bit.
But as always, my greatest love is the characters. I'm predictable like that, and I'm especially predictable in deciding Lu is my favorite. She's ambitious and fierce and uncompromising. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it lands her in trouble. Either way, she holds to her ideals, and for all her abrasive edges, she aims to do the right thing. She's forced to confront her privilege as a princess, to confront her family's history in the land's bloody past. And she wants to make a change going forward, a change for the better. Lu is exactly the sharp, furious sort of female character I can't help adoring.
And Nokhai, Nok for short, is her polar opposite. Wounded but wonderful, he's had his life ripped out from under him by the actions of Lu's family, and trauma has shaped so much of his life since. He's also one of the Gifted, from a clan of people who can turn into wolves so long as they have the Gift. He is the last, though, and with no connection to the knowledge that should have led him to his Gift long ago. He's defensive and cautious, and his loyalty is unquestionable once earned. I enjoyed his chapters in part because he fits the trope of reluctant hero so well; there's something so compelling about a character who can make a great change, but fears what it will take to do so. It's a human conflict, that's for sure.
And I liked Min to start, Lu's little sister. She's young and sheltered, never expected to be out of Lu's shadow, and then she ends up in over her head. She was the one frustrating part of the book for me because I wanted to like her, and I certainly pitied her. She'd never been prepared for any degree of power, not in the way Lu was, and when things change so suddenly, placing her at the forefront of efforts to take control, she's drowning in so much she doesn't understand. It made her easy to manipulate, shaped her into something darker than a girl like Min ever should have been.
And at the same time, I'm a tiny bit irritated by how flat she felt. Everything else about the novel was wonderfully done, but Min sticks in mind as that half star taken away. She was reactive, not proactive, and when you set her up against Lu, it gets harder and harder to enjoy her POV, especially with Lu doing her utmost to do the right thing, even if she's not exactly tactful about it or fully understanding all the time. I want to hope she'll be more interesting, that she'll have more agency in the next book, but I'm not sure if she will. It's too early to say, but I want her to change, because in contrast with literally EVERYTHING ELSE, I just couldn't bring myself to maintain any interest in Min as the story went on.
Min aside, The Girl King was riveting, with fascinating magic, immersive settings, and POVs that absolutely delighted me, along with a few twists that had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the consequences. And that epilogue?
Oh boy. Now that was a phenomenal epilogue. Make sure you preorder The Girl King, because it comes out on January 9th, and you're going to want to get your hands on this one!
DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
EXPECTED JANUARY 9, 2019
4.5 STARS
TW: child abuse, family death, PTSD, animal death, gore, attempted sexual assault, addiction, violence
Listen. If you're going to pit characters in competition for a throne, I am HERE FOR IT. Which of course meant that I had to request The Girl King from NetGalley, and man, imagine my surprise when they actually granted the request! (I never expect to get the ARCs I request, which makes getting them so much better.)
And imagine my surprise when it was even better than I was expecting, when I already had pretty high expectations.
Seriously, this book was a delight. For starters, I loved the setting and the history that propped it up. It gave the world a lived in feel and a sense of long-standing conflict, and it also meant that the descriptions were lush and lively. I loved the comfy but confined air of the palace, the sheer opulence of it. I loved how the city felt expansive and crowded and admittedly a little like Ba Sing Se with its divisions. I loved how the wilderness felt dangerous and overgrown and untamed. I loved how the mountains felt towering and majestic and downright enchanting.
The Girl King does not mess around with setting. Not one bit.
But as always, my greatest love is the characters. I'm predictable like that, and I'm especially predictable in deciding Lu is my favorite. She's ambitious and fierce and uncompromising. Sometimes, it works. Sometimes, it lands her in trouble. Either way, she holds to her ideals, and for all her abrasive edges, she aims to do the right thing. She's forced to confront her privilege as a princess, to confront her family's history in the land's bloody past. And she wants to make a change going forward, a change for the better. Lu is exactly the sharp, furious sort of female character I can't help adoring.
And Nokhai, Nok for short, is her polar opposite. Wounded but wonderful, he's had his life ripped out from under him by the actions of Lu's family, and trauma has shaped so much of his life since. He's also one of the Gifted, from a clan of people who can turn into wolves so long as they have the Gift. He is the last, though, and with no connection to the knowledge that should have led him to his Gift long ago. He's defensive and cautious, and his loyalty is unquestionable once earned. I enjoyed his chapters in part because he fits the trope of reluctant hero so well; there's something so compelling about a character who can make a great change, but fears what it will take to do so. It's a human conflict, that's for sure.
And I liked Min to start, Lu's little sister. She's young and sheltered, never expected to be out of Lu's shadow, and then she ends up in over her head. She was the one frustrating part of the book for me because I wanted to like her, and I certainly pitied her. She'd never been prepared for any degree of power, not in the way Lu was, and when things change so suddenly, placing her at the forefront of efforts to take control, she's drowning in so much she doesn't understand. It made her easy to manipulate, shaped her into something darker than a girl like Min ever should have been.
And at the same time, I'm a tiny bit irritated by how flat she felt. Everything else about the novel was wonderfully done, but Min sticks in mind as that half star taken away. She was reactive, not proactive, and when you set her up against Lu, it gets harder and harder to enjoy her POV, especially with Lu doing her utmost to do the right thing, even if she's not exactly tactful about it or fully understanding all the time. I want to hope she'll be more interesting, that she'll have more agency in the next book, but I'm not sure if she will. It's too early to say, but I want her to change, because in contrast with literally EVERYTHING ELSE, I just couldn't bring myself to maintain any interest in Min as the story went on.
Min aside, The Girl King was riveting, with fascinating magic, immersive settings, and POVs that absolutely delighted me, along with a few twists that had me on the edge of my seat, waiting for the consequences. And that epilogue?
Oh boy. Now that was a phenomenal epilogue. Make sure you preorder The Girl King, because it comes out on January 9th, and you're going to want to get your hands on this one!
This book is one continuous roller-coaster in the best way. I loved the secrets and family dynamics in this one. A really clever fantasy.
3.5 Stars
The beginning dragged but I'm excited to continue!
The beginning dragged but I'm excited to continue!
My reviews are first published on [a cup of tea and an armful of books].
This novel follows Min and Lu, two sisters whose paths are spread out before them. Lu is destined to become the first female Emperor, and all of her lessons are preparing her to take over from her father when he deems her ready. Min is her younger sister, seemingly destined to be forever in Min's shadow. But when their father betrays Lu and passes the throne to a male cousin, suddenly Min has the potential to have more power that her sister. As Lu flees her home and becomes a fugitive, Min discovers something inside of herself that she begins to nurture. Power comes in many forms.
The Girl King starts with a prologue, something I both love and hate in equal turn. Prologues can work to set the tone of the book, but I don't think that the prologue in The Girl King did it any favors. It actually made it very hard to get into the story. It starts with characters we don't see in the next chapter, so I was left wondering what the point of the prologue was and who the people were. Eventually it ties into the rest of the book, but when the main plot of the book involves Lu and Min, I really felt like the novel should have started with them.
The three main characters of The Girl King were Lu, Min, and Nokhai. Lu and Nokhai traveled together through most of the book, while Min was on her own. I thought they were all well-developed, with my favorite being Nokhai. I wish that more of this story had been spent on his past and shapeshifting abilities––it looks like he may have more attention on him in book two from where I think the story is going––because I found his past the most interesting. Nok teaches Lu about the wider world that makes up the empire, as well as what her family has done to keep their legacy. I did find myself getting frustrated by Lu, however; she didn't want to believe a lot of what people were telling her, oftentimes running into danger and situations that she could have avoided. She had no world smarts in a world full of people who detested her family and everything she stood for. Add being a fugitive on top of that and she just made so many mistakes that should have gotten her killed. Thankfully by the time the novel ended she and Nok were working together.
My favorite part of this novel is the ancient China-fantasy vibe! I think the world was really interesting and touched on legit problematic elements that aren't always touched on to this extent in young adult fantasy novels. Lu is confronted with the reality of the colonizing that her family has inflicted on others in this book, with Nok not letting her forget that legacy because he's a part of it too. It's definitely something that she has to deal with before she can really understand who she is and where she is going. The element of betrayal in the court was so great to read. You know from the synopsis that her father gives the throne to someone else, but that's just scratching the surface of the betrayal in this book. There were a few moments that totally surprised me. It made the book a bit more violent than I expected, but it also made it fit in with the time that it's set in.
The Girl King is an interesting start to a new world, but ultimately I was disappointed. I really loved the world: Shapeshifters, including one of the protagonists; mountain adventures; and an Asian inspired world that has really vibrant characters and an interesting magic system. It's really too bad that the plot meandered far too long. I think if the pace had been picked up, I really would be touting how great this book is. I think this will appeal to a lot of people, but it just didn't jive with me. I may pick up the second book in the future though, because there are elements I'd like to see that were hinted at the end of the novel.
This novel follows Min and Lu, two sisters whose paths are spread out before them. Lu is destined to become the first female Emperor, and all of her lessons are preparing her to take over from her father when he deems her ready. Min is her younger sister, seemingly destined to be forever in Min's shadow. But when their father betrays Lu and passes the throne to a male cousin, suddenly Min has the potential to have more power that her sister. As Lu flees her home and becomes a fugitive, Min discovers something inside of herself that she begins to nurture. Power comes in many forms.
The Girl King starts with a prologue, something I both love and hate in equal turn. Prologues can work to set the tone of the book, but I don't think that the prologue in The Girl King did it any favors. It actually made it very hard to get into the story. It starts with characters we don't see in the next chapter, so I was left wondering what the point of the prologue was and who the people were. Eventually it ties into the rest of the book, but when the main plot of the book involves Lu and Min, I really felt like the novel should have started with them.
The three main characters of The Girl King were Lu, Min, and Nokhai. Lu and Nokhai traveled together through most of the book, while Min was on her own. I thought they were all well-developed, with my favorite being Nokhai. I wish that more of this story had been spent on his past and shapeshifting abilities––it looks like he may have more attention on him in book two from where I think the story is going––because I found his past the most interesting. Nok teaches Lu about the wider world that makes up the empire, as well as what her family has done to keep their legacy. I did find myself getting frustrated by Lu, however; she didn't want to believe a lot of what people were telling her, oftentimes running into danger and situations that she could have avoided. She had no world smarts in a world full of people who detested her family and everything she stood for. Add being a fugitive on top of that and she just made so many mistakes that should have gotten her killed. Thankfully by the time the novel ended she and Nok were working together.
My favorite part of this novel is the ancient China-fantasy vibe! I think the world was really interesting and touched on legit problematic elements that aren't always touched on to this extent in young adult fantasy novels. Lu is confronted with the reality of the colonizing that her family has inflicted on others in this book, with Nok not letting her forget that legacy because he's a part of it too. It's definitely something that she has to deal with before she can really understand who she is and where she is going. The element of betrayal in the court was so great to read. You know from the synopsis that her father gives the throne to someone else, but that's just scratching the surface of the betrayal in this book. There were a few moments that totally surprised me. It made the book a bit more violent than I expected, but it also made it fit in with the time that it's set in.
The Girl King is an interesting start to a new world, but ultimately I was disappointed. I really loved the world: Shapeshifters, including one of the protagonists; mountain adventures; and an Asian inspired world that has really vibrant characters and an interesting magic system. It's really too bad that the plot meandered far too long. I think if the pace had been picked up, I really would be touting how great this book is. I think this will appeal to a lot of people, but it just didn't jive with me. I may pick up the second book in the future though, because there are elements I'd like to see that were hinted at the end of the novel.
"I wasn't made to torment you...I wasn't made for you at all. I was made for me."
Love this line!
This is an impressive debut novel and Mimi Yu is one to watch. The Girl King is a Chinese inspired fantasy with a fully fleshed world, nuanced characters, magic, unexpected twists, and a dash of brutality. Royal sisters Lu and Min have always been opposites. Lu is brave and fierce, raised to be her father's heir and skilled in combat. Min is quiet, pushed toward traditional femininity, and often overlooked. But when their father instead betroths Lu to her cousin and makes him the heir, a series of events will lead to the sisters becoming rivals in a battle for the throne. Lu allies herself with Nokhai, a wolf shapeshifter, while her sister must contend with their cousin and the creepy priest who advises him.
Lu and Min are fascinating characters, and we get to see their arcs develop through the story in interesting ways. Nokhai and Lu dislike each other at first, but eventually learn from each other and become close. I don't want to say much about Min's arc, but she has several disturbing yet compelling interactions at court. I did think the book was a tad long and meandered at times, but overall the author has crafted an interesting and compelling story that sets the stage for future books in the series. I received a review copy of this book via Net-Galley. All opinions are my own.
Love this line!
This is an impressive debut novel and Mimi Yu is one to watch. The Girl King is a Chinese inspired fantasy with a fully fleshed world, nuanced characters, magic, unexpected twists, and a dash of brutality. Royal sisters Lu and Min have always been opposites. Lu is brave and fierce, raised to be her father's heir and skilled in combat. Min is quiet, pushed toward traditional femininity, and often overlooked. But when their father instead betroths Lu to her cousin and makes him the heir, a series of events will lead to the sisters becoming rivals in a battle for the throne. Lu allies herself with Nokhai, a wolf shapeshifter, while her sister must contend with their cousin and the creepy priest who advises him.
Lu and Min are fascinating characters, and we get to see their arcs develop through the story in interesting ways. Nokhai and Lu dislike each other at first, but eventually learn from each other and become close. I don't want to say much about Min's arc, but she has several disturbing yet compelling interactions at court. I did think the book was a tad long and meandered at times, but overall the author has crafted an interesting and compelling story that sets the stage for future books in the series. I received a review copy of this book via Net-Galley. All opinions are my own.
This was a solid 3.5 - maybe I did it a disservice reading it back to back with Poppy War.