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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
A beautifully written but sorrowful tale of a woman who cannot choose to be with the love of her life and instead is forced to become one of many brides to a prince-later emperor.
Ula Nara is easily hated in prior books but in this one we learn she has good reason to be bitter and unhappy. I wanted things to go differently for her but this is a historical fiction (and even then events or ideas could only go so far).
Looking forward to see what else Melissa Addey writes.
Ula Nara is easily hated in prior books but in this one we learn she has good reason to be bitter and unhappy. I wanted things to go differently for her but this is a historical fiction (and even then events or ideas could only go so far).
Looking forward to see what else Melissa Addey writes.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Despite the rating, I had fun reading this book. It is, though, tropetastic, feeling at times like a mash-up of Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace and Tales of Yanxi Palace, two Chinese dramas from 2018 which cover the same period.
It is, however, not necessarily a good book. While there are elements I liked, it is cast as a tale of fall and redemption, and it is in that the book fell apart for me. The telling isn't warm, always feeling slightly academic, and I wonder if part of that is because it is told in first person. When the main character is always suffering and refusing to let go of her pain, it's hard to feel sympathy. As we reached the final section, I could see the end coming at least three chapters away. Worse, I
What I had fun with in the book was all the tropes, and there were a lot. I snorted more than a few times because it sometimes felt like the mashup, and I was entertained. But if one's looking for solid historical fiction? No. There are better pieces out there, many written by authors of Asian descent.
It is, however, not necessarily a good book. While there are elements I liked
Spoiler
(Ula Nara having a mental breakdown which causes her to cut her hair rather than moral indignation or an active middle finger to the emperor after failing to remove him from the throne)Spoiler
didn't feel she'd earned it. By the way, that ending is invented and at odds with the historical record. Seriously at odds.What I had fun with in the book was all the tropes, and there were a lot. I snorted more than a few times because it sometimes felt like the mashup, and I was entertained. But if one's looking for solid historical fiction? No. There are better pieces out there, many written by authors of Asian descent.