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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
The historical elements in this book are fascinating, but the author has a hard time creating her characters - they are too current, and the relationship between the main character and her suitors seems contrived. For a purely entertaining read, however, and an opportunity to learn about a different belief system, it was worth slogging through the awkwardness, especially if you like historical fiction.
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
Starts off incredibly strong and interesting. The ending left something to be desired.
This was very thrilling! More so than I was expecting, it had some fun twists and I was entralled. I appreciate when each character is given background and realistic motivations.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The culture and the mythology involved were interesting, but the heroine Li Lan annoyed me because she never did anything to rescue herself from the various plot crises. Someone or something always showed up at the last minute to do the rescuing instead. Er Lang had potential, but I got too much of a "special snowflake" vibe from his half-baked relationship with Li Lan, and couldn't overcome my skepticism.
This is the first novel by the author of "Night Tiger," which got a lot of attention last year, and in some ways I like it even better. Yangsze Choo is from an ethnic Chinese family from Malaysia, educated in the U.K. and living in the U.S., and she spins original fantastical, readable, beautiful novels with roots in her culture's folklore. This is apparently being made into a series in Mandarin; I'll have to track it down and view it.
I'm not sure why anyone would call this a teen novel though the heroine-narrator is a young Chinese-Malay girl who is betrothed to a wealthy dead man against her will. She comes from a once-wealthy family that is down on its luck but retains prestige, which is why her father is willing to consider the match. Meanwhile, she longs for the dead man's handsome live cousin. She leaves her body and travels through the spirit world trying to find a way out of the marriage, trying to understand the effects of the world of the dead on the world of the living, and to unravel the complicated murders that have led to her current situation. Along the way she seeks to meet the spirit of her long-dead mother and finds surprising allies who lead her to a surprising choice. I just loved this novel!
I'm not sure why anyone would call this a teen novel though the heroine-narrator is a young Chinese-Malay girl who is betrothed to a wealthy dead man against her will. She comes from a once-wealthy family that is down on its luck but retains prestige, which is why her father is willing to consider the match. Meanwhile, she longs for the dead man's handsome live cousin. She leaves her body and travels through the spirit world trying to find a way out of the marriage, trying to understand the effects of the world of the dead on the world of the living, and to unravel the complicated murders that have led to her current situation. Along the way she seeks to meet the spirit of her long-dead mother and finds surprising allies who lead her to a surprising choice. I just loved this novel!
3.5
I really enjoyed the first third and last third of this. The middle third, when Li is in the lands of the dead fell rather flat for me -I'm not sure why as that part was just as well written and descriptive as the rest. But I found it a bit boring, and was happy when the story returned to the real world.
And I loved Er Lang. And Li's horse :)
That said, overall I did enjoy this and will certainly look for her next novel!
I really enjoyed the first third and last third of this. The middle third, when Li is in the lands of the dead fell rather flat for me -I'm not sure why as that part was just as well written and descriptive as the rest. But I found it a bit boring, and was happy when the story returned to the real world.
And I loved Er Lang. And Li's horse :)
That said, overall I did enjoy this and will certainly look for her next novel!
3.5 stars. Thanks to the Netflix release, I was finally pushed to read this after letting it languish on my to-read pile for 5 years.
This book may have been narrated by Li Lan, but the real protagonist is Malacca. The descriptions of the port city at the cusp of the 20th century are vibrant and immersive. You truly get a sense of the mosaic Malaysia was by that time, particularly the sociocultural changes. There is some light romance (and a love triangle, natch), but I was pretty much here only for Li Lan's adventures through the afterlife.
Based on the trailer I get the feeling that the show on Netflix takes a very different direction with the story, so I appreciate having read this first.
This book may have been narrated by Li Lan, but the real protagonist is Malacca. The descriptions of the port city at the cusp of the 20th century are vibrant and immersive. You truly get a sense of the mosaic Malaysia was by that time, particularly the sociocultural changes. There is some light romance (and a love triangle, natch), but I was pretty much here only for Li Lan's adventures through the afterlife.
Based on the trailer I get the feeling that the show on Netflix takes a very different direction with the story, so I appreciate having read this first.