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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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:
No
This book is excellent. Chinese folklore is among my favorite literature and this brings that together with mystery, a little danger, and some unexpected romance. It's charming and well-written. I loved every minute. I almost want to begin again.
The characters are well-developed; you get such a good sense of their personalities right away.
I especially enjoyed the portions of the story that took place in the underworld and the attention to detail the author brought to the traditions described.
In many ways, this reminded me of the film "Spirited Away," but with a more mature plot. So, so great.
The characters are well-developed; you get such a good sense of their personalities right away.
I especially enjoyed the portions of the story that took place in the underworld and the attention to detail the author brought to the traditions described.
In many ways, this reminded me of the film "Spirited Away," but with a more mature plot. So, so great.
The mythology (Chinese Buddhist/folklore afterlife) and setting (19th C. Malaysia) was fascinating. I found the 10 realms of hell and the 9 judges so interesting. Beautifully written, although definitely dragged in some places.
Barely readable. Story concept is fantastic but unfortunately saddled with a boring protoganist who demonstrates little growth through the book. Very, very, very slow moving. Editor should have cut this in half and told the author to tighten up the writing. I understand they were going for a Chinese story telling feel but most English translations aren't this long and boring.
It's been a while since I dived into the fantasy genre but I'm happy I did with this book. I had forgotten how it felt to be immersed & lost in a fantasy world & this story did a good job at reminding me.
It was gripping from the start till the end. There were some parts that I considered totally unnecessary like when the author would start describing the ancient garbs/geography in the middle of an interesting scene *face-palm*
All in all, it was a juicy tale of love, family secrets, ghosts, mysterious spirits and culture!
I loved how the entire story was executed, the writing, characters and the way it all came to an end.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
It was gripping from the start till the end. There were some parts that I considered totally unnecessary like when the author would start describing the ancient garbs/geography in the middle of an interesting scene *face-palm*
All in all, it was a juicy tale of love, family secrets, ghosts, mysterious spirits and culture!
I loved how the entire story was executed, the writing, characters and the way it all came to an end.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
I would rate this 4.5 stars if I could. And there's little reason why it shouldn't be 5 stars, as this book has most everything I love in a historical fantasy romance! I deducted half a star simply because the book took me so long to read, meaning that there was something about it, where it just didn't grab me quite enough to want to plow through it.
That being said, this book is MASTERFULLY written, the language absolutely beautiful, and it's so unique! I loved all the twists and turns it took - especially in part four, where things really picked up speed! I loved that it was a journey both through life and death, where we got to experience both worlds, and Choo's exploration of Chinese ghost rules/mythology was fascinating! I really enjoyed this story and was perfectly satisfied with the end, though of course I would love to know a little more about what happens next! But, perhaps it's best left to the imagination. Thank you for a wonderful and intriguing read!
That being said, this book is MASTERFULLY written, the language absolutely beautiful, and it's so unique! I loved all the twists and turns it took - especially in part four, where things really picked up speed! I loved that it was a journey both through life and death, where we got to experience both worlds, and Choo's exploration of Chinese ghost rules/mythology was fascinating! I really enjoyed this story and was perfectly satisfied with the end, though of course I would love to know a little more about what happens next! But, perhaps it's best left to the imagination. Thank you for a wonderful and intriguing read!
Real score 4.65. Do you ever have those books you’re reading, loving, but are just not picking up to keep going. that’s the mysterious, missed 0.35. I needed something to listen to in the car last week and I picked this up on audio for a couple of hours and then went back to visual to finish because I remembered I was loving it. Strange and sweet and atmospheric.
Rating: 3.5 stars
I'm having a hard articulating my thoughts about this one. I'll have to come back to my review after I've had time to think about how I feel about this story.
I'm having a hard articulating my thoughts about this one. I'll have to come back to my review after I've had time to think about how I feel about this story.