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bluejayreads's review
3.25
I didn't realize when I picked this up that I'd already read one book by this author before - or at least attempted to read, as I DNF'ed Descendant of the Crane in 2021. But the back cover on this one sounded much more interesting, and I didn't DNF the other book for being bad, just because I wasn't able to get into it - which could very easily have been more about my mood than the book itself. So I gave this one a shot.
And at first, I was really glad I did. I didn't love the world-building - I've read too many fantasies set in actual ancient China, so this Chinese-inspired world felt like a discordant mishmash of ideas instead of a cohesive world, but I could live with that. What I did like was Zephyr, who was clever, calculating, always three steps ahead of everyone else (a trait I love in a character), and some intriguing combination of dedicated to her warlordess and desperate to prove herself useful. And even though the plot involved a lot of politics, it wasn't slow and managed to involve a fair bit of action and intrigue along the way.
The back cover really doesn't tell you much about what's in the book. The infiltration happens almost immediately, and while Crow is definitely an antagonist, he's not really a major player in the story. Just about every bit of the story you think you're going to read wraps up in part one. Then in part two things go way off the rails, and that's where I started to really struggle.
My big criticism of the story itself is that it sacrifices background for speed, and that blunts any potential emotional impact. I don't disagree with the choice - a long setup would have done the story a disservice. But often the reader finds out about crucial pieces of information the moment they're supposed to be connected to an emotional moment, so the emotions have to share my attention with the process of mentally putting this new information into the overarching picture of the book. This also makes the big revelation at the start of part two feel unexpected, but in a jarring, random way. I may have had a different experience if I'd read Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the Chinese classic that this series is based on, but I haven't. So maybe this is true to the original, but it was still difficult for me.
The problem I had with part two, and the reason I won't be continuing the series, is definitely a case of it's not the book, it's me. A major event at the end of part one and a character's response to it at the beginning of part two resulted in one major character ending up in the body of another major character. I do not like body-swapping. I can't even really explain why, it just makes me extremely uncomfortable. It's worse if the body-swapped characters try to pretend that they are the person whose body they're in, which also happens here. So I spent most of part two wanting to leave the situation but also hoping that the characters would get back to the right bodies, because I was sure I would start to like it again once the body-swapping thing was fixed. But based on the ending and reading the back cover for the sequel, I think the characters are likely to stay in the wrong bodies until near the end of book two. And I do not want to deal with that.
On the whole, this is not a bad book by any means. It had a lot of aspects that didn't do it for me, personally, but that's not a judgement on the book itself. I'm having a hard time expressing any sort of overall opinion about it because the biggest thing I didn't like about it (and quite possibly the smaller thing I didn't like as well) were all matters of personal opinion. I like the ideas, it's well-written, and it kept my interest despite being fairly politics-heavy. It just has some elements that aren't for me, personally - but might be for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Blood and Terminal illness
Minor: Alcohol, Vomit, Death of parent, Child death, and Animal death
mattiedancer's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Writing: 3.75⭐️/5
The writing was strong throughout the story, but it lacked pacing. This is something I’ll mention again in the plot because it’s kind of a fault on both accounts. I really wish that each plot point had been discussed and pulled out longer because, though the story is great, I wanted more time with each moment. It also became a little hard to stay with the emotions of the character because of its pacing.
Characters: 4.5⭐️/5
The characters felt full and realized. Where the story failed to keep my engagement due to some pacing issues, the characters wholly took up the slack. Zephyr was an enthralling main character to follow, even more so as she attempted to take on characterizations that went against her own. I thought the only part of characterization that lacked depth was some deeper understanding of exactly why Zephyr maintained such a strong bond with Ren. I would have loved a bit more time with that.
Plot: 3.75⭐️/5
The overall plot is genius, and yet the pacing of it being told fell short of expectations. Some of the parts of the plot felt far too rushed
Who Should Read This Book?
- Fans of fantasy novels
- Fans of Joan He
Content Warnings?
- War, death, violence, blood, child death, injury, grief, animal death, death of parent, alcohol,
Post-Reading Rating: 4.25⭐️/5
Final Rating: 4⭐️/5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Child death, Alcohol, Violence, Murder, War, Blood, and Animal death
olive_lol's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Whether you like Zephyr will make or break this book for you. I loved Zephyr, so I had a great time reading. Her ego gives the narration so much personality, and every description reinforces her character and how she sees the world. I spent most of the book ignoring her romance, though. I thought it was unnecessary, and I was more invested in other parts of the story.
Because of the nature of the plot twist in the middle, I felt like the second half was somewhat disconected from the first. However, putting Zephyr into a warrior's body is a clever way to spark character development, considering she originally didn't respect warriors. I also wish we had gotten to know side characters like Lotus and Cloud better in the first half.
Overall, a fun book with a lot of personality and a divisive protagonist.
Overall, a fun book with a lot of personality and a divisive protagonist.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcohol, Grief, Chronic illness, and Child death
Minor: Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, and Vomit
mandkips's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Child death
Minor: Death of parent, Animal death, and Alcohol
kumquats87's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence
shoni's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
You're telling me I have to sit here and wait for the second book to come out. I didn't sign up for this! (i mean I did but like I don't approve).
I think it's safe to say that Joan He really can do no wrong. I really enjoy all her books and they all bring such different feelings and emotions that I'm just left with so many questions and emotions after I'm done. And Joan writes it in such a way that I can't even be mad because it's the best thing for the story! Having the map, artwork, and table of contents, in the beginning, was great. I miss that in books! It adds such an extra element in the smallest way and I love it. I do believe it's a nod to the original Three Kingdoms as it had the same format which adds to the genius behind it.
The characters were also just amazing. Zephyr is one of my favorites for sure. She has such chaotic energy in the most logical way that I am in love with her. She makes you understand what you don't even understand. PLUS, THE TENSION AND BANTER BETWEEN CROW AND ZEPHYR IS WHAT I WANT/NEED. It was everything and made me so happy. I knew from the beginning that there was something with Crow, that we weren't getting the full story but I wasn't expecting that! Like somehow was easier to accept the doomed love when he was on Miasma's side than Cicada's. I'm so curious to see where both these characters go in the second book AND how their paths cross again. also how much does Crow knows about Zephyr? It's said it's your soul finding its other half, so if that's the case, would he recognize zephyr's soul after a while ESPECIALLY AFTER THAT SCENE BY THE LAKE WITH THE ZITHER, or not and just be ridden with sorrow? I have too many questions and so much time till the second book comes out. It's ridiculous.
Also, Ren. Such an iconic. A lordess who is both feared and loved in the best way. Like I want to be like her. Spread chaos and bloodshed in the most humane way. Iconic.
I honestly have so many thoughts and emotions and I can't even figure out how to put them into words at this point. I can't wait for the second book and see where it all goes.
I think it's safe to say that Joan He really can do no wrong. I really enjoy all her books and they all bring such different feelings and emotions that I'm just left with so many questions and emotions after I'm done. And Joan writes it in such a way that I can't even be mad because it's the best thing for the story! Having the map, artwork, and table of contents, in the beginning, was great. I miss that in books! It adds such an extra element in the smallest way and I love it. I do believe it's a nod to the original Three Kingdoms as it had the same format which adds to the genius behind it.
The characters were also just amazing. Zephyr is one of my favorites for sure. She has such chaotic energy in the most logical way that I am in love with her. She makes you understand what you don't even understand. PLUS, THE TENSION AND BANTER BETWEEN CROW AND ZEPHYR IS WHAT I WANT/NEED. It was everything and made me so happy.
Also, Ren. Such an iconic. A lordess who is both feared and loved in the best way. Like I want to be like her. Spread chaos and bloodshed in the most humane way. Iconic.
I honestly have so many thoughts and emotions and I can't even figure out how to put them into words at this point. I can't wait for the second book and see where it all goes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Child death and Blood
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.0
Loving all of these epic fantasyies based on different Asian mythologies! Admittedly, I don't know the Chinese classic that this one is based on, but the characters were great, the world building was great, and I was sucked in from the beginning. There's war, scheming, and a little bit of found family. Something for all kinds of historical fantasy lovers!
And the plot twists! Between the scheming and the plotting, there are twists that you don't see coming all throughout the book. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book!
And the plot twists! Between the scheming and the plotting, there are twists that you don't see coming all throughout the book. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and War
Moderate: Blood, Child death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, and Death of parent
maaikereadsbooks_'s review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Many thanks to Text Publishing and Joan He for the advanced copy of Strike the Zither via NetGalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review. Quick note: I don’t recap plots in my reviews, as it’s easy enough to read the book’s synopsis and blurbs, I purely focus on my feelings & opinions of how the books makes me feel.
Strike the Zither is a fascinating re-imagining of the Three Kingdoms. I will admit that I went into this book not knowing anything about the Three Kingdoms at all. But I can imagine it was a very male-heavy affair. Strike the Zither, on the other hand, has been written with a female majority of characters. Male characters, while present, are in the minority. However, rather than making them inferior (as would be the case in a gender-switch reimagining), He also wrote male characters into positions of political and strategic power in the story.
It took me a bit to get the feel of the story and I found it difficult to fully immerse myself in it. The way it is written would make it work very well as a graphic novel or screen adaptation. There is a large switch of viewpoint in the middle of the book, which again threw me, as I’d not long gotten into the rhythm of the story, and this did detract from the story somewhat for me. Overall, I just felt a little something was lacking. It felt a little shallow, the characters lacked in depth and there were sudden leaps in time with little explanation.
Really, I feel Joan He did not do herself justice. She could have split this book into two. The ‘before’ and the ‘after’. With more depth of the characters and explanations, it would have felt like an even richer, deeper story.
It was a brilliant idea, well executed. But, with more time and over two volumes, would have been immense. It could have been MORE. For this reason I just couldn’t love it.
Spice: 0/5
Trigger warnings: Amputation, Blood/Gore, Death, Death of a family member, Guns/weapons, Murder, Physical or mental abuse, Physical illness, Poisoning, Violence, War
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and War
Moderate: Blood, Death, Child death, Murder, and Physical abuse
marywahlmeierbracciano's review
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
This book is chock-full of some of the most badass female characters you’ve ever met. A feminist retelling of an ancient Chinese classic, this women-led epic is a wartime story of loyalty, trust, honor, and betrayal—it’s absolutely brutal, at times. The narrator, Zephyr, is a brilliant young strategist who is always three steps ahead, predicting and orchestrating events with pinpoint accuracy, until something unforeseen changes everything. Be prepared to get hooked on this series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Violence, War, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal death, Confinement, Torture, Stalking, Vomit, and Fire/Fire injury
lastblossom's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Thanks to NetGalley and Roaring Brook Press for an advance copy.
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
tl;dr
A beautifully written book with powerful characters and a rollercoaster ride of plot twists that's nearly impossible to put down.
About
In a land torn by war, three warlordesses fight for control. Zephyr is a brilliant strategist, and she'll do whatever it takes to keep her lordess Xin Ren safe. With armies at their heels and resources thin, Zephyr's only choice is to infiltrate the enemy's ranks and destroy them from within. But when the enemy's strategist Crow appears, has she finally met her match?
Thoughts
I'm already counting down the days to the sequel. The author's notes in the back state that this is her favorite book, and with good reason. It's an excellent book. War stratagems and human complexity clash beautifully and painfully in this retelling of The Three Kingdoms (although no familiarity with the original is necessary to enjoy this). The plot drives the story, but there's plenty of space for human interaction, including very thoughtful portrayals of the many different forms of sisterhood. Zephyr is an absolutely stunning main character. Bold, capable, confident, and utterly unshakeable. As much as I love a story where the MC learns to believe in themselves, getting to read one where they already do is truly exhilarating. Crow is a fantastic foil (and potential love interest?) - clever, moody, and full of secrets. I loved seeing him and Zephyr match wits. Writing is fast-paced, and evocative, with plot twists furling out with increasing urgency. And that ending! Ahhhh!
I'd also like to take the time to appreciate that notes in the back offer insight into the original Three Kingdoms story for curious readers, and there are a handful of gorgeous character illustrations in the front. (I, uh, wouldn't mind one for Crow in the second volume.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and War
Minor: Alcohol and Animal death