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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
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.
Let me preface this by saying I think this story would translate beautifully into a Kdrama. I can see it starring Kim Yoo Jung & Kim Min Kyu. The stunning visuals & actor's tiniest movements filling in the gaps in pacing.
The synopsis did not prepare me for the story at all. We follow Princess Lu, who has been raised her whole life to become the first female Emperor, as her world is turned upside-down by the announcement that, instead of ruling as she has been promised, the throne shall instead be given to her evil cousin, Set, & she will be his wife. Refusing this unthinkable decision, Lu does indeed find herself journeying north to gather an army. Yes, that much is true.
What is also true is that we're about 25% of the way through the book before any of this occurs, making for some rather disappointing issues with pacing.
This is a beautifully constructed world overflowing with history & Korean cultural influence, but somewhat lacking in true depth at the same time. Told through three perspectives - the weak-willed Princess Minyi, the entitled Princess Lu, & the deeply traumatized slipskin Nokhai - we manage most of our plot development through Lu's eyes ... but little relationship development. This story's main romance toes the line of instalove. In fact, if I had to think about it, I would almost hypothesize that each character was created to represent thematic elements: Nok to world build, Lu to push the plot forward, & Min to give us the only emotional consistency in the story.
But here's the thing: Despite its flaws, this is NOT a bad book. It combines some of my favorite elements of classic YA fantasy with the "chaos is a ladder" mentality of A Game of Thrones. Things never go according to plan. There is genuine loss & sacrifice. Despite her comparatively charmed upbringing, Lu herself is the most flawed of the three MCs. I liked the characters. I liked the twists, even the predictable ones. I liked this book.
And I will be picking up the next one.
The synopsis did not prepare me for the story at all. We follow Princess Lu, who has been raised her whole life to become the first female Emperor, as her world is turned upside-down by the announcement that, instead of ruling as she has been promised, the throne shall instead be given to her evil cousin, Set, & she will be his wife. Refusing this unthinkable decision, Lu does indeed find herself journeying north to gather an army. Yes, that much is true.
What is also true is that we're about 25% of the way through the book before any of this occurs, making for some rather disappointing issues with pacing.
This is a beautifully constructed world overflowing with history & Korean cultural influence, but somewhat lacking in true depth at the same time. Told through three perspectives - the weak-willed Princess Minyi, the entitled Princess Lu, & the deeply traumatized slipskin Nokhai - we manage most of our plot development through Lu's eyes ... but little relationship development. This story's main romance toes the line of instalove. In fact, if I had to think about it, I would almost hypothesize that each character was created to represent thematic elements: Nok to world build, Lu to push the plot forward, & Min to give us the only emotional consistency in the story.
But here's the thing: Despite its flaws, this is NOT a bad book. It combines some of my favorite elements of classic YA fantasy with the "chaos is a ladder" mentality of A Game of Thrones. Things never go according to plan. There is genuine loss & sacrifice. Despite her comparatively charmed upbringing, Lu herself is the most flawed of the three MCs. I liked the characters. I liked the twists, even the predictable ones. I liked this book.
And I will be picking up the next one.