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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
Writing plot characters, all were well written. But something about it felt a little off to me. Maybe bc it was written 9 years ago idk? Its certainly aged well for that matter
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Often either the romance or the mystery suffers a bit in books that have both, but this one really delivered. The mystery plot was complex and kept me guessing, the setting is incredibly engaging, and the relationship development is excellent. After a big, almost climactic point in the mystery subplot, the pacing and plot of the rest of the story felt a little off, but it was otherwise wonderful. So excited to keep reading the series.
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-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
847 AD. Tang Dynasty, China. Our story starts with an earthquake, takes us on a mysterious tour of pleasure & shipping boats, The Lotus Palace, and the darkened streets of the province. After being thrown together to solve a mystery, Yue-Ying and Lord Bai Huang’s positions are revealed and hidden as we move through the story.
If you don’t feel like you are in the Pingkang Li area after reading this story, then you’ve skipped all the beautiful descriptions written by the author. I fell into the dark and light of this story with my whole self and came out in love with the writing style. It’s a slow burn romance between an unlikely pairing of a privileged scholar and a maidservant of one of the beautiful courtesans of The Lotus Palace. Historically fulfilling, romance burns throughout the story, and the brilliance of their worlds is as poignant as the poems Lord Bai speaks.
If you don’t feel like you are in the Pingkang Li area after reading this story, then you’ve skipped all the beautiful descriptions written by the author. I fell into the dark and light of this story with my whole self and came out in love with the writing style. It’s a slow burn romance between an unlikely pairing of a privileged scholar and a maidservant of one of the beautiful courtesans of The Lotus Palace. Historically fulfilling, romance burns throughout the story, and the brilliance of their worlds is as poignant as the poems Lord Bai speaks.
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I had high hopes for this book, because I love China as a setting for historical romances, and I equally love characters who play dumb for a to-be-revealed reason. Hello, Bai Huang!
The setting is also beautiful; Lin’s descriptive writing is excellent.
Sadly, I just never really engaged fully with this book. There was too much mystery, and it was a confusing mystery as well as just not very interesting.
I also never felt we understood why Bai Huang was prepared to give up everything for Yue-Ying. The relationship was told, not shown.
And the ending was just silly.
Pet peeve: Lin kept using “laconic” to mean languid. Arrrgh
The setting is also beautiful; Lin’s descriptive writing is excellent.
Sadly, I just never really engaged fully with this book. There was too much mystery, and it was a confusing mystery as well as just not very interesting.
I also never felt we understood why Bai Huang was prepared to give up everything for Yue-Ying. The relationship was told, not shown.
And the ending was just silly.
Pet peeve: Lin kept using “laconic” to mean languid. Arrrgh