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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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
I'm interested in fantasy and magical realism, and this is really just a historical fiction that's all about battle strategy and hierarchy and I'm just not interested
adventurous
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Quite an absorbing story. I liked the beginning a lot, but I was less interested in all the political machinations. Still, I enjoy reading about a part of the world I know very little about.
This is somewhere between 3 and 3.5 stars for me. It's hard to pinpoint how I feel. This is one of those books where I can absolutely see why everyone loves it, but there's just something about it that didn't quite click with me. I will note really quick too that this book is pretty light on the fantasy elements.
I think in the end it mostly comes down to writing style and personal preference. It felt a little distant and in some places a bit dense. And by dense, I mean I found myself rereading paragraphs over and over again because my mind wasn't following the words as easily as I wanted it to. That's probably a me problem, though.
I was also a bit jarred by the sudden switch in part II from following just Zhu around to suddenly having multiple povs. I found it quite hard to care about any characters aside from Zhu and Xu Da until the last 25% of the book, and even then I don't know if I can really say I'm truly invested in the stories of the other characters. I would have strongly preferred that the entire story be Zhu's perspective because her sections were the only ones I truly looked forward to reading.
I really appreciated that aside from really key moments, big battles and bloody scenes were not described in detail. I'm not a huge fan of reading action, so it was actually quite refreshing to have a book focus more on politics rather than the battles.
I also really enjoyed the exploration of gender and identity. It was interesting to see the perspectives and experiences of Zhu and Ouyang and how they change over the course of the book, and to also see women dealing with femininity and patriarchy in their own ways as well.
Overall, I'm not sure if I'll read any sequels, but I will definitely recommend this book to people who I think will enjoy it.
(I just want to add too that the cover is GORGEOUS)
I think in the end it mostly comes down to writing style and personal preference. It felt a little distant and in some places a bit dense. And by dense, I mean I found myself rereading paragraphs over and over again because my mind wasn't following the words as easily as I wanted it to. That's probably a me problem, though.
I was also a bit jarred by the sudden switch in part II from following just Zhu around to suddenly having multiple povs. I found it quite hard to care about any characters aside from Zhu and Xu Da until the last 25% of the book, and even then I don't know if I can really say I'm truly invested in the stories of the other characters. I would have strongly preferred that the entire story be Zhu's perspective because her sections were the only ones I truly looked forward to reading.
I really appreciated that aside from really key moments, big battles and bloody scenes were not described in detail. I'm not a huge fan of reading action, so it was actually quite refreshing to have a book focus more on politics rather than the battles.
I also really enjoyed the exploration of gender and identity. It was interesting to see the perspectives and experiences of Zhu and Ouyang and how they change over the course of the book, and to also see women dealing with femininity and patriarchy in their own ways as well.
Overall, I'm not sure if I'll read any sequels, but I will definitely recommend this book to people who I think will enjoy it.
(I just want to add too that the cover is GORGEOUS)
First of all, I would barely classify this as fantasy (yes, there is some paranormal stuff but it was barely there). Anyhoo, someone I follow on GR wrote “there’s no way I read the same book as everyone else,” and that’s how I feel. This was just okay for me. There is some depth in the character work and I do respect the intricacies of the plot, but in the end my socks were not blown off. For folks who like historical fiction or military fiction, this is a must read.
I'm typically not a fan of deeply historical novels and war settings but the characters in She Who Became the Sun were so compelling. Not to be me, but the Akechi-ism of Ouyang my GOD I can't take it
I’m actually quite shell-shocked that this novel has been praised as much at it has. I was so hyped about this book that I now have some kind of PTSD from the disappointment. Perhaps the subject matter bolstered people’s scores. A bit of virtue signalling perhaps.
It lacked sooooo much depth. At times, some of the plot bordered on ridiculous. Honestly, I can’t express how disappointed I am. I thought the writing might save the lack of story but even that became wooden stilted and sterile. If it was advertised as a children’s fable then I may have been kinder in my critique.
Please note: THIS BOOK IS NOTHING LIKE THE POPPY WAR FOR THAT SERIES WAS INCREDIBLE. IF I WAS RF KUANG I WOULD BE SO ANGRY WITH THE COMPARISON JUST BECAUSE IT INVOLVED ASIA AND WEAPONS!!!
It lacked sooooo much depth. At times, some of the plot bordered on ridiculous. Honestly, I can’t express how disappointed I am. I thought the writing might save the lack of story but even that became wooden stilted and sterile. If it was advertised as a children’s fable then I may have been kinder in my critique.
Please note: THIS BOOK IS NOTHING LIKE THE POPPY WAR FOR THAT SERIES WAS INCREDIBLE. IF I WAS RF KUANG I WOULD BE SO ANGRY WITH THE COMPARISON JUST BECAUSE IT INVOLVED ASIA AND WEAPONS!!!
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-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