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evvaarose's review against another edition
5.0
incredible!!!! fell in love with all those characters and i’m so excited for the next books in the series
reading this book has made me realise my destiny and has made me so much more confident in my own life i heart zhu chongba and her faith in herself
reading this book has made me realise my destiny and has made me so much more confident in my own life i heart zhu chongba and her faith in herself
emilyb_chicago's review against another edition
3.0
This was a well written book that felt much more like historical fiction than fantasy. I found the beginning propulsive, and an interesting look at this historical world I knew little of.
As the story progressed the focus on history and politics became detailed and the fantasy aspects could be categorized as religious belief. This is the point I would have enjoyed a harder turn toward fantasy.
About midway through, a second story line is picked up. The two story lines shared very similar high level charter setups so many scenes felt redundant. I struggled with main character motivations and the deeper into the story we got, the more unbelievable the actions taken. The disassociation between motivation and action escalated as the story progressed until I was reading for it to be done. The ending of this book felt arbitrarily placed in the story arc, as the story obviously will continue in the next books.
I can see how this would be a fantastic read for a lover of historical fiction who is eager for books with strong trans representation. If you are a reader of fantasy who avoids politics you might want to skip this one.
As the story progressed the focus on history and politics became detailed and the fantasy aspects could be categorized as religious belief. This is the point I would have enjoyed a harder turn toward fantasy.
About midway through, a second story line is picked up. The two story lines shared very similar high level charter setups so many scenes felt redundant. I struggled with main character motivations and the deeper into the story we got, the more unbelievable the actions taken. The disassociation between motivation and action escalated as the story progressed until I was reading for it to be done. The ending of this book felt arbitrarily placed in the story arc, as the story obviously will continue in the next books.
I can see how this would be a fantastic read for a lover of historical fiction who is eager for books with strong trans representation. If you are a reader of fantasy who avoids politics you might want to skip this one.
megladxn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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
3.75
nico_60's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
iluxia's review against another edition
5.0
WOW. This was initially endorsed to me as a creative retelling of Mulan, but it is so much more than that! Immersive and emotional, this book follows an ambitious young woman along her path to greatness such that we are witness to every sacrifice she has to make in order to achieve her goal. Both the protagonist and the main antagonist were eminently relatable for me; Parker-Chan outdid herself. The writing is well-paced, the descriptions colorful but never too heavy, and the historical setting well-portrayed. Can't wait for the next book to see where she takes these gorgeously written characters!
wilbobaggins's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
hurburb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
colourbones's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75