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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
2.5 stars. I had posted a full review of this but decided to remove it because there's already a lot of discourse around this and I don't feel like my opinion is needed, nor I want to explain it anymore - all I had to say has already been said by others.
Anyway.
I would recommend it to: those who are looking for an ownvoices Asian-inspired fantasy, and to those who like tropey princess stories, plot-driven fantasy, and want to read a royalty fantasy book that for once openly criticizes imperialism.
I would not recommend it to: those who are looking for an atmospheric story or detailed and vivid worldbuilding, those who dislike travel fantasy book, those who want their YA fantasy to be fast-paced or unpredictable.
Also: while this is being advertised as a book about rivalry between sisters, the two don't interact that much for most of the book - just like with Three Dark Crowns, the actual rivalry will be in the sequel. There's also a scene that really didn't sit well with me - the only time something like same-sex attraction appears in this book it's because a character is trying to rape the male protagonist. I think that books with an all-straight cast should stay away from that sort of scene.
Anyway.
I would recommend it to: those who are looking for an ownvoices Asian-inspired fantasy, and to those who like tropey princess stories, plot-driven fantasy, and want to read a royalty fantasy book that for once openly criticizes imperialism.
I would not recommend it to: those who are looking for an atmospheric story or detailed and vivid worldbuilding, those who dislike travel fantasy book, those who want their YA fantasy to be fast-paced or unpredictable.
Also: while this is being advertised as a book about rivalry between sisters, the two don't interact that much for most of the book - just like with Three Dark Crowns, the actual rivalry will be in the sequel. There's also a scene that really didn't sit well with me - the only time something like same-sex attraction appears in this book it's because a character is trying to rape the male protagonist. I think that books with an all-straight cast should stay away from that sort of scene.
Also posted on my blog
On paper, this looks like a really cool East Asian inspired fantasy with strong female characters and with a sibling relationship at the forefront. I really should've liked it.
I gave up when I was just under halfway through, according to my e-reader. Even that much had taken me much too long to read. Every time I went to pick up the book, I felt like I would rather be doing anything else, and I had long journeys to fill! At a fundamental level, it simply wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention. However, there were also specific things that made me not want to read any more.
Firstly, there are three pov characters, and they were all present at a certain event when they were children. What event? I have no idea. They were all really cagey about it in their internal monologues. It very quickly stopped being a mystery to be revealed at a later point, and just became annoying that there would regularly be paragraphs of narration that were meaningless at best, but were often just confusing.
It takes quite a long time to be given an age for one of the pov characters. The reader is told quite early on that Lu is 16 years old, which is a fairly standard age for ya protagonists, and there is no doubt that that's her role. The boy, whose name I think is Nok, is presumably around the same age. But it takes quite a while for the reader to be told the age of Lu's younger sister, Minyi. Before that point I had decided that she was probably aged somewhere between 10 and 12, based off of how she thinks and reacts to people and events around her. She also gets her period for the first time over the course of the novel, so that added to my thinking that. But apparently she's supposed to be 15. The difference in maturity between real 15 and 16 year olds is tiny, but if you were to go by what's presented in this book you'd think that people magically become adults upon their 16th birthday.
The specific event that caused me to stop reading was an attempted sexual assult that occurs just before the halfway mark. 9 times out of 10, those don't need to be there, and it didn't happen in a way that gave me faith that there would be far reaching emotional consequences for the character it concerned. If this is something that would bother you, then I'd advise against reading this book.
Honestly, I stopped reading this a week and a bit ago. It's only now that I've gotten round to marking it as such and writing up this review. I was that bored with it.
I received an e-arc through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
On paper, this looks like a really cool East Asian inspired fantasy with strong female characters and with a sibling relationship at the forefront. I really should've liked it.
I gave up when I was just under halfway through, according to my e-reader. Even that much had taken me much too long to read. Every time I went to pick up the book, I felt like I would rather be doing anything else, and I had long journeys to fill! At a fundamental level, it simply wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention. However, there were also specific things that made me not want to read any more.
Firstly, there are three pov characters, and they were all present at a certain event when they were children. What event? I have no idea. They were all really cagey about it in their internal monologues. It very quickly stopped being a mystery to be revealed at a later point, and just became annoying that there would regularly be paragraphs of narration that were meaningless at best, but were often just confusing.
It takes quite a long time to be given an age for one of the pov characters. The reader is told quite early on that Lu is 16 years old, which is a fairly standard age for ya protagonists, and there is no doubt that that's her role. The boy, whose name I think is Nok, is presumably around the same age. But it takes quite a while for the reader to be told the age of Lu's younger sister, Minyi. Before that point I had decided that she was probably aged somewhere between 10 and 12, based off of how she thinks and reacts to people and events around her. She also gets her period for the first time over the course of the novel, so that added to my thinking that. But apparently she's supposed to be 15. The difference in maturity between real 15 and 16 year olds is tiny, but if you were to go by what's presented in this book you'd think that people magically become adults upon their 16th birthday.
The specific event that caused me to stop reading was an attempted sexual assult that occurs just before the halfway mark. 9 times out of 10, those don't need to be there, and it didn't happen in a way that gave me faith that there would be far reaching emotional consequences for the character it concerned. If this is something that would bother you, then I'd advise against reading this book.
Honestly, I stopped reading this a week and a bit ago. It's only now that I've gotten round to marking it as such and writing up this review. I was that bored with it.
I received an e-arc through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
Thanks to Gollancz for the proof copy. This has not influenced my rating.
I’d not heard anything about this book before picking it up, but the blurb sounded like it was up my street so I thought I’d give it a go.
I’m so glad I did! In fact, this made my ‘Top Books of 2018’ list
This feels like quite a refreshing story in YA fantasy. I really enjoyed the sister dynamic, both the set up at the beginning and how it develops over time. I haven’t read anything with a similar magic system (I’m not sure if there’s a specific cultural/mythological influence, please let me know if you do), and the shapeshifter dynamic seemed really well written.
It’s always great to discover a new series to get invested in, and I hope it received the love and attention it deserves!
I’d not heard anything about this book before picking it up, but the blurb sounded like it was up my street so I thought I’d give it a go.
I’m so glad I did! In fact, this made my ‘Top Books of 2018’ list
This feels like quite a refreshing story in YA fantasy. I really enjoyed the sister dynamic, both the set up at the beginning and how it develops over time. I haven’t read anything with a similar magic system (I’m not sure if there’s a specific cultural/mythological influence, please let me know if you do), and the shapeshifter dynamic seemed really well written.
It’s always great to discover a new series to get invested in, and I hope it received the love and attention it deserves!
I'm unfortunately going to be (temporarily, at least) DNF'ing The Girl King, with an ultimate star rating of 3/5 stars.
At first sight, The Girl King has everything in a YA Fantasy book I'd usually love. Sibling conflicts? Check. Princesses? Check. Shapeshifters? Check. Magic? Check. However, it fell through on a couple aspects for me. I don't feel it was as well executed as it could have been. I felt the many POV's (particularly that of Min) slowed down the pacing of the book, and made the more exciting parts (namely scenes where it was Lu's POV) slow down or less exciting than they should have been. Despite this, I loved Yu's writing, and found her descriptions to be vivid and full of life.
As for the characters, I can say without a doubt I enjoyed Lu's POV the most. Despite the fact her scenes had the most going on, she was the most engaging of all 3 main characters. She is a brave, determined young woman who won't let anything - or anyone - stand in her way: qualities I love to see in a heroine, especially in YA. I didn't warm up to Nok until about 48% through the book, around the time where he met up with Lu, and even at my current point in the novel, I still don't fully understand him, and at least right now, he seems a little flat. Sure he has the whole mysterious past that we're slowly piecing together, but that just isn't enough to keep me going, and at nearly half way through what is almost a 500-page tome, I expected more at this point. Lastly, I hated Min's POV/scenes. I haven't come across a character as childish and annoying in a long time. She acted immature in nearly all of her scenes, and I found her remotely bearable on only a small number of occasions. Her scenes slowed down the pacing of the book immensely, I found, and her scenes (at least to me) offered little to no advancement of the plot, unlike Lu's or even Nok's, at a push.
Maybe one day I will revisit and finish reading The Girl King. Maybe that will be tomorrow, or a month, or six months' time - I don't know - but for now, I'm afraid I simply don't have the time nor the energy to commit to a book that, so far, has been dragging it's heels. I'll applaud Yu's efforts: the parts of The Girl King I did like, I really liked, but they were unfortunately outweighed by the bad.
Content warnings for this book include rape, violence/domestic abuse, racial slurs towards a fictional race and addiction.
At first sight, The Girl King has everything in a YA Fantasy book I'd usually love. Sibling conflicts? Check. Princesses? Check. Shapeshifters? Check. Magic? Check. However, it fell through on a couple aspects for me. I don't feel it was as well executed as it could have been. I felt the many POV's (particularly that of Min) slowed down the pacing of the book, and made the more exciting parts (namely scenes where it was Lu's POV) slow down or less exciting than they should have been. Despite this, I loved Yu's writing, and found her descriptions to be vivid and full of life.
As for the characters, I can say without a doubt I enjoyed Lu's POV the most. Despite the fact her scenes had the most going on, she was the most engaging of all 3 main characters. She is a brave, determined young woman who won't let anything - or anyone - stand in her way: qualities I love to see in a heroine, especially in YA. I didn't warm up to Nok until about 48% through the book, around the time where he met up with Lu, and even at my current point in the novel, I still don't fully understand him, and at least right now, he seems a little flat. Sure he has the whole mysterious past that we're slowly piecing together, but that just isn't enough to keep me going, and at nearly half way through what is almost a 500-page tome, I expected more at this point. Lastly, I hated Min's POV/scenes. I haven't come across a character as childish and annoying in a long time. She acted immature in nearly all of her scenes, and I found her remotely bearable on only a small number of occasions. Her scenes slowed down the pacing of the book immensely, I found, and her scenes (at least to me) offered little to no advancement of the plot, unlike Lu's or even Nok's, at a push.
Maybe one day I will revisit and finish reading The Girl King. Maybe that will be tomorrow, or a month, or six months' time - I don't know - but for now, I'm afraid I simply don't have the time nor the energy to commit to a book that, so far, has been dragging it's heels. I'll applaud Yu's efforts: the parts of The Girl King I did like, I really liked, but they were unfortunately outweighed by the bad.
Content warnings for this book include rape, violence/domestic abuse, racial slurs towards a fictional race and addiction.
i had too high expectations but i'll read the second one tho
Thank you to Netgalley and Orion Publishing Group for giving me an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
CW: substance abuse, mentions of genocide, graphic violence
• This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the year and sadly, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. First of all, I wasn't hooked by the prologue. It's important to note that it was confusing and I felt as if I was waddling through quicksand the whole time. I can hear you saying, "BUT RAIN, AREN'T ALL BOOKS CONFUSING AT THE START??" Well, yes but I'm a mood reader. I tend to put off books that don't spark my interest. I just pushed through The Girl King because I had high hopes that it was going to redeem itself. Well, it actually did. Barely.
• I do appreciate Lu's character. I love her strength and her fighting spirit. She will also punch anyone in the face if they say she's not capable in becoming the first female Emperor of their empire. Lu is not just physically strong. She's also smart. The influx of female characters in YA who are NOT just strong just because they can wield a sword makes me glad. This is the quality content we deserve.
• Minyi, on the other hand, is someone I want to slap with bad decisions. She sure had a lot of them. She is Lu's sister and is portrayed to be so starkly different from her. I get why she was written to be one spiteful blob of insecurities but I couldn't help but feel angry at her all the time. Her naiveté and willingness to get into an abusive relationship did not help to lighten my feelings toward her too.
Note: although I have negative mojo vibes for Min, kudos to Mimi Yu for writing such a complex character
• I was also disappointed with the romance subplot in this book because it was predictable and underdeveloped. Lu and Nokhai had the potential to be a good couple but the book was too plot-driven to give them some semblance of a relationship development. I saw some chemistry between them at the start of the book but Mimi Yu wasn't able to hold on to that as the story progressed, unfortunately.
• Nevertheless, I still liked the fantasy elements in this book. I especially enjoyed reading about the shape-shifting and the Inbetween helped in giving the book an atmospheric vibe.
• This book is also fast-paced and if you're looking for a quick read, this one's for you. I had several problems with the plot execution but The Girl King is quite a page-turner. In fact, I stayed up all night just to finish it and woke up to very healthy eye bags. They weigh a ton now and are a bit bothersome. I seriously recommend y'all to have eight hours of sleep. Having designer bags under the eyes is normal but not desirable.
CW: substance abuse, mentions of genocide, graphic violence
• This is one of my most-anticipated releases of the year and sadly, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would. First of all, I wasn't hooked by the prologue. It's important to note that it was confusing and I felt as if I was waddling through quicksand the whole time. I can hear you saying, "BUT RAIN, AREN'T ALL BOOKS CONFUSING AT THE START??" Well, yes but I'm a mood reader. I tend to put off books that don't spark my interest. I just pushed through The Girl King because I had high hopes that it was going to redeem itself. Well, it actually did. Barely.
• I do appreciate Lu's character. I love her strength and her fighting spirit. She will also punch anyone in the face if they say she's not capable in becoming the first female Emperor of their empire. Lu is not just physically strong. She's also smart. The influx of female characters in YA who are NOT just strong just because they can wield a sword makes me glad. This is the quality content we deserve.
• Minyi, on the other hand, is someone I want to slap with bad decisions. She sure had a lot of them. She is Lu's sister and is portrayed to be so starkly different from her. I get why she was written to be one spiteful blob of insecurities but I couldn't help but feel angry at her all the time. Her naiveté and willingness to get into an abusive relationship did not help to lighten my feelings toward her too.
Note: although I have negative mojo vibes for Min, kudos to Mimi Yu for writing such a complex character
• I was also disappointed with the romance subplot in this book because it was predictable and underdeveloped. Lu and Nokhai had the potential to be a good couple but the book was too plot-driven to give them some semblance of a relationship development. I saw some chemistry between them at the start of the book but Mimi Yu wasn't able to hold on to that as the story progressed, unfortunately.
• Nevertheless, I still liked the fantasy elements in this book. I especially enjoyed reading about the shape-shifting and the Inbetween helped in giving the book an atmospheric vibe.
• This book is also fast-paced and if you're looking for a quick read, this one's for you. I had several problems with the plot execution but The Girl King is quite a page-turner. In fact, I stayed up all night just to finish it and woke up to very healthy eye bags. They weigh a ton now and are a bit bothersome. I seriously recommend y'all to have eight hours of sleep. Having designer bags under the eyes is normal but not desirable.
As someone who really enjoys world building elements, I can say this book has it. The world building is great- mainly the religion.
The character motivations make sense.
The magic is super interesting.
And the political drama felt legit.
It is a pretty hefty book though, and it's not the most fast-paced. The book discuss the need for urgency, but nothing actually creates an urgent atmosphere.
But it was difficult to get attached to any of the characters. I'm not sure if it was the ever changing POV's or that there weren't many opportunities for emotional attachments.
Lu is ridiculously prideful and naive, which made sense. But she has a good heart, and it was refreshing to have her world views challenged.
Nok is running from a rather tragic past, and his fear clouds his decision making, until he's put in a position that requires him to make a decision. Makes sense. I could care less if he was a love interest. It would seem better to me if it was platonic relationship.
Min's own fear stirs doubt, jealousy, and hatred in her heart, like our dear Anakin from Star Wars. And I think it's the most realistic depiction of a young teen acquiring abilities I've seen in a story.
It's not a tale I haven't read before, but the world building made it believable for me. Not the characters. I'd say depending on the character, it can be a character driven or plot driven story. I hope that makes sense, but I probably need to research more on that topic.
Like Lu seems more plot driven, but Min felt character driven.
3 stars. I still am very interested in the characters and the story. I will be reading the second book.
Maybe it's because I read Lord of the Rings. Not all books need to be fast paced. Though I think there are problems in this story, I still enjoyed reading it.
The character motivations make sense.
The magic is super interesting.
And the political drama felt legit.
It is a pretty hefty book though, and it's not the most fast-paced. The book discuss the need for urgency, but nothing actually creates an urgent atmosphere.
But it was difficult to get attached to any of the characters. I'm not sure if it was the ever changing POV's or that there weren't many opportunities for emotional attachments.
Lu is ridiculously prideful and naive, which made sense. But she has a good heart, and it was refreshing to have her world views challenged.
Nok is running from a rather tragic past, and his fear clouds his decision making, until he's put in a position that requires him to make a decision. Makes sense. I could care less if he was a love interest. It would seem better to me if it was platonic relationship.
Min's own fear stirs doubt, jealousy, and hatred in her heart, like our dear Anakin from Star Wars. And I think it's the most realistic depiction of a young teen acquiring abilities I've seen in a story.
It's not a tale I haven't read before, but the world building made it believable for me. Not the characters. I'd say depending on the character, it can be a character driven or plot driven story. I hope that makes sense, but I probably need to research more on that topic.
Like Lu seems more plot driven, but Min felt character driven.
3 stars. I still am very interested in the characters and the story. I will be reading the second book.
Maybe it's because I read Lord of the Rings. Not all books need to be fast paced. Though I think there are problems in this story, I still enjoyed reading it.