Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
Note: I received a free digital ARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Unfortunately, I had hoped to love this book but it ended up underwhelming me. An Asian-inspired world with a sibling relationship at its core - the synopsis sounded very much like something I would enjoy. However, the execution fell short of my expectations.
I found it very difficult to relate to both the main characters in the book. I wanted to root for Min, the quieter sister, but her story arc left me disappointed. It looked like there was some mental health rep hidden in there but that wasn't developed later on.
Lu, on the other hand, was ambitious and headstrong but she didn't make the smart decisions that I would normally expect from a character like hers. I wasn't invested in either of the characters, so the book became a chore to get through. It was also pretty predictable for someone who has read their fair share of YA fantasy.
The only aspect I could get behind was the world-building. But even that wasn't enough to convince me to give the sequel a chance. Overall, a disappointing book that those new to YA fantasy may enjoy but this is not one for the ardent fans.
Unfortunately, I had hoped to love this book but it ended up underwhelming me. An Asian-inspired world with a sibling relationship at its core - the synopsis sounded very much like something I would enjoy. However, the execution fell short of my expectations.
I found it very difficult to relate to both the main characters in the book. I wanted to root for Min, the quieter sister, but her story arc left me disappointed. It looked like there was some mental health rep hidden in there but that wasn't developed later on.
Lu, on the other hand, was ambitious and headstrong but she didn't make the smart decisions that I would normally expect from a character like hers. I wasn't invested in either of the characters, so the book became a chore to get through. It was also pretty predictable for someone who has read their fair share of YA fantasy.
The only aspect I could get behind was the world-building. But even that wasn't enough to convince me to give the sequel a chance. Overall, a disappointing book that those new to YA fantasy may enjoy but this is not one for the ardent fans.
Chain Interaction
I am a big fan of books that play with the sister dynamic. It was something that felt very big quite a while ago and seems to have somewhat fallen out of fashion in recent years. That being said I’ve read a couple of sisterly books of late and with the popularity of books like Caraval and (hopefully) this book I suspect we might see an increase in sisters gracing our bookshelves. This sisterly duo was particularly interesting to me as the two of them don’t start the book as either the closest friends or as terrible enemies. It is very much the case that their relationship is shaped by the events of the story – which is even more powerful given that for the most part, they don’t actually see each other after the first few chapters. I thought that was a really interesting take on a dual POV book and it was a great way of showing how people can either change or be manipulated (or a bit of both).
What was fantastic for me is that I actually enjoyed both points of view, where normally I end up with a stand-out and then the other one that I tolerate. In this case, however, both stories are very different and both are extremely well conceived. It does mean you kind of get the best of both worlds, if you like court politics and all the subterfuge that comes hand in hand with that then you’ll enjoy Min’s perspective, if you like ‘head off into the woods and stumble upon hard truths about your kingdom’ kind of stories then Lu is your girl. I personally, and unsurprisingly given what I’ve already said, like both.
I am also a fan of hidden/forbidden magic so long as it is done well. I thought that the shapeshifting magic, and the way it was being eradicated by the monarchy, was very powerful, but Min’s discovery of her own powers and finding her own voice amongst those who would use her was also hugely significant. Are you beginning to sense a trend?
The character I wasn’t such a big fan of was Nox, I think that’s my bias towards female characters shining through. That being said I valued his perspective on things and it did make certain romance plot points all the more satisfying to have his view on things.
In some ways, this book is very trope-y, and if I were to just describe the plot point by point I think you could easily draw hundreds of comparisons with other YA fantasy books. But it is the book as a whole, the drawing together of all of these different story elements, that makes this book feel particularly new and exciting.
I will mention that this book is written by an Asian author, therefore counts as ownvoices fantasy – which I love. I really hope Asian fantasy (and other genres) continues to flourish in 2019 because it’s been a wonderful year of reading this year.
If you’re a YA fantasy fan then I would highly recommend you read this book, whatever you enjoy about the genre I do not doubt that you will be able to find a piece of it in this story.
My rating: 4/5 stars
I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I am a big fan of books that play with the sister dynamic. It was something that felt very big quite a while ago and seems to have somewhat fallen out of fashion in recent years. That being said I’ve read a couple of sisterly books of late and with the popularity of books like Caraval and (hopefully) this book I suspect we might see an increase in sisters gracing our bookshelves. This sisterly duo was particularly interesting to me as the two of them don’t start the book as either the closest friends or as terrible enemies. It is very much the case that their relationship is shaped by the events of the story – which is even more powerful given that for the most part, they don’t actually see each other after the first few chapters. I thought that was a really interesting take on a dual POV book and it was a great way of showing how people can either change or be manipulated (or a bit of both).
What was fantastic for me is that I actually enjoyed both points of view, where normally I end up with a stand-out and then the other one that I tolerate. In this case, however, both stories are very different and both are extremely well conceived. It does mean you kind of get the best of both worlds, if you like court politics and all the subterfuge that comes hand in hand with that then you’ll enjoy Min’s perspective, if you like ‘head off into the woods and stumble upon hard truths about your kingdom’ kind of stories then Lu is your girl. I personally, and unsurprisingly given what I’ve already said, like both.
I am also a fan of hidden/forbidden magic so long as it is done well. I thought that the shapeshifting magic, and the way it was being eradicated by the monarchy, was very powerful, but Min’s discovery of her own powers and finding her own voice amongst those who would use her was also hugely significant. Are you beginning to sense a trend?
The character I wasn’t such a big fan of was Nox, I think that’s my bias towards female characters shining through. That being said I valued his perspective on things and it did make certain romance plot points all the more satisfying to have his view on things.
In some ways, this book is very trope-y, and if I were to just describe the plot point by point I think you could easily draw hundreds of comparisons with other YA fantasy books. But it is the book as a whole, the drawing together of all of these different story elements, that makes this book feel particularly new and exciting.
I will mention that this book is written by an Asian author, therefore counts as ownvoices fantasy – which I love. I really hope Asian fantasy (and other genres) continues to flourish in 2019 because it’s been a wonderful year of reading this year.
If you’re a YA fantasy fan then I would highly recommend you read this book, whatever you enjoy about the genre I do not doubt that you will be able to find a piece of it in this story.
My rating: 4/5 stars
I received a free digital advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Just wanted to draw attention to Vicky's Review (https://vickywhoreads.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/arc-the-girl-king-by-mimi-yu/) When I was reading I didn't pick up on these issues, which is totally on me. But I just wanted to give a shout out to this well thoughtout review about the problematic elements here. I still really enjoyed the characters of Min and Lu, but I wanted to acknowledge my mistakes.
I can't think of an element of The Girl King that I didn't love. Everything from the characters, to the world building, to the story arc, it was all executed with such grace. With tenderness, elegance, and beauty. If you have an Asian American teen in your life, do them a favor and give them a copy of this book. Do it for the younger me who never got to read a book like this growing up. From the beginning you can feel the book take off right beneath your finger tips.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-the-girl-king-by-mimi-yu/
Just wanted to draw attention to Vicky's Review (https://vickywhoreads.wordpress.com/2018/12/22/arc-the-girl-king-by-mimi-yu/) When I was reading I didn't pick up on these issues, which is totally on me. But I just wanted to give a shout out to this well thoughtout review about the problematic elements here. I still really enjoyed the characters of Min and Lu, but I wanted to acknowledge my mistakes.
I can't think of an element of The Girl King that I didn't love. Everything from the characters, to the world building, to the story arc, it was all executed with such grace. With tenderness, elegance, and beauty. If you have an Asian American teen in your life, do them a favor and give them a copy of this book. Do it for the younger me who never got to read a book like this growing up. From the beginning you can feel the book take off right beneath your finger tips.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-the-girl-king-by-mimi-yu/
I adore everything this book, from the characters to the world to the very writing itself. Yu has such a fantastic voice, and each of the three POV characters shine. The writing hooks you, drawing you in and not letting you go.
But the strongest part of this book are our main characters. I adore both Lu and Min, and their character arcs are complimentary but unique, and Nok is just so precious.
I can't wait for the next installment!
But the strongest part of this book are our main characters. I adore both Lu and Min, and their character arcs are complimentary but unique, and Nok is just so precious.
I can't wait for the next installment!
Read this full review and more at between-the-shelves.com!
Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury YA for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
We'll start with my favorite aspect of this book: the magic. I though the system that Yu created was unique, giving this book an edge when put alongside other YA fantasy books. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the sort of sibling rivalry that's included in the book; we don't see many YA fantasy books where sisters are pitted against each other, and just having a strong female power on both sides of the narrative adds another element to the book that makes it that much more enjoyable.
Despite the magical and mystical elements, the world building here fell a bit flat to me, as did some of the character development. While I enjoyed the different types of magic included here, I didn't feel like I got a good sense of the world as a whole. I wanted more detail, more information about the lives that Lu and Min lead, more about Nok's background. I feel that this would have made the book more immersive--and easier to follow.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read that I think many YA fantasy fans will enjoy. Despite falling into similar tropes of the genre, Mimi Yu is still able to create a compelling narrative that I think will bring fans back for book 2 (because there's obviously going to be a book 2).
3.5/5 stars
Thanks to Net Galley and Bloomsbury YA for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review.
We'll start with my favorite aspect of this book: the magic. I though the system that Yu created was unique, giving this book an edge when put alongside other YA fantasy books. Additionally, I thoroughly enjoyed the sort of sibling rivalry that's included in the book; we don't see many YA fantasy books where sisters are pitted against each other, and just having a strong female power on both sides of the narrative adds another element to the book that makes it that much more enjoyable.
Despite the magical and mystical elements, the world building here fell a bit flat to me, as did some of the character development. While I enjoyed the different types of magic included here, I didn't feel like I got a good sense of the world as a whole. I wanted more detail, more information about the lives that Lu and Min lead, more about Nok's background. I feel that this would have made the book more immersive--and easier to follow.
Overall, this is an enjoyable read that I think many YA fantasy fans will enjoy. Despite falling into similar tropes of the genre, Mimi Yu is still able to create a compelling narrative that I think will bring fans back for book 2 (because there's obviously going to be a book 2).
3.5/5 stars
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.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advanced reader copy of The Girl King!
--
The Girl King was an incredibly compelling debut book by new author Mimi Yu! I am honestly incredibly skeptical when I read things like “for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton” but Mimi Yu’s The Girl King definitely lived up to that; she’s immediately on my “authors to watch” list!
The Girl King follows two sisters, Lu and Min. Lu has always been bold, brash, and unafraid to speak her mind; she is a fighter and gets the nickname of “the Girl King” when it becomes clear that she’ll most likely be named heir to her father’s throne (in a very patriarchal society) from a young age. Min is younger and more timid; she doesn’t understand her sister’s brazenness and is largely ignored by her father and coddled by everyone else. But when the Emporer makes the announcement, it is not Lu who is given the role of heir… it’s her cousin Set, whose vicious streak and obsession with beating out Lu makes him toxic and dangerous. When Lu is betrothed to him, she instead challenges him to a series of fights to earn the title of heir for herself… and instead, Set’s men try assassinate her on the first challenge. She flees, running into a childhood acquaintance, Nokhai, along the way, while Min is left behind to pick up the pieces that Lu left behind. She takes Lu’s place as Set’s intended and learns that there is something much more to herself than anyone could have possibly anticipated.
Things I Loved:
- I thought that Set as a villain/bad guy was perfect. He’s despicable for a number of reasons and aside from a single moment where I thought he could potentially not be horrible, I was able to hate on him to my heart’s content. And I believed his motive(s) and the strength of his feeling the entire time. Yu wrote an incredibly convincing character in Set and I LOVED it.
- I thought the characters were, for the most part, really well done in general. The Girl King definitely leans into certain tropes-- the warrior girl who wants to inherit and best the boys, the meek girl who is possibly the most powerful and dangerous of them all, hateful mothers with Reasons and Secrets, and so on… and I enjoyed them all, which is not typical. I think the tropes were done well… the author simultaneously played into them enough to make it familiar and subverted them enough to make them unique.
- Nokhai was amazing. In the beginning he struck me as passive and whiny, but I think the story arc set up for him throughout the book was perfect and it definitely struck a chord for me. The backstory about his people was incredible and very well built up.
- The way that different characters had different pieces of the puzzle for the reader but had no opportunity to interact or engage with each other to put them together. Often, I’ll read a book and think “why don’t they just ASK or talk to each other my goodness!” and it frustrates me to no end. In The Girl King, it was handled perfectly-- we found out key bits of information from people literally on opposite ends of the world and there’s no way they just could have chatted to resolve the conflict. It made for really excellent tension that propelled me through the book way faster than I thought.
Things I Liked:
- Lu was a wonderful character, but at times, she seemed a little bit too much. There were moments where I sympathized with Min about Lu’s intensity and her inability to just lock it down when safety was at stake. I loved the punch that Lu packed… but sometimes that rebounded a little bit on me.
- Some bits and pieces of the world were incomplete. I was really interested in all of the world building and I thought Mimi Yu did a fantastic job of creating some place that I could visualize so clearly… but there were gaps that could have been filled in even more for a richer reading experience. I’m guessing that these were intentional and exist to fill up the world even more in the next book.
- The writing style was really compelling. There were tiny bits of lyrical prose, but most of the writing was blunt and beautiful at the same time and it worked very well for the story.
Things I Didn’t Like:
- At times, Min was frustratingly naive-- and I understand that this is the point-- but every once in a while, there was a little bit of something missing from her narration to make it seem interesting or important. I would get frustrated (towards the middle of the book) with her perspective and her constant lying to herself about what she had to know was going on.
- The conclusion that Min jumps to about family in the end and how it stays there. I really disliked how that was represented, even by a character like Min, and I hope this is touched on more in the next book.
- The Yunis and their city was a bit on the confusing side, but I felt more like there was so much built up there that I didn’t get a chance to see, because the story became a bit rushed at that point. I felt like the book could have been paced a little better so that we got a more holistic sense of what was going on with the Yunis and how the heck the triumvirate actually governed and functioned and whatnot.
- Sometimes, all of the main characters made decisions that just seemed abundantly stupid to me. Often, they were minor, but at times, the willful ignorance that led to disastrous results (*side eye at Min and the things she saw but didn’t believe*) was incredibly irritating.
Overall, I would really recommend this book. For fans of fantasy in general (and Asian-coded fantasy in particular), this would be an excellent read. For lovers of seriously feisty female characters, Lu is probably your girl. If you enjoy multiple points of view and complicated family dynamics that span a whole empire, then The Girl King should definitely make its way onto your TBR… I can only anticipate that the rest of the story to follow will be explosive and immersive! But if you’re not a fan of alternating POVs or feel frustrated by characters making inconsistent or ridiculous decisions, then I’d suggest passing on The Girl King. Personally, I cannot wait for the next installation and will be following Mimi Yu’s work closely from here on out!
4/5 stars
--
The Girl King was an incredibly compelling debut book by new author Mimi Yu! I am honestly incredibly skeptical when I read things like “for fans of Sabaa Tahir and Alwyn Hamilton” but Mimi Yu’s The Girl King definitely lived up to that; she’s immediately on my “authors to watch” list!
The Girl King follows two sisters, Lu and Min. Lu has always been bold, brash, and unafraid to speak her mind; she is a fighter and gets the nickname of “the Girl King” when it becomes clear that she’ll most likely be named heir to her father’s throne (in a very patriarchal society) from a young age. Min is younger and more timid; she doesn’t understand her sister’s brazenness and is largely ignored by her father and coddled by everyone else. But when the Emporer makes the announcement, it is not Lu who is given the role of heir… it’s her cousin Set, whose vicious streak and obsession with beating out Lu makes him toxic and dangerous. When Lu is betrothed to him, she instead challenges him to a series of fights to earn the title of heir for herself… and instead, Set’s men try assassinate her on the first challenge. She flees, running into a childhood acquaintance, Nokhai, along the way, while Min is left behind to pick up the pieces that Lu left behind. She takes Lu’s place as Set’s intended and learns that there is something much more to herself than anyone could have possibly anticipated.
Things I Loved:
- I thought that Set as a villain/bad guy was perfect. He’s despicable for a number of reasons and aside from a single moment where I thought he could potentially not be horrible, I was able to hate on him to my heart’s content. And I believed his motive(s) and the strength of his feeling the entire time. Yu wrote an incredibly convincing character in Set and I LOVED it.
- I thought the characters were, for the most part, really well done in general. The Girl King definitely leans into certain tropes-- the warrior girl who wants to inherit and best the boys, the meek girl who is possibly the most powerful and dangerous of them all, hateful mothers with Reasons and Secrets, and so on… and I enjoyed them all, which is not typical. I think the tropes were done well… the author simultaneously played into them enough to make it familiar and subverted them enough to make them unique.
- Nokhai was amazing. In the beginning he struck me as passive and whiny, but I think the story arc set up for him throughout the book was perfect and it definitely struck a chord for me. The backstory about his people was incredible and very well built up.
- The way that different characters had different pieces of the puzzle for the reader but had no opportunity to interact or engage with each other to put them together. Often, I’ll read a book and think “why don’t they just ASK or talk to each other my goodness!” and it frustrates me to no end. In The Girl King, it was handled perfectly-- we found out key bits of information from people literally on opposite ends of the world and there’s no way they just could have chatted to resolve the conflict. It made for really excellent tension that propelled me through the book way faster than I thought.
Things I Liked:
- Lu was a wonderful character, but at times, she seemed a little bit too much. There were moments where I sympathized with Min about Lu’s intensity and her inability to just lock it down when safety was at stake. I loved the punch that Lu packed… but sometimes that rebounded a little bit on me.
- Some bits and pieces of the world were incomplete. I was really interested in all of the world building and I thought Mimi Yu did a fantastic job of creating some place that I could visualize so clearly… but there were gaps that could have been filled in even more for a richer reading experience. I’m guessing that these were intentional and exist to fill up the world even more in the next book.
- The writing style was really compelling. There were tiny bits of lyrical prose, but most of the writing was blunt and beautiful at the same time and it worked very well for the story.
Things I Didn’t Like:
- At times, Min was frustratingly naive-- and I understand that this is the point-- but every once in a while, there was a little bit of something missing from her narration to make it seem interesting or important. I would get frustrated (towards the middle of the book) with her perspective and her constant lying to herself about what she had to know was going on.
- The conclusion that Min jumps to about family in the end and how it stays there. I really disliked how that was represented, even by a character like Min, and I hope this is touched on more in the next book.
- The Yunis and their city was a bit on the confusing side, but I felt more like there was so much built up there that I didn’t get a chance to see, because the story became a bit rushed at that point. I felt like the book could have been paced a little better so that we got a more holistic sense of what was going on with the Yunis and how the heck the triumvirate actually governed and functioned and whatnot.
- Sometimes, all of the main characters made decisions that just seemed abundantly stupid to me. Often, they were minor, but at times, the willful ignorance that led to disastrous results (*side eye at Min and the things she saw but didn’t believe*) was incredibly irritating.
Overall, I would really recommend this book. For fans of fantasy in general (and Asian-coded fantasy in particular), this would be an excellent read. For lovers of seriously feisty female characters, Lu is probably your girl. If you enjoy multiple points of view and complicated family dynamics that span a whole empire, then The Girl King should definitely make its way onto your TBR… I can only anticipate that the rest of the story to follow will be explosive and immersive! But if you’re not a fan of alternating POVs or feel frustrated by characters making inconsistent or ridiculous decisions, then I’d suggest passing on The Girl King. Personally, I cannot wait for the next installation and will be following Mimi Yu’s work closely from here on out!
4/5 stars
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The Girl King
3.75/5 stars
Immediate thoughts:
The start of this book is sloooow. The past unwinds with the present in a way that is beautifully done, but sort of took me out of the story. It’s a lot of questions and character building to set up the series.
It’s described as the story of two sisters, Lu and Min, but I honestly didn’t care about one of them at all until the very end. Min was boring and childish, despite being the one with powers. Her storyline just fell sort of flat for me.
I’m going to bottom-line this review: 3/4 of the book held my interest but didn’t wow me. The last 1/4 was awesome and I will definitely read the next one, but I sort of wish this was more of the story than the two sisters. So that said, it was mediocre as a whole. I’m a reader who enjoys the tedious task of world and character building, but it left me a little wanting here.
3.75/5 stars
Immediate thoughts:
The start of this book is sloooow. The past unwinds with the present in a way that is beautifully done, but sort of took me out of the story. It’s a lot of questions and character building to set up the series.
It’s described as the story of two sisters, Lu and Min, but I honestly didn’t care about one of them at all until the very end. Min was boring and childish, despite being the one with powers. Her storyline just fell sort of flat for me.
I’m going to bottom-line this review: 3/4 of the book held my interest but didn’t wow me. The last 1/4 was awesome and I will definitely read the next one, but I sort of wish this was more of the story than the two sisters. So that said, it was mediocre as a whole. I’m a reader who enjoys the tedious task of world and character building, but it left me a little wanting here.