Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This book was full of some of the most vapid, insufferable, brainless characters I've ever had the displeasure of reading. The plot was paper thin, full of happenstance that barely made sense. And the sex scenes were so bad (gouge my eyes out levels of bad, like, "my molten love"?????) that they deserve that bad sex scene award. Quite frankly, this book is single-handedly doing more for the stereotypes of gays being sex-crazed than any queer book I've seen written by a straight author in recent memory -- the amount sex scenes by the main characters aside, cause I don't particularly care about that, the casualness with which the author throws in the indiscriminate fucking in gay male Asian culture, as well as the sex tourism ("With big-dicked Thai boys") without any level of reflection sure is something. And then there's Dong Xian, who is in literally what is tantamount to a rape scene but is conflicted about it because he "loved every thick thrust of him."
And the worst of it all is that none of it felt genuine! None of these relationships, none of these "true feelings" between characters. Every interaction felt shallow. Every moment of profound or genuine feeling was made either into a quip or into some cliched speech. The author seems to labor under the impression that just because he says something, I should believe it. But how can I believe that these characters have a bond stronger than death itself, to be able to traverse lifetimes??? When they know jackshit about each other????????? This managed to be both boring and infuriating.
And the worst of it all is that none of it felt genuine! None of these relationships, none of these "true feelings" between characters. Every interaction felt shallow. Every moment of profound or genuine feeling was made either into a quip or into some cliched speech. The author seems to labor under the impression that just because he says something, I should believe it. But how can I believe that these characters have a bond stronger than death itself, to be able to traverse lifetimes??? When they know jackshit about each other????????? This managed to be both boring and infuriating.
I've never read anything like this. The set up, mystery, the confusion, the twist, just the whole plot. For like the first 50-70 pages I had no clue what I was reading, but in the best way. Was it what I expected going into it? Absolutely not. Did I like it? Hell yeah. Such an unexpected story in all the right ways. And that ending... so ambiguous. But no other ending would have fit.
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just-
Expected more from this.
Reincarnation can be such a powerful novel tool but when it is misused it reads like a soggy dishcloth.
This book was confusing for the first quarter, intriguing for the second quarter, off putting (and at times graphically disgusting) for the third quarter and then disappointing (and frustrating) for the final quarter.
There was room to learn so much more about some of the characters, and still by the end I was struggling to match fox-spirits to emporers to art creators, especially with the switch of who gets to Remember.
The fact there was no conclusive ending truly threw me for a loop as well. What was the aim of this story? A showcase of three different lives, with the only connecting themes being badly written intercourse (when it wasn't under uncomfortable premises) and anguish.
There was just no joy throughout the story, and especially no romance. And to my understanding that was going to be an important part of this story.
Expected more from this.
Reincarnation can be such a powerful novel tool but when it is misused it reads like a soggy dishcloth.
This book was confusing for the first quarter, intriguing for the second quarter, off putting (and at times graphically disgusting) for the third quarter and then disappointing (and frustrating) for the final quarter.
There was room to learn so much more about some of the characters, and still by the end I was struggling to match fox-spirits to emporers to art creators, especially with the switch of who gets to Remember.
The fact there was no conclusive ending truly threw me for a loop as well. What was the aim of this story? A showcase of three different lives, with the only connecting themes being badly written intercourse (when it wasn't under uncomfortable premises) and anguish.
There was just no joy throughout the story, and especially no romance. And to my understanding that was going to be an important part of this story.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I’m all for spicy, but this book is jarring and when it tries to give a metaphor instead of graphic description, it comes off as creepy.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-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