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caitcoy's review against another edition
4.0
In the Vanishers' Palace is a sort of post-apocalyptic, sci-fantasy story taking place on an earth that has been largely corrupted by those that came before (the Vanishers mentioned in the title) and the rest of humanity is attempting to survive in isolated villages protected from the diseases rampant elsewhere. When the daughter of an important woman in Yên's village falls ill, the village elders offer Yên in a bargain to gain the help of one of the last remaining dragons on earth, Vu Côn. To satisfy the bargain, Yên must tutor Vu Côn's children and do her best not to make the dragons who can easily kill her upset with her. But Yên did not want to leave her village and mother behind, despite having been basically given away and she has to deal with homesickness and being at the mercy of powerful beings.
In the Vanishers' Palace is exactly the kind of Vietnamese-inspired SFF/romance that I've come to expect from Aliette de Bodard and I enjoyed it, though not quite as much as Tea Master and the Detective. De Bodard drops hints about the world-building as Yên learns more about the way of the world outside of her village and the truth about the dragons themselves but all of the details aren't revealed by the end so you have to be content with some ambiguity.
The romance itself is a little mixed, to be honest. Vu Côn is in a position of power over Yên and tries to grant Yên whatever autonomy she can while still protecting her from the dangers of the palace they reside in. But she also frequently makes choices for her, which becomes a core part of the conflict that arises between them. It's very Beauty and the Beast, but I had a hard time feeling like it was really healthy for Yên.
Overall, I'd count this as one of the Aliette de Bodard SFF stories that I enjoyed but I do wish it had been a novel rather than a novella because despite a pretty leisurely pace, it felt like it needed more room to grow. The setting and the world had me intrigued enough to count it as a 4 star read but I think it's really suited better for readers who are interested in unusual, non-Western-inspired world-building rather than characters or plot.
In the Vanishers' Palace is exactly the kind of Vietnamese-inspired SFF/romance that I've come to expect from Aliette de Bodard and I enjoyed it, though not quite as much as Tea Master and the Detective. De Bodard drops hints about the world-building as Yên learns more about the way of the world outside of her village and the truth about the dragons themselves but all of the details aren't revealed by the end so you have to be content with some ambiguity.
The romance itself is a little mixed, to be honest. Vu Côn is in a position of power over Yên and tries to grant Yên whatever autonomy she can while still protecting her from the dangers of the palace they reside in. But she also frequently makes choices for her, which becomes a core part of the conflict that arises between them. It's very Beauty and the Beast, but I had a hard time feeling like it was really healthy for Yên.
Overall, I'd count this as one of the Aliette de Bodard SFF stories that I enjoyed but I do wish it had been a novel rather than a novella because despite a pretty leisurely pace, it felt like it needed more room to grow. The setting and the world had me intrigued enough to count it as a 4 star read but I think it's really suited better for readers who are interested in unusual, non-Western-inspired world-building rather than characters or plot.
superhawk610's review against another edition
2.0
The setting and world-building were the only things that really worked, and they weren’t explored thoroughly. The characters all kinda fell flat, and the romance felt so forced - never truly uncomfortable, just fake. Very little happened in 200 pages.
vanamonde's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A charming fantasy novel that unwraps to sci-fi.
alt_air's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.5
kscheffrahn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
theevilcactus1's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
iam's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this Vietnamese f/f Beauty and the Beast retelling!
The worldbuilding was super interesting and of course I loved that the Beast was allowed to be truly beastly.
The subplot about the twins and the diseases was very well done too.
Narration was great, and while I enjoyed it a lot I think this author's writing just doesn't mesh with me in audio. I had to start over about halfway through in order to follow what was going on, though I admittedly also listened a lot while doing other things, so my attention was splot. However, the struggled with following the plot has happened with other audiobooks by this author before.
The worldbuilding was super interesting and of course I loved that the Beast was allowed to be truly beastly.
The subplot about the twins and the diseases was very well done too.
Narration was great, and while I enjoyed it a lot I think this author's writing just doesn't mesh with me in audio. I had to start over about halfway through in order to follow what was going on, though I admittedly also listened a lot while doing other things, so my attention was splot. However, the struggled with following the plot has happened with other audiobooks by this author before.
acanthae's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Loved the world building and magic but found the romance forced.
agentlesound's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 so 3 stars, slight spoilers
World-building 4/5
Characters 4/5
Romance 1/5
I feel like this author tried to squeeze too much of a story into too few pages. I loved the sci-fi mixed with the mythical/cultural elements of Vietnam. The romance aspect was underdeveloped to me and it felt like sometimes pages or even chapters had been plucked out of the story. If de Bodard had added maybe another 50 to 100 pages, maybe the story would have felt more rounded.
The story starts off with a dying friend, and by the end of that novel I felt she could've been replaced with a family pet or a special plant and nothing would've changed significantly. And while the Vanishers weren't the true focus of the story, I wish we had more background of their occupation though we do see what was left behind, but maybe that's the point? We got hints here and there of the horrors they created, but I hoped for more.
The main characters themselves were great and complex, and best of all, they learned from their mistakes or at least tried to. I felt we were more told than shown how these relationships developed, but with limited pages it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The romance was not great. Very much needed to be focused on more.
Overall, an okay novella. Not bad, not great.
World-building 4/5
Characters 4/5
Romance 1/5
I feel like this author tried to squeeze too much of a story into too few pages. I loved the sci-fi mixed with the mythical/cultural elements of Vietnam. The romance aspect was underdeveloped to me and it felt like sometimes pages or even chapters had been plucked out of the story. If de Bodard had added maybe another 50 to 100 pages, maybe the story would have felt more rounded.
The story starts off with a dying friend, and by the end of that novel I felt she could've been replaced with a family pet or a special plant and nothing would've changed significantly. And while the Vanishers weren't the true focus of the story, I wish we had more background of their occupation though we do see what was left behind, but maybe that's the point? We got hints here and there of the horrors they created, but I hoped for more.
The main characters themselves were great and complex, and best of all, they learned from their mistakes or at least tried to. I felt we were more told than shown how these relationships developed, but with limited pages it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The romance was not great. Very much needed to be focused on more.
Overall, an okay novella. Not bad, not great.
sapphisms's review against another edition
4.0
i think this book has probably one of the best word-based magic systems in a fantasy book that i've read in a long time, and the world-building is iron-clad and very solid. the core familial values in it are very resonant and evident in the text, and i think vu con being a mother truly adds another layer to the story. i think calling this a beauty and the beast retelling kinda detracts from how much more grounded in family the story is- vu con's motherhood and yen's relationship with her own mother form what i think is the core of the story- that one must take responsibility, yes, but one must also seek their own happiness and depend on others. i also like the conclusion yen reaches at the climax- . it's a very touching ending.
i think my only complaint and the only real failing of the book is that, in the last arc, events start to just get cut-out completely in favor of just stating what had happened, leading to a very rushed and fast ending that doesn't really resolve yen's concerns. it comes off as so abrupt because the first and middle arcs of the book are very careful and in-depth with their detail, in fleshing out the world and vu con and her relationship with yen and her children, but suddenly details are sparse and fleeting when it comes to resolving any of the issues presented in the book.
Spoiler
struggle to raise children from a colonial genetic background that traumatized her, as well asSpoiler
that the whole word is but a ruin of colonialism, just as the palace is, and what matters is the people within it, not the failings of the worldi think my only complaint and the only real failing of the book is that, in the last arc, events start to just get cut-out completely in favor of just stating what had happened, leading to a very rushed and fast ending that doesn't really resolve yen's concerns. it comes off as so abrupt because the first and middle arcs of the book are very careful and in-depth with their detail, in fleshing out the world and vu con and her relationship with yen and her children, but suddenly details are sparse and fleeting when it comes to resolving any of the issues presented in the book.