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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
A strong debut, rich in world building and politics.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile now. I enjoyed the rich culture, politics and revelations.
However, I found it slow and leaving me wanting more.
I wanted more from the familial bonds, more of the emotion, character building and of course more from the painstakingly slow romance. It was so slow it could even be questioned if it existed at all. There was so much potential for angst.
I know the authors are friends, but it truly reminded me a lot of the We Hunt the Flame duology in the way it is written. I think if you really enjoyed one you’d enjoy the other.
I’ve been wanting to read this book for awhile now. I enjoyed the rich culture, politics and revelations.
However, I found it slow and leaving me wanting more.
I wanted more from the familial bonds, more of the emotion, character building and of course more from the painstakingly slow romance. It was so slow it could even be questioned if it existed at all. There was so much potential for angst.
I know the authors are friends, but it truly reminded me a lot of the We Hunt the Flame duology in the way it is written. I think if you really enjoyed one you’d enjoy the other.
I’d be lying if I said this didn’t bore me, it had bits that were interesting but it felt so much like nothing happened even though so much happened
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a lovely story!
It was fast-paced while He somehow also gives in-depth looks into MC Hesina's character. Her character develops very interestingly throughout the story, and I found it fascinating to see her grow through the external situations she was continuously subjected to.
The cast of side characters were really great, and I felt they were very well fleshed out for how short this actually is. There is a lot packed in the 400-ish pages that this book covers, but I did not find the plot lacking because of this.
It's a great read, with some great quotes (some witty, some wise) as well, highly recommend!
It was fast-paced while He somehow also gives in-depth looks into MC Hesina's character. Her character develops very interestingly throughout the story, and I found it fascinating to see her grow through the external situations she was continuously subjected to.
The cast of side characters were really great
Spoiler
especially the different siblings and Hesina's different relationships with themSpoiler
The twists and turns hooked my attention from the start! Reading Hesina's relationships, and how she particularly views them, fall apart into betrayals and different plans was incredible. It was brilliant and sometimes heartbreaking to see how these (half-)siblings navigated their own and each others' lives, how much they cared (I'm still not over Lilian's death...), but also how they could feel threatened by one another (looking at you here, Sanjing and Hesina...).Spoiler
The ending surprised me also because of these sibling relationships. I half expected a sequel to exist, which there isn't, but the story does feel finished. I'm not bothered by the open ending, though I have not entirely made up my mind whether I like the turn things took with Caiyan. At the same time, looking back, the signs were there, so it was set up well.It's a great read, with some great quotes (some witty, some wise) as well, highly recommend!
I liked the second half of this one but not so much the first half. When the politics and prejudice and history clicked into place, everything felt supercharged. But it felt like we started in the wrong place in the story, in a lull between important moments, and without that starting momentum, we weren’t going to get anywhere fast.
I know there was some drama-drama with the original publisher, so this book never got a sequel, but it honestly feels incomplete without one. There were a lot of threads just left hanging instead of being tied off.
I really liked our MC and the two other women in the main cast, but the men never felt defined, which made Hesina’s trust in them feel almost forced. I also really liked the world He built, but I don’t think we got to see enough of it (again, something that would probably have happened in the sequel that never was).
Compared to He’s later works, this one is pretty muddy, but there’s been so much growth since that I can honestly say this doesn’t at all dissuade me from continuing to read her books
I know there was some drama-drama with the original publisher, so this book never got a sequel, but it honestly feels incomplete without one. There were a lot of threads just left hanging instead of being tied off.
I really liked our MC and the two other women in the main cast, but the men never felt defined, which made Hesina’s trust in them feel almost forced. I also really liked the world He built, but I don’t think we got to see enough of it (again, something that would probably have happened in the sequel that never was).
Compared to He’s later works, this one is pretty muddy, but there’s been so much growth since that I can honestly say this doesn’t at all dissuade me from continuing to read her books
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
DNF at 15%.
Their hands brushed and something inside of her came undone and I'm putting this book away, forever.
Total score: 1/5 stars
Their hands brushed and something inside of her came undone and I'm putting this book away, forever.
Total score: 1/5 stars
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
I picked this up, looking for a standalone with something out of my normal reads, and I really really liked it!
The world was impressive, the characters intriguing and things were moving along at a pace that I could enjoy. But towards the end, things got a little confusing, mostly because there was A LOT to wrap up, and I got a little lost in the conclusion of everything.
But a great read! I kinda hope it stays a standalone, but I can see some awesome potential for a sequel.
The world was impressive, the characters intriguing and things were moving along at a pace that I could enjoy. But towards the end, things got a little confusing, mostly because there was A LOT to wrap up, and I got a little lost in the conclusion of everything.
But a great read! I kinda hope it stays a standalone, but I can see some awesome potential for a sequel.