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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
3.5*
This book was pretty good. The action was awesome, the pacing was steady and the writing was impeccable. The only thing this book lacked - or maybe I lacked - was a connection to the characters.
What was happening was exciting and fast paced and beautifully well written, but I just didn't really care if Mei Yee got out of the brothel, or if Dia got his things sorted, or even if Jin found her sister. This was what made me give it an average rating. A lot of the plot twists kind of fell flat for me as well. Who knows? Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to read this, or not paying enough attention to the book in order to fully enjoy it.
Other than that, I did quite like this book. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
This book was pretty good. The action was awesome, the pacing was steady and the writing was impeccable. The only thing this book lacked - or maybe I lacked - was a connection to the characters.
What was happening was exciting and fast paced and beautifully well written, but I just didn't really care if Mei Yee got out of the brothel, or if Dia got his things sorted, or even if Jin found her sister. This was what made me give it an average rating. A lot of the plot twists kind of fell flat for me as well. Who knows? Maybe I just wasn't in the right mood to read this, or not paying enough attention to the book in order to fully enjoy it.
Other than that, I did quite like this book. A solid 3.5/5 stars.
I wanted to read Wolf for Wolf but it was not available so I picked up Walled City to see how the author writing was like.
I did not know that this story and its setting was loosely based on the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. I love that it is an Asian setting but it was a mix of Mandarin and Japanese. The distinctions vould have been more obvious because these two cultures are different. I think it is quite a common stereotype to lump these two cultures together as "Asian".
The cover did not give me an impression that this had an Asian setting. I wished that it had been incorporated more into the cover and its design.
I like the three main characters. Each of them has gone through hardships are are struggling to come to terms with them. I think that the theme to the story is quite common, in the sense that you see it alot in dystopians but it works. I found the triple narrative actually alright and worked well with the story. The romance was subtle but sweet. I could have done without. I think the ones with the most character development were Dai and Mei Yee. I liked how Mei Yee gained that fire within to fight for what she wanted. There is rape, slavery, violence and drug use in the book.
Towards the end, I got abit bored and I felt the last part wrapped up too nicely. But throughout the book I felt the tension, grit and excitement. I would say read this if you like action and dystopians.
I did not know that this story and its setting was loosely based on the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. I love that it is an Asian setting but it was a mix of Mandarin and Japanese. The distinctions vould have been more obvious because these two cultures are different. I think it is quite a common stereotype to lump these two cultures together as "Asian".
The cover did not give me an impression that this had an Asian setting. I wished that it had been incorporated more into the cover and its design.
I like the three main characters. Each of them has gone through hardships are are struggling to come to terms with them. I think that the theme to the story is quite common, in the sense that you see it alot in dystopians but it works. I found the triple narrative actually alright and worked well with the story. The romance was subtle but sweet. I could have done without. I think the ones with the most character development were Dai and Mei Yee. I liked how Mei Yee gained that fire within to fight for what she wanted. There is rape, slavery, violence and drug use in the book.
Towards the end, I got abit bored and I felt the last part wrapped up too nicely. But throughout the book I felt the tension, grit and excitement. I would say read this if you like action and dystopians.
I'm grateful that a Chapters staff member peer-pressured me into buying this book. If I hadn't, I may never have fallen in love with alternate history or Wolf by Wolf. Praise my ability to procrastinate reading The Walled City, because I would not have picked up Wolf by Wolf if I had read this first.
I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I did Yael's story. The concept is awesome, the setting, the writing, the emotion. But the characters were kind of meh.
Wolf by Wolf had vivid, well-developed, intriguing characters. All I can think to describe Jin Ling, Dai, and Mei Yee is simply meh. They have many struggles, many decisions to make, but I really didn't care. The only character I cared for was Chma, the beautiful street cat who is far too good to be hanging out with Jin Ling.
If Jin Ling had the inkling that Mei Yee was in the most exclusive brothel in the city, WHY DIDN'T SHE CLIMB UP TO A WINDOW AND ASK A GIRL IF THEY HAD SEEN HER?!?! Aside from that, what kind of person just stands by while a sociopath cuts off your cat's tail? Jin Ling. I screamed. It infuriated me that she did not attack BEFORE her beloved feline was mutilated. I'm still mad, though Chma seemed to recover through the help of meat pie so at least he feels okay with himself.
The story seemed a bit bare compared to Wolf by Wolf. Instead of being swept up in the action, I was kind of just waiting for the action that never really came. The climax for me was Chma's mutilation and then the rest was the story of his recovery. It shouldn't have been that way.
I didn't know how to feel about the characters most of the time, like if Dai was a good guy or a bad guy, or if I admired Jin Ling or mad at her. And Mei Yee was a confusing character with her flippy-floppy decision making right up until the end when she became a fantastic "if no one will help me in this world, then I will do it myself" type-girl. I loved her development by the end, but not her "romance" with Dai. This element is subtle but I wish it had been excluded.
The real not-enthralled part for me was the ending. The whole story is very much showing with very little tell, until the ending when it nearly feels as if it's written in a different tense it tells you so much. It's completely intentional, I know, but it didn't work for me. I found the same thing with the ending of Blood for Blood. I enjoyed the whole story, but that abrupt shift just threw me completely off.
I rate it 3.5 stars.
I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as I did Yael's story. The concept is awesome, the setting, the writing, the emotion. But the characters were kind of meh.
Wolf by Wolf had vivid, well-developed, intriguing characters. All I can think to describe Jin Ling, Dai, and Mei Yee is simply meh. They have many struggles, many decisions to make, but I really didn't care. The only character I cared for was Chma, the beautiful street cat who is far too good to be hanging out with Jin Ling.
If Jin Ling had the inkling that Mei Yee was in the most exclusive brothel in the city, WHY DIDN'T SHE CLIMB UP TO A WINDOW AND ASK A GIRL IF THEY HAD SEEN HER?!?! Aside from that, what kind of person just stands by while a sociopath cuts off your cat's tail? Jin Ling. I screamed. It infuriated me that she did not attack BEFORE her beloved feline was mutilated. I'm still mad, though Chma seemed to recover through the help of meat pie so at least he feels okay with himself.
The story seemed a bit bare compared to Wolf by Wolf. Instead of being swept up in the action, I was kind of just waiting for the action that never really came. The climax for me was Chma's mutilation and then the rest was the story of his recovery. It shouldn't have been that way.
I didn't know how to feel about the characters most of the time, like if Dai was a good guy or a bad guy, or if I admired Jin Ling or mad at her. And Mei Yee was a confusing character with her flippy-floppy decision making right up until the end when she became a fantastic "if no one will help me in this world, then I will do it myself" type-girl. I loved her development by the end, but not her "romance" with Dai. This element is subtle but I wish it had been excluded.
The real not-enthralled part for me was the ending. The whole story is very much showing with very little tell, until the ending when it nearly feels as if it's written in a different tense it tells you so much. It's completely intentional, I know, but it didn't work for me. I found the same thing with the ending of Blood for Blood. I enjoyed the whole story, but that abrupt shift just threw me completely off.
I rate it 3.5 stars.
Received this eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Interesting concept and well written but I just don't feel the connection to the characters.
This book is slow to start with, but you're rooting for the characters from the first page. The harshness and cruelty of the world the characters live in is described so vividly that you can truly feel their horror and the unjust nature of their lives. Incredible story, brilliant characters :)
What a great great book! I am usually not a fan when books switch point of views, but all the characters in this were absolutely amazing. They all had something unique and special about them, and the relationships between characters were very interesting. This book almost made it to five stars, but there a few things that I was not quite happy with. Overall, it was a really compelling, fast-paced read. Now I can't wait to get Wolf by Wolf and start reading it!
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No