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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I did overall enjoy reading the book, but there are pretty glaring flaws.
Ying disguises herself as a boy and leaves home to investigate her father's murder, and she just so happens to get the chance to enter the trial to join the engineering guild. Her goal to get into the guild quickly seems to overshadows her goal to learn about her father's death, and I don't think the story balanced these plot points evenly. The engineering tests are interesting enough, but I do wish the stakes were higher. I felt like if Ying failed she could just go back to her original plan of trying to learn more without undergoing the tests. Ying herself is an ok protagonist, but I think she's pretty mean to her best friend. Ye-kan was truly the best part of this book. But I think I kept reading more because I was curious of the plot than because I cared about the characters.
The writing was mostly pleasant to read, but one pet peeve of mine is when the character seems to always notice someone's eye color. She was really obsessed with the eye color of her love interest's family.
Ying disguises herself as a boy and leaves home to investigate her father's murder, and she just so happens to get the chance to enter the trial to join the engineering guild. Her goal to get into the guild quickly seems to overshadows her goal to learn about her father's death, and I don't think the story balanced these plot points evenly. The engineering tests are interesting enough, but I do wish the stakes were higher. I felt like if Ying failed she could just go back to her original plan of trying to learn more without undergoing the tests. Ying herself is an ok protagonist, but I think she's pretty mean to her best friend. Ye-kan was truly the best part of this book. But I think I kept reading more because I was curious of the plot than because I cared about the characters.
The writing was mostly pleasant to read, but one pet peeve of mine is when the character seems to always notice someone's eye color. She was really obsessed with the eye color of her love interest's family.
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
'oh' to having a rich guy from a rich family helping you infiltrate a powerful guild, no questions asked, and supporting you in whatever you're up to.
objectively, this book was not the best. the story was fast-paced, certain plot lines where set up, but the pay-off felt rushed. interesting world-building, but i would've wished for more details on that aspect. the ending felt very rushed as well, everything felt very sudden, with little explanation on what happened to some of the other characters at the end.
still, i really loved the book. the characters were fun. all of them felt alive and real, with nuanced world views and personalities. when i first started the book i figured ying would hide her identity from ye-yang and they'd fall in love and there'd be a big reveal in the end. but honestly, him figuring out she was a girl and supporting then her in her shenanigans (or not) was just as much fun. without giving any spoilers, i liked the ending of the book, and the message of it. it left me with some things to think about.
and the end of this review i also have to mention my favourite boy: ye-kan. the character of all time. easily the most fun character in this book.
objectively, this book was not the best. the story was fast-paced, certain plot lines where set up, but the pay-off felt rushed. interesting world-building, but i would've wished for more details on that aspect. the ending felt very rushed as well, everything felt very sudden, with little explanation on what happened to some of the other characters at the end.
still, i really loved the book. the characters were fun. all of them felt alive and real, with nuanced world views and personalities. when i first started the book i figured ying would hide her identity from ye-yang and they'd fall in love and there'd be a big reveal in the end. but honestly, him figuring out she was a girl and supporting then her in her shenanigans (or not) was just as much fun. without giving any spoilers, i liked the ending of the book, and the message of it. it left me with some things to think about.
and the end of this review i also have to mention my favourite boy: ye-kan. the character of all time. easily the most fun character in this book.
adventurous
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The book is like a retelling of mulan. Ying wants revenge for her farther murder so to find out who killed her farther ying disguises herself as a male and joins the engineering guild as ye-yangs choice as a candidate one of the emperors sons.
adventurous
reflective
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
This book was really enjoyable. I like that it drew from a true story, but completely reimagined it. I’m a sucker for a tournament trope, as well as a girl pretending to be a boy trope. I also loved that the fmc didn’t end up with her love interest in the end - he was selfish and made bad decisions, and I love that she didn’t just forgive him and be with him anyway out of love. She deserves better and she knows that!! She learned so much from everything she went through, she proved herself to herself and the whole engineering guild, and she still made the choice that best suited her. That is empowerment and what she deserves!!
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
Full review included in my August week 2 recent reads vlog, September 2.