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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
I had seen pretty polarizing reactions to this one, between exalting praise on social media and Goodreads, to people that were like "Was I reading the same text as everyone else?" Billed as Mulan meets Song of Achilles, curiosity got the best of me and I had to check it out. Annnddd....it was....okay. I can see the Mulan comparison, but not the Song of Achilles one. I think overall what really didn't work for me was the pacing. There would be long stretches with not a lot going on, with conversations about political maneuvers and strategies and then climactic events would take place in a few pages. Overall, it was a bit too long and dragged out.
What I found the most interesting that kept me engaged was the exploration of gender roles and queer characters. There were a lot of interesting dynamics at play, primarily with the main character taking on the identity of her deceased brother, being referred to as both he and she throughout the text, and the exploration of what it means to be masculine or feminine. Similarly, the primary antagonist is a eunuch general that is described as being exceedingly beautiful and effeminate, and the exploration of the dynamic between him and his superior that contains a lot of homoerotic undertones.
I know I haven't done a great job of selling this one, but I'd say give it a try if you appreciate any of what I mention above, reading about war and battle, have an interest in 14th century China, or enjoy historical fiction with a tinge of fantasy. Otherwise, this may not be your cup of tea.
What I found the most interesting that kept me engaged was the exploration of gender roles and queer characters. There were a lot of interesting dynamics at play, primarily with the main character taking on the identity of her deceased brother, being referred to as both he and she throughout the text, and the exploration of what it means to be masculine or feminine. Similarly, the primary antagonist is a eunuch general that is described as being exceedingly beautiful and effeminate, and the exploration of the dynamic between him and his superior that contains a lot of homoerotic undertones.
I know I haven't done a great job of selling this one, but I'd say give it a try if you appreciate any of what I mention above, reading about war and battle, have an interest in 14th century China, or enjoy historical fiction with a tinge of fantasy. Otherwise, this may not be your cup of tea.
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
sad
tense
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:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
slow-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
adventurous
emotional
tense
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
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
A really fun epic that explores trans and gender noncomforming people as main characters (yay!) but I honestly couldn’t love the main character. which is cool in its own way, but not engaging enough for me to want to see it through.