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renpuspita's review
- 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
3.25
I don't have a slightest idea what is the rules of the world that the characters lived in. Yes, our heroine, Elle Mei or Yiya Jiang is a descendant of Shennong, a Chinese god of medicine. She is a healer but also very powerful with her glyph-making ability and pyrokinetics. Luc Villois, the hero is half elf and also a French, an ace for the Bureau or agency called Roland and Riddle. The big question is, what is Roland and Riddle did actually? An agency for what? To avoid any supernatural disaster or to save human from supernatural alike? I don't even sure if human and supernatural in this book world live in harmony until page 200-ish in which Elle must avoid to attract human attention to herself, so basically the human didn't have any idea that these supernatural beings exist? What is the Fixer? Why the Wrecking Crew called Wrecking Crew and they all just act like asshole toward Luc, bordering envy and jealousy? Who is Oberon, aside than he's the leader of Roland and Riddle? I have so many questions and sadly some of them go unanswered.
While the lack of explanation of world building is the weakness, I think Tsai excels in writing the romance. I did like reading the romance between Luc and Elle. It's tropey af and all of them are my catnips, such as platonic friend to lover, he feel first and she feel harder, found family, etc etc. The romance aspect is the saving grace for Bitter Medicine. Remove the romance and I will DNF'd the book in the first place because a weak world building since this book is marketed first as xianxia-inspired fantasy. My physical copy of this book is filled with sticky notes marked the feeling from both characters. Especially Luc. I think Tsai write him best compared to Elle. Luc is the definition of torture hero but minus the "I'm really not worthy of you" hyperbole woes. Reading his feeling toward Elle is one of the highlight of this book and I often go "awww". Luc also a green flag man walking and Elle is a lucky woman to be loved by him. I liked that this book was written in omniscient 3rd PoV, switched between Luc and Elle, provide insights to both characters. This book is also not YA, since both Elle and Luc are immortal and already in their hundreds age give and take, so there's some sex scenes and it's so..steamy. Well written tho, without being gratuitous. Yeah, there are some purple prose, but in my defense, not that make-me-rolling-my-eyes kind of purple prose and successfully describe both Elle and Luc's feelings. I also like that it's consensual and they practice safe sex, lol.
I think one of the star of Bitter Medicine is Elle's brother, Tony. He's so unapologetic and often become a voice of reason, especially when Elle is stubborn because of familial duty. Sigh, I really want a brother like Tony, since I'm a firstborn myself. Elle herself is okay, although at first she can be a little bit infuriating to read by being middle child so she always try to play peacemaker and always blamed herself with what happen between her brothers. I also annoyed and angry with the way Elle's parents threat her. They are just your typical Asian (or in this case Chinese) parents that prefer the boys rather than the girl. So I'm happy that Elle finally stand up to herself and like Tony suggest, being selfish and pursue her own happiness.
I feel that Bitter Medicine is like a two books that compressed into one book and the publisher try to make it as a stand alone. The problem with Elle's murderous brother, Yiwu, are done in 65% mark or so, make the following chapter feel anti-climatic although focusing more to both Elle and Luc's relationship. Then, there's a problem between Luc and Oberon that pretty much have this "Devil Wears Prada" vibes. I think maybe Tsai try to incorporated about work-life balance with the way Oberon always pushed Luc to the limit with his outrageous demands and abuse of power. However, the end left me feel unsatisfied with
Bitter Medicine have a rough start, feels like a debut book that suffering from glaring weakness regarding the world building and unclear explanation about some of the characters. But the romance part is worth to read. It's also have some actions scene that I guess inspired by C-drama despite I never watch one myself, but I can clearly pictured the scene unfold with the way Tsai write it. It's also contain dialogue in Chinese and French and Tsai also explain why she write them at it is and I really don't mind since I can google the translation myself. If you like your paranormal romance cater more to romance rather than its fantasy/supernatural setting, try to read this one.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Sexual content
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Transphobia and Racism
ramunepocky's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Medical content, and Transphobia
Minor: Child death
kylieqrada's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, and Medical content
Minor: Racism, Child death, and Transphobia
quirkykayleetam's review
- 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
4.5
The mix of mythologies was beautiful to see as, within one supernatural business bureau, elven fae True Name rules work differently than those bound to Chinese ancestral powers. This also gives the book a queernormative vibe where the male protagonist is casually bisexual and only the worst of the worst would dare misgender his nonbinary co-worker.
The sibling banter is SPOT ON!
This is a book about two people who see their worth, not in who they are, but in what they can do. They have given themselves over to seeking redemption for so long that they no longer know who they are or what they want--until they meet each other. It is a book about loss, adjusting when your life suddenly becomes something you never thought it would be. And about learning to love yourself as much as you love everyone else in your life.
Rooted in real emotion, containing fun worldbuilding, and nicely steamy, this is one that I highly recommend.
Are there dragons? Surprisingly, no. Love the Sphinx though!
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Gun violence
Minor: Transphobia
kaistephan's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Transphobia
laurareads87's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content warnings: violence, blood, injury detail, racism, misogyny, emotional abuse, manipulation, one scene including repeated misgendering
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Violence
Moderate: Misogyny and Racism
Minor: Transphobia
takarakei's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
- Fantasy Romance
- Urban/Contemporary: Raleigh, NYC, Paris, San Fran
- Dual POV (single narrator on audio, but tbh it is very well done)
- Elle
- Chinese descendent of the god of medicine
- Calligraphy/jade magic
- Living a secret life with her brother because of family drama
- Luc
- Half elf, half French/German more specifically he speaks French and Alsatian
- Secret agent (unknowingly) tracking down Elle's brother
- HE COOKS
- Elle
I'm literally not going to shut up about this book til more people read it!
3/5 (was not expecting the spice, but it was so good!)
Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Medical content, Death, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism, Child death, Death of parent, and Transphobia
Elle has pretty shitty parents who are manipulative. Luc's boss is the worst (no boundaries, runs him into the ground) and is just not a good person.displacedcactus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Transphobia
An antagonistic character repeatedly misgenders a non-binary character and tries to insist that they dress in a way "appropriate" to their AGAB.