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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
A little long-winded at times, but I enjoyed the fantasy. Was not expecting a story of Chinese ghost world come to life, but that's exactly what it is, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.
At first I tried to read the audiobook, but the posh accent for the main character felt really out of place. And then I switched to the ebook, but then it was really apparent just how much of the book was what felt like world building for the sake of world building. This one just wasn’t for me, I don’t think.
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I really enjoyed this book, especially reading about religion and death--all for a love story.
A story that mixes Chinese-Malay folklore and culture with fantasy in a way that I found highly entertaining. A story that never got dull and surprised me with a few twists.
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
2 1/2 stars
While the premise of this book was interesting and I enjoyed the story (except for the last 3 chapters or so), the prose had no personality despite being told in the first person, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere, and the main character was boring. Li Lang, our protagonist, seemed to have few thoughts of her own, which was particularly annoying given that the entire book is written in the first person point of view. In addition, our protagonist seems to have very little agency. She constantly needs to have someone else do something for her, and even her "plans" are the brain child of somebody else. It doesn't help that the narration doesn't feel organic. When the different aspects of Malayan culture are described it feels like I'm reading an anthropologist's field guide, not the narration of somebody who describing the aspects of her own culture. This book is an interesting read, but not one I highly recommend.
While the premise of this book was interesting and I enjoyed the story (except for the last 3 chapters or so), the prose had no personality despite being told in the first person, the ending seemed to come out of nowhere, and the main character was boring. Li Lang, our protagonist, seemed to have few thoughts of her own, which was particularly annoying given that the entire book is written in the first person point of view. In addition, our protagonist seems to have very little agency. She constantly needs to have someone else do something for her, and even her "plans" are the brain child of somebody else. It doesn't help that the narration doesn't feel organic. When the different aspects of Malayan culture are described it feels like I'm reading an anthropologist's field guide, not the narration of somebody who describing the aspects of her own culture. This book is an interesting read, but not one I highly recommend.
3.5-ish/5
I really liked the folklore and mythology this book trying to invoke, but that did not outweigh the overall flatness of the main character, and the uncoordinated pace of the mystery.
I really liked the folklore and mythology this book trying to invoke, but that did not outweigh the overall flatness of the main character, and the uncoordinated pace of the mystery.