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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
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
This was pretty solid, but not a new favourite. I was excited for another Mulan retelling and a lot of it was very promising. I appreciated the fact that the author changed up the MC’s motivations for going to war, as it made the story a bit more unique. The world and magic system were interesting, and I liked that a lot of the characters were morally grey, as it made it feel a tad more complex.
I think my main issue with this were the characters. I found lot of the characters to be quite bland and underdeveloped, and I felt like we didn’t actually spend that much time getting to know them. The MC is quite awkward and keeps to herself, so she doesn’t really have that camaraderie with her fellow soldiers that makes the story more well-rounded. While I liked that Meilin knew what she wanted and decided to go after it, I did feel like she made a lot of stupid decisions and had some not-like-other-girls syndrome. For the romance(s) (there’s a love triangle), I didn’t feel like we saw them spend THAT much time together and explore their connection, so it felt like it came a bit out of left field when there was a love confession.
I also found the writing wasn’t quite to my taste. There was quite a bit of telling instead of showing and I found that the pacing felt off at some points - some things were very repetitive (especially the kidnapping scenes), but then some important scenes felt rushed, and there were also time jumps that made things feel kind of choppy.
Overall, not a bad time and the promise was interesting, but it wasn’t totally for me. I would also say this much more YA than adult, so keep that in mind!
Overall, not a bad time and the promise was interesting, but it wasn’t totally for me. I would also say this much more YA than adult, so keep that in mind!
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
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
I met this author in a library right before her first published novel came out and my mind is blown that I’m here now. That was so incredibly good. Do instead of other stuff-good. And best of all, it set up the exact same Tamlin/Rhysand premise for book 2.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I watched Mulan so many times as a kid, it eventually was banned in our home. So safe to say I am all in for any kind of retelling. I was even more onboard when I realised this wouldn't be as sugarcoated as the Disney version.
K.X. Songs world is riddled by a sense of realism, which oddly enough makes the fantasy elements feel more... well, real. Meilin is a complex character that you want to root for - and I love the fact that Song doesn't shy away from letting her heroine make outright bad decicions. She is greedy, she is rash - and that's what (strangely enough) makes her likeable. Even the way the romance is written, which is borderline "love at first sight", is excuseable. Because the characters get time to actually get to know each other - and literally fight eachothers demons.
Where Sky is the knight in shining armour, Lei is the rare morally grey vocie of reason. One is duty before all, the other is themselves before anything. I find that Lei will be the best fit for Meilin in the long run, or at least for the way her character is headed. I hope I'm right.
K.X. Songs world is riddled by a sense of realism, which oddly enough makes the fantasy elements feel more... well, real. Meilin is a complex character that you want to root for - and I love the fact that Song doesn't shy away from letting her heroine make outright bad decicions. She is greedy, she is rash - and that's what (strangely enough) makes her likeable. Even the way the romance is written, which is borderline "love at first sight", is excuseable. Because the characters get time to actually get to know each other - and literally fight eachothers demons.
Where Sky is the knight in shining armour, Lei is the rare morally grey vocie of reason. One is duty before all, the other is themselves before anything. I find that Lei will be the best fit for Meilin in the long run, or at least for the way her character is headed. I hope I'm right.
adventurous
challenging
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
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:
Yes