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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
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:
No
The first 50% is Disney's Mulan, beat for beat, except with spirit magic and the second half started off being an angsty captive story the likes of which I really dislike.
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This had all the ingredients of a story I should have loved (Mulan inspirations, spirit creatures, and a sea dragon!) but the execution just didn’t land for me. The plot was basic (kill one guy, add a dash of drama), the worldbuilding was barely there, and the characters… 😬 I know the main character is meant to be selfish and ruthless, but she came off flat and unbelievable to me. This was especially frustrating as I really wanted to root for her and feel invested in her cause.
But unfortunately it wasn’t just her I struggled with. All of these characters are kind of awful - even the love interests only look good if you squint. And while the love triangle held a tiny sliver of interest for me by the end of book (if only because I live for the drama), I don’t care enough to continue the series.
The writing was easy to get through and the second half picked up in terms of pacing and structure. But I have some major concerns over the heavy themes and lack of forewarning. The themes in this book are dark and incredibly repetitive, and I feel that the lack of warning (at least in the edition I read) was careless.
All in all, this was a fast and immersive read, but not one I’d recommend to many people.
But unfortunately it wasn’t just her I struggled with. All of these characters are kind of awful - even the love interests only look good if you squint. And while the love triangle held a tiny sliver of interest for me by the end of book (if only because I live for the drama), I don’t care enough to continue the series.
The writing was easy to get through and the second half picked up in terms of pacing and structure. But I have some major concerns over the heavy themes and lack of forewarning. The themes in this book are dark and incredibly repetitive, and I feel that the lack of warning (at least in the edition I read) was careless.
All in all, this was a fast and immersive read, but not one I’d recommend to many people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Torture
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, War
adventurous
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:
Complicated
This book had adventure, romance, love triangles, mythic beings, and you root for the underdog. I loved that our fmc makes mistakes in the book and has to deal with the grief and consequences.
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a good book. I didn’t want to read it but it kept me hooked the entire time. I cannot wait to read the next one.
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Mulan retelling, but darker and with more magic—sign me up! And with a beautiful sprayed edge and gorgeous cover art, I had to read this one. A nice balance of action, adventure, romance, and character development, this was a real page-turner. If you know the story of Mulan, then nothing about the plot and characters will surprise you. However, Song does a wonderful job of weaving in magical elements and lore to keep the reader engaged and guessing. Our heroine still has a snarky dragon, but he’s no wise-cracking sidekick in this story. Among other familiar elements is the warrior-prince love interest. Romance is light in this book but is still a well-done side plot. However despite all the pleasing nostalgia, this book felt a little busy especially towards the end—I felt like I was in a speeding car that crashed full speed into a brick wall at the final chapter.
The magical elements were intriguing and the idea of the cardinal spirits having a greater role in the story with their own motivations was quite interesting. The magic system that incorporated elemental Qi from traditional Chinese martial arts and medicine was amazing…by far my favorite element of the book. I think the author intentionally left a lot of questions about the magic and spirits for the next book, an effective strategy because I am definitely curious and itching for more.
Meilin’s character arc was intriguing to read. Song takes typical feminist elements of storytelling about a powerless woman discovering her magical ability and herself and coming into her own power…but she expands upon that and examines the dark side of that power. I loved this!
However I found both male love interests flat and one-dimensional. So much so that it distracted me from the story at large. There is no spice in this book and for once I didn’t miss it. I’m hoping for book two the story either fully commits and gives us an epic love story or just shuffles right on past it. What fully knocked this down a few stars for me was the final act: don’t introduce new characters in the last 50 pages of a book. Sorry, I said what I said.
Bottom line: if you enjoy folklore-retellings with a heavy splash of feminism, this is the book for you. I do think I will continue the duology, just maybe not placing book 2 very high on the TBR?
The magical elements were intriguing and the idea of the cardinal spirits having a greater role in the story with their own motivations was quite interesting. The magic system that incorporated elemental Qi from traditional Chinese martial arts and medicine was amazing…by far my favorite element of the book. I think the author intentionally left a lot of questions about the magic and spirits for the next book, an effective strategy because I am definitely curious and itching for more.
Meilin’s character arc was intriguing to read. Song takes typical feminist elements of storytelling about a powerless woman discovering her magical ability and herself and coming into her own power…but she expands upon that and examines the dark side of that power. I loved this!
However I found both male love interests flat and one-dimensional. So much so that it distracted me from the story at large. There is no spice in this book and for once I didn’t miss it. I’m hoping for book two the story either fully commits and gives us an epic love story or just shuffles right on past it. What fully knocked this down a few stars for me was the final act: don’t introduce new characters in the last 50 pages of a book. Sorry, I said what I said.
Bottom line: if you enjoy folklore-retellings with a heavy splash of feminism, this is the book for you. I do think I will continue the duology, just maybe not placing book 2 very high on the TBR?