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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
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.