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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A lot of reviews just didn't seem to get this book, and it's completely understandable. But it's not because the book is poorly written, it's because, as others have said, the concepts being explored are utterly unique, and without something to compare it to, it's difficult to follow along. In this world there are a small number of psychics, but each of them has a different "power." Most psychics eventually go insane, but there is some recent technology (mindlocks) which not only prevents them from going insane but also allows them to be controlled by the emperor.
Through some very intense trauma, which comes out through the book, the protagonist has split off parts of her personality and implanted them into new bodies, or "boneghosts," which she is able to create. She runs a brothel with these boneghosts and is also the mistress to the emperor. So I think some of the difficulty with some readers is probably due to the language describing this multi-layered internal psychic interaction between these different aspects/characters. The name of the active character often changes in mid-paragraph as the different aspect comes forward, but they are the same person.
So this is all on top of a complicated story of assassinations, insanity, palace intrigue, war crimes, and the like. Honestly I wasn't expecting to like this, and there are some points where the palace intrigue drama dragged down the pace of the book, but sticking with it paid off in the end, and it turned out to be a really good reading experience.
Through some very intense trauma, which comes out through the book, the protagonist has split off parts of her personality and implanted them into new bodies, or "boneghosts," which she is able to create. She runs a brothel with these boneghosts and is also the mistress to the emperor. So I think some of the difficulty with some readers is probably due to the language describing this multi-layered internal psychic interaction between these different aspects/characters. The name of the active character often changes in mid-paragraph as the different aspect comes forward, but they are the same person.
So this is all on top of a complicated story of assassinations, insanity, palace intrigue, war crimes, and the like. Honestly I wasn't expecting to like this, and there are some points where the palace intrigue drama dragged down the pace of the book, but sticking with it paid off in the end, and it turned out to be a really good reading experience.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Good-weird and creative magic system to freshen up the traditional political fantasy format.
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
If I had to give decimals, I’d probably give this a 3.8. It was thoroughly entertaining despite being confusing at times, and the initial 2/3 of the book were nicely paced. The last third needed to resolve a lot of plot, to the point that I wondered if there would be a sequel to address the loose ends. Nevertheless, it was an interesting premise and a fun read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An incredible story with complex characters, political plots and supernatural abilities. In terms of tone I'd say it was similar to Kendare Blake's Three Dark Crowns series, which I haven't come across often in books and enjoy. A couple of times there were moments which weren't clear, but overall I'm very impressed with Mueller's complicated plot and how it all came together. She juggled lots of characters, their motives, connections and interactions beautifully.
The story also addresses traditional patriarchy's treatment of women and male entitlement, which towards the end was violently expressed, and the characters also directly discuss, which I appreciated.
There haven't been many books which have characters that have experienced mental health issues, and that was also valuable in this book.
I'd definitely read more of Mueller, if she writes again!
The story also addresses traditional patriarchy's treatment of women and male entitlement, which towards the end was violently expressed, and the characters also directly discuss, which I appreciated.
There haven't been many books which have characters that have experienced mental health issues, and that was also valuable in this book.
I'd definitely read more of Mueller, if she writes again!