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dancingdane's review against another edition
3.0
This reads much like the fairy tales I read as a child (the real Hans Christian Anderson and others, not the edited ones). I appreciated the Asian influences, as well as the gender struggles. While she was cursed, the heroine was stronger than other women and able to perform tasks outside of "tradition."
hannahsjournal's review against another edition
1.0
I DNF-ed at 38%. I tried really hard I push through, but the characters were flat and it all just felt so impersonal and meh.
minipanda's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars
I really wanted to like this novel. It has all the elements I'm usually into: fantasy, epic adventure, and Asian folklore. But there's a lot of telling and not enough showing. Making the novel less immersive. Also the pacing and flow could of been better.
Overall, I like the concept but execution could of been better.
I really wanted to like this novel. It has all the elements I'm usually into: fantasy, epic adventure, and Asian folklore. But there's a lot of telling and not enough showing. Making the novel less immersive. Also the pacing and flow could of been better.
Overall, I like the concept but execution could of been better.
theaudioauditor's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
dchaniewski's review against another edition
5.0
I really hope Studio Ghibli turns this into a film.
eibareads's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars!!
This book was very strange but not in a bad way! It was just unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It reads a bit like a fairy tale but with several unexpected twists that were very intriguing. I liked the world it was set in and the style is nice and clear. I think this leans toward being a middle grade novel in style but the content is more YA, which didn’t bother me at all but it’s just good to know. I liked Miuko and I LOVED Geiki and all the characters were quite well done.
The overall theme of self acceptance was really cool and well executed, and I liked the discussions of misogyny too. Miuko was such an interesting protagonist as someone who had never really fit into the societal mold, and then suddenly fits even less and manages to learn from it. Very very neat.
The world building could have been more fleshed out but what was there was great! As a whole I thought this was a very fun and interesting book and I’m glad to have read it.
This book was very strange but not in a bad way! It was just unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It reads a bit like a fairy tale but with several unexpected twists that were very intriguing. I liked the world it was set in and the style is nice and clear. I think this leans toward being a middle grade novel in style but the content is more YA, which didn’t bother me at all but it’s just good to know. I liked Miuko and I LOVED Geiki and all the characters were quite well done.
The overall theme of self acceptance was really cool and well executed, and I liked the discussions of misogyny too. Miuko was such an interesting protagonist as someone who had never really fit into the societal mold, and then suddenly fits even less and manages to learn from it. Very very neat.
The world building could have been more fleshed out but what was there was great! As a whole I thought this was a very fun and interesting book and I’m glad to have read it.
eponymous_city's review against another edition
I don't tend to like the retold fairytale genre, but I grabbed this because I needed a new audiobook and this was recommended on tiktok as good fantasy with Japanese folklore vibe by a Japanese American woman and I didn't have a lot of time to decide. It was cute and I did enjoy the character's relationship arc from distrust to love, but I have confirmed that this type of story is not the vibe for me. On top of that, I cannot fathom why they chose a white lady to narrate the audiobook! Her accent really pulled me out. There's got to be at least one female japanese-american voice actor who they could have hired...
masmasumi's review against another edition
4.0
Reasons I loved this book:
Strong female protagonists
LGBTQ representation
Diverse author and protagonist
Fairytale/Adventure
Commentary on gender norms
Emphasis on relationships
Respect for life
Value of integrity and sincerity
I had a few things that I wanted answered, but I can live without. I can’t wait for the further adventures of Miuko and Geiki!
Can’t wait for the next book! Thank you to the author, publisher and netgally for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read this one.
Strong female protagonists
LGBTQ representation
Diverse author and protagonist
Fairytale/Adventure
Commentary on gender norms
Emphasis on relationships
Respect for life
Value of integrity and sincerity
I had a few things that I wanted answered, but I can live without. I can’t wait for the further adventures of Miuko and Geiki!
Can’t wait for the next book! Thank you to the author, publisher and netgally for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read this one.
aslihan_poppins's review against another edition
5.0
this is one of the best books i've read in my LIFE