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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
adventurous
mysterious
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:
N/A
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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:
No
I fancy noodles tooš
A reimagining of Beauty & the Beast I had such a great time reading this! Honestly it didnāt read as a YA it was giving true fantasy. The aspect of Tru being able to paint the future was so cool! I also really enjoyed the slow burn of it all. I just wanted a little more romance.
A reimagining of Beauty & the Beast I had such a great time reading this! Honestly it didnāt read as a YA it was giving true fantasy. The aspect of Tru being able to paint the future was so cool! I also really enjoyed the slow burn of it all. I just wanted a little more romance.
The way I was so excited to realize this story is set in the same world as Six Crimson Cranes! That series is top 10 for me. Finding out that this one takes place in the same world and following the elusive Elang. While I didn't love this story as much as as the other series I still thoroughly enjoyed it. I instantly connected with Tru trying her best to keep her family together following her father's disappearance. She was caught up just trying to make sure her family could survive. I am on the fence about how I feel about the way that Elang deceived Tru in the beginning, but in the name of I love a morally grey mmc, I got over it fast. The added element of uncovering what really happened to Tru's dad made this feel like a well rounded story with a little bit for everyone. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was great to find out more about Elang and the dragon realm. I hope this is not the last time we are able to explore more of this world.
Pro's-
- Getting to discover more about the underwater dragon realm was such a treat. I really wanted more in the Six Crimson Cranes duology.
- The arranged-fake dating marriage was very entertaining
- Tru character arc was a journey, I was rooting for her the whole time and was glad that she was the hero of the story.
Cons-
-I wish Tru's family was incorporated more in the story at the very least she could have brought her sister underwater with her. I think it would have added to the climax and been great for Tru to see how Elang was with her family instead of hearing about it afterwards.
-THE ENDING!! Honestly I would have rather some ambiguous ending stating they would meet again than the weird 3 years later thing. It just felt off and unnecessary.
Pro's-
- Getting to discover more about the underwater dragon realm was such a treat. I really wanted more in the Six Crimson Cranes duology.
- The arranged-fake dating marriage was very entertaining
Cons-
-THE ENDING!! Honestly I would have rather some ambiguous ending stating they would meet again than the weird 3 years later thing. It just felt off and unnecessary.
adventurous
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
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:
No
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF at 84% (p.396/468 on Kindle)
I really really hate not finishing books, but honestly this one is pissing me off so much. I don't know how many of my issues with it are due to the author's writing style or if it's the editor/publisher's fault, but I think we got to the point where no one in the industry knows how to produce good YA romances anymore. Every YA I read is either too mature for its audience (see all the smutty dark romances) or too dumbed down. This, unfortunately, belongs to the second category.
The premise is so, so cool. It's original and fresh, and a very interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast. I was really excited about the shift in the cultural context of the setting - which was probably the most accomplished aspect of the book. I did enjoy the focus on food - like other reviews mentioned - which included some of the most vivid descriptions in the story. I can see the comparison of other readers to Studio Ghibli films - at least partly.
Unfortunately, the execution was an enormous let down. The worldbuilding was unfortunately really weak and let a lot of logistical questions unanswered, and I generally found it really hard to visualise (How can they be eating noodles soup from a bowl under the ocean without having it float away? How can they make tea under water? How do they store paper-based paintings and books? How does Tru paint under water?). In opposition, every single action, statement or thought that the narrator describes is over-explained, almost as if the author didn't trust a younger audience to catch on the nuances of her characters and scenes without spelling out exactly what every single sentence really means. As a result, all the characters feel incredibly flat and caricaturistic. There is no tension, no stakes, no questioning. All the "plot twists" are either obvious or so out of nowhere that the reader gets no satisfaction in their revelation (Why would I care he was Gaari all along if I never even doubted for a second Gaari might not be who he said he was?). And also pro tip for the future: if everyone and their mother tells you to never trust a demon, and if the demon herself never gives you an actual reason to trust her, and if you get actual tangible proof that the demon is not to be trusted, WHY WOULD YOU BE SURPRISED at the demon's betrayal???? Just a thought.
Just because a book is aimed to a younger audience it doesn't mean you need to make your story oversimplified and superficial. Look at Susan Collins or Rick Riordan. Trust that your readers will be able to handle it, and they will.
I really really hate not finishing books, but honestly this one is pissing me off so much. I don't know how many of my issues with it are due to the author's writing style or if it's the editor/publisher's fault, but I think we got to the point where no one in the industry knows how to produce good YA romances anymore. Every YA I read is either too mature for its audience (see all the smutty dark romances) or too dumbed down. This, unfortunately, belongs to the second category.
The premise is so, so cool. It's original and fresh, and a very interesting take on the Beauty and the Beast. I was really excited about the shift in the cultural context of the setting - which was probably the most accomplished aspect of the book. I did enjoy the focus on food - like other reviews mentioned - which included some of the most vivid descriptions in the story. I can see the comparison of other readers to Studio Ghibli films - at least partly.
Unfortunately, the execution was an enormous let down. The worldbuilding was unfortunately really weak and let a lot of logistical questions unanswered, and I generally found it really hard to visualise (How can they be eating noodles soup from a bowl under the ocean without having it float away? How can they make tea under water? How do they store paper-based paintings and books? How does Tru paint under water?). In opposition, every single action, statement or thought that the narrator describes is over-explained, almost as if the author didn't trust a younger audience to catch on the nuances of her characters and scenes without spelling out exactly what every single sentence really means. As a result, all the characters feel incredibly flat and caricaturistic. There is no tension, no stakes, no questioning. All the "plot twists" are either obvious or so out of nowhere that the reader gets no satisfaction in their revelation (
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
No
adventurous
hopeful
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
adventurous
emotional
tense
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:
No
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This is the type of book that I couldnāt really connect with, but could still recommend. Iām not a fan of the arranged marriage trope, but I donāt really mind the way it was done in this book. Tru and Elangās allyship was well-done, at firstā¦ but then we get to the plot twist and I was likeā¦. š¤Øš¬
So, Elang knew that Tru was his āsoulmateā and met her when she was younger, then proceeded to pretend to be an old man and work with her for years because he lowkey immediately fell for her and didnāt want to kill herā¦ā¦ I understand that, on one hand, this makes their relationship a bit more developed ā after all, Tru and Elang were already coworkers/friends for a while, even though she didnāt realize that had been Elang all along. HOWEVERRRRR I just couldnāt get over the fact that Elang had been stalking, lying and manipulating her for years ššš. Like, yeah, he wasnāt mean or anything, but it was just a weird dynamic, imo. I just didnāt really like that plot twist, and what it meant for their relationship dynamic. I also didnāt feel anything when they declared their love for each other. š«¤ The ending was sweet, though, albeit nonsensical (like, Elang just came back 3 years later with no memories of Tru and then in 1 page he gets all his memories back???? Okay, whateverā¦ā¦)
I enjoyed Truās relationship with her family and the love she had for them, though I kinda wish weād spent a little longer with them. I also never really cared about the other side characters (the guards, the demon, even the Bad Guyā¦) ā I just found them quite forgettable.
The setting was also a little underutilized. The underwater kingdom shouldāve been a magical place, but I could barely envision it. I wish itād been a bit more descriptive, or used in a more unique way. This story couldāve taken place anywhere, and not much would change, which is a shame. I often forgot we were underwater lol. I think itās because they were always doing things that lowkey would be impossible underwater. Like, didnāt they make soup and boil noodles UNDER THE SEA, at some point?? Lmao š„“
And why was Tru always saying ādemon turdsā? Girl, enough!!!! š
Overall, I can see why other people might like this, but I just never cared for anything that was happening, and will forget about this book in 2 days. The audiobook is great, though, and the US edition has an incredible cover!!
I enjoyed Truās relationship with her family and the love she had for them, though I kinda wish weād spent a little longer with them. I also never really cared about the other side characters (the guards, the demon, even the Bad Guyā¦) ā I just found them quite forgettable.
The setting was also a little underutilized. The underwater kingdom shouldāve been a magical place, but I could barely envision it. I wish itād been a bit more descriptive, or used in a more unique way. This story couldāve taken place anywhere, and not much would change, which is a shame. I often forgot we were underwater lol. I think itās because they were always doing things that lowkey would be impossible underwater. Like, didnāt they make soup and boil noodles UNDER THE SEA, at some point?? Lmao š„“
And why was Tru always saying ādemon turdsā? Girl, enough!!!! š
Overall, I can see why other people might like this, but I just never cared for anything that was happening, and will forget about this book in 2 days. The audiobook is great, though, and the US edition has an incredible cover!!